Bam begins work on an £8 billion regeneration office building

Bam has started construction on the first non-residential building in the £8bn regeneration of Brent Cross in west London.

Argent and Related Barnet Council appointed Bam to build the 14-storey office block, known as 3 Copper Square. Bam and Related Argent did not disclose the construction value of the project.

The scheme will be built with a hybrid timber and laminated concrete frame and will provide 22,000 square meters of workspace and flexible retail space at ground level.

Natwest is borrowing £62.7m on the building and Barnet Council has provided a £100m loan facility to finance its construction.

The £8 billion Brent Cross regeneration project will provide 6,700 homes and work space for 25,000 people across 180 acres. Seven residential buildings have begun construction.

Midgard is currently building 120 affordable homes due to open later this year and Galliford Try has two rental schemes worth £87m and £75m.

JJ Rhatigan took over the construction of a 662-room student accommodation building from Henry Construction, which went into administration last June.

A new £400 million station connecting the development to central London opened last December. It was built by VolkerFitzpatrick and project managed by Mace.

Bam has worked on dozens of projects for Argent, which was absorbed into Related Argent in May. It has built several more as part of the developer’s 20-year redevelopment of King’s Cross, including its flagship retail destination Coal Drops Yard.

Bam London Region Director Rod Stiles said: “3 Copper Square aligns perfectly with our own values ​​of building a sustainable tomorrow and making a positive impact on the communities we build in and we look forward to delivering this thriving new neighborhood together with our partners”.

Sheffield Hallam University has signed up as the anchor tenant of 3 Copper Square, occupying approximately 10,000 sq ft across six of the building’s lower floors. The lease marks the university’s first campus outside London.

Matt Flood, Head of Commercial Development at Related Argent, said: “The start of construction at 3 Copper Square marks a massive step forward in the creation of a new business and innovation district at Brent Cross Town.

“This new hybrid building inspired by wood and concrete will provide expansive workspaces that energize and connect.”