SOAR Works Sheffield, Parson Cross Building, Yorkshire Enterprise Centre, Architect, Property

SOAR Works, Parson Cross, Sheffield

South Yorkshire Enterprise Centre, north England, UK – design by 00:/

17 + 14 Jun 2013

SOAR Works, Parson Cross

Enterprise Centre

Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, northern England, UK

Design: 00:/

RIBA National Award Winner – 13 Jun 2013

About SOAR Works

The purpose built Enterprise Centre has been designed to help business trade, interact, network and access support in a fresh and modern way.

photographs © Lynton Pepper

At SOAR Works individual office, light industrial units and artist’s studios provide high quality, functional workspace which is clustered around an internal courtyard which acts as a social hub, space for hot desking and home to the range of onsite business support services for start up and existing businesses. This innovative environmentally friendly, flagship design has created a community of businesses that actively encourages the sharing of skills, knowledge and resources. The building also provides meeting and conference space. The Centre is now 75% full and has office, light industrial and artists units available.

The Centre has opened with a number of the units already let and is now host to a wide range of local businesses. But there’s more to this development than just the building. SOAR Works has a dedicated Centre Management team based onsite to manage the facilities and provide a range of support opportunities, including regular networking events. The Centre is also key to the wider regeneration plans for Parson Cross. The Centre will provide much needed local employment, a boost to small businesses in the area and support to local shops as well as helping to secure SOARs long-term sustainability.

photograph © Jamie Bubb

Sources of Funding

Project funding for the Enterprise Centre has been derived from a number of sources including:

Sheffield City Council’s Enterprise Programme – a programme of activity to promote business start ups and self employment in the city. It includes a capital strand that will provide a range of quality affordable space for new businesses, The Local Enterprise Growth Initiative is contributing over £1m.

The project has also attracted over £2 million investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe’s support for the region’s economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

HCA – Homes & Community Agency has provide £850k of funding towards the project.

Community Builders has provided £800k investment as part of their support to the third sector

About SOAR

SOAR is a community Regeneration Charity, which delivers health, training, employment and enterprise services in north Sheffield. We have secured over £4m through our trading arm SOAR Enterprises to develop a neighbourhood Enterprise Centre as part of the wider regeneration & enterprise master plan for Parson Cross. The building is a social enterprise with all surpluses reinvested in SOARs charitable aims supporting deprived communities in Northeast Sheffield.

RIBA Awards 2013

SOAR Works Parson Cross information from SOAR Works

RIBA Nation Awards 2013 Citation:

The architects’ design exploits an unpromising triangular back-land site to provide a striking building with a real sense of place which plays an important role in providing social and employment opportunities to the neighbourhood. The architects’ sensitive response results in a building that opens up to maximize natural light and passive solar gain but closes down where noise and height are issues. It has achieved BREEAM Excellent through its appropriate use of sustainable technologies: biomass boiler and solar panels.

The full-height central atrium was not originally part of the brief but the architects saw not only how it could bring in light and aid orientation, but that it would become an important place where tenants could meet.

SOAR Works
Knutton Road, Parson Cross, Sheffield, S5

Architect: 00:/
Client: SOAR
Structural Engineer: Momentum Engineering
Services Engineer: Foster & Partners (formerly Piers Heath Assoc)
Contractor: Quarmby Construction Company
Contract Value: £4,100,000
Date of completion: Oct 2011
Gross internal area: 3,600 sqm

RIBA National Award
RIBA Yorkshire Award
RIBA Yorkshire Building of the Year
RIBA Yorkshire Sustainability Award

SOAR Works Sheffield information from RIBA

Location: Knutton Road, Parson Cross, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, north England, UK