Folgate Building

Location: London

Brick Manufacturer: Ibstock PLC

Brick Name: Otterburn Antique

Architect: Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands

Brickwork Contractor: Galostar

This scheme reimagines and significantly enlarges a dull 1960’s office building on Norton Folgate (Drawing 1), with handsome new facades now reclad in Ibstock Otterburn Antique brickwork. The cut and carve approach retains 88% of the existing structure (along with its embodied carbon). The extended concrete frame and infill brickwork have been exposed internally to provide improved nett dimensions, thermal mass and textures that express the building’s regeneration.

The architecture, and particularly the brick envelope, enhances its contrasting urban contexts - the granular scale of Elder Street Conservation Area to the east, and the corporate Cityscape on the edge of Spitalfields Market to the west. 

The Folgate Building adds 19,000sqft of nett space to create 8-storeys containing 63,500sqft of workspace - 1,850sqft of it affordable. The selected Ibstock Otterburn Antique brick, and the way it is detailed, underpin the commercial success of the building (which is already mostly let) because it:

• Has kerb appeal with a strong visual identity in a standout colour and texture, befitting one of the larger commercial buildings locally
• Nevertheless, has intricate and innovative detailing (such as the weave detail between bays) to give it the human scale of an attractive workplace
• Provides a cost-effective envelope that will weather gracefully, requiring little maintenance
• Easily adapts to and conceals the irregularities of the restored and extended structure 

Achieving consent speedily was an essential ingredient of the scheme’s economic viability. Detailed negotiations with the Planning and Conservation officer at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets were assisted by the decision to use brick in a site-specific design that takes cues directly from the established character of the Conservation Area, such as:

• brick townhouses and warehouses with well-proportioned windows
• historic façades featuring hand-set Flemish bond
• window reveals and heights that vary by elevation and interior function
• strong, simple cornices and parapets 

The west elevation is thoughtfully designed (Drawings 3,4) with a distinct base that acknowledges the varying scales along the street. Double-height arched central bays enhance the building's presence on the high street and provide a contemporary interpretation of the area's architectural rhythm. The changing facade and window proportions culminate in a striking top floor featuring full height glazing elegantly framed within masonry, offering a modern counterpoint while remaining within the material palette. Similarly, the lower floors of the north elevation are carefully integrated with the listed buildings on Folgate Street through shared detailing, proportion, and materials, ensuring a cohesive streetscape.

Improved rents in the commercial office market are increasingly corelated to buildings that meet the highest environmental standards, and Folgate is on target to achieve BREEAM Outstanding (2018). 74% of the scheme’s carbon is already on site, new construction (including the entirely new brick façades) adds only 26%. As a result, total embodied carbon is approximately 94 kgC02em2 - approximately half or less of the RIBA 2030 and LETI carbon targets (169 kgCO2e/m² and 228kgCO2e/m² respectively).