UK-based Foster + Partners has won planning permission to develop 18 Blackfriars Road, an office and residential scheme located on a two-acre brownfield site on London’s Bankside. The collaboration with developers Hines and Lipton Rogers, the project is claimed to be net zero carbon. It comprises two blocks of residential apartments and a 45-storey office tower, and aims to have the lowest whole-life carbon emissions of any high-rise development in London.
Nigel Dancey, studio director at Foster + Partners, highlighted the ambition to achieve a WELL Community Gold rating and emphasised the project’s commitment to sustainability. The development includes 400 homes, 40% of which will be affordable housing, as well as office space designed to maximise natural light and access to the outdoors. In addition, the project incorporates ground source heat pumps and terracotta-coloured cladding for aesthetic and energy efficiency purposes.
Foster + Partners aims to transform the derelict site into a vibrant urban hub with public spaces, cultural facilities and sustainable transport options, connected to the local community, with a focus on community engagement and environmental improvement.
All images courtesy of FOSTER + PARTNERS
