Number One Riverside

Commissioned by Rochdale Borough Council, Number One Riverside brings together 1,700 staff from 33 sites into one civic hub, creating a more accessible, efficient and environmentally responsible workplace.

Summary: Civic offices and library
Location: Rochdale, England
Client: Rochdale Borough Council
Size: 17,000m²
Completion: 2012

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Vision

Number One Riverside overlooks the River Roch as both a civic workplace and a shared public place. The ambition was clear: to redefine a public building as an open, adaptable environment where services and daily life intersect. Its design encourages transparency, collaboration and long-term flexibility in a setting that is firmly people-focused and sustainable.

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Integrated workplace

Bringing together previously dispersed teams, the design creates a connected workplace that strengthens collaboration and visibility across departments. Interwoven floorplates create visual links between departments and form a ‘landscape of settings’ to support a wide range of working styles while maintaining cohesion.

A single, legible environment accommodates civic services including offices, a central library and customer contact centre. This integration improves efficiency and creates a shared destination for staff, partners and the community. Large, glazed façades draw the town and riverside views inside, expressing openness and reinforcing civic presence.

Sustainability measures such as solar panels, a biomass boiler and a green roof reduce environmental impact and enhance long-term performance.

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Number one riverside rochdale civic office view across atrium from upper floor 3x4

“FaulknerBrowns created a design solution that has certainly succeeded in meeting Rochdale Council’s exacting brief for a great looking and energy efficient builidng that would create an excellent working environment.”

Stephen Pressman
Rochdale Development Agency

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Civic destination

Public access is integral to the layout, with a welcoming ground-floor space that unites key services into an easy-to-navigate point of contact. Flexible spaces encourage shared use and future adaptability.

The library is zoned to support different user experiences, from informal browsing areas to more structured study and reference spaces. Flexible meeting rooms extend the building’s role beyond office hours, accommodating community events, consultations and local activities.

Number One Riverside has become a cultural destination for Rochdale, hosting major attractions such as ‘Dippy the Dinosaur’, on display from the Natural History Museum, which drew over 160,000 visitors. This level of engagement highlights its success as an open, inclusive civic hub with measurable community impact.