Company appointed to "place make" at Cheltenham's Quadrangle mixed use development

These days, simply building a new office block is no longer enough, apparently. You have to build links within the local community too.

So Associated British Foods, which owns the newly-built mixed-use development in Cheltenham (and also the retailer Primark), The Quadrangle, has appointed Activate, a placemaking consultancy, to do just that.

Activate conceives and delivers viable placemaking solutions through consultancy and operational management to Regenerate, Repurpose and Enliven.

The Quadrangle, a mixed-use development will offer four floors of office space and two floors of retail and restaurants in Cheltenham.

Following practical completion this month, Activate will create and deliver a comprehensive occupier engagement programme to the 70,000 sq ft scheme. The programme has been designed and costed to promote collaboration, wellbeing, and enrichment among the business space’s occupiers, with the ultimate goal of improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

Having just launched in July 2019, this latest instruction means Activate has now been appointed to advise on more than five million m sq ft of mixed workspace and retail destinations across the UK over the last 12 months, having also last year been appointed to a series of new instructions on projects across the UK for clients including Aztec West Business Park in Bristol on behalf of the Park’s management company, the Lower Precinct Shopping Centre in Coventry, and Liverpool Shopping Park.

Andrew Sparrow, director of placemaking at Activate, said: “The first phase of the community and occupier engagement programme will consist of building relationships with local stakeholders, including the Council, BID, Cheltenham Festival Organisers and the Friends of Imperial Gardens, as well as interim pop up opportunities in any vacant ground-floor commercial units.

“In the longer term, and once occupiers have begun to move into the office units, Activate will also organise networking and social events, introduce Fitwel and other health and wellbeing activities, meet ESG targets through incorporating things like sustainable travel initiatives, and strengthen internal communications with and between occupiers.”

Kevin Seville, Head of Property - Pensions at ABF, added:“The sensitive redevelopment of the Quadrangle is creating a fantastic mixed-use destination in the heart of Cheltenham, providing attractive workspace, retail & leisure and amenities for occupiers and visitors. An essential part of making the building the primary destination to work and relax in the town, is to have a creative community engagement strategy that brings the building to life and creates a thriving community amongst its occupiers. The experience and creativity of the Activate team will help us deliver that.”

Activate is part of Workman LLP, the UK’s largest independently owned commercial property management and building consultancy firm employing more than 700 staff across 12 UK offices, with a growing presence in Europe.