After overlooking St Paul's for nearly 35 years, BT has finally moved to its new headquarters at 1 Braham Street, London. Situated near Aldgate East station, this 320,000-square-foot building will house 3,500 staff across 18 floors . Amenities include an onsite gym and multifaith rooms, plus retail spaces and a public cafe. Traditionally, BT buildings were very siled, so this is a breath of fresh air, and it's clear their colleagues are at its very centre.
Steering away from the usual corporate palette, natural tones have been used, with the occasional color appearing from the brand's iconic purple logo. Three floors connect to collaborate, co-work and refuel - a 'smart working' practice that BT believes is the future of the office environment. Staff and visitors arrive at a double-height reception space with escalators encouraging activity between the floors. 99% of materials removed from the site were also recycled , leading to the offices receiving a BREEAM Excellent rating .
Solus Ceramics was commissioned to create a bespoke terrazzo design to suit the modern office. BT desired a grey, monolithic look but at the same time wanted the space to also feature some warmth. The beauty of terrazzo is that it is highly customizable, meaning anything goes. Tiles with grey, white, and brown flecks were eventually specified. Working alongside Solus Ceramics and architects, Sheppard & Robson, Stone and Ceramic installed and treated the bespoke terrazzo tiles. This included 800 square meters to the reception entrance, 15 levels of stairs, treads and landings and 100 square meters to the client check-in areas on levels 17 and 18 .
FILA's MP90 ECO XTREME was the treatment of choice , another factor that can help a building meet sustainable design standards. Providing environmentally-friendly protection for terrazzo tiles, this sealer can also contribute towards LEED credits. Not only is MP90 ECO XTREME low VOC, but this sealer will also make the ordinary maintenance of the terrazzo flooring effortless . Additionally, it can be used for concrete, marble and granite to facilitate cleaning, reducing absorption without affecting the natural look of the material .
BT image with thanks to SOLK Photography