Our project Salutation Works, a multi-storey mixed workspace and industrial scheme, is being showcased as part of the Ecocity World Summit 2023.

The building was designed with the aim of adding social, environmental, and economic value to its local community with reference to the 15-minute city methodology and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The scheme’s concept shows how collaboration, participation and democratisation of design can create an urban facility that can be utilised by wider communities and promote economic growth within the local area.

Regenerative design and circular economy principles are at the centre of the project. The scheme’s influence will extend beyond the physical boundaries of the site by adding to a local network of materials exchange, and inspiring and demonstrating best practices. It will exceed minimum building regulations, meet London’s zero carbon ambitions, and facilitate the transition to a greener and circular economy.

The design embraces circular economy principles by retrofitting the current building on the site and reusing building materials. The existing building will be extended by introducing a new modular building around part of its perimeter. The scheme retains as much as possible of the current building, repairs what can be reused and designs out unnecessary components. It reuses most of the materials currently on-site as well as materials from site deconstruction and salvage yards nearby, and recycles the smaller portion that cannot be reused on-site or elsewhere. All waste is separated on-site so a higher percentage of the recycling content can be upcycled.

A kit-of-parts approach has been adopted to give occupiers the flexibility to expand or condense without changing location or needing to predict long-term requirements. The construction itself would be used as a form of education and a showcase for circular economy. The building extension explores a mix of modern methods of construction, is built for disassembly, and provides flexible and adaptable space for green start-ups and micro-enterprises. It supports retail to grow organically and creates a ‘social high street’ providing necessities that are beyond a 15-minute walk away. We have also allocated provision for SME sustainable manufacturing.

A proposed on-site material store facility, part of a potential Construction Skills School, could encourage occupiers of the modules to consider material re-use in the fit-out of their spaces, while teaching, facilitating, and promoting materials reuse throughout the whole development. The school would strive to diversify the architectural and built environment industry, using the scheme’s construction as an educational resource with a programme aimed at those from disadvantaged backgrounds and minority groups.

Social inclusion and diversity are embedded with the incorporation of public spaces and external roof areas that are accessible to the wider community. These offer composting and food growing spaces, as well as safe recreation and play areas missing from the sites that surround the scheme.

A multi-functional ‘town hall’ facility, mainly built with reclaimed materials, could offer a civic presence to the community by providing a permanent place to collaborate, debate and socialise, as well as temporary space for exhibiting, pop-up markets and events.

The name of the scheme, Salutation Works, reflects our ambition for people to bring something when they arrive and take away something more when they leave.

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