Roots in the Sky will have 125 mature trees on the building and 10,000 plants all around it, complete with associated creepy crawlies – including stag beetles – “to support the establishment of an authentic ecosystem”.
Fabrix, the developer behind the £180m project, has appointed Mace as main contractor for the 430,000 sq ft office building (with 280,000 sq ft of net lettable space). The architect is Sheppard Robson.
First, however, Erith will deliver the basement box and demolition works as part of the two-stage construction process. The start on site date has been set for January 2023.
The existing 1960s building – a former stationery office and later a crown court – provided the starting point to develop an office building with adaptable floor plates of up to 40,000 sq ft. Unusually, they plan to use second-hand steel for the new structure, reclaimed from the demolition of another building in the City of London. Fabrix says that it is the first UK developer ever to purchase second-hand steel for structural reuse.
Clive Nichol, founder and chief executive of Fabrix, said: “Roots in the Sky represents a step-change for the future of the office market. The commitment to quality shown by Mace and Erith, as well as to the building’s purpose and its very unique ESG proposition, demonstrated to us that they are the right team as we start on site on this transformational project. Roots in the Sky is an office building that works not just for a progressive occupier but also for the local community and wider London.”
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