The property world has always been one of rapid change, often having to respond in innovative ways to changes in market demands, technology and the needs of building users. The steel construction sector has always been responsive to the often challenging demands of its property developer clients as they respond to this ever changing environment.
Developers and the steel sector have responded well to recent challenges as societies respond to the threat of carbon emissions, which steel construction is pledged to playing a key role in helping with. But a seemingly existential challenge to a key market arose when commentators started predicting the end of the office, thanks to the increasing post Covid pandemic trend to working from home.
Those threats seem to have ebbed significantly more recently, as many workers have settled into various work patterns, which mostly seem to include regular attendance at the office on some days at least. Overall however, even though the complete demise of the office still seems more unlikely than it did a couple of years ago, less space is needed and being occupied than before.
The worst fears of observers that falling demand would leave behind stranded assets, unwanted white elephants that would blight inner cities, are not being realised. Instead, repurposing of office space for a wide range of alternative uses is underway all across the UK, which also chimes with the new stress on helping pursue net zero ambitions by finding alternatives to demolition and rebuild.
Examples of repurposing projects are found regularly in NSC; in this issue for example we have a report on the landmark Oxford Street Debenham’s department store being remodelled into a nine storey BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ building that will be adaptable enough to be given a wide range of alternative uses. Steel’s inherent flexibility makes the repurposing process so much easier. And, with new additions to many repurposed buildings also being created with steel, future adaptability is also being built in.
Plans for what will surely be one of the largest repurposing projects in the current market has recently been announced by the Qatar Investment Authority and property company Brookfield, owners of Canary Wharf Group, for the iconic 45-storey 8 Canada Square. This is part of a long term plan to reposition London’s Canary Wharf as a mixed-use neighbourhood with workspaces, retail outlets, homes, leisure and other amenities in place of mostly offices with a few shops.
The Canada Square project is being hailed as offering a blueprint for the sustainable, mixed-use buildings of the future. Evolution or revolution? It is certainly striking enough in concept to be called revolutionary in terms of design, engineering and sustainability. Its most striking feature, the one that has captured the most attention, is a design that cuts out terraces, removing sections of the existing structure to create open areas through the facade.
It is hard to imagine such an innovative repurposing being technically possible or economically feasible with anything other than a steel framed multi storey building. The proposal has yet to receive planning permission, but we look forward to describing the technical challenges and how they are overcome in due course.
Steel’s flexibility supports repurposing trend
The property world has always been one of rapid change, often having to respond in innovative ways to changes in market demands, technology and the needs of building users. The steel construction sector has always been responsive to the often challenging demands of its property developer clients as they respond to this ever changing environment.
Developers and the steel sector have responded well to recent challenges as societies respond to the threat of carbon emissions, which steel construction is pledged to playing a key role in helping with. But a seemingly existential challenge to a key market arose when commentators started predicting the end of the office, thanks to the increasing post Covid pandemic trend to working from home.
Those threats seem to have ebbed significantly more recently, as many workers have settled into various work patterns, which mostly seem to include regular attendance at the office on some days at least. Overall however, even though the complete demise of the office still seems more unlikely than it did a couple of years ago, less space is needed and being occupied than before.
The worst fears of observers that falling demand would leave behind stranded assets, unwanted white elephants that would blight inner cities, are not being realised. Instead, repurposing of office space for a wide range of alternative uses is underway all across the UK, which also chimes with the new stress on helping pursue net zero ambitions by finding alternatives to demolition and rebuild.
Examples of repurposing projects are found regularly in NSC; in this issue for example we have a report on the landmark Oxford Street Debenham’s department store being remodelled into a nine storey BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ building that will be adaptable enough to be given a wide range of alternative uses. Steel’s inherent flexibility makes the repurposing process so much easier. And, with new additions to many repurposed buildings also being created with steel, future adaptability is also being built in.
Plans for what will surely be one of the largest repurposing projects in the current market has recently been announced by the Qatar Investment Authority and property company Brookfield, owners of Canary Wharf Group, for the iconic 45-storey 8 Canada Square. This is part of a long term plan to reposition London’s Canary Wharf as a mixed-use neighbourhood with workspaces, retail outlets, homes, leisure and other amenities in place of mostly offices with a few shops.
The Canada Square project is being hailed as offering a blueprint for the sustainable, mixed-use buildings of the future. Evolution or revolution? It is certainly striking enough in concept to be called revolutionary in terms of design, engineering and sustainability. Its most striking feature, the one that has captured the most attention, is a design that cuts out terraces, removing sections of the existing structure to create open areas through the facade.
It is hard to imagine such an innovative repurposing being technically possible or economically feasible with anything other than a steel framed multi storey building. The proposal has yet to receive planning permission, but we look forward to describing the technical challenges and how they are overcome in due course.