19/10/2009
Toronto Square is the greenest!

Bowman Riley Architects' project Toronto Square in Leeds has won the Office Development of the Year at the Estates Gazette Green Awards 2009!

The project for Highcross was completed in August following a £10 million re-development and extension programme, which created 90,000 sq ft of Grade A office space in the heart of the city's legal and financial district.  The project included the addition of three new glazed floors and a full height extension to the rear of the original building.

Highcross is delighted by this national recognition of the building's sustainability and environmental performance. Commercial development director, Chris Mills said: "It was a considerable challenge for a refurbished building to achieve the high standards required to win this award and we are very grateful to all those who showed their support for our scheme by voting in the final stages of the competition."

Bowman Riley Architects' scheme was the first extensive redevelopment/refurbishment project in the city centre to achieve an 'excellent' BREEAM rating and is the only building to achieve this standard in Leeds' traditional office and financial core. It incorporates a range of environmental initiatives, including air source heat pumps for heating and cooling, areas of green roofs, a green recycling hub, initiatives to save waste water and a landscaping scheme which enhances site ecology.

The building's excellent environmental performance, coupled with its high quality specification and central location, enabled Highcross to secure its first letting - to Zolfo Cooper ? just after completion, at a new benchmark rent for Leeds.

The Estates Gazette Green Awards highlight and reward excellence in sustainable development and are awarded in nine categories, including industrial, office, residential, retail and leisure developments and regeneration schemes.