One Portwall Square, Bristol

2025 RIBA South West & Wessex Award

One Portwall Square, Bristol
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris for Nord Development
Contract value: Confidential
GIA: 4,505m²

This project is an outstanding example of a commercial development that incorporates simple but sound choices in building fabric and space planning with well-integrated structure and mechanical and electrical services. The office scheme has a carefully conceived form and internal organisation, which creates a new public space on Bristol’s Brunel Mile and a stimulating, comfortable, energy-efficient new workplace. A simple urban gesture, utilising a well-conceived close relationship to the neighbouring buildings and retaining two mature trees, has successfully created a new south-facing public space, from which the building is entered. 

The architectural design builds on AHMM’s expertise from previous projects and a shared client vision, to provide extremely generous and flexible interiors with good natural lighting, very high energy performance and innovative internal occupant environmental controls. This has all been delivered to a build cost limited by regional office rental values – an admirable achievement.

The bold design – with south-facing balconies, striking use of colour, a robust and serviceable material palette of concrete, glass, galvanised ducts and sharp timber panelling, and generous spaces – is delightful, distinctive and functional. The building is also finely detailed throughout, with very well-considered use of building systems, materials and finishes, such as a carpet woven from recycled synthetic materials.

The integration of structure and building systems creates generous spaces that are both robust and highly adaptable. The project makes excellent use of environmental technologies and low-energy measures. Among these are mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR); south-facing balconies on every floor that provide effective solar shading during summer; and a red/green traffic-light system that signals to building occupants when they can open the windows to allow fresh air to enter. 

The developer’s decision not to force too much onto the site was commendably supported by the sympathetic developer client. Parts of the floor plates were given over to external terracing, which adds to the sense of a more humane and sensitive commercial building. It is a robust building delicately slotted into a tight urban setting to bring joy to occupants and hold a space for the wider community.

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RIBA Regional Awards 2025 sponsored by Autodesk, EH Smith, Equitone and Velux