Sam Shepherd’s Post

Skyscraper matching The Shard is set for approval!!! A 309.6m (1,016ft) skyscraper, matching #TheShard's height, is set for approval in central #London. Named 1 Undershaft, it will replace the 28-storey Aviva Tower, offering office and retail space, a viewing gallery, and a garden. Historic England has opposed the plans, citing concerns about the impact on the area's character and historic sites, including the Tower of London and St James’s Park. The Twentieth Century Society also objected, highlighting the significance of the existing 1960s Aviva Tower. If approved by the City of London’s planning committee, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the next Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary would need to review the proposal. The new 74-floor #skyscraper would replace a vacant 28-storey tower, featuring office and retail space, a viewing gallery, and a garden. It would be the tallest building in the City of London’s skyline. The plans were revised from a previously approved 72-storey design to address post-pandemic needs and market changes. The GLA noted that the project does not fully align with the London Plan and requires more details on energy strategy, sustainable development, and traffic impact. Mayor Sadiq Khan will evaluate the public benefits against heritage impacts in his decision-making. #watchthisspace

A lack of inclusive design means millions are prevented from fully engaging not only with public and commercial spaces but with society and our economy. To accelerate change and address common knowledge, technical and organisational barriers to designing more welcoming places, we have worked with The Crown Estate to analyse the value case for inclusive places and create free tools to help property companies take action. As part of the change, we are committed to five inclusive design actions including: ·     Listening to and involving those with lived experience. ·     Measuring and understanding the level of accessibility of our buildings and spaces to inform key interventions. ·     Communicating better information on the accessibility of our buildings. ·     Going beyond building regulations to create a higher inclusive design standard. ·     Collaborating to ensure inclusive design is considered for new developments and existing buildings. Thanks to all those with lived experience, industry partners and members of the new working group who gave their time and insight in to this report. We are delighted that so many in the industry have joined our call to action and many have joined us in making these commitments. British Land Lendlease Landsec The Portman Estate Cadogan The Howard de Walden Estate Heathrow Shaftesbury Capital PLC Transport for London Redevco New West End Company Motionspot Mobility Mojo Volterra Partners LLP City of Westminster #InclusiveDesign #PeopleAndPlanetPositive #Accessibility #LivedExperience #Diversity

What we at Historic England had to say about this planning approval: “We are disappointed this scheme has been approved because the people of London deserve better. The proposed building will have a harmful impact on precious public space, as well as on the important listed buildings beside the development site and the Tower of London World Heritage Site. We asked for minor amendments to the revised scheme which, if implemented, would still have allowed significant commercial development while also keeping what makes the City of London so special.” The shame of it is that when the developer first commissioned a scheme by the same architect here, the resulting design successfully emulated the calming effect of its Miesian predecessor, despite rising to 73 floors (50 floors higher!), its rectangular geometry was confined more or less to the footprint of the original. Parry’s sleek obelisk, tapering gently towards the top was an elegant apex to the eastern cluster, actually supported by Historic England and approved by City Planners in 2016. Heritage significance is very heavily impacted by setting. Think of cities as theatre, so that if we destroy the mise en scène of a historic asset, its meaning drains away. In just this way, overwhelmed by this new scheme, the medieval tower St Andrew Undershaft no longer reaches for the heavens, becomes critically diminished, and the Grade I listed church loses the status it has enjoyed for half a millennium. Just as importantly, heritage adds value. It is an asset, not an obstacle in the creation of wealth and wellbeing. The extraordinary catalogue of listed buildings with provenance spanning 500 years to be enjoyed at St Helen’s square is a prime example. City of London planners have failed to weigh this civic value appropriately against the worth of extra square feet of lettable floorspace in development that threatens to consume it at ground level and block out the sky above.

Norton Folgate, a collaborative regeneration scheme for British Land, comprising buildings by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, DSDHA, Morris+Company and Stanton Williams has been featured on the cover of Architecture Today November-December issue. The project is a case study in collaboration, craftsmanship, retention, and considered new additions, mediating between the scale of the City and Spitalfields. ‘A few surprises provide delight,’ writes Chris Dyson, spotlighting the ‘flashes of opulence’ from DSDHA’s gold-coloured bays at 16 Blossom Street that look onto Blossom Yard, a new public square at the heart of the site. Along with a meticulously restored Arts and Crafts building facing Folgate Street and a reinterpreted new warehouse, DSDHA’s portion of the scheme provides intimately scaled workplaces within the wider ensemble. The collaborative scheme also saw Atelier Ten as the sustainability consultant, alongside many key specialists contributing to this redevelopment on the corner of Spitalfields. https://lnkd.in/eQ5tdqST

325 Deansgate, Manchester, England Deansgate is a prominent thoroughfare in central Manchester which has afforded the area with a rich history. The Roman conquest of Britain in the 1st century AD saw the establishment of the region’s first roads, settlements and infrastructure. Most notably the fort of Mamucium which was constructed around 79 AD, less than 400 metres from the 325 site today. During the medieval period, Manchester began to emerge as a market town and Deansgate grew in importance as a bustling commercial street. It became a significant route linking the town centre to neighbouring regions. The exact origin of the name "Deansgate" is not known, but is believed to have originated either from the presence of the collegiate church which appointed a dean to oversee its affairs, or the now lost River Dene. In the modern era, Deansgate has undergone significant redevelopment, with historic buildings repurposed for commercial and residential use. The street remains a vibrant centre of activity, lined with shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Despite the changes, echoes of its storied past can still be seen in its architecture and streetscape, serving as a reminder of Manchester's journey from a medieval market town to a bustling metropolis. Our thanks to Simon Critchley from delivery architect SimpsonHaugh for his support and Neil Russell and Jeff Britnell of Assured-CMS backing us to assist with the client-side monitoring. The design has altered from a GRC concept to a terracotta base material. This will respond to Manchester’s atmospheric profile but also retain some connotation with the regions history with clay construction. #Facades #Facadeengineering #UKConstruction #Skyscraper #Hotel

Earlier this week, Eric Parry Architects' Director, Robert Kennett contributed to a lively discussion at London Build Expo on the evolution of London's skyline, and how to successfully incorporate new skyscrapers into the Capital. Below are some key takeaways from the panellists: • Seventeen years ago, there wasn't a strategic framework for tall buildings in the city. The policy framework has now changed radically, as has the nature of tall buildings and their servicing requirements. • One of the most important elements of a tall building is how it relates to the ground with activation across all frontages. • We don't want to take a building's whole "coat" off every 20 years, so choosing all materials carefully and considering optimisation of the core is essential in considering any future adaptations. • Urban greening and providing a mixture of amenities for different communities is essential in creating humane buildings. From publicly accessible roof gardens to retail and workspace, this variety of uses ensures that buildings appeal to a more diverse range of people from workers to those who live and spend leisure time in the city.  #LondonBuild2024

Lines on the Thameslink I once held dreams within these walls, Sketched in stone and glass, in London’s thrall. From Millbank’s heights to Victoria’s street, I carved a space where past and future meet. Times Square, where bricks and stone collide, With glass that stretches, where ambitions hide. A grand façade, a modern city’s face, Built to endure, yet full of fleeting grace. Returning from Berlin, with visions bold, I laid each plan as stories would unfold. With Skidmore’s hand, I shaped the skies, Where every line a part of me resides. Now I ride the rails each day at dawn, Past the work where my younger self was drawn. The train hums softly, a reminder’s thread, Of all the spaces where my thoughts once led. To Acme in Shoreditch, I now proceed, Where new dreams sprout, and futures breed. But as I pass my old creation’s site, I feel a quiet, enduring light. For though the years have swiftly flown, In every brick, a piece of me is shown. And as I journey through this city’s heart, I know that building was just the start. #TimesSquareLondon #ArchitecturalJourney #SkidmoreOwingsMerrill #LondonArchitecture #BuildingMemories #ThameslinkCommute #VictoriaStreet #CityOfLondon #ArchitectureAndDesign #workandcommute

Good to be at the NLA tall buildings event last night to see plans for how London's skyline is expected to change in the coming years. The new Government's recently announced mandatory housing targets and limited land supply mean that we can expect to see more building upwards in years to come. Some interesting topics discussed: • The challenges of developing in a constrained space, such as central London, mean that large parts of new buildings are pre-fabricated off-site, and brought on-site just in time to be hoisted in to place. This also has the benefit of speeding up the on-site construction phase, with one case study saying that a new floor is being completed at their current development every 6 days. • As with all areas of construction, environmental considerations are front and centre of developers' minds. In order to reduce embodied carbon emissions associated with demolition, there is a trend towards raising the height of existing buildings. In order to do so, engineers need to have a very good understanding of the existing structure to ensure that there is sufficient load bearing capacity. Hopefully the 'golden thread' requirements of the Building Safety Act will make this task easier in future. • There was a great emphasis on placemaking, with a move towards parts of tall buildings being available for public use. One speaker spoke of creating a vertical high street, with cafes, bars, restaurants, GP surgeries and other uses being spread throughout the building to foster greater connectivity between floors.  #realestate #propertydevelopment #Dentons

The oldest buildings are the most sustainable buildings, and a very satisfying part of our work is being able to give an old building a new purpose and lease of life. Especially when it’s a distinctive brutalist building like this one in Sheffield city centre. Sheffield is known for its brutalist landmark buildings, such as Park Hill, the Moorfoot building, and the Moore Street electricity substation. Division House, the former Westfield offices on Division Street, is not as well-known, but it is a little brutalist gem. Working on behalf of our client MCR, we converted this building from offices into 39 residential apartments whilst retaining the ground-floor retail units on this popular city centre street. The things I particularly like about this scheme are: 🏘️ More new homes in the city centre 💰Local businesses occupy ground-floor spaces, supporting local commerce and activating the street. 🏢 Sheffield is known for its brutalist architecture, so the retention of this building contributes to local identity and distinctiveness. ✅ Breathe new life into a building whose former use had become obsolete, securing its future for many decades to come. 🏬 A good example of mixed use ‘gentle density, buildings ranging between 3-7 storeys. ♻️ Reusing the existing structure was a more sustainable alternative to demolition and the construction of a new building on the site. Division House is a project that can help bring new life into urban centres, and it is a classic example of our work.

🌆 Transforming London's Skyline: A Step Towards Building a Better Britain 🌆 Big news for the future of the City of London! The City of London Corporation has approved plans for a groundbreaking 56-story skyscraper at 70 Gracechurch Street. This visionary project is set to redefine urban innovation and sustainability, offering: ✨ 1.1 million sq ft of modern office, retail, and public space. 🌿 Sustainability at its heart, achieving BREEAM Outstanding and a 5.5-star NABERS rating. 🌟 Vibrant community spaces, with an open arcade, elevated terraces, and over 400 cycle parking spaces. Led by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, this development is not just about a building it's about creating opportunities, enhancing connectivity and supporting London’s position as a global leader in business and culture. 💬 What are your thoughts on this transformative project? Will it inspire a new era of sustainable urban design? How will it contribute to London’s economic and cultural vibrancy? What role do such developments play in shaping Britain’s future? 📩 Let us know in the comments or send us a message—your voice matters as we work towards Building a Better Britain. 🔗 Follow United Kingdom Development Corporation for more updates on ambitious projects shaping the UK’s landscape. 📌 Join us in Leeds to explore the future of UK infrastructure and real estate! 🌐 Visit: www.ukdevelopmentcorp.com ☎️ Call: 01642 917330 📧 Email: enquiries@ukdevelopmentcorp.com #BuildingABetterBritain #UKInfrastructure #CityOfLondon #SustainableDesign #UrbanDevelopment #EconomicGrowth