McLaren wins West End office refurb

The building, at 10 Spring Gardens near Trafalgar Square, was built in 1975 and has sat empty since 2021. McLarens’ contract involves a full re-fit to provide around 80,000 sq ft of sustainable workspace, distributed over ground floor, basement and eight upper storeys.

Work is scheduled to start this month (November).

The project is designed to the Crown Estate’s development sustainability principles and is targeted to achieve a NABERS 5* rating, EPC A and BREEAM Excellent.

The designer, Orms Architects, has retained more than 90% of the building’s existing structure, including the façade, and will keep the use of new raw materials to a minimum.

Green spaces will be introduced in and around the building, including several new trees, and new energy-efficient windows will be fitted to minimise heat loss from the building.

The Crown Estate’s head of development, Kristy Lansdown, said: “We are excited to be bringing forward our development pipeline and are committed to delivering leading sustainable design and construction within the historic West End.

“The scheme and surrounding public realm highlight our commitment to delivering sustainable, accessible and inclusive spaces. The development will be testament to our placemaking priorities and vision to support the city’s renewal – ensuring it continues to be locally relevant and globally distinctive. We look forward to working with McLaren Construction Group to make this future a reality, and to welcoming progressive businesses to the West End soon.”

John Butten, managing director for major projects at McLaren, said: "The retrofitting of 10 Spring Gardens will see the building transformed into a modern office space, reducing the carbon footprint during construction by retaining the existing structure. It's more important than ever to conserve and recycle materials and McLaren will be supporting The Crown Estate in achieving high sustainability ratings for the refurbished space.”

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