The Black and White Building

Reaching new heights in commercial circularity, scalability.

London’s tallest engineered timber office building, a seven-storey, 4,480 m² workplace, was completed in 2022. The Black & White Building combines laminated veneer lumber and cross-laminated timber, delivering open, flexible floorplates that contrast with surrounding concrete and glass towers.

The project highlights mass timber’s capability for commercial offices. With 80% fewer deliveries and a six-month faster build than concrete, it reduced urban disruption while creating adaptable, light-filled spaces that enhance wellbeing.

The structure uses 1,330 m³ of FSC/PEFC-certified timber from Germany, Austria, and storm-felled US tulipwood. Prefabricated, barcoded components minimised waste, with 95% designed for reuse or recycling. Delivering 37% lower embodied carbon than concrete and storing 231 kgCO₂e/m² biogenic carbon, the building has created a new global standard for circular urban timber design.

 

 

 

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