Client PLP Architecture
Designer/architect PLP Architecture
Completion December 2024
Size 22,850ft2
PLP Architecture has unveiled its new 22,850ft2 studio in London’s Whitechapel, designed and delivered with a circular fit-out approach.
The process involved evaluating all opportunities for reuse, repurposing, repair, recycling, donation and sales. Only 1% of items from PLP’s old offices were discarded; 59.9% was reused in the new space – Derwent London’s The White Chapel Building – 32.4% was given a new life through donation, returns, or selling, and 6.7% was recycled.
By retaining and reusing elements from both its previous office at Ibex House in London’s EC3 and the new space, PLP achieved a 75.4% reduction in embodied carbon for its new office fit-out, meaning only 24.6% of the impact came from newly sourced materials.
A total of 175.78t of CO2 was saved by diverting materials – from the CAT A and B fit-out from both the new and old office – from landfill.
Highlights included terrazzo worktops made from stone samples from past PLP projects and installed in the kitchen and materials library, repurposed wooden chairs, reupholstered sofas, and marble salvaged from a City of London project that was transformed into new tables. Any new items were carefully sourced for their recycled content, such as furniture, or use of natural materials, such as new timber cabinetry that was designed for disassembly and future reuse.
The possibilities of new technology were tested through the use of material passports for all materials from PLP’s old and new spaces. Working with Maconda, a specialist in digital product passports and building reuse, PLP employed digital tracking, which enables components to be catalogued and traced through their past, present, and future lifecycles – making it easier to redistribute, resell, or reintegrate items and reduce the need for new production.
‘Working with PLP Architecture on their office move was a great example of how circular thinking in the built environment can extend beyond construction sites,’ says James Adams, MD at Maconda. ‘By tracking material reuse and carbon data, we helped bring transparency and impact to what’s often an overlooked part of the industry. It’s been inspiring to work with partners who share our passion for circularity.’
Collaborations with industry partners, such as Maconda, Solus – which worked on the worktops, and contractor Method, were critical to applying circular principles to every aspect of the move, from design and construction to transport and waste management.
The move to Derwent London’s The White Chapel Building – itself a renovated workplace – was also, at £64/ft², 68% cheaper than a traditional office fit-out of a similar size, according to PLP Architecture.
‘This project demonstrates that circular fit-outs don’t require compromise,’ says Lee Polisano, president of PLP Architecture. ‘By rethinking value and designing with intention, we’ve created a space that reflects our ethos, and set a model others can follow to achieve more with less.’
