Category

Best Repurposing & Placemaking Project

Entered By

W.RE

Why did you want to enter The Revo’s? 

Arding & Hobbs represents something we believe the industry needs to see more of – a commercially successful answer to Britain’s department store crisis. With 83% of department stores closing in just five years, we wanted to demonstrate that adaptive reuse isn’t just the sustainable choice, it’s the viable one. The £58m refinancing proves the model works, and we hope this encourages more investors and developers to look at heritage buildings as opportunities rather than obstacles.

What makes your entry standout?

The combination of commercial performance and community impact. We achieved 100% retail pre-let before completion and secured substantial refinancing, whilst delivering something genuinely useful for Clapham Junction – modern and inspiring workspace, amenities the high street lacked, and public access to premium facilities through our partnership with x+why.

We preserved 88% of the original structure and achieved BREEAM Excellent, proving you don’t have to choose between heritage, sustainability and returns.

How do you envision the future of your industry, and how do you hope to contribute to it?

We see a future where adaptive reuse becomes the default, not the exception. Britain has hundreds of empty department stores that could anchor local economies again if we’re willing to think beyond traditional boundaries.

Arding & Hobbs proves the template works, and we hope to contribute by demonstrating that mixed-use, community-focused developments can deliver better outcomes for everyone: investors, occupiers, and neighbourhoods.

What one word best summarises your entry?

Revival (of a building, a high street, and a community’s commercial heart)