Construction starts on housebuilder’s own new home
ON THE MOVE: From left, Beal Homes Chief Executive Richard Beal, Chameleon Business Interiors Chairman Shaun Watts, PDR Construction Managing Director Paul Dransfield, and Wykeland Group Managing Director Dominic Gibbons at the site of Beal’s new head office
Construction has begun on Beal Homes’ own new home – the latest showpiece building at developer Wykeland Group’s Bridgehead business park.
The new £4.5m head office will provide a platform for the next phase of growth for Beal and maintains the momentum behind a series of developments by Wykeland over recent years at the flagship East Yorkshire business location.
Beal helps hundreds of homebuyers every year to move to their dream new home and the housebuilder is now preparing to relocate just 100 yards from its existing head office to its own new base.
The 19,000 sq ft, two-storey building will take shape next to the landmark Porsche Centre and continues development on the south side of the business park.
Construction is expected to be complete early in the new year, followed by fit-out, with the Beal team scheduled to move in around spring 2022.
The development reinforces the successful relationship between Wykeland and Beal, who, as the Wykeland Beal joint venture, have driven forward the transformation of Hull’s Fruit Market into a vibrant urban village.
Beal Chief Executive Richard Beal said: “This is a very big moment for our business and all our team as work begins to build our own new home.
NEW HOME: A CGI of how the new Beal head office will look
“It’s particularly exciting that we will all be able to watch our new head office take shape from our current offices just across the road!
“As well as providing an exceptional working environment for our staff, the new building will take our uniquely-personal customer service to a new level, including an expanded Design Lounge where Beal buyers work with our expert designers to ensure their new home fits their lifestyle and tastes perfectly.
“With dedicated and extended customer service facilities, we will be able to double the number of buyers who can enjoy the Beal Experience, which will accelerate our growth.”
Dominic Gibbons, Managing Director of Hull-based Wykeland, owner and developer of Bridgehead, said: “The start of work on the new Beal head office marks the next stage in the ongoing story of successful development and investment at Bridgehead. This is delivering on our long-term vision for Bridgehead as a place where prestige brands benefit from the space and prime location they need to thrive and grow.
“Beal’s development is a great example of this. Having outgrown their existing building, they are now investing again at Bridgehead as a platform to take the business to the next level.
“It’s also a pleasure to work with Richard and his team on this development, having enjoyed such a successful relationship in delivering one of the North of England’s most significant regeneration schemes through our transformation of the Fruit Market.”
Four leading local companies are working closely together to deliver the project. In addition to Beal and Wykeland, Hessle-based PDR Construction is the principal contractor and Hull-based Chameleon Business Interiors will deliver the interior design and fit-out.
COMING SOON: From left, Beal Homes Chief Executive Richard Beal, PDR Construction Managing Director Paul Dransfield, Chameleon Business Interiors Chairman Shaun Watts, and Wykeland Group Managing Director Dominic Gibbons
PDR Construction Managing Director Paul Dransfield said: “Having recently delivered Hull’s newest multi-storey car park for Wykeland Beal in the Fruit Market, we are delighted to team up again to deliver the new Beal headquarters at Bridgehead.
“This striking building will extend PDR’s relationship with Wykeland and the Bridgehead development over the past seven years, which has included construction of a series of buildings, including the Porsche Centre, offices for IT@Spectrum and Centrica Storage, and the ergo centre.”
Chameleon Business Interiors designed and fitted out Beal’s existing head office, which opened in 2014, and Chairman Shaun Watts said: “Our intention is to provide a positive and inspiring environment, one that encourages and attracts the best talent in the region.
“On a prominent gateway site, only a stone’s throw from Beal’s current location, it is going to be a fantastic landmark building, and we feel very privileged to be given this opportunity to be working with them again to provide a tailor-made solution befitting such a building and such a great team of people.”
Designed by West Yorkshire-based architectural practice The Harris Partnership, the new building is more than twice the size of Beal’s existing offices and will feature industry-leading customer experience facilities.
Almost half of the floorspace will be devoted to an expanded Design Lounge and areas dedicated to customer service. With its own entrance, it will be a seven-day sales outlet, open during the day and evening to suit customers’ busy lifestyles, while the 1.1-acre site will also feature a show garden, reflecting the extension of Beal’s personalisation service to help buyers make the most of their outdoor space.
Beal’s current head office on the opposite side of Boothferry Road is available to let, opening up the opportunity for another business to relocate to Bridgehead.
More than 1,000 people are now employed at the Bridgehead site in Hessle, close to the Humber Bridge and A63 / M62 corridor. In addition to Beal, Bridgehead is home to a host of regional, national and global brands, from the John Good Group to Centrica Storage and Porsche.