ISG's Northcliffe House Project wins Best of BREEAM 2024 Award for Refurbishment & Fit Out
ISG’s refurbishment and fit out of the Grade II listed Northcliffe House, known as “The Northcliffe,” has been awarded the Best of BREEAM 2024 Award for Refurbishment & Fit Out.
The award ceremony, held on July 10th in London, celebrated the projects and organisations at the forefront of sustainable building design, development, and management.
This accolade marks ISG’s second Best of BREEAM award, following the company’s 2017 win in the same category for the refurbishment and fit out of Landsec’s headquarters at 80-100 Victoria Street.
Project Overview
The refurbishment of the 25,119m² Northcliffe House has increased the building's net lettable space by 1,150m² with the addition of two new levels. A highlight of the project is the creation of 9,000 square feet of green space, including south-facing landscaped roof terraces on levels six and seven.
Northcliffe House now offers a modern workplace to a Cat A standard, featuring scenic lifts overlooking a renovated atrium extension, all within the existing cast steel frame. The project also included cleaning and repairs to restore the building’s historic Art Deco façade, seamlessly blending state-of-the-art amenities with its 1920s charm.
Sustainability and Innovation
Northcliffe House project, the former home of the Daily Mail newspaper, aimed for BREEAM Outstanding certification from the very start. The approach was strongly informed by a Life Cycle Assessment, emphasising the savings in embodied carbon achieved by retaining the existing structure rather than opting for demolition and a full, new-build redevelopment.
A key feature of this Grade II listed building is the reconfigured internal atrium. During renovation works, the atrium housed a 40-metre crane, reducing external disruption and improving efficiencies while ensuring high-quality and consistent project delivery. Now completed, the atrium links the reception area with renovated office spaces and breakout areas.
Remarkably, the project was completed with no comments or queries during quality assurance (QA) process, highlighting the exceptional quality and meticulousness of the initiative.
"Winning the Best of BREEAM 2024 Award for Refurbishment & Fit Out is both a testament to ISG’s dedication to sustainability, innovation, and heritage preservation, and a nod to Northcliffe House standing as a model for future projects, demonstrating how modern, sustainable design can coexist with historical significance."
Kevin George, Senior Project Manager, ISG
Kevin George, Senior Project Manager at ISG, commented: "This project has benefited from a truly collaborative approach from across the board to offer this unique and flexible office space of the future to meet the requirements of today’s workforce. Showcasing best-in-class amenities, features, and scenic views both internally, via its atrium lifts, and externally, via its extensive green spaces. The sustainable principles it has followed ensure it is future-proofed, all while maintaining the building’s 1920s charm and heritage.”
