Background
Landsec’s latest office refurbishment project is a testament to innovation and sustainability, representing their largest flexible office space to date. Spanning approximately 108,000sq. ft GIA, this project involves the fit-out of several floors across three iconic buildings: the Glasshouse, Printworks, and the Stables. Each of these spaces will be delivered to CAT B and operated as a new MYO location. Landsec are targeting high sustainability accreditations such as NABERS 5* and WELL Platinum in addition to whole life carbon and reuse targets.
The project includes:
- Lower Ground Floor to the Fourth and Fifth Floors of the Glasshouse and Printworks buildings, respectively.
- Lower Ground Floor to the First Floor of the Stables building.
- Construction of a Fifth-Floor communal lounge in Printworks.
- Refurbishment of all landlord WCs.
- Redecoration of circulation and stair areas.
- Installation of a feature staircase from the Lower Ground Floor to the First Floor in the Glasshouse.
- Refurbishment of four lift cars.
Project Team
A highly skilled and dedicated team was assembled to ensure the success of this ambitious project:
- Client: Landsec
- Project Managers: B&CO
- Cost Consultant: Exigere
- MEPH: ChapmanBDSP
- Sustainability and Circular Economy: Hydrock
- Strip Out Contractor: KPH
- Material Reuse Consultant: Collect Eco
- Main Contractor: Structure Tone
Project Details
The project execution was marked by meticulous planning and innovative strategies, including:
- Early Engagement: Engaging with the material reuse consultant (Collect Eco) early to establish an inventory of materials that could be donated.
- Validations Survey: Conducting a thorough survey of existing MEP items to determine what could be retained or stripped out.
- Accelerated Programme: Combining RIBA Stage 2/3 and starting soft strip works at the end of Stage 2, while overlapping Stage 4 design with procurement.
Sustainability Highlights
Landsec’s commitment to sustainability on this project is evident in its collaboration with Collect Eco, who work with charities across the UK to generate social value and promote a circular economy. Key sustainability achievements for Landsec’s MYO Kings Cross project include:
- Furniture and Material Donations: Donated circa £610,000.00 worth of furniture and materials to the charities and schools such as Sports Skills 4 Life, Salvation for the Nations and St John Rigby Primary School.
- Support to Good Causes: Supported 28 good causes that are dedicated to raising awareness about the insufficient resources available to members of the community. They focus on addressing these gaps by providing essential resources where possible, with the goal of creating a positive impact and enhancing the quality of life for those affected such as Royal Berkshire Hospital and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School.
- CO2e Reduction: Avoided 95,226kg of CO2e emissions through donating materials to good causes and avoiding landfill.
- Whole Life Carbon: Whole life carbon targets of 371 kgCO2/m2 for modules A1-A5 (upfront carbon), with a number of construction stage optimisations targeted to reduce this further.
- Embodied Carbon Reduction in Materials: To further reduce whole life carbon, the project team has explored the use of low-carbon materials. These materials were selected to incorporate sustainable practices, such as reducing transportation emissions, maximising the use of recycled materials, and raising awareness about the environmental benefits of these practices. Collectively, these actions help to lower the carbon footprint of materials throughout their entire life cycle from production to disposal, while also contributing to broader climate change mitigation efforts.
- Landfill Diversion: Diverted 98,336kg of materials and furniture from landfills.
- Wide Range of Donations: Donated surplus office furniture, equipment, and fit-out materials such as ceiling panels, carpet tiles, blinds, toilets, sinks, plasterboard, and glass to charitable organisations across the UK.
- WELL Platinum: Resulting in a building that provides a sustainable development that benefits the health & wellbeing of building occupiers. This includes providing a health indoor environment, prioritising occupants mental wellbeing through the use of biophilic design and promoting an active lifestyle.
- NABERS 5*: During the design stage a NABVERS 5* rating has been targeted and is shown to be achievable by detailed dynamic simulation modelling. The buildings energy performance will be reported annually to keep this rating level, ensuring the targeted levels of energy use and associated carbon emissions are achieved on site – reducing the performance gap.
- Renewable energy: 100% of the sites operational energy will be procured through REGO backed renewable sources.
Conclusion
This refurbishment project will stand as a benchmark for sustainable development in the office sector. By prioritising material reuse, social value, and environmental impact, Landsec and its project team are driving the principles of sustainability and will continue to do so throughout the delivery of the development. The success of this project not only sets a new standard for future refurbishments but also underscores the importance of innovation and collaboration in driving sustainable development.
This project adds to our successful sustainability drive in helping reduce waste across our fit-out projects, see our Broadgate Tower Phase 1a Recycled Fit Out article here.
The successful collaboration between B&CO, Exigere, Hydrock, ChapmanBDSP, KPH, Collect Eco, Structure Tone and Landsec, showcases the power of teamwork in creating sustainable workspaces.
CGIs by MYO
