IT has been a long time coming but the wait appears to have been well worth it.

The finishing touches are now being put to what is likely to be one of the most exciting residential developments seen in Bristol for more than a generation.

When property developer Urban Splash announced it was turning a 1960s-style office block in Hartcliffe into flats, there were more than a few eyebrows raised.

But the former Imperial Tobacco headquarters is no average office block.

For a start it must be one of the only modern buildings in the city and probably in the country to be built over a lake.

And thanks to the revolutionary construction techniques used, the seven-storey building is also one of the youngest listed buildings in the country.

Added to that is the fact that Urban Splash is considered one of the most fashionable and forward thinking firms working in the industry.

Not surprisingly, when the £20-million Lakeshore scheme was first unveiled in 2007, potential buyers literally queued overnight to sign on the dotted line.

However, when the recession intervened in 2008 the development ground to a halt and many of those who had already paid deposits were left in limbo.

Four years later and the flats are almost complete with the first tenants due to move in by September.

The flats have been designed by Bristol architect George Ferguson and have an ultra-modern minimalist feel that might not be to everyone's taste.

But the wooded surroundings, man-made lake and design of the interior can only be described as spectacular.

At the centre of the building are a series of three lofty atriums which when finished will be landscaped with their own gardens complete with lawns, flower beds and trees. The idea is to bring the surrounding landscape right into the heart of the building.

As you would expect these days, the building is as green as it is possible to be, complete with its own allotments and heat source.

As a result of the recession, Urban Splash has come up with a series of schemes to help people on to the property ladder.

Potential purchasers can chose from outright ownership, shared ownership or even full rental.

Tom Bloxham, the chairman of Urban Splash, has been involved with the project since the outset.

He said: "To be honest when I was first brought here to see the building I wasn't that impressed.

"You have to remember the building had been standing empty for quite a few years and was a mess.

"But this is one of the finest examples of 1960s architecture anywhere in the country and what makes it even more special is the setting.

"Imperial Tobacco is a company with a lot of money and when they designed the building they wanted the best. The ceilings are much taller than you would normally get and there is no way you would build something with this amount of glazing today.

"We spent months clearing the land around it and the setting really is quite stunning."

According to Urban Splash, 175 of the 270 flats are already spoken for even though many of the prospective residents have had to wait four years to get their hands on their new home.

The flats range from two-bedroom penthouse apartments to studio flats with the most expensive likely to fetch £250,000.

Mr Bloxham said: "The other great thing about this building is the fact that every apartment has a view. What we are offering is city living but in a rural setting.

"As a developer we have a reputation from being brave – some people might even say foolhardy.

"The last three or four years have been really tough but we are still here and we are still going.

"This has been a tough project for all sorts of reasons but we are incredibly proud of it.

"What makes us really proud is the fact that we have created a fantastic place to live.

"Normally only the very rich could afford to live somewhere as special as this but we have created a scheme that will be available to every kind of person from every walk of life."