One Ruskin Square is the first commercial building designed by shedkm, signalling the ambition of the wider scheme, and raising the bar for quality office space within Croydon.
Built in 2017 and set within the predefined masterplan footprint, One Ruskin Square is a signature building in a contemporary style providing flexibility for a minimum of three tenants per floor and generates high net to gross efficiencies. The speculative nature of the development, along with the highly competitive delivery rates within the outer London Borough made this the perfect project for shedkm, with our history of successful delivery in the North West on sites that were equally challenging.
A series of strategic moves, most significantly the expression of an ‘industrial aesthetic’ involving an exposed structure, services, soffits, and core walls facilitated a flexible floorplate, increased NIA and contributed to efficiencies in the build cost.
The ‘inside-out’ approach maximises internal areas and flexibility for future tenants by situating cores in the centre of the footprint and moving the internal structural columns to the exterior. Every desk space enjoys natural light, with floor-to-ceiling glazing and high soffits that add to a feeling of openness. Services are meticulously planned to provide an aesthetic that is celebrated rather than hidden. The potential office unit sizes ranged from 6,000ft2 through to 20,000ft2 per floor, with the opportunity to link floors and/or let as an entire end user building.
Fundamental design decisions relating to floor plate depth, core placement, perimeter glazing, natural light and floor to ceiling heights were developed to meet or exceed BCO standards. A planning grid of 1.5 metres has been used throughout to enable clarity of space planning and flexibility of tenant adaptability. Escape density has been provided at 1:6m2 through the use of a phased evacuation strategy, so as not to compromise the staircase and circulation efficiencies. The core has been further honed with the use of unisex super-loos enabling an 87% typical floor net to gross.
Rated BREEAM Excellent, sustainability measures include surface water management and flood resilience, air source heating and cooling heat pumps as the primary generators of hot and cold water, and facades designed to minimise solar gain. A landscape strategy for the scheme creates attractive public realm with mature tree planting, and open spaces for informal play, markets or community events.
One Ruskin Square provides an address to be proud of for its occupiers. Fully let on completion, it has become a beacon of regeneration in East Croydon and a forerunner to future development within the masterplan.
Three Ruskin Square is a 14-storey office next to East Croydon Station, with 290,000ft2 of offices plus retail on the ground floor.
The office will have an all-electric energy strategy, photovoltaics, rainwater harvesting, 35% green roof cover and a modular structural design to minimise embodied carbon. It will also feature an air handling plant providing fresh air on a floor-by-floor basis rather than conventional building-wide system.
The architectural expression for Three Ruskin Square follows a Miesian language where simple and functional moves are the key factors. Following the concepts of the modern architecture, the facades enhance the building grid with subtle and elegant proportions and carefully consider the overall massing. The architectural fins bring depth and a greater articulation to the façades while reducing the solar gain. Particularly on the south elevation, the facade reveals the building DNA. The perforated metal panels in the middle bays express the position of the offset core. This sustainable driven decision allows the scheme to provide independent air supply for each floor. The tilted panels emulate architectural features of an iconic Croydon building, the AMP house.
The offices at Three Ruskin Square are targeting BREEAM Outstanding ratings and the NABERS building performance accreditation.
The development site for the residential buildings R02 and R03 sits to the north of the outline consented Ruskin Square Masterplan. The site is directly adjacent to the recently completed Vita apartments, within the first phase of the masterplan. The residential quarter will act as a gateway to the north-west of the site.
R02 will become one of the principal residential buildings to the north of the Ruskin Square Masterplan, comprising 150 residential homes, with a mixture of one to three bedroom apartments, as well as retail spaces at ground floor. Its location, along with the proximity to the pedestrian bridge will make R02 a highly visible development, with the connection to Lansdowne Walk acting as a major draw to commuters entering and leaving the city.
R02 will have its own clear identity generated by three contrasting blocks, nestled into the existing courtyard and proposed public realm. In addition, vertical expression of windows will intrinsically link the building to R01 whilst creating a contrasting palette of finishes and expression. R02 will have a roof top of board-walks and meadow planting that will elevate the rustication of the ground plane and contribute to the townscape with deliberately placed objects on the skyline.
In line with the outline consented masterplan, approximatively 61m2 of fully fitted community space will also be provided.
R03 will become a gateway to the development of Ruskin Square and will be a key marker from other areas of Croydon. The proposed development comprises 176 residential homes, with a mixture of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, with retail spaces proposed at the ground floor.
Floors one to three of R03 will also provide flexible working space. Square apertures will be used as windows, vent panels and expression, contrasting to the language of R02, linking to B05 and highlighting the gateway to Ruskin Square. Varying tones, material texture and articulation have been used to bring a sense of place to both buildings, grounding them within the public realm. Varying block heights and carefully considered gable ends will contribute to the townscape and open up residents’ views to London.
