Urban Splash reaches construction milestone at Lakeshore

The ‘topping out’ ceremony marked the completion of the building’s main frame. It was led by Urban Splash Chairman Tom Bloxham MBE and David Warburton, head of area for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), and was attended by 100 other guests including; dignitaries, councillors and press.

It means that work is on track ready for the first residents to move into the scheme in spring 2011, as well as the launch of a range of new show apartments in the New Year.

The HCA has invested almost £17.5m in the project, which will directly fund the delivery of around 400 homes on the scheme. A further £936,000 has been provided to Sarsen Housing Association to deliver 36 affordable homes on the site.

Tom Bloxham MBE said: “Lakeshore is a challenging scheme and we’re really proud of what’s been achieved so far. It’s a fantastically designed building and its transformation will provide new homes for a range of people. It is also in sync with the other fantastic regeneration projects in the area, including new transport infrastructure and new leisure amenities.”

David Warburton added: “The Homes and Communities Agency has a great working relationship with Urban Splash. We are proud to support their approach to creating affordable, high quality design, something that reinforces our nationwide commitment to residential development. Lakeshore is part of our wider efforts to regenerate south Bristol and is one of a number of investments we are making in the area. It’s a great example of what we are trying to achieve and we’re delighted to see the progress that is being made there.”

Lakeshore, is a Grade II listed, 20th Century icon, formerly known as the Imperial Tobacco Factory. It was initially built in 1973 and designed by American architects Skidmore Owings Merril who, inspired by the modernist pioneer Mies Van Der Rohe, adopted an innovative CorTen steel structure for the building.

Following a period of decline, Lakeshore is now undergoing an extensive transformation by Urban Splash with award winning Bristol based architects Ferguson Mann to help regenerate the area. Hundreds of homes are being created and green technology, including geothermal boreholes for heating, an ETFE roof and recycling systems in each apartment, have helped the building achieve an ‘Excellent’ ecohomes rating.

Residents will also benefit from stunning views across the lake, 10 acres of green space and communal areas such as an atrium and winter gardens.

For further information about Lakeshore, and the homes available there, visit http://ec2-63-34-210-119.eu-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/p... or contact our sales team on 0333 666 9999.