In the heart of the City of London, a 20-year-old landmark recently received a massive, forward-thinking upgrade. The Selso Building on Queen Victoria Street underwent a stunning £20 million refurbishment, proving that we don’t always need to build new to build better.
At Aquality, we are incredibly proud to have been part of the delivery team that transformed this 90,000 sq ft of prime office space into a bold new benchmark for environmental performance.
The Vision: High Targets for Sustainability
When it comes to retrofitting commercial spaces, setting ambitious environmental goals is essential for combatting climate change. For the Selso Building, the project team had an unwavering focus on long-term sustainability, successfully targeting:
- BREEAM Excellent rating
- WELL ‘enabled’ status
- Net Zero embodied carbon
Achieving these milestones required a collaborative effort, bringing together the building’s original architects, Sheppard Robson, alongside top-tier engineers and consultants to rethink what the existing structure could achieve.
Overcoming the Structural Puzzle
Retrofit projects invariably come with unique spatial and structural challenges. Unlike new builds, you have to work within the constraints of what is already there.
For our team, the primary hurdle was plant room space constraints. Fitting modern, high-efficiency systems into a tight, pre-existing footprint is no small feat. However, through smart engineering and precise planning, we successfully tailored a compact, high-efficiency configuration that fit the space perfectly—without compromising on system performance.
An Innovative Water Reuse Strategy
Sustainable water management is a massive piece of the Net Zero puzzle. Aquality thrives on working closely with MEP contractors and consultants to solve complex spatial and technical problems.
For the Selso Building, we collaborated with Waterman Group and Gloster MEP to design and implement an innovative water reuse strategy.
How It Works
- Advanced Attenuation Tanks: Tailored to fit the building’s requirements, these tanks capture rainfall.
- On-Site Treatment: Collected rainwater is treated safely on-site.
- Circular Utilisation: The treated water is used for the building’s WC flushing and site irrigation systems.
By recycling rainwater, the Selso Building significantly reduces its daily operational water demand, easing the strain on London’s municipal water infrastructure.
Building Better, Together
The Selso Building stands as a testament to what is possible when the construction industry prioritises retrofitting over demolition. A huge well done to the entire project delivery team for breathe new, sustainable life into this heritage asset!
Ready to Optimise Your Next Retrofit?
Space constraints shouldn’t hold back your sustainability goals. If you want to learn more about our innovative water management solutions for tight commercial retrofits, get in touch with us today.
