Farnborough Aerospace centre soars with Ascent 1 completion

Hermes Investment Management, the £36 billion fund manager, has officially announced the launch of Ascent 1, a 75,000 sq ft extensively refurbished office, within Farnborough Aerospace Centre. This marks the completion of three of the four Ascent buildings, with two of the buildings now fully let and 50% of the remaining office space available.  

Designed by Hale Architects, the restored Ascent 1 building is centred around a newly-created 2,200 sq ft atrium, along with a full height entrance façade and enhanced reception area, set to appeal to international corporations and independent businesses alike. Sustainability is also at the heart of Ascent 1, with PV panels on the roof, electric vehicle charging points, showers and bike facilities, plus a BREEAM rating of Very Good and an EPC rating of B. 

Ascent 1 joins buildings 2, 3 and 4, which totals approximately 250,000 sq ft of Grade A flexible space at this unique office estate. Each building has its own distinctive design attributes and dedicated landscaping, with access to a vast array of amenities including a restaurant, café, gym and conference spaces, with the enhancement of facilities set to continue.

Benefitting from excellent accessibility, the Ascent buildings are situated close to the A331 giving access to the A3 and Junction 4 of the M3, and offer two frequent dedicated shuttle buses connecting tenants to the town centre as well as Farnborough train station in seven minutes.

Stephen Ellis, Asset Manager, Hermes Investment Management, said: “Since we started the Ascent development project, we’ve driven forward our vision to create a high-quality, flexible working space, with a range of amenities that create a positive and enjoyable experience for employees. The unveiling of the rejuvenated Ascent 1 building reflects Hermes’ belief in creating places where people want to work, live and play - in turn providing a better chance of attracting global talent, achieving capital and delivering sustainable futures for all.” 

Sam Walker, Director, Canmoor, added: “After an extensive refurbishment and investment programme, it is a pleasure to now showcase Ascent 1 as part of the wider contemporary working environment and the next phase in our redevelopment, with Ascent 2 set to follow. We are in discussion with a handful of occupiers keen to acquire space in Ascent 1 and 4, and look forward to welcoming new businesses to the vibrant and engaging Ascent offer.”

Hermes Investment Management appointed Canmoor as strategic advisor throughout the repositioning of Ascent Farnborough. Cushman & Wakefield and Hollis Hockley act as joint leasing agents for Hermes Investment Management.

The launch of Ascent 1 follows the news that leading direct banking and payments services company, Discover Financial Services, had signed a 12-year lease of the Ascent 3 building. The US-based company has selected the recently refurnished Grade A building at Farnborough Aerospace Centre for its new UK head office. 

The Ascent buildings equate to 250,000 sq ft of office space with over 1,200 parking spaces. Farnborough Aerospace Centre is the corporate headquarters for BAE Systems with Zurich 

Insurance, Infor and Lockheed Martin also represented on the estate, with Discover Financial Services moving in next month. Well-connected and just minutes away from Farnborough town centre, providing direct trains to London Waterloo (30 minutes), the Ascent buildings are also adjacent to Farnborough Airport (private charter) and in close proximity to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The A3 and Junction 4 of the M3 are also both easily accessible, providing excellent connectivity for occupiers’ employees.  

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Amanda McNally via amandamcnally@averpr.com

Clare McInerneyvia claremcinerney@averpr.com

Notes to Editors: 

About Hermes Investment Management

Hermes Investment Management, a Federated Investors company, provides world-class active investment management and stewardship services. Hermes, headquartered in London, manages £36 billion in assets and offers a broad range of specialist, high-conviction investment strategies spanning listed equities, credit, real estate, infrastructure, private debt and private equity. Hermes’ strategies focus not just on financial results, but also on delivering outcomes beyond performance: holistic returns that consider impacts to society, the environment and the wider world. In Hermes EOS, the company offers one of the industry’s leading engagement resources, representing £501 billion of assets*. For more information, visit www.hermes-investment.com.

Please note the total AUM figure includes £6.6bn of assets managed or under an advisory agreement by Hermes GPE LLP (“HGPE”), a joint venture between Hermes Fund Managers Limited ("HFM"), HGPE Capital Limited and GPE Partner Limited. HGPE is an independent entity and not part of the Hermes group. £23.6m of total group AUM figure represents HFM mandates under advice.

*Source: Hermes as at 30 June 2019.

Ascent

Ascent comprises four contemporary office buildings within the Farnborough Aerospace Centre, one of the leading business parks in the M3 corridor, and home to the likes of BAE Systems, Infor, Lockheed Martin, Discover and Zurich.​ 

Benefitting from excellent accessibility, Ascent is situated close to A331, giving access to the A3, Jct 4 of the M3.  Farnborough town centre is also just minutes away and provides direct trains to London Waterloo (40mins).  In addition, the Ascent buildings are adjacent to Farnborough Airport (private charter) and in close proximity to Heathrow and Gatwick airports.  The Ascent Buildings equate to 250,000 sq ft of office space with over 1,200 parking spaces and provide a modern day working environment built to an exceptional standard.

Set in established parklands with an adjacent golf course, Ascent features first class connectivity through telecomms fibre, and a range of workforce amenities including two cafés, gym, dry cleaning drop/collect, ATM, car rental, conferencing facilities, cycle racks, electrical charging points and shuttle bus from Farnborough Station.  ​ 

Sustainability is also at the heart of Ascent, and we are targeting ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).​ 

Canmoor
Canmoor is a leading private commercial property business. Since inception it has transacted in excess of £1.5billion of investment joint ventures and has a development programme in excess of £350 million. Canmoor is a recognised market leader in the warehouse and business space sectors. Based in London and Manchester the team has national coverage with local expertise. www.canmoor.com
 
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