This project, which started in 1991 and completed in 2005, underwent a number of phases. Starting as a plan for housing the Department of the Environment and the Department of Transport, the objective of the redevelopment was to redesign ‘Marsham Towers’ which had been receiving public criticism.

In 1991, property developer British Land bid to redevelop the site as a speculative mixed-use scheme with Terry Farrell and Partners producing a masterplan for the site. In 1994, an architectural competition, sponsored by the Department of the Environment was won by Fitzroy Robinson, which used an ‘illustrative scheme’ by Sir Terry Farrell and Partners as part of the outline planning application. Outline planning approval was granted in 1997, however in 1998, a PFI bid was submitted by developer European Land to house the Home Office on the Marsham Street site with Terry Farrell and Partners and Bouygues as constructor and facilities manager. In March 2000 Bouygues took over PFI consortium from European Land and submitted a final PFI bid with revised masterplan by Terry Farrell and Partners. Demolition of Marsham Towers and construction of the new building began in 2002. Marsham Street eventually housed the Government Home Office Department.

Terry Farrell & Partners responded to the initial brief as an opportunity to apply the issues of sustainability to one of the few London inner-city sites large enough to allow for this at scale. Particular emphasis was placed on conservation of the city fabric; sustainable community; and conservation of energy. The object was to find an appropriate low energy urban form by maximising free energies such as solar penetration in the winter, night-time cooling in the summer, and maximising daylight and natural ventilation throughout the year. Terry Farrell and Partners also worked with engineers Battle McCarthy to create a 3D modelling tool for energy consumption estimates based upon local climatic conditions, building orientation, occupancy patterns, overshadowing and glazing.

A number of environmental design aspects were retained in the design for the final building. The central building was a mixed mode ventilation building planned around a pair of atria topped with wind towers that were used as natural chimneys to draw warm stale air out of the building. The east façade had a series of kinetic blinds to block unwanted early-morning sun. The east west orientation of the building however meant that only the southern elevation needed protection from high angle sun penetration and some air cooling. The southern building was also impacted by traffic noise and pollution, and the solution was a proposal for a secondary glass skin set away from the building, creating a thermal flue which also provided a protective zone. The Northern Building on Great Peter Street could be fully naturally ventilated and the building was planned around open courtyards which allowed daylight and openable windows to all faces.

Construction Partners:
Client: The Home Office
Engineers: Pell Frischmann; Battle McCarthy; Flack & Kurtz; Lovejoy
Contractor: Bouygues
Other: DHA Design