The has welcomed the opening of a net-zero office building at 100 Fetter Lane which has included the restoration of a local pub and creation of a new pocket park.
Re-located on a prominent corner location with external areas and designed in a bold blue faience, the White Swan represents one of multiple re-imaged pubs, as part the Local Authority’s ‘Destination City’ initiative which aims to ensure that it continues to attract more businesses, workers and visitors, to the Square Mile.
The completed development, constructed by Mace, also features a three-fold increase in walkable open space for the public, including a sheltered and tranquil new pocket park with a café, providing places to rest and relax. A new pedestrian route also provides a new City alley, improving pedestrian permeability.
Known as the ‘Edenica’ building by YardNine, the 12-storey, 9,000 square metre office development features the highest design and sustainability credentials and includes ground floor retail space, to enhance the offer of this western part of the City for the public and local businesses.
Edenica will also be the first of its kind in the to pioneer material passport technology, which logs information about building materials that can be used in the future. It means that 80% of the building, including the steel, facades, flooring, floor slabs and substructure can be used again and again, when the building is refitted or redeveloped, instead of going to waste.
These ground-breaking circular economy principles remain among the key issues the construction industry must tackle to reduce its carbon footprint. The Corporation recently launched a pioneering Circular Economy Framework and Action plan to reduce waste and recycle building materials as part of its ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions across the Square Mile. It will redefine how resources are used and managed across the City, with the aim of becoming ‘fully circular’ by 2040.
The office is already more than 50% let to a diverse range of occupiers, including the architects, Fletcher Priest, who designed the building, with a further 10% of the space currently under offer. City research highlights the need for at least 1.2 million square metres of additional office space by 2040 to maintain the City’s global competitiveness.
City worker numbers are rising rapidly and demand for high quality, sustainable office space is expected to remain high, as estimates based on GLA data show that job numbers should grow from 678,000 to well over 700,000 by 2040.
The new tenants at 100 Fetter Lane will begin occupying the building in June.
Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the Corporation, Shravan Joshi, said:
“The ’s global reputation as a financial and cultural capital is underpinned by our ability to lead on sustainability. As well as reducing waste, we’re creating a resilient and future-proof City, where materials are continuously reused.
“This Circular Economy Framework exemplifies how forward-thinking policies can drive real change, evident in this state-of-the-art development at 100 Fetter Lane. The Square Mile is rapidly becoming the model for circularity and a magnet for sustainable investment.”
Notes to Editors:
The Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK.
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