The JJ Mack Building (33 Charterhouse Street, Smithfield Market, EC1), designed by our practice for Helical and Ashby Capital, is a handsome stone clad building that will facilitate new hybrid ways of working and help retain and lure top talent. Located within a three minute walk of Farringdon Station (Elizabeth Line, Thames Link and London Underground), it offers an easy journey to a quintessential London neighbourhood with cultural locations on its doorstep and great restaurants and cafés for lunch or drinks after work in a lively scene.

The façade on Charterhouse Street responds to the smaller scale of the listed Port of London Authority building next door. An impressive south-facing, double-height lobby welcomes employees and visitors. Beautiful stone floor tiles with bronze detailing, English reclaimed timber and a striking bronze reception desk greet you on arrival. Along the east façade, there is an atrium with full height artwork from ground floor to fifth floor enclosed by (fire rated) glazing. This presents a striking light filled perimeter to the lower floors of the building.

It has a space-age bike park (426 spaces – 1 for every 5 occupants i.e. 60% higher than GLA guidance), and two repair stations – accessed directly off Farringdon Road cycle super highway. Cyclists descend into a suite of spa quality changing areas (672 lockers, 30 showers), fully kitted out with hairdryers, hair straighteners and complementary towels. The building is designed to allow tenants to achieve Platinum WELL rating in their fit out. Floors are flooded with light and mostly 360 degree uninterrupted views of St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard and Smithfield Market from your desk. Incorporating enhanced fresh air systems, low/no VOC paint and access to nature through expansive roof terraces on the 5th, 7th, 9th floors (total 9,127 sqft). Two bee colonies live on the roof.

We thought hard about future-proofing the building, in its construction, as well as the sophisticated technology that operates it. Each of the nine floors has flexible floor plates and remarkably few columns, allowing incoming tenants to create a layout that works for their business. A ‘smart building’, it has sophisticated and cutting-edge technology that enables collaboration through digital connectivity. Lighting, heating and blinds can be controlled by floor and zones for comfort and energy efficiency.

The JJ Mack Building achieved the highest sustainability accreditations – BREEAM outstanding at design stage; EPC A – as a result of sustainable, intelligent and renewable technologies designed into the building. 144 photo voltaic panels on the roof send energy back to the grid and offset on-site power consumption and it encompasses a ground-breaking water management and recycling system, reducing mains water consumption by up to 70%. Each floor is split into four zones to run localised air/cooling/heating/lighting to minimise energy wastage, reducing carbon emissions, and reduce energy bills.

All of this ensures that LDS’ JJ Mack Building provides workspace that will ensure the office of the future remains the centre of the work ecosystem and acts to retain and recruit the best talent.