Case study 100 and 88 Gray’s Inn Road

© Max Fordham

With a pioneering lean design, powered by 100% renewable grid electricity, this groundbreaking project will be the UK’s largest full timber frame, net zero carbon office building.

100 Gray's Inn Road in Bloomsbury, London, will deliver a 95,000ft² modern office building with eight floors of bright, light workspace, a communal roof terrace and yoga deck, and five landscaped terraces with views of the City. The building will bring people together via a restaurant at ground level and a fully equipped active commuting hub.

In keeping with the culture of Clerkenwell, Farringdon and Hatton Garden as centres of innovation and creativity, a second 12,000ft² building on the site will provide six affordable apartments and an airy ground level affordable workspace to support the area’s entrepreneurs and creative industries.

The building services engineering, energy performance and Whole Life Carbon modelling is being developed to surpass the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and the GLA planning targets.

NABERS UK Design for Performance modelling is also being used to showcase the exemplar performance of the design and building once in use.

By pursuing innovative design and circular economy principles, construction methods and use of sustainable materials, this LETI Pioneer building will deliver a substantially reduced carbon footprint versus typical office buildings and is targeting a NABERS 5.5-star energy rating.

The building’s operational energy efficiency and low lifetime carbon targets will be delivered via 100% renewable grid electricity, rooftop photovoltaic panels, an intelligent Building Management System, energy-efficient all-electric heating, hot water, and cooling systems, and demand-driven displacement ventilation to the office floors. The building’s occupiers can expect to reduce their occupational CO₂ emissions by up to 82% compared with a typical office building.

The use of low-carbon materials and circular economy principles for the facade and interiors will exceed GLA and Camden policy targets for sustainability and energy efficiency, with the dry nature of the construction allowing for future deconstruction and re-use with minimal wastage.

The building also has a strong wellbeing ethos, with landscaped terraces on most levels, a communal rooftop garden and yoga deck, and large windows to maximise daylight. The use of natural materials and extensive internal planting will help provide clean, highly oxygenated air, which will be continually assessed by air quality monitors, with the ventilation systems designed in response to Covid-19 ventilation guidelines.

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