EXTERIORS
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Sustainable Retrofi t with Nordic Copper A
daptive reuse of existing buildings is an essential strategy to reduce embodied carbon, while regenerating
our urban environments. An exemplar of this approach – 72 Broadwick Street – is crowned by a profi led roofscape clad in Nordic Brown Light copper from Aurubis.
Set within the Soho Conservation Area, 72 Broadwick Street is a half-acre island site fronting London’s iconic Carnaby Street. Originally built in the 1970s as a ‘brutalist’ concrete, seven-storey headquarters building,
its recent extensive mixed-use redevelopment now provides a range of uses including offi ces, restaurants, a gym, retail and residential units. Designed by architects Buckley Gray Yeoman (BGY) for developer Shaftesbury Carnaby,
the regeneration
project demonstrates how a diverse range of uses can be accommodated within one urban block in the heart of London.
72 Broadwick Street was recognised as
the ‘Best Mixed-Use Scheme’ by the 2023 Building London Planning Awards. As well as requiring major structural alterations and remodelling, the project also presented various challenges for architects BGY, planning consultant Rolfe Judd and main contractor Blenheim House Construction. They included working around the West End’s largest electrical substation, keeping existing ground fl oor units operational and minimising impact upon a major retail destination.
been transformed
The building’s exterior has with new fenestration
throughout, new feature brickwork and existing brickwork treated to give the complete development a contemporary feel.
Reduced Structural Demands The original fi fth and sixth storeys were demolished and replaced with extensive, lightweight rooftop additions wrapped in an external skin of Nordic Brown Light copper, creating residential apartments around a central courtyard. Eleven of the fi fteen apartments have distinctive pitched roofs that rise and fall to create a dynamic roof profi le. Ben Oram, BGY’s Head of Technical, said: “In one of inner London’s densest districts, the profi led roofscape of this re-purposed urban block helps to embed it among the varied age, materiality and massing of its neighbours.” Conceived as the ‘crown’ of the building, the copper roof eaves sit above terraces enjoying panoramic views across Soho, with their deep overhang contributing to solar shading. Copper is also used extensively for vertical cladding in the form of cassette panels,
some perforated to provide
ventilation. Rachael Owens, BGY’s Head of Sustainability, explained: “Copper cladding was chosen due to its lightweight nature, as the structure at the top of the building needed to be as light as possible to prevent the need to strengthen the existing structure below. When compared with alternative metal cladding products, the copper could be specifi ed with a reduced thickness, due to its strength, which reduced overall material use and embodied carbon emissions”.
ADF02_Aurubis_External
Envelope_FPAdv.indd 2
The Nordic Brown Light roofi ng and cladding, supplied by Aurubis stockist Metra Non Ferrous Metals and carefully installed and crafted by Roles Broderick, defi nes the regeneration of this landmark building. Nordic Brown copper is pre-oxidised in the Aurubis factory to provide straightaway the same oxidised surface that develops naturally over time externally. The lighter or darker shades of brown – determined by the thickness of the oxide layer – will continue to change in the environment and Nordic Brown Light gradually develops a stable dark chocolate brown colour.
NordicCopper@aurubis.com
www.nordiccopper.com
Photos © Dirk Lindner
19/01/2024 11:55
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