Leading the way in sustainability

Have you ever seen a greenhouse in a high-rise corporate office? It’s just one of the meeting spaces in Deloitte’s new 270,000 sq ft London headquarters, designed with sustainability at its core.

Project partners

  • AECOM
  • Buro Happold
  • Hoare Lea
  • Sheppard Robson

Project description

Deloitte’s new UK headquarters at 1 New Street Square is a world-leader in sustainability; putting their people and the environment at the heart of the workplace. The project achieved the highest-ever BREEAM Outstanding score of 94% for fit out and refurbishment. It reflects how sustainable practices were employed throughout the fit out.

It’s not just the environment that benefits. The project became the world’s largest office to achieve a WELL Gold certification, which recognises spaces that promote people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Wellbeing is echoed throughout the workplace design by ID:SR, and we ensured sustainable practices were implemented in the fit out and throughout our entire supply chain.

Healthy collaboration

Sitting is said to be the new smoking, yet a workplace that encourages movement brings more than physical wellbeing benefits.

Collaboration is a primary benefactor of an agile workplace, as colleagues are liberated from their desks and encouraged to move about, working in different areas. Spending less time at your desk is also one of the WELL design factors, said to boost mental and physical wellbeing.

Breakout spaces like this were built into the walls around a central staircase, encouraging staff to move around the office and interact with colleagues along the way. This promotes physical wellbeing and increases information sharing through spontaneous interactions.

Outgrowing the mould

Alternative working spaces were key to Deloitte’s new office and their aim of increasing movement and collaboration. Designed for casual meetings and laptop or offline work, these areas feature a variety of seating arrangements and work well for Deloitte’s fluctuating occupancy, allowing them to accommodate an increased headcount when more people opt to come into the office.

Gather in the garden

Nature is reflected throughout the fit out; from work areas, to breakout spaces and even through the subtle design of meeting room ceilings which mimic the veins of a leaf. The Terrace is a communal breakout area; featuring an indoor garden to provide a dose of biophilia, high above the London skyline. In the world of the always-on workplace, ‘The Retreat’ was designed to be a tech-free detox zone, with no phones or laptops allowed.

Smart and dynamic meetings

All of the meeting spaces are designed to be inspirational and boost engagement. Different finishes were used to boost cognitive engagement in different ways; from bright coloured accents that spur creativity, to natural accents to create a grounded atmosphere. To keep pace, half of the meeting spaces are designed for standing meetings, which are proven to reduce the average meeting duration and in-turn boost productivity.

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