Craigard has completed a full refurbishment of Crown House 1, a 13,000 square foot Grade A office building near Southampton’s railway station. The upgrade brings energy-efficient, flexible space to a city centre market where quality office suites are scarce.

Craigard, a local property partnership, acquired the four-floor building in 2018 and has invested heavily since, including new energy-efficient HVAC systems throughout. The building has a secure car park and sits within walking distance of restaurants and green spaces.

The ground floor offers a fully fitted 1,518 square foot suite ready for immediate occupation, with a kitchen breakout area and a dedicated zoom room. The first and second floors, at 4,031 and 4,026 square feet, are open-plan floor plates refurbished with LED lighting and new carpets, while the 3,670 square foot top-floor penthouse is plug-and-play space with glass partitioning, a boardroom and bespoke meeting pods.

The space can be let as a whole or as individual units. CBRE Southampton and Realest have been appointed to market it, and Realest, founded in 2013 and based in Hedge End, has acted for Craigard on other south coast holdings.

The refurbishment follows Craigard’s earlier work at nearby Imperial House, a 14,000 square foot office building that it upgraded after purchase, including a new air-conditioning system.

The structural driver is landlord-funded upgrading of ageing city centre stock to Grade A specification, offered in flexible suite sizes to meet demand where new supply is limited.

“The attention to detail in Crown House 1 provides a specification rarely found in a city centre location,” said Emma Lockey, director at CBRE Southampton. “In a prime location, the space offers an exciting opportunity for any occupier.”

“The short supply of quality office suites in the wider Southampton market, allows Crown House 1 to provide occupiers market leading space over a variety of suite sizes,” said Lauren Udall, director at Realest.

For the sector, Crown House 1 shows long-hold landlords refitting existing offices to a plug-and-play standard rather than waiting for tenant-led fit-out.

Source: Yahoo News / Infrastructure Now / Insider Media / Realest / Business Magazine