Green Building Rating System: BREEAM

Bloomberg London
1. Background
1.1. Key Facts

 Location: London, UK
 Scheme: BREEAM UK New Construction 2014
 Rating: Outstanding (Design-Stage), 98.5%
 Certificate No: BREEAM-0067-3780
 Size: 103,690 m2z

1.2. Project Team

 Client: Bloomberg L.P.

 Assessor: Sweco
 Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine
 Project Manager: Stanhope plc
 Design: Fosters + Partners/Sweco/AKTII/SBA Figure 1 Bloomberg London

2. Introduction
Bloomberg’s new European headquarters is respectful of its location in the heart of the
City of London, close to the Bank of England, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the church of St.
Stephen’s Walbrook. In its form, massing and materials, the new building is uniquely of
their place and time – a natural extension of
the City that will endure and improve the
surrounding public realm. It is a true exemplar
of sustainable development, with a BREEAM
Outstanding rating – the highest design-stage
score ever achieved by any major office
development.Bloomberg wanted an exemplar
of sustainable design that would endure and
improve the surrounding City of London public
realm. High sustainability standards were the
core philosophy of every aspect of the
building design. Bloomberg’s desire was to
create a building which looks to the future, Figure 2 Aerial View of Bloomberg

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reflects the company’s

commitments in practice to
sustainability and encourages active
working for its employees. Through
very early engagement between
Bloomberg, Foster + Partners, SRM
and Sweco, an implementation plan,
using BREEAM as a catalyst, was set
down to fully explore the
developments specific
sustainability’ opportunities and the
means by which the client’s ‘green’
aspirations might be met across a
wide range of categories. (
ArchDaily 2008-2017, n.d.) Figure 3 Section of Bloomberg

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners, said: “In some of
our first discussions on the project, Mike Bloomberg and I arrived at a ‘meeting of minds’
on how the design of the new Bloomberg headquarters should incorporate the highest
standards of sustainability. The project evolved from thereon into a building that is one
of the most sustainable in the world. The deep plan interior spaces are naturally ventilated
through a ‘breathing’ façade while a top lit atrium edged with a spiralling ramp at the
heart of the building ensures a connected, healthy and creative environment.”
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. said: “We believe that
environmentally-friendly practices are as good for business as they are for the planet.
From day one, we set out to push the boundaries of sustainable office design – and to
create a place that excites and inspires our employees. The two missions went hand -in-
hand, and I hope we’ve set a new standard for what an office environment can be.”
Trevor Farnfield, design director for the project at Sweco UK, said: “Few commercial
developments truly earn the title of ‘landmark building’, but Bloomberg’s European HQ is
an exception – setting a new precedent for sustainable design. This was a long-term,
challenging project to which we have brought international best practice from across the
Sweco group to deliver an innovative approach to building services. The project has
already attracted significant attention from the international design community, making
it a landmark reference project not only for Bloomberg but also the City of London.”

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3. Design Detail
1. Site
Occupying a full city block, the 3.2-
acre site comprises two buildings
united by bridges that span over a
pedestrian arcade that reinstates
Watling Street, an ancient Roman
road that ran through the site.
Bloomberg Arcade is now a key route
for people moving around the City,
with restaurants and cafes at ground
level, set back behind an undulating
façade under a covered colonnade.
Three public plazas, located at each end of the arcade and in front of the building’s
entrance, provide new civic spaces in the heart of the Square Mile.

Figure 4 Bloomberg Arcade

2. Buiding

The development consists of two triangular-planned buildings covered in hewn

Yorkshire sandstone and bronze fins. A brass ramp spirals up through the centre of
the building, while glass elevators face the exterior to give views out over London. Its
striking façade is defined by a structural sandstone frame, with a series of large -
scale bronze fins that shade the floor-to-ceiling glazing. The fins give the building a

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visual hierarchy and rhythm as they vary in scale, pitch and density across each
façade according to orientation and solar exposure, while being an integral part of
the building’s natural ventilation system. Three new plazas will be open to the
public, two of which feature specially commissioned works of art. The development
also includes a theatre, and a new entrance to Bank underground station.

3. Entrance
The main entrance to Bloomberg is defined by a substantial porte-cochère, where
the building forms two sides of a new formal city square. Arriving at the main
entrance, everyone passes through the reception lobby before being drawn into
the Vortex – a dramatic double-height space created by three inclined, curving
timber shells. From here, high-speed fully-glazed lifts with a unique concealed
mechanism – another innovation developed specifically for the building – carry
everyone directly to the sixth floor.

Figure 5 Dramatic Vortex

4. Building Components
Art plays a central role in the project, with major site-specific commissions in and
around the building. Cristina Iglesias’ water sculpture in three parts, ‘Forgotten
Streams’ – a homage to the ancient Walbrook River that once flowed through the
site – defines the public spaces at each end of Bloomberg Arcade. The new
Bloomberg building also returns the archaeological remains of the Roman Temple
of Mithras to the site of their original discovery, with a new interpretation centre

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and cultural hub designed to give visitors an immersive experience of the temple
and bring the history of the site to life. The development consists of two triangular-
planned buildings covered in hewn Yorkshire sandstone and bronze fins. A brass ramp
spirals up through the centre of the building, while glass elevators face the exterior to
give views out over London.

Figure 6 . Cristina Iglesias’ water sculpture

Central to Bloomberg’s ethos, the double-height ‘pantry’ on the sixth floor is the
heart of the building, reflecting the importance of sharing and collaboration at the
company. Everyone passes through this animated space, increasing the likelihood
of chance meetings and informal discussions.

Figure 7 Double-height pantry

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A distinctive hypotrochoid stepped

ramp, characterised by its smooth
continuous three-dimensional loop,
flows through the full height of the
building, adding to the drama of the
space. Clad in bronze, the ramp is
designed and proportioned as a place
of meeting and connection, allowing
people to hold brief impromptu
conversations with colleagues, whilst
not impeding the flow of people.
Figure 8 Hypotrochoid stepped ramp

The notion of teamwork and collaboration flows into the desking systems and layout of
each floor. Bespoke height-adjustable, radial desks are laid out in clusters and pods for
up to six people, allowing for privacy, personalisation, wellbeing and collaborative
working. The ceiling is another unique and innovative element developed for the
building, inspired by the pressed metal ceilings of New York. Its distinctive polishe d
aluminium panels of ‘petals’ perform multiple roles – ceiling finish, light reflectors,
cooling elements and acoustic attenuation – combining various elements of a typical
office ceiling into an energy-saving integrated system. (Foster + Partners, n.d.)

Figure 9 Radial working pods and aluminium petal panels in the ceiling

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4. Key innovation highlights

i. Integrated Ceiling Panels: Bespoke integrated ceiling panels combine air supply, cooling,
lighting and acoustic functions in an innovative petal-leaf design. The system, which
incorporates 500,000 LED lights, uses 40 percent less energy than a typical fluorescent
office lighting system. The panels were prefabricated off-site to reduce construction site
wastage. The large petal-leaf surface area enables elevated chilled water temperatures
to be used with associated energy benefits.

Figure 10 layers of heating, cooling, lighting and accoustic

ii. Breathing Building: When ambient weather conditions are temperate, the building’s
distinctive bronze blades can open and close, allowing the building to operate in a
“breathable” natural ventilation mode. Reducing dependency on mechanical ventilation
and cooling equipment can significantly reduce energy consumption and provide future
proofing.

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iii. Water Conservation: Rainwater from the roof, cooling tower blow-down water, and grey
water sources, like basins and showers, is captured, treated and recycled to serve vacuum
flush toilets. These use net zero mains water for flushing. Overall, the integrated water
conservation systems including the first vacuum toilet installation of this scale in the UK,
will save 25 million litres of water each year, enough to fill ten Olympic swimming pools
annually.

iv. Smart Airflow: Smart CO2 sensing controls allow air to be distributed according to the
approximate number of people occupying each zone of the building at any given time.
The ability to dynamically adjust airflow in response to occupancy hours and patterns is
expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 300 metric tonnes each year.

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Figure 11 Air circulation in the building

Combined Heat & Power: An on-site Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generation centre supplies
heat and power in a single, efficient system with reduced carbon emissions. Waste heat
generated from this process is recycled for cooling and heating and, in use, is expected to save
500-750 metric tonnes of CO2 each year.

Figure 12 On site Heat and Power (CHP) generator

v. Sustainable Occupation: Bloomberg has been a zero-landfill operation in London since

2010; instead waste is recycled, composted or converted to energy. This commitment
will continue at the new site, with better waste streaming to enable a greater proportion
of waste products to be reused and recycled.
The new development’s interiors encourage active working, with sit-to-stand work
stations for all employees and a central ramp spanning six floors that encourages
movement through the building on foot. Two cycle centres and a wellness centre
incorporating on-site health services will also be available to all employees. ( Building
Research Establishment Ltd 2017, n.d.)

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5. Results
Due to its highly innovative and sustainable design it has set a new benchmark for the
other office Building not only in London but other countries as well. The new building is
uniquely of their place and time – a natural extension of the City that will endure and
improve the surrounding public realm.
From the beginning sustainability acted as a catalyst from choosing a site to design
process to construction practises. The sustainability of the building focused on innovative
power, lighting, Water and Ventilation accounted for the majority of way energy savings
were done. The building has been able to save 35% total energy through on-site
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generator. Similarly but using natural ventilation and
natural light, the dependency on air condition and artificial lighting is decreased.
Collecting rainwater from the roof, cooling tower blow-down water, and grey water
sources, like basins and showers, treating and recycling has aided 73% reduction in water
consumption which has led to use of 70% less potal mains water and overall 75% more
water efficient than other office buildings.

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