Laing O’Rourke has signed construction contracts worth £158m to build 410,000 sq ft gross, comprising nine storeys of office space, 41 premium residences and 21 retail spaces. Construction will begin in June this year and the project is due to be completed by June 2025.
The development has been designed by Hopkins Architects with maximum precast elements for reasons of construction efficiency.
The original design of the building has also been modified using Laing O’Rourke’s new carbon calculator to identify the carbon intensity of every component of the building and assess changes to the model.
During the tender stage, Laing O’Rourke was able to illustrate that the precasting approach could cut the main works programme by 16 weeks to 125 weeks.
The company’s architecture and facades team, supported by specialists at its Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction (CEMC), have converted the traditional hand laid brick façade of the George Street residences into a pre-cast brick solution. CEMC will also manufacture precast walls, floors, and columns, complete with installed glazing systems for the project.
Suppliers have also been selected on the basis of their ability to support the offsite construction philosophy, delivering ready-built elements – known as design for manufacture and assembly, or DfMA.
Laing O’Rourke director of UK building Paul McNerney said: “We have collaborated closely with the client team for the past 12 months, and by using our product set we have co-created a DfMA solution that delivers the architectural intent of the building, enhanced sustainability credentials and programme gains.”
Derwent London has previously used Laing O’Rourke for the Brunel Building in Paddington and Laing O’Rourke is currently building Derwent London’s Soho Place, a mixed-use scheme above the new Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station.
Derwent London director of development Richard Baldwin said: “We are thrilled to be working with Laing O’Rourke once again who we believe have the capabilities to drive project certainty through pioneering modern methods of construction. We are very excited by the prospects for 19-35 Baker Street.”
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