D


ante’s description of Paradise in The Divine Comedy is of a celestial realm of increasing


spiritual enlightenment. If the pursuit of sustainability is an attempt to take architecture one step closer to that higher plane, then arguably the Paradise SE11 offi ce development in Lambeth, south London, is within touching distance. The six-storey, 63,250 ft2


offi ce block


was designed by architect Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) for developer Bywater Properties, to achieve a new standard for workspace design. The aim was not only for it to become “London’s Healthiest Workspace,” but also to embody the principles of a circular economy and whole-life design. The hybrid structure, focused on a mass timber frame with cross-laminated


ADF FEBRUARY 2026


timber (CLT) fl oors and glulam beams, is fully demountable, allowing for reuse in the distant future when the building is no longer fi t for purpose.


This contributes to an embodied carbon footprint that is 35% below the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge target, with over 1,800 tonnes of CO2


sequestered in the frame,


making it one of the lowest embodied carbon offi ces in the UK.


Designing an extensive mass timber building just months after the Grenfell Tower tragedy meant navigating a complex and shifting set of fi re requirements, ultimately adapting the strategy for the facade and cores to limit risks. Proving that the novel connection details and junctions in the demountable structure would be resilient in a fi re meant developing a robust method for testing


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PASSIVE SUPPORT


Air quality is passively managed with openable facades Photography © Andy Stagg


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