Plans for former Santander building to create more than 20,000sq m of grade A space
LOM has been given the green light for its plans to refurbish and extend a former Santander office building in Milton Keynes.
The scheme at 201 Grafton Gate, designed for developer Osborne & Co, aims to create more than 20,000sq m of grade A office space alongside ground floor retail and new public realm.
Located close to Milton Keynes Central Station, the five-storey building formerly known as Stander House - now branded as The Verve - was built in 1988 for Abbey National and extended in 1993.
It previously served as a regional base for Santander, housing more than 3,500 staff following the bank’s acquisition of Abbey National in 2004.
Santander relocated its staff in 2023 to the neighbouring Unity Place, a 55,000sq m mixed-use workspace also designed by LOM.
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The practice said it wants The Verve to “build on this legacy” and reinforce the regional importance of Milton Keynes ahead of the East West Rail connectivity project which will link the city to Oxford and Cambridge.
Work at The Verve will split the building into two individual offices, the refurbished existing building and a newbuild extension which will be linked by a new glazed atrium.
Designed with structural engineer Elliot Wood, the atrium will be constructed with a hybrid steel and glulam structure, adding 700sq m of shared amenity and breakout space.
The building’s arrival experience will also be overhauled with the addition of a new triple-height reception, including a new intermediate floorplate.
LOM director and project lead Ben Taylor said the practice had sought to design a scheme which could draw the attention of office occupiers away from London.
“The commercial market outside central London remains challenging, so we’ve worked closely with Osborne & Co to develop a scheme that is efficient, deliverable, and commercially compelling,” Taylor said.
He added: “Decarbonising and retrofitting existing buildings is critical for the future of the built environment. The scale and ambition of our proposals for 201 Grafton Gate reflect both the condition of the existing asset and a clear long-term vision for the site and wider Milton Keynes context”
Construction is scheduled to start on site towards the end of this year.
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