BT : Mayor, graduates and apprentices get sneak peek of new state-of-the-ar..

• BT's brand new 13-storey waterfront office in central Bristol due to open in Summer 2022

• State-of-the-art building features 'wildflower meadow' and panoramic rooftop terraces

• Bristol chosen as one of BT's key locations for the UK, with the new office to be hub for up to 2,500 colleagues

• Building one of first in Bristol to have heat supplied by low-carbon district heating network, providing heat via ground-source heat pump.

BT has given the Mayor of the West of England Dan Norris and BT apprentices and graduates a sneak peek of the company's new state-of-the-art office in the centre of Bristol, ahead of its scheduled opening in summer 2022.

The brand new 13-storey waterfront development, close to Bristol Temple Meads station, includes a rooftop 'wildflower meadow' and a number of terraces with panoramic views, to help promote wellbeing for up to 2,500 colleagues.

The building, Assembly Bristol, is a multi-million pound new development in the Temple Quarter Enterprise zone that is set to become one of BT's key locations for the UK. Bristol was named in 2019 as one of BT's strategic locations, with the new office to act initially as a hub for more than 2,000 colleagues in the city and wider region.

Like many businesses, considerable numbers of BT people have been working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, but many are expected to return to the office in the coming months, as government restrictions are lifted. BT believes that, while technology and connectivity have helped people work remotely, there is still a role for the office to share ideas and to develop effective teams, particularly for the many new apprentices and graduates who join each year.

Each of the new building's 13 floors is designed with high ceilings and natural daylight in mind, and indoor and outdoor breakout spaces, balconies and large terraces on the upper floors. The building also includes more than 250 cycle spaces and shower and changing facilities.

Commenting on the new building,West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: 'It was a pleasure to get a behind the scenes tour of BT's new Bristol office. The views from the top are stunning. I'm delighted that our city is becoming a key location for the company, cementing our position at the heart of the UK's digital economy.

'I particularly enjoyed meeting the graduates and apprentices and hearing about the excellent opportunities they are getting for interesting and varied high quality jobs.'

Sinmiloluwa Oke, part of BT's graduate scheme, said:'It was great to be able to get a sneak peek of BT's new building in Bristol. It's a really modern building with lots of cool features like the roof terrace and wildflower meadow. Where you work is really important, so I think this kind of workspace will inspire colleagues and help create a good working environment.'Nick Speed, BT Group's director in the South West, said:'This brand new building represents a multi-million pound investment by BT in the Bristol area and will see us increasing our presence significantly in the city in the coming years.

'It was great to have input from some of BT's young people who are at the start of their careers and see their enthusiasm for the quality workspace we are creating, as somewhere they'd want to work.'

Graeme Paton, BT's managing director, property and facilities services, said:'Our brand new building in the centre of Bristol is very exciting. It will bring our people together in a modern and collaborative environment, helping us transform the way we work.

'Although many of us have been working from home successfully over the last year thanks to technology and connectivity, we also know that modern office environments are vital. The buildings we work in play a huge part in how we feel and how we collaborate with each other. Our new offices will help us attract and retain brilliant people and we look forward to welcoming colleagues into this great new building when it's complete.'

Notes

Metro Mayor Dan Norris was given a tour of the building by Nick Speed, BT Group's public affairs lead for the South West of England. Other guests on the preview tour included BT degree apprentices Harvey Chandler and Caitlin Chinnock, and Sinmiloluwa Oke and Iestyn Harries, part of BT's graduate scheme.

The exterior of the building is now complete and work has started to fit-out the interior with an anticipated move-in date of summer 2022.

The building is one of the first in Bristol to have the heat supplied by the district heating network, providing heat via a ground-source heat pump, so removes the reliance on gas. There will be no gas in the building. All heating/cooling is supplied via an electric system and aligns to BT's decarbonisation goals.

BT Better Workplace programme

BT's Better Workplace programme, first announced in 2018, is the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK. It will consolidate BT Group's UK footprint of more than 300 locations to around 30. The company has already announced several locations including Bristol, London, Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Belfast. It also plans to move from its current headquarters in London at St Paul's to a new 320,000 square foot, 18-storey building near Aldgate East Station later this year.