A practical solution to achieving circular construction

The challenge

Delivering a compact, seven‑storey office retrofit in the heart of central London required extensive structural works, removal of the original façade, and the delivery of both CAT A and CAT B fit-out within a highly constrained urban site.  

Having remained vacant and partially stripped prior to construction, the building presented limited opportunities for conventional material reuse. Combined with severe constraints on storage, materials segregation and logistics, the challenge was clear – find innovative ways to deliver the project’s circularity ambitions within a compact city‑centre environment.   

This required embedding meaningful circular economy principles in a way that was innovative yet practical, capable of reducing waste and embodied carbon while delivering long‑term value and aligning with wider sustainability aspirations.  

The outcomes 

Circular construction principles were embedded from the earliest design stages of the project, translating the client’s circularity ambitions into measurable outcomes. Materials with highly recycled or reclaimed content - including Rubblazzo made from rubble salvaged from demolished London buildings, FabBRICK made from textile waste, and BAUX made from natural and bio-based materials - were specified throughout, reducing embodied carbon and limiting waste to landfill.   

This approach, supported by strong site-wide waste management, contributed to the project receiving a ‘10 Tonnes Achievement Award’ for diverting 10 tonnes of wood waste from site, saving precious resources and minimising environmental impact.  

In addition, graffiti-covered plasterboard uncovered during the project’s strip-out was removed and repurposed as artwork for display in another of the client’s buildings, extending the material's lifecycle and avoiding disposal.   

Early in the construction programme, 6.8 tonnes of stone were removed and taken off-site to be repurposed and re-used predominantly as flooring for the new building, with a portion being reused on the new building façade. The stone was stored and reprocessed at the stonework contractor’s facility, closer to site than the original manufacturing location, reducing transport impacts and delivering an estimated 310 kgCO₂e saving in embodied carbon.  

Supporting circularity principles by further reducing waste and preserving resources for longevity, a magnetic flooring system was installed to the raised access floor across 1,500 m², eliminating the need for adhesives. This preserved the integrity of the flooring and enables clean, residue‑free removal, supporting future reuse, reconfiguration and recycling while reducing waste over the building’s lifecycle.  

Having targeted BREEAM Excellent, the project is now stretching for Outstanding upon its completion, in addition to being fully electric with no fossil fuels used throughout construction.