Hines Secures Green Light for 18 Blackfriars Road

Hines Secures Green Light for 18 Blackfriars Road – An Iconic New Net-Zero, Mixed-Use Destination at Bankside, London

Hines Secures Green Light for 18 Blackfriars Road – An Iconic New Net-Zero, Mixed-Use Destination at Bankside, London

Hines, a global real estate investor, developer and property manager has secured a resolution to grant planning approval from Southwark Council to build a new, landmark office and residential development at 18 Blackfriars Road. The approval which was secured working with architects Foster + Partners, and Lipton Rogers, allows Hines to breathe new life into a two-acre brownfield site that has remained undeveloped for 20 years.

18 Blackfriars Road is designed to be fossil fuel free, 100% electric and Net Zero Carbon in operation, with 95% of the site heat demand served by ground source heat pumps that share, store and offset energy. Beyond decarbonization, it is set to deliver affordable homes, free workspace for local businesses and entrepreneurs and a cultural hub for locals as it aims be the first high-rise scheme in the UK to achieve the WELL Community Gold Standard, which certifies developments that support health and wellbeing.

Ross Blair, Senior Managing Director and Country Head of Hines UK, said: “Our plans will transform an undeveloped piece of land, most of which has lain empty for over 20 years, into much needed new homes and first class, sustainable and tech-enabled offices, built around a central hub which we hope will become a brand new convening space for the local community.”

The location benefits from fantastic transport connectivity and proximity to numerous cultural landmarks as well as being a stone’s throw from the River Thames. The new scheme will consist of three buildings, two delivering over 400 new homes, with 40% being affordable. The third will create 800,000 square feet of office space featuring a series of bustles that provide space with exceptional quality natural light inside and outdoor terraces on every third floor.

Plans also include 20,000 square feet of new affordable workspace for local and socially minded enterprises, assembly rooms for use by the local community, modern educational space with links to local institutions, children’s play areas and a new, central public space with retail and food outlets situated at the heart of the development. A 150% increase in biodiversity is also planned for the site, including the planting of around 100 new trees.

Ross Blair continued: “Businesses of all sizes and from all sectors are demanding more from their offices because their employees are demanding more from them. 18 Blackfriars is all about rising to that challenge and delivering the office of the future.

“We believe our plans for 18 Blackfriars will set a new standard in premium quality workspace in London, both fully integrated into its hyper-local community and seated right at the heart of our capital city. Bringing this scheme to life underlines our long-term conviction in London as a thriving, global center for culture, education and business.”

About Hines

Hines is a global real estate investment, development, and property manager. The firm was founded by Gerald D. Hines in 1957 and now operates in 30 countries. We manage a $93.2B portfolio of high-performing assets across residential, logistics, retail, office, and mixed-use strategies. Our local teams serve 857 properties totaling over 270 million square feet globally. We are committed to a net zero carbon target by 2040 without buying offsets.

To learn more about Hines, visit www.hines.com and follow @Hines on social media.

¹Includes both the global Hines organization as well as RIA AUM as of December 31, 2023.

Further information on 18 Blackfriars Road

London’s lowest whole life carbon high-rise development at time of application (KgCO2/m2 for mixed-use buildings over 150m)
18 Blackfriars Road will aim to achieve best-in-class measurable sustainability performance targets, including: NABERS 5.5*, BREEAM Outstanding, EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) A, WiredScore Platinum, and WELL Platinum for the office building.

Quote from Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners:

“We are delighted that our scheme for 18 Blackfriars Road has received planning approval from Southwark Council. Working closely with Hines and Lipton Rogers, we have designed a healthy, mixed-use development that plugs into - and seeks to significantly enhance - the existing urban fabric. The project will provide new homes, offices, retail and a wide range of cultural and community facilities, to bring this dormant site back to life. Vibrant new public spaces are central to design concept - connecting with a cycle highway and a number of public transport interchanges - to encourage car-free travel. The new neighbourhood aspires to define the office of the future, with flexible floorplates for longevity and cascading green terraces, which bring a social dimension to the workplace. It will feature London’s lowest whole-life carbon highrise, which also aims to be the first to achieve the WELL Community Gold rating. We are incredibly proud to be part of this pioneering vision for Southwark.”