2 Finsbury Avenue - clad in elegance
07 Jul 2025Cladding Managers Angela Beckwith and Mark Nicholls share insights about the façade at 2 Finsbury Avenue, which sets a new benchmark for sustainable urban architecture.
At Broadgate we're working with British Land, Sir Robert McAlpine,
and Cantillon to deliver 1 Broadgate. The demolition and enabling works have focused on
circular economy principles and maximising the value of the materials coming out of the building.
This started with a pre-demolition audit and carried through tender stage where we had focused,
circular economy workshops to explore and discuss opportunities for maximising the
value of materials coming out of the building. A circular economy is a systematic approach to
economic development designed to benefit businesses, society and the environment.
Having completed a pre-demolition audit this helped pinpoint the key materials
and identify the potential recycling or reuse strategy for each material.
The Broadgate envelope is constructed in a granite façade.
It was decided at tender stage that 72 m3 of the granite façade would
be reused in the terrazzo tile in the new 1 Broadgate development.
The remainder of this granite façade is being recycled at a local recycling facility.
Throughout the demolition, Cantillon and Sir Robert McAlpine walked around the site
looking at various different materials and products around the site that we could reuse.
It was identified that a lot of chairs would be leftover possessions. Over 200 of these
chairs have been sent to local facilities to be reused back into the market. Prior to demolition,
raised access flooring was identified as a key material to use at 1 Broadgate.
The materials were stacked, loaded and sent away to be reused in new developments.
The concrete on site has been broken out, loaded away and been sent away to be stockpiled.
This concrete will then be returned to site and used as a pile mat.
The project team and British Land have collaborated with developer fabrics
to clean, refurbish, test and repurpose the structural steel from 1 Broadgate.
The structural steel has been cut, removed, stacked and loaded away for transportation.
Over 3,000 carpet tiles were reused from 1 Broadgate to be reused in
the Eldon Street offices. 168 doors have been removed from 1 Broadgate.
These doors have been turned into welfare tables in the welfare area of the Eldon Street offices.
Materials that are not being reused are being sent off-site to local recycling processes to ensure
all materials are diverted from landfill. So far, as of January 2022, 1,300 tonnes
have been diverted from landfill. This is the equivalent to 1,083 London double-decker buses.
We have learned some valuable lessons at 1 Broadgate around circular economy
and I think we will certainly be looking at 1 Broadgate as a benchmark for any new sustainable
developments that we have in the future.
