ISG completes refurbishment of Neighbourhood North in Bristol for Legal and General

Neighbourhood North is the first phase in Legal and General’s modernisation of three dated waterfront offices into a well-being focused, carbon conscious urban campus. 

ISG’s involvement in the project was to refurbish the first of three buildings. The team modernised the building’s appearance, created a new entrance extension, upgraded interior spaces, added new cycle and shower facilities and improved the size of window openings, to ensure the building’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) legacy. The extension was constructed using Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) slabs, as they offer design flexibility while  minimising environmental impacts. 

Neighbourhood North was designed to incorporate value engineering, with a strong focus on low embodied and operational carbon. The client insisted on aligning aspects of the project to their strong sustainability ethic and is aspiring to achieve BREEAM Excellent environmental accreditation. Therefore, timber composite windows, high recycled content roof tiles and low carbon materials were used throughout the extension of the building. Re-used solar panels were installed on the roof, and an air source heat pump provided an all-electric solution without the need for gas.

A key feature of the project is the façade, which contains elements of the building’s existing structure. The project team avoided demolishing and reconstructing the façade, opting instead to reuse bricks taken out of the building, avoiding waste. Composite windows were the preferred choice over aluminium, due to timber providing exceptional thermal performance. 

Throughout the project, there were several challenges the team faced. As the building neighbours the nearby harbour, the constrained location meant the team had to navigate restricted access between the three buildings. This proved to be difficult when lifting large elements of glazing in to place. The team was also mindful that buildings adjacent to Neighbourhood North were occupied while works took place. 

Various social value initiatives took place during the project, such as visiting local schools to educate students on ISG, our projects and involvement with the local community. The team also offered the pupils an opportunity to see a demonstration of a Brokk robot, a remote-controlled demolition machine, commonly used in construction. Graduate structural engineers were welcomed on site to look at the difference in Cross-Laminated Timber or CLT and the existing structure of the building. 

The project also presented an opportunity for an ex-prisoner to realise their potential, with the individual starting as a labourer who was later trained to be a scaffolder on site. The client was particularly impressed with ISG’s commitment to social value, which was a key factor in its decision on which contractor would take on the project. A clear social value strategy was outlined, and this was identified as something deeply embedded in ISG’s values.

Neighbourhood North has also been shortlisted for the Architect's Journal (AJ) Retrofit & Reuse Awards in the Positive Addition (£5 million and over) category, with the results to be announced in September. The awards celebrate expertise and ingenuity in the adaption and reuse of buildings in response to the climate emergency and changing requirements of use. It was also a finalist in the corporate workplace category at the British Council of Offices regional awards.