PROJECT REPORT: COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS 19
intent for the entire building. It speaks of openness and modernity rather than pure functionality and a lack of generosity. A timber-clad wall shows the commitment to natural materials and a tree at the lowest level is a fi rst indication of the commitment to plants and to nature.
Green growth
This is not just any old tree. It is an 8.5 metre high Indian fi g; an evergreen with dense, shiny foliage, a grey trunk and visible roots. Buckley Gray Yeoman chose the tree in consultation with a tree specialist employed by Townshend Landscape Architects. There is a great determination for it to have a long successful life as a key part of the overall building – as Wood says: “It is not just for the photos.” He is delighted it is producing new shoots, thanks to the advice and continued involvement of Townshend. The tree is set on a rotating base, so that every three or four months it can move by a quarter turn; meaning it will not distort by growing towards the light. Daylight lamps augment the sunlight, and moisture monitors in the soil help inform the watering regime.
While the steel frame is the most
signifi cant element that has been preserved, it is not the only one. The team managed to retain four of the six original lift shafts,
ADF JUNE 2025
adding new ones at either end, and kept some of the secondary stairs as well. The cladding, however, which forms much of the public face of the building, is entirely new. Fully glazed, it greatly increases the amount of light that comes into the building, while reducing the air permeability. High-performance solar coatings reduce the potential for solar gain. Unusually for a building of this type, the curtain walling peels back for four bays on the side facing the dock. At this point there are inset balconies, allowing access to fresh air at every level. Planting on these balconies, cascading down the facade, brings more green into the building. The most generous planting, however, is on the top fl oor, at level 14. A 4,500 ft2 landscaped terrace on the south and east side shares the space with the top of the three-level plant room. It has been planted with species that will offer year-round greenery and provide support for bees and other pollinators. Overall, the planting has been designed to appeal to both the visual and the olfactory senses. It includes mature trees that will provide shelter both for offi ce workers and for wildlife. This terrace is accessible to all users of the building. In addition, there is a 1300 ft2 communal rooftop pavilion which will be usable in all weathers.
NEW WELCOME
Replacing the narrow original entrance on Jubliee Square is a welcoming main access via the colonnade formed by the new facade’s ogees
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