Global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will designed the London-based European head office for Sidara (formerly known as the Dar Group), an alliance of specialist design, engineering, and consulting firms. Located at 150 Holborn in central London, England, the new building’s innovative design and construction was completed by its own tenants, all member companies of Sidara: Dar, Perkins&Will, Portland Design, Currie & Brown, Introba, Maffeis Engineering, and Penspen. Described as a “living lab”, 150 Holborn utilizes intelligent building technology to self-optimize and provide real-life data that will inform future projects.
In this modern workspace, there are more than 1,000 staff from Sidara’s different group firms. The principles of cohabitation and social connectivity were thus key to 150 Holborn’s design — an assortment of spaces seek to foster interaction and chance encounters between the various firms. To realize this, a central atrium in the heart of the building connects all floors via a sleek, sculptural staircase and four scenic glass elevators, made possible by offsetting the building’s core. The design incorporates public exhibition spaces, collaborative working zones, a shared pavilion and cafe, and a roof garden with a view across the London skyline.
The design of 150 Holborn’s facade brings a new sense of rhythm and energy to its central location. Perkins&Will designed the facade’s proportions and scale in line with its surroundings. “For example, the height of the ground floor retail storefronts along the east and west sides is the same as that established by neighboring buildings,” says the firm. Holborn, like many areas of London, contains a myriad of architectural styles. 150 Holborn’s immediate neighbor is the majestic Prudential Assurance Building, a large and historic red terracotta Victorian Gothic construction. When designing the new head office, Perkins&Will gave much consideration to the adjacent listed premises: “Borrowing from the Prudential Building’s proportions, there are sculpted setbacks through 150 Holborn’s upper and lower levels,” explains the firm.
The new building replaces a 1980s office block. Perkins&Will carried out a pre-demolition audit that ascertained which materials could be reused on-site (for example, concrete and crushed brick), and which could be recycled off-site (for example, metals). “Overall, our demolition report showed that 97 percent of potential waste was reused or sent to recycling,” says the firm.
Sustainability is a core value of Perkins&Will: “150 Holborn is on track to earn BREEAM Outstanding and LEED Platinum certifications and is one of only a handful of new projects in London to meet these rigorous sustainability standards,” says the firm.
The application of an intelligent building “skin” that is separated by glass-reinforced concrete fins reduces energy consumption. These fins also help to minimize solar exposure.
One especially notable aspect of the building’s design is its role as a “living lab” — this involves the use of intelligent building technology that will self-optimize and provide real-life data to inform the design and development of future projects. This smart tech measures staff well-being, operational efficiency, and asset performance. A digital twin of 150 Holborn provides energy metering and data on how people are making use of the building’s various spaces. This system works to optimize environmental performance and occupant comfort — Perkins&Will notes it is “the first time this amount of intelligent building technology has been used in the UK.”
In other sustainable measures, renewable energy is generated via roof-level photovoltaic cells, and a blue roof system and attenuation tanks retain rainwater, reducing the risk of over-flooding the public system. Grey water, collected from the building’s basins and showers, is treated, recycled, and reused for irrigation. The planting of vegetation, including low evergreen and deciduous native shrubs and ground cover plants, helps to reduce the urban heat island effect and encourages biodiversity in 150 Holborn’s busy and built-up central London location.
On the interior, modular furniture and architectural components are designed for disassembly, thereby supporting long-lasting and resilient design. In the studio of Perkins&Will, bespoke, digitally-printed sheer curtains are used to define flexible workspaces without blocking access to natural light. All task chairs and 70 percent of the furniture have been refurbished and reused.
Total size: 16,997 square meters (182,954 square feet)
