Many of the UK’s “secondary” or “subprime” offices can be transformed into efficient, desirable workplaces with the right blend of design, market strategy and policy support. McGuireWoods London partner Callum Hassall and associate Hannah Irish explored practical solutions in a two-part series for Estates Gazette, drawing on insights from a roundtable of developers, architects, lenders and occupiers convened earlier this year.
In the first article, Hassall and Irish set out place‑ and design‑led approaches to make retrofit the obvious choice for developers: a national design and planning knowledge bank to share proven interventions by era and typology; mapping regional office retention zones to target investment where workplaces are most likely to thrive still make sense; clustering upgraded buildings to build tenant communities and spread amenity costs; and designing spaces to be flexible and adaptable, avoiding over‑specification and waste. As they put it, “The principle is simple: don’t fight the building.”
The second article turned to “rewiring the rules” so viable retrofits can proceed at scale. The authors called for a targeted incentive stack (including extended empty rates relief during works and aligned VAT/capital allowances), adoption of performance‑based metrics such as NABERS UK over modelled EPCs, education across the value chain to clarify commercial upside and risk, and streamlined permissions (wider use classes and permitted works for routine fabric upgrades). As they wrote: “These aren’t subsidies for underperforming assets; they are a necessary re‑calibration to allow good projects to proceed on their own merits.”
Hassall and Irish also shared perspectives from McGuireWoods’ eight-part series, “Breathing Life Back Into Subprime Offices,” outlining an action plan to turn stranded assets into long term, high performing workplaces.
McGuireWoods London’s commercial real estate team earned nationwide rankings from the Chambers UK Guide 2026 the Legal 500 UK for advising corporate occupiers, investors and developers across the technology, life sciences and industrial sectors and delivering a full-service offering across the commercial real estate spectrum. Hassall was recognized for excellence in the Chambers UK Guide, earning praise from clients for his industry knowledge, attention to detail and responsiveness.