A famous trio of London buildings are standing out for more reasons than one after pledging their support to the real estate industry’s first competition committed to reducing energy consumption.
The Cheesegrater (The Leadenhall Building), 70 St Mary Axe, and the Walkie Talkie (20 Fenchurch Street) have all signed up to the CUBE Competition, where they will compete against other buildings across the UK to deliver the most energy savings.
The three buildings represent a diverse mix of participants, featuring property managers and landlords. Together with their tenants, they will embark on improving their energy efficiency even further through small interventions with CUBE, which was designed to inspire a fun, competitive spirit to drive change and contribute to net zero targets.
20 Fenchurch Street, put forward by property manager CBRE, occupies a prominent site in the City of London and is home to the iconic Sky Garden – London’s highest public garden providing 360-degree views of the skyline.
Completed in early 2019 and providing almost 30,000 sq ft of premium office space across 21 floors, 70 St Mary Axe is a relatively new addition to the city’s skyline. Integrating smart technology and energy efficiency, the distinctive office building promotes health and wellbeing throughout, even boasting the highest possible level of cycling score certification with 328 cycle spaces on site. The building was submitted to the competition by BNP Paribas, property manager, on behalf of landlord Nuveen Real Estate.
Meanwhile, The Leadenhall Building, managed by Savills, is a skyscraper cleverly angled at 10 degrees to protect views of other major well-known landmarks. At the heart of the building’s sustainability is its triple-layer glass ‘skin’ that keeps offices cool throughout the day, therefore minimising the need for artificial cooling – one of the biggest culprits of energy use in any office building.
Josh Spencer, Sustainability Transformation Manager at BNP Paribas Real Estate UK, said:
“There is a simple reason why 70 SMA is participating in CUBE; it helps to foster collaborative relationships with the whole building community on shared sustainability goals, all under a friendly competition focused on energy reduction and net zero.”
Kristin Marin, who runs the competition in the UK, said:
“Testament to the capital’s creativity and spirit, we have seen many buildings rise to the climate challenge by committing to ambitious targets. But more needs to be done to cut operational carbon emissions and we need to fundamentally change user behaviours if we want to make a difference now and for future generations.
“Signing up three of the city’s most iconic buildings to the competition is a huge coup for us as it shows that no matter your status, there’s always room for progression and change. Even the world’s best designed buildings need to work with occupiers to make the best use of the space and drive down energy, so to have these newer buildings taking part in the competition is a really powerful milestone for us.”