Oldham Spindles gets recognition from national awards

The transformation of Oldham Spindles has been recognised on the national stage, receiving a Highly Commended award in the Innovation category at the British Council for Offices (BCO) Awards 2025. 

Following earlier success at the LABC Building Excellence Awards, where it was highly commended in the Best non-residential extension, alteration or conversion category, and a win in the Innovation category at the BCO Northern Awards, Spindles went on to represent the North at the BCO National Finals, competing against projects from across the UK. It was one of only four schemes to receive a Highly Commended award. 

The judges praised the project for its imaginative reworking of a 1990s shopping centre into a series of flexible, modern workplaces and community facilities. With architectural design delivered by our team here at AEW, we worked on the project with partners including Oldham Council, Willmott Dixon, Hive, Gleeds and SpaceInvader.

As the string of successes in the 2025 awards season demonstrates, the Spindles project is a great example of adaptive reuse and collaborative regeneration. 

More about the project 

Spindles brings retail, entertainment, community space and offices together in one contemporary space in the heart of Oldham town centre. This includes The Hive, a new co-working hub for local businesses and entrepreneurs that is already helping to drive footfall and vibrancy back into the town centre. 

The council’s own offices have been brought together within the building, creating closer connections between public services and local commerce, while ensuring that the town centre remains a key focus for civic life. 

AEW Director Phil Hepworth said: 

“The vision for the project was to breathe new life into the shopping centre through adaptive reuse and consolidation of retail space into workspace, but its impact on Oldham is bigger than this. 

The project provides a series of unique work environments of a scale not achievable in new build and provides fit for purpose modern environments that promote and encourage modern ways of working through a variety of work settings and meeting spaces. The project is part of a larger puzzle of regeneration in Oldham of which we are very proud to have been part of.” 

The power of innovation and collaboration 

The BCO Awards celebrate the best in office design, fit out and refurbishment across the UK, with the Innovation category spotlighting projects that push the boundaries of design, sustainability and social impact. 

For Oldham and for the industry more widely, this national recognition shows what can be achieved through a shared vision and local collaboration.