Contractor appointed to £17m Bristol development

A contractor has been appointed to the £17m redevelopment of 1000 Aztec West in Bristol, with work now set to start on the city’s first out-of-town speculative development in more than a decade.Beard Construction will begin at the site this month, with completion expected in the summer of 2023. The building has already been stripped back to the steel to prepare.Forward funded by CBRE Investors, the aim is for the scheme to be the South West’s first Net Zero Carbon in operation out-of-town office scheme.There will be an array of photovoltaic units on the roof, energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems, and a design approach that reduces the amount of energy the building needs.The development will also comprise electric vehicle charging points and a cycle spa.The building itself will be transformed, expanding from 38,000 sq ft to 80,000 sq ft. There will also be an additional floor added, making it a three-storey venue.Once complete, it will be able to house an 850-strong workforce.Property agents Carter Jonas, Cushman Wakefield and JLL have been appointed to market the new development, offering floor plates of up to 27,000 sq ft.