The newest building at Aire Park, Leeds’ 24-acre mixed use development, has reached a major milestone, with developer Vastint UK celebrating the practical completion of its striking seven-storey Kellstone building.
Offering 75,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, and almost 7,000 sq ft of flexible ground floor retail and leisure opportunities, Kellstone is an exemplar of contemporary working environments.
Targeting BREEAM Excellent, along with WELL and WiredScore gold certifications, the building has sustainability at its heart, combining city centre convenience and connectivity with the wellbeing benefits of easy access to the city’s newest public park.
Marked as one of the premier business addresses in Leeds, Vastint UK has now handed over nearly two thirds of Kellstone to legal firm Eversheds Sutherland which will now complete fit out across floors three to six.
In addition to this, the firm has exclusive use of the building’s roof terrace, which offers panoramic views of the city and the evolving green space that sits at the heart of Aire Park and will be the UK’s largest new city centre public park when fully complete.
Kellstone is the latest addition to Aire Park, which saw its first commercial buildings, 1 and 3 South Brook Street, open last year. South Brook Street is now home to national and international businesses including TPT, interactive investor, Devonshires, Jacobs, Ridge and Partners and was selected by rail provider, Northern, for a new centre of excellence.
Designed by architects Cartwright Pickard, Kellstone is defined by its distinctive bull-nose frontage and elegant curved façade. The building represents a key gateway to the development on the approach from Leeds train station and the city centre.
Penny Cameron, Managing Director at Vastint UK, said:
“The practical completion of Kellstone is another major milestone in the delivery of Aire Park’s commercial district and what is quickly becoming Leeds’ premier business address. Alongside the new Grade A office space, the building will also feature an active ground floor, offering retail and leisure opportunities that will look out over the park and create a vibrant and welcoming entrance to the development and our growing community.”
Simon Harris, Senior Office Partner, Leeds, Eversheds Sutherland, said:
“We love the positive energy at Aire Park, and Kellstone embodies that perfectly. On visiting Aire Park, Kellstone immediately stood out as the right fit for us – a high-quality, future-focused space that supports both our colleague and client communities. There’s a strong sense of direction at Aire Park, and we’re excited it’s taking a central role in the next phase of our growth in the city.”
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said:
“The Kellstone building is a really impressive addition to Aire Park and underlines the momentum behind the development as a whole.
“Aire Park’s emergence as a modern, vibrant neighbourhood is already strengthening Leeds’s reputation as a great place to live and do business, and one where a wide range of partners and stakeholders are committed to driving inclusive growth.
“Its transformational impact also complements wider work carried out by the council in this part of the city centre, including the installation of the new David Oluwale Bridge, improvements to Crown Point Road and the creation of additional green space at Meadow Lane.”
Peter Cartwright, director at Cartwright Pickard, said:
“Achieving practical completion is a great milestone for Kellstone and a major step forward in the delivery of Aire Park and its next chapter. Kellstone is a high-performing, sustainable workplace rooted in its context. Off-site construction has played a key role in delivering the building whilst maintaining high design quality.
“Over 60 percent of the façade uses a single pre-cast panel type, enhancing efficiency and reducing waste. We are proud to be working with Vastint UK and its supply chain on a project that champions longevity, adaptability and placemaking.”
Kellstone has been delivered by a construction team including Leeds-based Moortown as principal contractor, alongside JPT Roofing and engineering company Inhus which designed and delivered the pre-cast panel system.
To find out more about Aire Park, visit: airepark.co.uk.
This post is based on a press release issued on behalf of Vastint UK
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