Sustainability-led transformation of 1930s West London workplace given green light

Owners Neo Capital, in partnership with creative real estate developer General Projects and architect Buckley Gray Yeoman, have been awarded unanimous planning consent by London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham for the refurbishment and extension of 43 Brook Green into characterful workspace.

The plans will retain the characterful existing 1930s structure, which has been vacant since 2019. The scheme will improve, expand and modernise the internal floorplates to deliver high-quality, sustainable workspace.

The extension and addition of a pavilion on top of the main building will increase lettable office floor area by 50 per cent delivering over 120,000 sq ft of workspace. The side building will be extended by three storeys and topped with green roof terraces to attenuate rainwater, increase biodiversity, reduce urban heat island effects, and improve air and water quality.

Externally, the extension takes design cues from the existing building, incorporating red brick and deep-reveal windows. A complete internal refurbishment will celebrate the building’s original design while upgrading the core layouts.

At ground level, windows will be extended to reach the full floor-to-ceiling height and establish an inviting entrance to a new café on the corner of Brook Green Road, which will connect the building to its neighbourhood for the first time.

The affordable workspace will be managed by General People, the workspace operating platform established by General Projects in 2021, to provide a hospitality-led, flexible approach with the ethos that “one size fits no one”.

Frederic Schwass, development director at General Projects, commented: “Our retrofit-first approach puts sustainable and meaningful development at the heart of what we do and Brook Green will be another positive example of this.

“Reinvention of the past is the key to our future and through a careful refurbishment and extension, we will be able to breathe new life into this stately building that once was London’s most innovative office building.

“Previously home to J. Lyons & Co and their first commercial supercomputer, and EMI records, our aim is to celebrate its rich history with a contemporary design language, repositioning this asset as a sustainable HQ for forward-thinking occupiers “

Amr Assaad, director at Buckley Gray Yeoman, added: “Buildings like this one at Brook Green are a fantastic example of the ‘good bones’ of London’s 1930s architecture. It’s a pleasure to once again be working with General Projects on a workplace project that prioritises structural retention and that seeks to protect our architectural heritage.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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