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Chris Skidmore MP opens Landsec’s first net zero office

20 April 2023

Landsec’s landmark net zero carbon commercial office development, The Forge, SE1 was opened today by the Chair of the Net Zero Review, Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP. The Forge is part of Landsec’s one million sq ft green office cluster in Southwark and is the first building in its Southwark pipeline to open. 

The Forge is the UK’s first commercial development to have been designed in line with the UK Green Building Council’s definition of a net zero building, and the first office to be built using the highly sustainable platform approach to design for manufacture and assembly (P-DfMA). 

The project has been awarded funding from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, for its innovative design and ground-breaking construction techniques, which has contributed to a circa. 36% reduction to date in embodied carbon from the initial design stage. 

Located behind the Tate Modern in the heart of Bankside, The Forge provides 140,000 sq ft of office space across two buildings, Bronze and Phosphor, which are positioned around an open public courtyard. Sustainability and wellness have been embedded throughout the space which will achieve WELL Gold Core certification, NABERS UK 5 Stars and BREEAM Excellent.

Oliver Knight, Head of Workplace at Landsec said: “Sustainable office space is in high demand as businesses are increasingly focused on meeting their ESG targets. The Forge, along with the 
wider green office cluster we’re bringing forward in Southwark, is primed to capitalise on this emerging requirement.” 

“The Forge is a landmark space with the potential to transform the way the industry approaches sustainable construction. The techniques we’ve used have allowed us to deliver a truly net-zero space which doesn’t compromise on design, amenities or location.” 

Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP, Chair of the Net Zero Review said: “The Independent Review of Net Zero acknowledged that improving operational energy and reducing embodied carbon in commercial buildings can bring competitive advantages to UK businesses. The approach taken at The Forge shows what can be achieved when sustainability is embedded into the design and operation of a space. 

“Transitioning to a net-zero economy will require innovation, collaboration, and a willingness to take risks.  By pioneering different approaches and taking learnings from other industries, Landsec has been able to create new construction techniques that can be applied across the entire industry.” 

Starting with the development of Bankside 123 over a decade ago, Landsec has a long history in Southwark and is now investing further in the borough. Landsec’s pipeline in Southwark includes a cluster of green offices: The Forge, Timber Square, Liberty of Southwark, and Red Lion Court, which recently achieved planning permission.
 
The Forge was designed by architects Piercy & Co and Bryden Wood. Construction was led by a joint venture between Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine and the leasing agents are CBRE and Union Street Partners.

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