US engineering consultancy and professional services firm Jacobs is opening a huge new flexible working hub in Bristol city centre.
The multi-billion-dollar company has said its new base, at One Glass Wharf, is its first to open globally in preparation for "the future of hybrid working".
The office will house 750 staff, including graduates and apprentices, bringing employees from Swindon and two other Bristol sites into one space.
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Jacobs said the move is part of a global strategy which will see the business offer flexible space to staff in a bid to meet the "changing needs" of employees and clients, and "encourage collaboration".
The new office will have state-of-the-art technology, according to the firm, and has "integrated" sustainable measures.
More than 350 old carpet tiles were donated locally as part of the fit-out process and the building’s cooling system uses water from the nearby river to cool the office.
“It’s fantastic to be opening the doors to our phenomenal new office in Bristol, demonstrating our commitment to the region,” said Donald Morrison, Jacobs' people and places solutions senior vice president for Europe and digital strategies.
"Over the past year we’ve all been challenged on the ways that we work, and now more than ever at Jacobs we’re rethinking, reorganising and redefining where and how we work.
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“We place trust in our employees to work flexibly and choose the location that best suits the type of work they’re undertaking.
"But we continue to invest in our office spaces as we understand the value that a physical sense of community can bring, and the importance of creating a place that caters to the needs of all our employees at all stages of their career.”
Justin Goldberg, Jacobs' vice president of defence and security, said the new space would give people who live and work in Bristol somewhere they can "identify" as a home office.
“I’m really excited about the opening of our new office in Bristol," he added. "It will become a place for our diverse people to come to re-engage, work with each other, share knowledge and ideas, and promote personal development, innovation and project delivery excellence."
Jacobs' Bristol team works with major energy, defence, local authority and transport businesses, and has been based in the city for a number of decades.
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