HB Reavis’ latest low carbon development reaches practical completion

We are thrilled to announce the practical completion of our latest low carbon and wellbeing-focused workspace, Worship Square and can’t wait to welcome our first occupiers, global technology company, Wise and economic consultancy, Frontier Economics in the coming months.

Perfectly located between London’s financial and tech districts of the City and Shoreditch, Worship Square provides a home for companies marking their London headquarters, alongside a spectrum of workspace offerings for companies of all sizes. This includes flexible Ready to Work office, co-working and affordable options. Worship Square is enhanced by its blend of hospitality and wellness offerings – from an in-house fitness studio, programme of events and other lifestyle amenities to satisfy today’s occupier needs for experiential spaces.

All development projects are complex, but Worship Square was faced with a unique set of challenges from the start. Within one month of acquisition in Q1 2020, we were at the start of the coronavirus outbreak and the beginning of multiple lockdowns that sent ripples throughout the market.

I’m so proud of the team. Incredibly, Worship Square was designed and built through a global pandemic in the most difficult of circumstances. Despite this, our continued focus on low carbon, wellbeing-focused development that offers a range of customer product options, which are integrated with our high level of amenity and service, has shown what the future of the workplace will look like.

Steven Skinner, CEO of HB Reavis

Worship Square has proven it’s possible for developers to create new spaces which are environmentally conscious and sustainable. Through careful alignment with our designers, consultants, contractors and occupiers, we’ve found innovative, low energy design and construction techniques to set a new standard for the office market.

By striving for this sustainability excellence, the project has been constructed using less than 450 kgCO₂e/m² upfront carbon which is more than 50% ahead of the LETI baseline. We achieved this through measures including the incorporation of low carbon EAF steel and high GGBS concrete mixes for the structure, reusing parts of the existing building, recycling raised access flooring, 100% green electricity connection for construction activities and utilising hydrogenated vegetable oil as a fossil fuel replacement.

Our commitment to sustainability also extends to the operational phase of the building. We have integrated fully electric, highly efficient systems that are designed to operate seamlessly within a green lease agreement framework. This innovative lease agreement ensures that the relationship between landlord and occupier enables Worship Square to meet our ambitious 5.5* NABERS target. By fostering a collaborative approach, we can aim to ensure that sustainability is maintained throughout the lifecycle of the building.

We also made a conscious decision to try and create a positive social impact through considerable community engagement. Worship Square won the Best Community Project at the BPIC Awards 2022 for its partnership with Rise-365, creating 14 paid work placements for local youth, career days for female students, 94 hours of community volunteering, and planting over 500 plants with the neighbouring school.

We are targeting the pinnacle of certifications – BREEAM Outstanding, WELL Platinum, NABERS 5.5* – and having already achieved EPC Rating A, WiredScore Platinum, and SmartScore Platinum. We’ve made these concrete goals to underscore our dedication to creating spaces that are not only environmentally responsible, but also promote the wellbeing and connection of the occupiers. Achieving these prestigious ratings will place Worship Square at the forefront of the office market and ensure our developments contribute positively to the environment and society at large, as well as supporting occupiers to meet their own ESG goals.

Naturally, we were apprehensive about the growing work-from-home set-up and its impact on office space and occupier demand. But as with everything we do, we stayed ahead of the curve to ensure we were building a destination environment that attracted companies to the workplace. Our team’s understanding of workers as consumers, who want engaging, high-quality and amenity-rich spaces, has helped us remain in demand by prioritising customer experience to foster community, increase productivity and support recruitment and retention.

The development has placed people and health as a core value. Incorporating principles of biophilic design, the building remarkably creates a ‘green heart’ which purifies the air and creates an uplifting mood for occupiers. Our 3,200 plants, including 90 NASA-approved species, rooftop terrace and allotments will play a significant role in helping occupiers access greenery and its therapeutic benefits, enjoy breaks outside, and improve indoor air quality. Likewise, our wormery will process food waste into high-quality compost, to nourish Worship Square’s mini biosphere and support a sustainable circular economy.

It’s the amenities – the lobby and lounge area, roof terraces and wellness spaces, which really distinguish Worship Square’s appeal in a crowded market – highlighting a hotelier’s mentality to think of a customer’s experience first. Once the building is open for business and occupiers move in, we’ll have an in-house barista in the lobby, communal terrace for classes and summer socials, as well as a state-of-the-art concierge app. Our in-house fitness studio and programme of events empower employees to look after their own wellbeing and help foster a sense of community. This offer, which merges the traditional office set-up with hospitality, technology and wellbeing, proves how we understand holistic design and the ingredients needed to create a best-in-class workspace that addresses the changing needs of staff post-covid.

Our expertise in creating spaces that support employee wellbeing and collaboration is clear. Worship Square is a demonstration of our success in pre-leasing buildings– with 98% of the available office space leased ahead of practical completion. This is testament to how Worship Square delivers exactly what occupiers are looking for. Wise and Frontier Economics have chosen Worship Square as their new London headquarters – showing that Worship Square has reimagined what the future workspaces should look like for forward thinking companies: putting people first and powering productivity. Both Wise and Frontier Economics will be fitting out their spaces to ensure their offices are tailored to their own brand identities and reflect their company cultures. We are also looking forward to our co-work, HubHub marking its second London location, later this year at Worship Square. This will offer flexible and affordable options to support SMEs adding to the Worship Square ecosystem.

Watch this space!

Photo credit: Ed Reeve