One Southwark Bridge

Sustainable transformation of iconic London landmark

Specified for its sustainable attributes, Armourcoat’s Clay Lime Plaster finish is used across architectural interior surfaces throughout newly opened office space situated on the River Thames in London, SE1 – helping to instil a contemporary organic aesthetic with minimal environmental and health impact.

Designed by bdg architecture + design, the newly opened space presents a re-development of the former Financial Times HQ, transforming the original building into a new London campus for global leading marketing service agency, WPP, its third London campus and fourth in the UK.

The prominent riverside site required a full refurbishment and retrofit of the previous empty building, originally designed and built in the late 1980s – now providing modern, sustainable office space for over 3,000 employees.

Reduced carbon footprint

Located in the borough of Southwark, SE1, the project modernises the pre-existing site, reducing the future carbon footprint of the operational building via carefully considered architectural and interior design alterations. The new campus site comprised 95% structural reuse which dramatically reduced its embodied carbon, while ethical sourcing was a determining factor in terms of material specification, including Armourcoat Clay Lime Plaster finishes used across all floors.

The sustainably focused retrofit and extension of the 1980s office building now provides a range of agile spaces where WPP employees can choose how or where to work depending on the task at hand – offering a distinctive environment for office staff and co-workers to connect, collaborate, and socialise.

Designed to be a catalyst for connection and creativity, One Southwark Bridge stands as a powerful symbol of WPP’s commitment to the UK, prioritising employee wellbeing and reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainability. All materials were sourced with a tracked carbon journey, together with conscious decisions to specify finishes containing recycled content.

The recently opened campus site has been awarded BREEAM Outstanding rating – placing it among just 1% of UK non-domestic buildings and only 90 refurbished buildings in London to receive this top sustainable accreditation.

Natural architectural aesthetic

Displaying a natural architectural aesthetic, Armourcoat’s Clay Lime Plaster is utilised as part of a calm and contemporary material palette which works in harmony with the immediate riverside setting, helping to establish a timeless foundation to integral spaces across the 9-storey building.

Specified by bdg architecture + design, the soft organic finish is applied to structural surfaces across all floors of the new office site – including the reception, lift lobbies, library, cafe, and work zones.

The matte stone inspired surface delivers natural textural interest to the office interiors, which complements the distinct architectural aesthetic and sustainable design intention of the retrofit project – achieving earthy surface textures with inherent longevity.

Highly sustainable interior finish – Made in the UK

Consciously crafted for architectural Interiors, Armourcoat Clay Lime Plaster is made in the UK using natural mineral materials – including unfired day, hydraulic lime and crushed recycled marble – with a minimum of 71% recycled content, and zero VOCs or emissions.

The finish is hand-applied on site, presenting inherent depth across commercial and residential spaces alike, achieving Indoor Air Comfort Gold accreditation; with full Environmental & Health Product Declarations (EPDs & HPDs).

View range and order samples via links below.

Clay Lime Plaster