Wakefield One 

The Council is extremely happy with the completed building which exceeds our expectations due in no small way to the excellent input from Cartwright Pickard. We found them very easy to work with and professional in every way.

Andrew Hughes, Wakefield Council

Client  Wakefield Council / English Cities Fund
Location  Wakefield
Completion  2011
Cost  £15m

Services

  • RIBA stages 1-6
  • Architectural design
  • CAT A fitout

Awards

  • RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2014 - Sustainability Award
  • RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2014
  • BCO Awards 2013 - Best Corporate Workplace in the North
  • OAS Development Award 2013 - Best Development Outside Central London
  • RICS Awards 2013 - Commercial Category
Wakefield One
Wakefield One
Won in competition, Wakefield One combines a diverse programme of uses into a new model for value-focused civic architecture. The building features a mix of facilities including a museum, cafe, library, Wakefield Council One Stop Shop and civic offices, arranged around a public atrium.

The scheme takes a holistic view of sustainable design so that structural, environmental and architectural elements all contribute in providing a low energy BREEAM Excellent solution that produces 30% less carbon than a conventional comfort cooled office.

Wakefield One is part of the Worksmart programme, designed to rationalise the Council’s estate from 36 buildings to 12, unlocking value by optimising the Council’s two biggest assets; staff and buildings. The new office provides multiple efficiencies from shared facilities and infrastructure to savings in capital and running costs, fostering synergistic relationships between users and releasing other sites for future redevelopment.

The building is the centrepiece of the Wakefield Merchant Gate Masterplan, a major regeneration project spanning 17 acres of vacant land between the railway station and the city centre. The striking new office occupies a prominent position in Wakefield, next to the Grade I listed County Hall.

Wakefield One
Wakefield One
Wakefield One
Wakefield One

An exposed concrete frame was selected for its aesthetic qualities and to contribute to the building’s mixed mode ventilation strategy, through exploitation of its thermal mass. Service rafts including chilled beams were selected to aesthetically complement the exposed concrete frame, and to allow full concealment of M&E services. The exposed concrete frame, finishes, and chilled beam/M&E services rafts have provided an attractive, contemporary, pragmatic, economic and sustainable building solution for Wakefield Council.

Photography Hundven-Clements Photography