"With the right vision, experience and collaboration, we can repurpose more of our existing buildings – cutting carbon, delivering needed homes and supporting long-term, sustainable development."

Our Director and Head of Residential Félicie Krikler in a Property Week magazine, advocating for thoughtful, sustainable reuse of vacant office buildings to address the housing crisis and environmental goals.

Félicie highlights BG's transformation of 127 Charing Cross Road in London, a once uninspiring building which now serves as a modern mixed-use space. The project retained the original concrete frame and basement, cutting embodied carbon and aligning with sustainability goals, while repositioning the property for a new generation of tenants. Read more about it here: https://barrgazetas.com/projects/127-charing-cross-road

She goes on to write how this successful redevelopment project stands in contrast to the broader challenge facing the UK, where over 40 million sq ft of office space (nearly half of which is in London), remains vacant. While demand persists in prime locations, many offices in areas like Docklands face high vacancy rates. The growing interest in converting offices into homes is promising, but the reality is that not every building is suitable. Feasibility studies are essential to determine viability.

The article critiques the use of Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for office-to-residential conversions, noting that many result in poor-quality housing due to lack of oversight, daylight, and outdoor space. Instead, a more considered, design-led approach is needed, involving collaboration between architects, planners, and engineers.

With the housing crisis, environmental pressures, and shifts in office demand converging, there's a major opportunity. If approached carefully, adaptive reuse can deliver sustainable housing, reduce carbon impact, and help revitalise urban centres.

Read the full article here: Homing in on office conversions | Property Week