BCO_National_Awards_2026_Suplement - Flipbook - Page 31
REFURBISHED / RECYCLED WORKPLACE
Sponsored by Saint-Gobain UK
BCO Awards 2026
Client
Capital&Centric
Owner
Capital&Centric
Occupiers
Multi tenanted
Project Manager
Cushman & Wakefield
Quantity Surveyor
Cushman & Wakefield
Architect
shedkm
Interior Designer
Youth
M&E Engineer
Crookes Walker Consulting
Structural Engineer
Civic Engineers
Sustainability Consultant
Element Sustainability
Contractor
Workspace Design & Build
Investment / Property Co
partially from the UK Shared
Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
Developer
Capital&Centric
The refurbishment
will complement other
regeneration projects in
Wigan and has filled a
major void in the town
centre while celebrating its
architectural heritage. The
judges particularly praised
the sensitive preservation
of its distinctive waffle
ceilings and terrazzo
staircases, alongside the
bco.org.uk
building’s original character
throughout.
A public-facing café, gym,
mini cinema, roof terrace
and enhanced green space
enables both occupiers and
the wider community to make
use of Civic, reconnecting
the site to the town around
it. Far more than a place to
work, it has become a shared
space between business and
public life. Organisers of
Wigan Pride were among
the first to use the new
spaces, while businesses now
operating from Civic include
software and business
services provider Agilisys,
Patrick Wilson Architects and
design software company h2x
Engineering.
Sustainability was
integral to the design, with
the project achieving both
BREEAM Excellent and an
EPC A rating. Inclusivity and
wellbeing are woven through
the scheme, with biophilic
measures and accessible
shared spaces already
seeing high levels of local
engagement.
The judges pointed to
Wigan’s own renewal as the
clearest measure of success,
noting that Civic “stands
as a symbol of optimism
for Wigan, proving that
intelligent commercial
design can catalyse economic
renewal, secure a sustainable
future, and truly lift a town’s
spirits without erasing its
history”.
In an exceptionally
competitive category, the
judges recognised this project
as “a gold standard for
the adaptive reuse of 20th
century landmarks”. Beyond
technical performance, this
is a building which acts as
a vital “interface between
commercial and civic life”.
October 2026 • ESTATES GAZETTE • 31
