The advent of Crossrail and growth in the Thames Valley corridor are helping Slough to regenerate and overturn negative perceptions. Now the town, which has had no new office buildings for over a decade, has its first high-specification office space in The Porter Building.

The 119,000sq ft landmark, designed by tp bennett, sits on the site of a 1980s block in the town centre. With a modern urban warehouse aesthetic, its brick facades echo neighbouring Slough Station and St Ethelbert’s church: the town’s key heritage assets. “In a short time, the Porter Building has already become a central Slough landmark,” says tp bennett’s Vas Georgiou.

Designed to be accessible, the Porter Building’s frontage is dynamic with retail space, a café and a double-height entrance. Inside, an atrium on the first level allows light to penetrate, while biophilic design, a green roof terrace, electric vehicle charging points and bicycle parking emphasises its environmental ambitions. As well as a BREEAM ‘Very good’ classification, it is the UK’s first office building to achieve WELL Core and Shell certification at the Gold Level.