Architects brown + company, of York key role in Leeds build

Architects brown + company, in Blossom Street, which also has offices in Manchester and Edinburgh, to date has had projects at Aparthotel Micklegate, 23 Piccadilly, 4-6 Parliament Street and the Mount Royale in York itself.

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And now they are working on 8, St Paul’s Street in Leeds city centre, which has been transformed into modern Grade A office space through a major refurbishment on behalf of the new owners and occupiers W Denis.

Rob Miller, director at brown + company, said: “This was a tremendously exciting and rewarding project for us.

“It is fair to say that when W Denis bought the building, it was ageing, underutilised, and unloved.

“But, given its prominent position in the heart of Leeds’ professional core, only five minutes from Leeds Station, it had tremendous potential.”

Rob Miller of brown + company (Image: Supplied)

The scheme received planning consent in 2023, after which brown + company was appointed to redesign and modernise the eight-storey building.

Working with main contractor MLC and interior designer RuCreative, the team delivered what they describe as a best-in-class office development in the heart of the city.

The refurbishment included a one-storey roof extension and a rear extension, increasing total office space by 30 per cent to 25,000 sq ft.

W Denis, a national insurance broker, have taken three floors of the building as its headquarters.

The redesign features a new reception area, shared meeting rooms, a roof garden, and flexible, high-quality office spaces.

8 St Paul’s Street Interior reception (Image: Rob Crawshaw)

Kathryn Thew, speaking on behalf of W Denis, said: “The experience of working with brown + company on the construction and redevelopment of our office block in Leeds exceeded our expectations from start to finish.

“Throughout the project, the team demonstrated exceptional professionalism, creativity, and technical expertise.

“They took the time to understand our operational requirements and translated them into a modern, functional, and visually impressive workspace that has transformed the building.”

Thew said the company had received numerous positive comments from staff, tenants, and visitors.

Mr Miller said sustainability was a central focus of the design.

He said: “We retained embodied carbon on site, thermally improved the building, reused parts of the external 1960s façade in the mezzanine interior, and facilitated energy generation on site, all helping to achieve a BREEAM excellent score, which is high for an existing building.”

The project team also prioritised employee wellbeing and collaborative working.

The redesigned offices include breakout areas, a gym, yoga studio, a bar area, rooftop garden, large kitchens, and both formal and informal meeting spaces.

Improvements to daylight quality were also a major component of the redesign, with a new façade and extensive planting throughout the building.

8 St Paul’s Street exterior (Image: Supplied)