🟩 GreenBricks Building of the Week 🟩 The Black & White Building

Beech green

In the midst of messy, dirty, difficult Shoreditch – London’s tallest engineered timber office building. Made from 1,774 beech, spruce and pine trees. Architecturally, a massive leap in complexity.

📍Location

Shoreditch, EC2

🏢Building Details

• Completed January 2023

• 6-storeys, 17.8 metres

• Space for 28 offices

👷🏾‍♀️Developer & Contractor

• Charlie Green – Joint Founder & Co-CEO @ The Office Group

• Olly Olsen – Executive Chairman @ The Office Group

• Graham Turner – Former Project Lead @ Mid Group Ltd

✍️Architects & Engineers

• Andrew Waugh – Founder & Director @ Waugh Thistleton Architects

• Anthony Thistleton-Smith – Founder & Director @ Waugh Thistleton Architects

• David Lomax – Associate Director @ Waugh Thistleton Architects

• Emily Furniss Potter – Director @ daytrip.studio

• Toby Ronalds – Director @ Eckersley O'Callaghan

• Nigel Bowater – Director @ EEP - Environmental Engineering Partnership

• Greg Cooper – Managing Director @ Hybrid Structures

🌱Sustainability

• Hybrid timber structure comprising beech LVL frame + CLT slabs and core = 37% less embodied carbon than comparable concrete structure (only 410 kgCO2e/m2)

• BauBuche used instead of glulam = x2.9 stronger in compression + bending as beech is denser and stronger. This means columns are 350mm square compared with 450mm if it were glulam – saving valuable space

• Frame designed to be fully demountable = parts can be reused

• Solar shading from 2nd skin of vertical timber louvres: parametric model simulating the sun’s movement + impact against the façade determines movement of louvres

• 80% of furniture locally sourced from UK: emphasis on London-based makers, including Kusheda Mensah + Sebastian Cox

🥦 Wellbeing

• Flexible shared workspaces: vast open-plan spaces with no structural internal partition walls to minimise visual intrusion – layout can be easily adapted

• Dedicated yoga + barre studio with wellness classes hosted by MANOR LONDON

• Each floor has its own communal kitchen area and lounge – a warm homely look and feel

• Roof terrace + storage for 94 bikes

🎈Bonus feature

Real quote from the Project Lead “The frame went up in 16 weeks with 6 men, with no concrete gang or steel fixers. We’ve had so many compliments from local businesses about the lack of noise”.

🔗 Check it out https://waughthistleton.com/black-white-building/