Sustainable office project set for summer completion | Wales Property News

The developer behind a major sustainable upgrade of a Cardiff city centre building has said the project is set to complete this summer.

Work is well underway on the newly rebranded Coal House, formerly Dumfries House on Dumfries Place, investor and developer Create Real Estate has revealed. Set to open in August, Coal House will offer between 3,000 and 30,000 sq ft of office space that is sustainable and focuses on tenant wellbeing. 

Powered by renewable energy, in part from solar panels, it will be fitted with smart building technology to monitor occupancy trends, energy usage and air quality. This will enable tenants to report how they are meeting their environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets. 

There will be eight electric vehicle charging points, communal bikes, generous bike storage, car parking, showers and changing facilities. The building is being designed to meet key environmental and well-being credentials. It will be targeting BREEAM Very Good, EPC B, Wired Score and Cycle Score Gold as well as AirRated and Fitwell accreditation.

The interior of Coal House will incorporate biophilic design principles and a natural palette to maximise the sense of light and enhance well-being. The interior, designed by creative agency Run For The Hills, includes a wood panelled atrium with coffee bar with seating, concrete-effect flooring and brass industrial-style lighting. 

The lounge area includes bookable Zoom rooms and meeting spaces that provide shared space for tenants and clients to socialise and collaborate. There wil also be an in-house app, Coalhouse.Life, which enables tenants to book rooms, order food and access the social and events programme.

Marchmont House and Dumfries House, on Dumfries Place, were purchased by Create Real Estate last year from Sydney & London Properties. 

Ricky Humphreys, director at Create Real Estate, said: “Work is progressing rapidly to transform this prominent but dated building in central Cardiff into a contemporary, sustainable office space where environmentally-conscious, forward-thinking businesses can thrive.” 

He added: “Cardiff offers an amazing quality of life, so it is no wonder that so many professionals are moving here and the area is becoming a hot spot for entrepreneurs and growing.  With such high demand for top spec office space in the city, we are expecting a lot of immediate interest.”

The space is being marketed by Savills Cardiff office and Knight Frank Cardiff Office.

Mark Sutton, office agency partner at Knight Frank, said: “As businesses commit to their future occupational strategies, we are seeing occupiers demanding more from their office space than ever before. This is not only in terms of its aesthetic appeal and the provision of additional amenities but also in the buildings energy performance – delivering a green agenda and enabling companies to attract and retain the best talent.”

Gary Carver, a director at Savills Cardiff, said: “The delivery of the Coal House will see a complete transformation, providing a working environment with the credentials and flexibility to accommodate occupiers seeking best in class office space in Cardiff city centre.”