040
PROJECT 3
3 Kingfisher, Paddington, London
In a recent ofice project, design practice HLW was briefed to create to create an adaptable HQ space that aligned with its client’s environmental, social and governance commitments
WORDS BY EMILY MARTIN
IMAGES BY HUFTON + CROW
HLW HAS completed one of its latest ofice projects – a new 25,000ft2
headquarters
in Renzo Piano’s Paddington Square building in London for Kingfisher, the company behind home improvement brands including B&Q and Screwfix.
The practice was briefed to create an adaptable space that aligns with the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, which has been achieved primarily through a significant cut in embodied carbon – it has managed a 78% carbon reduction in the interior fit-out – and a design solution that prioritises flexibility and reuse. The HLW team worked closely with the client to create a welcoming and ‘honest’ destination with all amenities accessible to Kingfisher’s diverse workforce, where end users choose how and where to work in an effective activity- based environment.
HLW’s design features a central service core, which opens onto a semi-open plan ofice space, where a mix of enclosed and semi-enclosed adaptable spaces form an internal layer of the ofice to promote team meetings and collaboration. A wide variety of character areas are distributed throughout, from large townhall spaces to high- performing focus spaces for individuals, and everything in between.
The outer perimeter maximises access to natural light and features a flexible workspace, with a variety of settings that can be adapted to suit users’ needs. Sensors are integrated into spaces to assess usage as well as to gain an overall understanding of how these spaces could evolve over time. ‘Fixed anchors’ combine with movable and demountable elements, and an adaptable infrastructure, for maximum adaptability.
A primary objective of the new Kingfisher
ofice was decarbonisation, specifically reducing embodied carbon emissions from the interior fit-out through careful consideration of raw material extraction, manufacturing and processing,
transportation, installation of all building materials, replacement of materials, end-of-life, disposal and recycling. HLW worked with Beyond – its in-house sustainability consultancy – to carefully examine every partition, ceiling system, carpet, and all other materials in the building, and measure its carbon footprint to ensure the most sustainable option was utilised in every case.
The adjustments adopted to achieve this impressive reduction include walls clad in FSC plywood to absorb CO2, reconditioned raised floors, and locally sourced or recycled furniture. In line with HLW’s recently launched Healthy Material Protocol, the furniture specification process was dictated by a questionnaire that each supplier had to complete, specifying the recycled content and environmental certifications of their products among other requirements. The design language celebrates honest physical expression of how sustainable and durable components are put together, with joyful colours framing activity. The fine balance of natural and man-made materials creates a strong, tactile, timeless and ‘domestic industrial’ backdrop, with internal partitions featuring light timber and cork that contrast with corrugated steel to create a soft industrial aesthetic. Brand experiences are showcased via flexible modular display systems akin to retail environments, from physical products to interactive digital content. Jonce Walker, principal at HLW and global director of Beyond, comments: ‘Our relentless pursuit of decarbonisation really took centre stage with this project and it was refreshing to leverage Kingfisher’s ESG goals to help design their new home.
‘The remarkable achievement of a 78% reduction in embodied carbon from a baseline was achieved through a close-knit collaboration between Beyond and the HLW design team with the support of Kingfisher’s leadership team.’
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