Four new outstanding developments built in the Thames Valley

Across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, plenty of exciting new non-residential developments have been completed in the past year or two. Be they eye-catching office buildings, sustainable industrial complexes, modern retail units or clever and community-pleasing leisure facilities.

In order to shine a light on the fantastic developments of recent times, we've decided to spend a little time focusing on some that stood out to us...

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These are some of our favourite recent commercial developments:

Shinfield Studios - Reading

Shinfield Studios is an impressive and innovative new television and film production hub that is currently under construction just outside of Reading. Phase 1 is already complete (with four stages, workshops and offices having been built), with many more facilities set to follow over the next couple of years.

Shinfield Studios will offer a staggering one million square feet of movie and TV production space, including 18 new purpose-built sound stages and workshops, as well as a modern office area and top-class post-production facilities.

Planning approval was granted back in March 2021 for the four temporary film stages, all of which were finished in November 2021. Full planning permission for the permanent, much larger, state-of-the-art film and television production facilities - set over 65 acres of land in the Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield - was submitted in June 2021.

This primary site has since received full planning authorisation. Along with the four existing sound stages, five more are scheduled to open by the end of 2022. With a further five more to open by the end of 2023 and the whole 18-stage facility by the summer of 2024.

Moran Lovell designed it all and it's being built by Curo Construction.

135 Theale Logistics Park - Theale

This self-contained, high-spec warehouse unit was a clever speculative build, with over 120,000 square feet of modern warehouse space impressing anyone who visits.

The 135 Theale Logistics Park unit is 14m in height, with two level access, 14 dock level doors and a highly secure 72m yard.

It's located at M4's Junction 12 and has excellent access to the national motorway network. The complex is prominently - and handily - located at the intersection of Brunel Road and Waterside Drive.

McKay Securities Plc found it easy to lease the entireity of 135 Theale Logistics Park. The 134,430-square-foot warehouse construction proved highly appealing. Now operating out of the impressive space as the likes of Amazon, Westcoast, Porsche, IKEA, John Lewis, Laithwaite's, IVECO and TNT.

Three HQ - Reading

Three employees from Maidenhead and Reading were consolidated into one 117,000 square foot building in Green Park in Reading this year. The majority will be pleased with their new office. At least in terms of building quality, if not commute time for some.

Hybrid working is central to the new workspace, which Three says is ‘empowering’ workers.

The new offices offer a variety of design quarters: 'Visitor', 'Discovery', 'Living', 'Playing' and 'Meeting'. Within the development are zones which mix into one another, inviting individuals to 'socialise, relax and collaborate'. A prominent component of the offices are the social and relaxation quarters complete with Foosball, Xbox, pool table, yoga studio, gender neutral amenities and a chill area.

The Three HQ offices will be served by the new Green Park Station, which is set to open this summer with trains running every half hour.

Moxy/Residence Inn - Slough

Last year, in the Berkshire town of Slough, the Marriott International hotel firm opened its first dual-branded hotel in the UK.

The development, built on the site of the town's former library, includes a 152-room Moxy hotel and a 92-suite Residence Inn - Slough's first ever extended stay hotel.

Moxy décor is highly influenced by the town's links with the popular TV puppet show Thunderbirds, with "subtle pop-art wall graphics and signage honouring the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson puppet show and local heritage."

The two each have their own entrances and receptions, but share amenities such as a gym, a ninth-floor terrace, six conference rooms, four giant interconnected event spaces, the ground-floor Moxy Bar, and the Residence Inn Bar and Lounge.

We love this particular development so much that we awarded it our Development of the Year award at our 2021 Thames Valley Property Awards.

If you have an absolute favourite non-residential development from the past year, one you'd like to see recognised at the 2022 Thames Valley Property Awards, why not nominate your pick here?

READ MORE: Identifying the best non residential developments in the Thames Valley with IBB Law

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