Our latest Sustainability Council event on the 27th May explored the development innovations of Ropemaker Place on the Broadgate Estate, London, as well as the human and business benefits of investments made in the space by one of the principal tenants, Macquarie Capital.

After an introduction from Declan O’Carroll, Arup, on the design philosophy for the project, the Council and its guests were able to see why the building, despite being designed over ten years ago, remains an exemplar case study, not only of energy efficiency and environmental attributes, but also in relation to occupier productivity.

Having the opportunity to tour the building with representatives of Macquarie allowed the Council to ‘lift the bonnet’ on the project and explore the cultural impact it has made on the business of the international financial services organisation. In particular, the Council was introduced to the design innovation which allowed central atrium to be punched through the main floor plates to create a collaborative working space designed around an iconic red stairwell. They were able to hear first-hand how this space has enabled a productive and interactive working environment to evolve for its tenants.

Philip Hess, Regional COO at Macquarie, was also able to confirm the benefits of the collaborative space vs. the perceived loss of ‘concentration’ space. His occupier experience ensured that the value-add benefit to such a bespoke fit out were left undisputed.

Ropemaker Place is also a great example of how the collective use of space is very much related to the integral low carbon design of a building. As part of the team of the original owner and developer, Sarah Cary from British Land was able to share the initial aspiration for the project to perform well in relation to a number of performance criteria, and how close attention to climate-responsive glazing systems, amongst other things, had made a material difference on the passive performance of the building. This low carbon design is now inherently interlinked with tenants’ health and wellbeing.

Simon Sturgis, from Sturgis Carbon Profiling, provided an overview of a post-completion embodied carbon analysis of Ropemaker Place, which has served to inform many more recent development projects. The inherent flexibility of the space created by the building design was a notable feature of its anticipated long-term durability.

Existing buildings and the human dimension of buildings are two of the four key themes of the UK ULI Sustainability Council. With more events like this coming up, we would like to hear from you if you are interested in finding out more. Our events provide a safe harbour for honest and insightful debate and are a great opportunity to network with real estate professionals from a range of disciplines.

For further details about the ULI UK Sustainability Council please contact Robert de Jong [email protected] or visit: www.uk.uli.org/councils-and-forums/sustainability-council

Author: Lucy Barratt, Grosvenor Group