General Projects and Valeo Capital have submitted a planning application to redevelop 14 Gray’s Inn Road into 165,000 sq ft of Grade A workspace.
As well as transforming the building, situated adjacent to Chancery Lane underground station, the partners intend to increase its floorspace by 77%.
General Projects has worked closely with architect BuckleyGrayYeoman and structural engineers ElliottWood to retain more than 80% of the existing structure, saving 42,240 tonnes of material – equivalent to 4,462 tonnes of embodied carbon.
The building will be powered by fossil-free energy, achieve net zero in operation and generate more than 26,000 kWhe per year through the installation of 120 photovoltaic panels. The partners are targeting BREEAM Outstanding and NABERs 5.5* for the redevelopment.
Jacob Loftus, CEO of General Projects, said: “Our proposals maximise the potential of this tired 1970s building, aligning with our retrofit-first vision for sustainable projects that benefit people and the planet. This project demonstrates our continued commitment and passion for projects that champion reuse and regenerative materials – such as mass timber – to reduce our environmental impact and pursue even better industry benchmarks.
“Notwithstanding these environmental goals, of equal importance is our projects’ ability to create opportunities for the local community. And in this regard, the building will not only provide affordable workspace for independent jewellers in one of the world’s most iconic jewellery quarters, but continue our ongoing Camden-wide social impact commitment to deliver meaningful prospects for young people throughout every stage of the development cycle.”
Matthew Doyle, from Valeo Capital, added: “In partnership with General Projects, we aim to deliver a market leading development meeting Valeo’s vision for the future of best-in-class sustainable offices. The development also offers a link to the historic uses of the Hatton Garden and Farringdon area by providing much needed community workspace.”
