Swindon's new Zurich HQ attracts workers back to the office

Louise Sheppard said the design of the building helped staff's wellbeing

Insurance giant Zurich has officially opened its new headquarters in Swindon, with hopes it will kick-start a wider regeneration of the town centre.

It is the first new office block in the town for three decades and has been designed to enhance staff's wellbeing.

Chief of staff, Nigel Emson, said its modern features were drawing workers back to the office post-pandemic.

"People want to come in here... people feel proud to be part of Zurich in Swindon", he added.

The company has been in the Wiltshire town since 1970 and has now signed a 20 year lease to use its new central office, Unity Place.

'Low risk'

Swindon Borough Council is now Zurich's landlord, having bought the building for £35m to lease it back to the company.

Responding to questions about the level of risk it exposes the council to, North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: "There aren't many tenants who'd say 'I'd like to sign a 20 year lease' and this is probably about as low risk as you're going to get with a 20 year lease with a company the size of Zurich."

MP Justin Tomlinson said the new headquarters were "amazing"

Zurich UK's chief executive, Tim Bailey, told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "We've been here for over 50 years, we've got a terrific talent base employing over 1,000 people in the Swindon area.

"It's a really important location for us and I'm really proud to be part of this town."

He said he hoped the move would encourage more investment in Swindon town centre.

The building is awash with modern features including a leisure area for staff to relax and a roof garden

The building claims to be one of the most environmentally-friendly buildings in Wiltshire with hundreds of plants fed by rainwater as well as beehives and swift bird boxes on its roof.

Head of workplace services, Louise Sheppard, was involved in its design and said she enjoys coming into the office every day.

"Fundamentally it's about wellbeing, having [the natural features] as a destination for staff when they come in," she explained.

Ms Sheppard said the plants, herb garden, bird boxes and beehive "brought in that sustainability, that natural feel"

Grace Evans, 26, was tempted to commute down the M4 from Bristol to take a job at Zurich.

"For me Swindon's actually a lot more accessible than Bristol," she said.

"Swindon's actually quite a nice place to be. It does need a bit more redevelopment which is what they're all working on."

Grace Evans said the building's "lovely" roof garden was "a great place to go with friends and colleagues"

Opening the building, South Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland called it "all part of the changes we all want to see in our Swindon town centre, and that's why this building is such an important catalyst for that growth".