Planning approval granted to transform 1 Appold Street

Piercy&Company have received planning permission for the redevelopment of 1 Appold Street in London’s Broadgate, paving the way for a complete transformation of the existing 1980s building by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM). Commissioned by British Land and GIC, this significant redevelopment for the Broadgate Campus will prioritise sustainability and wellness, with 558,313 sq ft internally to include best in class contemporary offices, with mixed uses proposed at ground and basement levels.

Central to the design brief was the retention of a large proportion of the existing structure. Our proposal retains 75% of the primary structure measured by weight, including substructure, frame and upper floors, whilst creating high quality new office and tenant amenity spaces throughout. Extensions to existing floor plates and six new office floors are wrapped in a new energy efficient facade. More unique to the offering is a large gym, a 25m swimming pool and a brasserie.

The facade was conceived as a series of horizontal strata, lifted above the ground plane with its gentle curve addressing key views and approaches from Appold St, Exchange Square and Sun Street Passage. Fluted panels introduce texture and depth to the facade, with planted balconies along the East facade providing covered outdoor amenity space at upper levels as well as a new green backdrop for Exchange Square.

Landscape architects DSDHA worked with Piercy&Company to explore the idea of the Exchange Square soft landscape flowing outward between buildings - extending the horticultural character and form of the Square. The landscape will run alongside the building down towards Appold Street, transforming the existing hard landscaped and stepped route into a meandering path, with generous landings for gathering that are surrounded by lush planting.

An embodied carbon target below 400 kgCO2e/m2 (GIA, A1-A5) will achieve at least 47% reduction over the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, with more potential carbon savings at later stages. The scheme is pursuing BREEAM outstanding and a NABERS UK DfP minimum 5.5 star energy rating, meaning an opportunity for very low emissions during operational life, and a circular approach to strip-out, design and procurement.

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