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Tue 1st Jul 2008

A landmark building in the Burngreave area of Sheffield has been officially opened by Premier League referee Uriah Rennie.

Sorby House, on Spital Hill, has undergone a £4.5million refurbishment to transform the building into high specification, modern, eco-friendly office accommodation for community use and new business start-ups.

It was unveiled to around 100 guests from the local community at an Open Day on Friday 13 June. The event was also attended by Sheffield boxer Jonny Nelson, who was on hand to meet local residents as part of a series of public guided tours of the facility.

The transformation of the 1960s office building forms an integral part of the Burngreave New Deal for Communities (BNDfC) programme, which is working in partnership to regenerate the area.

The new look Sorby House, designed by Sheffield architects Bond Bryan, is set over four floors with over 24,000 sq ft of work space and reception area with a three storey central atrium.

It has been designed to be carbon neutral with a range of sustainable energy features, including a fully glazed twin wall façade to Spital Hill, an environmentally friendly biomass solid fuel heating system and ‘Passivent' natural air conditioning.

Uriah Rennie said: "Sorby House is a fantastic development that will offer flexible, first-class mixed use space creating a vibrant, creative and dynamic business community.

"When I was starting out in the early stages of my career someone told me to reach for the highest and that's exactly will Sorby House will do for Burngreave. It represents a great opportunity to engage and develop the community and give local people the chance to achieve success.

"I really believe in what is going on in Burngreave and I believe in the area's aims. Challenges have been faced but overcome and the people in Burngreave are proud of the area and the contribution it's now making to the city. It is great to drive around and see residents taking real pride and ownership in their community.

"Sorby House will help people build on their skill sets, abilities and achievements and deliver entrepreneurship opportunities. It is the kind of workspace that has been needed for a long time and it is money well spent. Care has been taken to develop the facility to meet the needs of the community and I hope it acts a stepping stone and launch pad for many individuals to go on and enjoy great business success."

Ronnie Lewin, chair of the BNDfC partnership board, said: "I have lived in Burngreave for 36 years so I know the area like the back of my hand and the transformation over the last six years has been quite incredible. The opening of Sorby House represents another major step forward and it is a real symbol of how far we have come as a community.

"Previously Sorby was the old DSS building so there has been a major turnaround in the use of the venue. It will not only attract jobs from the city into the area and but also create local access to the highest quality workspace. Local residents have been actively involved in the development of Sorby and now we want to show it off to the rest of Sheffield and make it a sustainable asset for the whole community."

Kevin Keyes, construction manager for Kier Sheffield, who oversaw the redevelopment of the building, said: "Sorby House has been a challenging project.  The innovative design and structural elements have ensured the site team never had a dull moment. We are proud that, throughout the project, Kier has maintained excellent relations with local businesses by listening to and addressing any concerns they had.

"The project has provided training and work placements for local young people.  Further training and job placements have been provided by Kier Sheffield LLP."

The event was sponsored and supported by BiG: Make it Your Business, Fresh Solution UK, Kier Sheffield, Protec Fire Detection plc and R.A. Roberts (Office Equipment) Ltd