• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Wednesday May 7 2025

Swindon workplace shortlisted for prestigious construction award

The restoration of Swindon’s historic Carriage Works has been shortlisted in prestigious regional awards which showcase excellence in the construction industry.

Unit 7B, which hosts the University of Bath and Oxford’s Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies (iCAST) facility has been nominated in the Regeneration and Conservation category of the Construction Excellence South West (CESW) Awards.

As part of the work to bring the Grade II listed building back into use, care was taken to retain as many original features as possible while also making it fit for modern uses.

The iCAST unit, a joint endeavour between the two universities that supports private businesses with developing sustainable technologies, is part of a wider regeneration scheme at the Carriage Works site.

A number of units have so far been renovated and occupied including The Workshed – a business incubator with hireable work spaces – along with the Royal Agricultural University’s Cultural Heritage Institute, and Create Studios.

Work is also ongoing to regenerate a further four units which are designed as ‘shell and core’ spaces, meaning they are flexible spaces that can be reconfigured to suit future tenants’ needs. This could include high quality offices, research and development, educational spaces or digital and creative work areas.

Mirabelle Stobbs, property assets officer at Swindon Borough Council, said: “Working on the Carriage Works buildings to bring them into productive modern use is a pleasure and a privilege.

“The digital, tech and creative business community developing here is a great place to work and it is fantastic recognition that the Carriage Works refurbishment is being recognised in these significant awards.”

Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for placemaking and planning, said: “It’s great to see the Carriage Works getting the recognition it deserves.

“A lot of thought went into to the design of the space, to make it a future-facing workspace that feels modern and convenient, while retaining the building’s historic identity.

“The work to regenerate the site is a long process but with four units already occupied and a further four on the way, it’s really starting to get a new lease of life.

Ross Simmonds, regional director for Historic England in the South West, said: “We’re delighted that the Carriage Works in Swindon has been shortlisted for the 2025 Constructing Excellence South West regeneration and conservation award, highlighting the power of heritage-led partnerships to breathe new life into communities.

“The imaginative and sensitive repurposing of this historic complex formed part of the town’s successful Heritage Action Zone programme, helping transform Brunel’s iconic 19th-century railway village into a thriving centre for business, education and creativity.”

The team will now present the project to a judging panel before the award ceremony in July. Members of the public can support the Carriage Works by casting a public vote at https://cesw-awards.org.uk/2025/en/page/vote-now?nomination=add8-ingleton-wood.