76 Southbank

Originally designed by Sir Denys Lasdun and completed in 1983 as an office and client marketing centre for IBM, 76 Upper Ground was considered Lasdun’s last major work, and sits adjacent to the National Theatre. Although the building was listed at Grade II in 2020, 18 months into AHMM's appointment, it does not meet modern-day occupier requirements and presented an opportunity for sensitive, qualitative and quantitative improvements both to the building itself and its contribution to the public realm. AHMM’s plans sensitively refurbish and extend the building delivering an additional 11,000m² of flexible and highly sustainable office space for an estimated 1,200 additional jobs. The plans will provide a long-term future for the building, greatly improving and enhancing its setting within the South Bank conservation area. The design retaining over 80% of the existing structure saving 10,171tCO²e of carbon, the equivalent of over 425,000m² of native forest, existing pre-cast concrete cladding panels are refurbished and re-used. Targeting both BREEAM Outstanding and a 5-star certification under the NABERS Design for Performance standard, the building will be highly energy efficient with an upgraded thermal envelope and sustainable energy strategy. Air and water source heat pumps along with photo-voltaic panels create a fully electric building with no fossil fuels used on site. Employee wellbeing is at the heart of the design with a range of flexible spaces provided for tenants to WELL Gold standards. These include 530 cycle parking spaces, end of trip facilities and large outdoor terraces covering over 4,500m² which will be brought to life through a sensitive and considered landscape design which is irrigated using harvested rainwater. Storm water is attenuated though a blue roof system and permeable paving in the public realm which will also include the planting of over 20 new trees. Overall, the development will achieve over a 230% improvement in biodiversity value and an urban greening factor of 0.3 in line with the new London Plan.