Interesting article from EGi on the approval by Southwark Council of a new 255,000 sq ft redevelopment by Dutch developer EDGE. The new development has been “designed to achieve both BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum certification, which would make it the only office tower in London to receive both accreditations at that level”. 

 A building can only achieve BREEAM Outstanding if it achieves a score of 85% or above, which takes into account the energy efficiency, how sustainably it was built and how well it will respond to user needs. Statistics say less than 1% of buildings fall into this BREEAM category. 

WELL is a tool for advancing health and well-being in buildings globally, and Platinum level certification is achieved by meeting all of the WELL Preconditions as well as 80% or more of the Optimisation Features. WELL Preconditions are considered the foundation for wellness in the built environment, and Optimisation Features include optional technologies, strategies, protocols and designs. 

 With EDGE’s innovative design to achieve these high standards, as well as the public park planned to sit next door to the development, for use by tenants and the wider community, EDGE plans to impress in more ways than one here. It looks to be a visually attractive building while also making strides towards reducing regulated carbon emissions, setting an impressive example to other developers for future plans in London and other major cities.