The project team created a whole life energy model for the project. The model included all travel-related energy (business and commuting), embodied energy, operational energy and construction site impacts for Atomico’s ten-year lease. Using a tool called the Energy Cost Metric, the information in this model was used to make the most cost-effective, and therefore most impactful, energy reduction decisions for the project. This allowed the team to compare the energy and carbon impact of building-related improvements, assessing their effectiveness and whether their benefits would offer a payback within the lifespan of the client’s lease. A key finding of this model was that there was no meaningful energy or carbon saving from replacing the existing heating and cooling system with a more efficient one, since efficiency reductions over the lifespan of Atomico’s lease would be smaller than the embodied energy/carbon of the new system.

The wellbeing brief was developed in the early stages of the project. A wellbeing audit of the client’s existing workspace was carried out through a site visit, interviews with key personnel, and facilitating wellbeing workshops to guide the process of incorporating wellbeing into the design. The acoustic design focused on providing conditions to support this occupant wellbeing. 3D acoustic simulations were used to evaluate and control noise-spill between areas. Bespoke “phone booths” with integrated acoustic finishes have been provided for collaboration in small groups and VC use. The result is a high-productivity, low-carbon office and an exemplary blueprint for future office retrofits.