Contractor named for sustainable City office scheme

Real estate investment firm FORE Partnership has awarded Willmott Dixon the £50M construction contract to transform an out-of-date 1990s office building next to Tower Bridge into one of the UK’s most sustainable and healthy offices.

Known as TBC.London, the project will host ‘Building Lives’ skills academy during the construction programme, providing those in need with training that will lead to qualifications and jobs within the construction industry.

TBC.London will be 100% electric and net-zero carbon in operation, with no fossil fuels used in running the property. Designed by architect Stiff + Trevillion, the project is targeting EPC A and a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating.

Highlighting the trend for retrofitting offices rather than demolishing and rebuilding, the existing five-storey building will be stripped back and renewed through a deep refurbishment, preserving the embodied carbon in the steel frame.

Two new steel-framed floors will be added, with a third additional floor set back from Tower Bridge to create a terrace and club room. All tenants of the building will have direct access to outdoor space through terraces, balconies, and gardens.

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner, FORE Partnership, said: “We selected Willmott Dixon because they share our deep commitment to sustainability. In particular, Willmott Dixon’s efforts to be carbon neutral and their positive work in engaging with the communities in which they work set them apart, which is wholly aligned with our own values and approach. We now look forward to starting on site and taking this exemplar project forward.”

Willmott Dixon is expected to start on site in September 2022, with the project scheduled for completion in mid-2024.