In 2018, Deloitte redesigned London's New Street Square with around 6,300 plants and 600 sit-stand desks. 8 years later, 365 bike spaces and a 1,100m² gym have reshaped office life

Deloitte New Street Square sustainable office: When Deloitte set out to create its “campus of the future” at 1 New Street Square in London, its leadership understood the business benefits of occupying a healthy, efficient and sustainable workplace.

The project achieved WELL Building Standard certification, with verification in 2018. Deloitte combined environmental design with a wellbeing agenda that focused on areas including air quality, mindfulness, physical activity, nutrition and hydration.

As part of the biophilic design, Deloitte installed 6,300 plants across 700 displays, along with 140m² of green walls. The project also made significant use of timber and stone and provided access to nature through a terrace on the 12th floor, as per a World Green Building Council report.


The project included 600 sit/stand desks, 13 internal accommodation stairways, a 365-bay cycle facility and a 1,100m² gym on campus. These measures were included to promote physical activity.

6,300 plants and 700 displays supported biophilic design

Deloitte's wellbeing plans also focused on indoor air quality.

The company asked more than 200 material, furniture and cleaning suppliers to assess their products against stringent air-quality and environmental criteria before they would be considered. It also worked with its Facilities provider to ensure cleaning and maintenance regimes used low-toxicity products.

The project used performance-based design to prioritise energy efficiency and comfort. Deloitte developed an operational energy model and used thermal, acoustic, daylight and circadian lighting models to help optimise the working environment, as per a BRE Group report.

The company also installed 620 sensors to monitor environmental conditions, including air quality and temperature. These were connected to its Intelligent Building network, allowing HVAC settings to be dynamically adjusted to maintain a balance between energy efficiency and comfort performance.

600 sit-stand desks, 365 bike spaces and a 1,100m² gym

Physical activity was another part of the wellbeing agenda.

Deloitte undertook structural alterations to the base building to create 13 internal accommodation stairways. It also procured 600 sit/stand desks and created the 365-bay cycle facility and 1,100m² gym on campus.

Nutrition and hydration were also included in the project. Deloitte worked with partners to provide healthier foods in its restaurant, which served about 75,000 meals a year. The project also included subsidised fruit and taps providing chilled, filtered water in vending areas.

Deloitte also focused on construction waste and operational sustainability

The project included measures to minimise construction waste.

Deloitte designed for flexibility by establishing pre-engineered zones for MEP, IT and AV services around partitions that could be readily dismantled. Prefabricated elements were also used to limit off-cuts.

The environmental design approach also led to operational sustainability initiatives. Redundant office furniture from vacated offices was donated or recycled, while KeepCups and water bottles were distributed to colleagues to help minimise plastic pollution.

Early engagement was a key lesson from the project

Deloitte said early engagement was important for achieving high levels of sustainability.

The company said sustainability and wellbeing aspirations should be included in the project brief from the beginning rather than treated as a “nice to have” or an add-on, as per the World Green Building Council report. This allows designers to integrate sustainability and wellbeing measures into their designs from the outset.

For the New Street Square project, Deloitte engaged the developer to make base-building modifications, appointed a design team and carried out extensive stakeholder consultation with colleagues.

Deloitte highlighted creative collaboration and industry change

Deloitte said pursuing wellbeing standards meant the design team had a broader scope of responsibility and required conversations with stakeholders across areas including furniture supply chains, catering, human resources, cleaning and maintenance.

The company also said the industry needed to give greater attention to wellbeing metrics such as air quality, as well as the form of buildings for daylight and the materials specified for projects.

Deloitte said manufacturers and suppliers also needed to improve their understanding of what their products were made from, where materials came from and how they affected the indoor environment.

The New Street Square project therefore combined environmental measures with a wellbeing agenda, including biophilic design, air-quality measures, physical-activity features, healthier food and hydration options, and systems designed to improve energy efficiency and comfort.