Working

One Waterloo Street

Brief

Keppie was appointed in 2004  to redevelop the existing 1970's Shaftesbury House.  The development aimed to incorporate around fifty five thousand square feet of grade A office space with around four thousand five hundred square feet of street level retail space, basement parking and an imposing spacious entrance foyer.  The building also required a minimum BREEAM rating of 'very good'.  The design of the new building needed to reflect the character of the surrounding listed buildings whilst attaining a modern feeling.  It would do so by using a combination of traditional and contemporary materials. The height of the development was a key concern to the planning authorities and the design relied upon maximising the number of floors.  The key features for this building were functionality, sustainability and high quality.

Response

Given the constraints set by the planning authority, Keppie has developed a functional design using high quality materials, whilst acknowledging tradition in a conservation area. The building uses two predominant materials - natural stone and glass.  The chosen stone, Stanton Moor, has a rich vein of colours running through and is used to mimic the tall narrow openings in the adjacent buildings.  The glazing has been used to form two distinct elements in the design, an eight storey glazed box that cuts through the building and cantilevers over the main building entrance and a glazed picture frame used to reflect the adjacent more traditional buildings. The building has a fully automated BMS for energy efficiently to meet the Client’s sustainability requirements.  A BREEAM rating of 'very good' was achieved.

Outcome

Planning approval was granted in May 2006 with Building Warrant granted in June 2007.  One Waterloo Street is a highly distinctive modern office development with dramatic architecture.  It provides over fifty eight thousand square feet of grade A office space.  The new building has re-vitalised the corner of Hope Street and Waterloo Street.  Most satisfying is the way the contemporary architecture reflects the glorious buildings which surround it.

Team