Bobby’s Department Store Project Wins Insider South West Property Award
The remarkable transformation of Bobby’s Department Store in Bournemouth has been recognised at the Insider South West Property Awards 2025, where the project proudly won Fit-Out / Refurbishment of the Year category.
The award celebrates the collaborative achievement of a dedicated team, led by Whitefox Chartered Surveyors, who were engaged as Project Managers and Cost Consultants to support Verve Properties (developer) in realising a vision that reconnected the historic building with its original identity—embracing its heritage while ensuring its viability for contemporary occupiers.
- The £15 million, five-year phased refurbishment has redefined the landmark’s presence in the town centre. The project team; Verve Properties, Whitefox Chartered Surveyors, Footprint Architects, Spetisbury Construction, Kiwi Construction, Godsell Arnold Partnership, and Lamorbey Associates
worked meticulously to restore key heritage elements while delivering a dynamic mixed-use environment that breathes new life into Bournemouth Square.
From the restoration of the original brass shopfront and leaded-glass doors, to the revival of Crittall steel-framed screens and careful cupola restoration, every detail celebrates craftsmanship and history. New interventions, including an Art Deco-inspired atrium and reinterpreted terrazzo flooring, bridge old and new with elegance and authenticity.
Working within a live, operational building brought unique challenges—requiring careful phasing, stakeholder coordination, and technical precision, all achieved without compromising ongoing business operations or community events.
The result is a vibrant, character-rich destination that once again anchors Bournemouth’s cultural and commercial heart, attracting new tenants such as The Botanist and Gozney, energising the surrounding town centre.
Whitefox Chartered Surveyors nominated the project for the award, recognising the extraordinary collaboration and dedication of every partner involved.
Project Team:
- Developer / Investor: Verve Properties
- Project Managers / Cost Consultants: Whitefox Chartered Surveyors
- Architects: Footprint Architects
- Main Contractors: Spetisbury Construction & Kiwi Construction
- Structural Engineer: Godsell Arnold Partnership
- M & E Engineer: Lamorbey Associates
- Client / Tenant: Bobby’s (Director: Andy Birt) and incoming occupiers including The Botanist
Whitefox MD, Darren Frias Robles said, “It has been an absolute pleasure for the team at Whitefox to lead this project on behalf of our forward thinking and inspirational clients who put their trust in us. Working alongside an exceptional and talented professional team the project was delivered between two contractors who both had a ‘roll sleeves up’ and get stuck in attitude. This meant we could successfully deliver this complex and multifaceted project which transformed the building and has helped regenerate Bournemouth town Centre.”
Footprint Architects: “Working on Bobby’s over the past few years has been a truly rewarding journey of discovery — uncovering the rich history and character of this remarkable building at the heart of the town centre, a catalyst for regeneration in Bournemouth Town Centre. Collaborating with such a responsive and adaptable design and construction team has allowed us to embrace the unknowns that come with restoring and repurposing a heritage landmark, revealing incredible historic features that have greatly enriched both the project and the wider regeneration story. None of this would have been possible without the vision and support of an exceptional client.”
Ashley Harris, Spetisbury Construction: “Genuinely the key thing with this project is the fact that verve had such a dedication to keeping the building open during the works. It made it made more difficult and expensive to do so, all the hard work that entailed was epic and the end result is that interest was built from day one and the transformation has become iconic.”
Jayes Rana MD at Godsell Arnold Partnership Ltd: “Highlights of the project include discovering new elements and challenges on each floor as well as the trust and common vision within the team.”