Arding & Hobbs, London

Historically used as a department store, the restoration of the majestic Grade II listed Arding & Hobbs delivers sought after premium office, retail and leisure space in the heart of Clapham Junction. A modern rooftop extension is an exciting new feature of this grand dame.

With circa 90,000 ft2 of office space and 20,000 ft2 of retail and leisure areas across lower levels, Arding & Hobbs features a prominent ‘crown’ rooftop extension that creates new fourth and fifth floors that are surrounded by a roof garden terrace with provision for an outdoor cinema.

The project achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating with new high-performance facade elements and retention of the key building structure to maximise the reduction of embodied carbon. The heritage listed building fabric has been retained, with the existing glazing replaced to reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling as part of a lean, clean and green energy reduction hierarchy.

Key project initiatives included:

• Ventilation is provided through high efficiency systems with heat recovery and CO2 control.
• Underfloor HVAC systems on the new floors minimise ceiling services and highlight exposed CLT beams.
• Efficient LED lighting provides flexibility with infill track sections to easily facilitate additional lighting for tenant fitout.
• No gas is used for office heating, instead it’s provided by efficient all-electric VRF heating/cooling system.
• An onsite photovoltaic array generates some of the electricity required to run Arding & Hobbs, surrounded by green roofs to enrich local ecology.
• With the achievement of WiredScore Platinum and an ICN, the building is well placed for modern connectivity as a smart building.

Internally, an eye-catching stained-glass dome on the third floor references the building’s heritage. A new atrium with escalators connecting the floors pays homage to the original department store.

While respecting the past, the building’s construction is sensitive to its position near residential areas, demonstrated though consideration of plant acoustics and in maintaining trading continuity of an adjacent large retail store.

A much loved building that has stood the test of time, the Arding & Hobbs restoration ensures its place for generations to come.