Tall & Urban News

UK architecture studio Foster + Partners has received approval for the 18 Blackfriars Road project, a net-zero carbon office and residential development in London's Bankside. This development will cover a two-acre brownfield site and include a 48-story office skyscraper and two residential blocks of 43 and 24 stories, totaling 400 homes, with 40 percent designated as affordable housing.

The office high-rise will feature naturally lit offices and outdoor terraces on every third level. The project, developed with Hines and Lipton Rogers, aims to be fully electric with ground-source heat pumps providing 95 percent of heating needs. The design includes affordable workspace, community assembly rooms, children’s play areas, and a public plaza with shops and food areas.

Strips of terracotta-colored cladding will adorn the buildings, and biodiversity will be increased by 150 percent with the planting of around 100 trees. The design aims to turn the long-undeveloped site into a vibrant hub with a focus on car-free travel and enhanced public spaces.

Learn more at Dezeen