Construction completed at 11 & 12 Wellington Place

MEPC has announced the completion of construction work at 11 & 12 Wellington Place, one of the UK’s most sustainable office developments.

Wates Construction, which has delivered the scheme, has reached practical completion on the buildings, which have been handed over to developer and asset manager MEPC.

Employee-owned consultancy Arup has already committed to take 36,000 sq ft with further announcements expected on other new occupiers in the upcoming months.

11 & 12 Wellington Place have set a new milestone for sustainable development in the Yorkshire region, combining low-carbon design with state-of-the-art technology.

BREEAM Outstanding and run entirely on renewable electricity, the buildings offer a total of 254,879 sq ft of space and will include a gym operator in the basement and leisure and retail space at ground floor.

Designed by architect TP Bennett, the buildings incorporate a stunning link bridge creating contiguous floorplates of 25,000 sq ft at fourth floor and above and striking metallic bronze facades that mirror the stonework pattern of the adjacent listed lifting tower.

The smart enabled buildings were the first outside London to achieve a NABERS Designed Reviewed Target Rating of Five Stars or above, an exemplar system for rating the energy efficiency of buildings both during the construction phase and when in use.

Run entirely on renewable electricity, the buildings will save a forecasted 407 tonnes of CO2 annually and offer a range of sustainable transport options. Sustainability credentials also include an EPC A rating, BREEAM rating of Outstanding and a Fitwel accreditation, a certification system that positively impacts health through building design and operation.

Paul Pavia, head of development at MEPC, said: “Wates has done a fantastic job in helping us to deliver these exceptional buildings to the highest of industry standards. MEPC is incredibly pleased to celebrate this milestone of completing our ninth building at our Wellington Place scheme.

“We’re also extremely proud that 11 & 12 Wellington Place have set a new benchmark for future-proofed, sustainable development in Yorkshire and beyond. Delivery of these buildings has required a collaborative approach and a real team effort, and we are particularly grateful to several of our close partners on this project, including Arup, Gardiner & Theobald, TP Bennett, Mainer Associates and Wates.

“We’ve been really pleased with the progress of lettings and continue to be excited about the long-term future of Wellington Place which continues to act as a major catalyst for job creation, wider regeneration and investment across the region, alongside being a genuine enhancer of neighbouring communities through positive social impact.”

David Wingfield, regional director for Yorkshire and North East at Wates Construction, said: “We have been working with MEPC for many years to develop Wellington Place and at each stage we have continued to work in partnership with them and our supply chain partners to lead the way with sustainable building practices.

“During the construction we’ve also remained committed to finding ways to support wider Leeds communities, spending £218,000 with local Social Enterprises alone and donating 800 children’s books to local schools.

“I, and the rest of our team are immensely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together.”

Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The stage-by-stage development of Wellington Place has been a real success story for our city and it’s great to see another milestone being reached in the project with the completion of construction on these new buildings.

“Sustainability and energy efficiency have clearly been central to MEPC’s vision for the site, with that emphasis on respecting and protecting the environment complementing our own work as we seek to make Leeds a carbon neutral city by 2030.

“Developments such as Wellington Place can only strengthen Leeds’s credentials as a world-class business powerhouse, while also helping to create jobs, drive regeneration and support inclusive growth in a way that benefits people and communities right across the city.”