THE OFFICE GROUP (TOG)
The Black & White Building: A tower of timber in Central London
Design-led workspace specialist The Office Group aka TOG has come together with dedicated timber specialists Waugh Thistleton Architects to explore a new approach to workplace design. The building is situated on Rivington Street in Shoreditch, Central London. Created using renewable materials and highly innovative construction methods, ‘The Black & White Building’ is a landmark in sustainable architecture.
The seven-floor mass-timber building sets out to demonstrate that timber is not just a viable alternative to the conventional concrete and steel used to build offices, when it comes to performance and sustainability, it is the preferable option. Standing 17.8 meters above the Shoreditch streetscape, it by far the tallest mass-timber office building in central London. The tower creates 37% less embodied carbon than comparable structures and is powered by 100% renewable energy sources.
The louvres are crafted from thermally modified tulipwood, recommended by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). This timber is highly affordable, lightweight, readily replenished, and has minimal environmental impact. AHEC played a technical advisory role to WTA and recommended the use of thermally modified timber on the exterior of the building. Through extensive research, AHEC has concluded that tulipwood has great strength properties relative to its weight and works well externally after undergoing thermal modification.
