Cobham House
New Cobham House is an eight-storey office building located on Blackfriars Lane in the City of London, within the St Paul’s Cathedral Conservation Area. The project focused on repositioning the building to meet the expectations of modern occupiers while respecting its architectural character and prominent urban location.
Area worked closely with ALAIN, Savills and the wider consultant team to deliver a comprehensive refurbishment that would transform the building into a high-quality, sustainable workplace. The project involved the refurbishment of approximately 29,000 sq ft of office space and the introduction of new amenities, improved arrival experience and upgraded building services.
Originally constructed in the early 1980s and refurbished in the 2010s, the building retained strong architectural features including brick façades, sash glazing and Portland stone detailing. The design approach sought to preserve and enhance these elements while modernising the building internally.
Client
ALAIN
Services
Office Design, Construction
Size
29,000 sq ft
Location
London, UK
Creating a New Identity and Arrival Experience
One of the most significant changes to the building was the creation of a completely new main entrance. Previously, access to the building was via a side entrance, which limited the building’s presence and arrival experience. The project introduced a new central entrance by forming a new opening within the façade, giving the building a stronger identity and clearer sense of arrival.
The ground floor was reconfigured to create a new reception, lounge and client arrival space. High-quality finishes, contemporary lighting and new furniture created a welcoming and professional environment for visitors and tenants. The new reception and lounge space now act as a central hub for the building and significantly improve the overall user experience.
The refurbishment works included the repositioning of six office floors to provide flexible CAT A office accommodation, alongside a fully fitted CAT B workspace on the first floor. The CAT A floors were designed to provide open-plan, flexible office space with upgraded finishes, refurbished toilets and improved building services. The first floor CAT B fit-out demonstrated how the space could be used, incorporating meeting rooms, collaboration areas, tea points, breakout spaces and workstations.
This approach allowed prospective tenants to visualise how the building could be occupied while maintaining flexibility across the remaining floors for future tenants.
Lift interiors were also refurbished as part of the works, improving the overall building quality and user experience throughout.
Improving Sustainability and Building Performance
A key part of the refurbishment was the introduction of modern workplace amenities to support occupier wellbeing and active commuting. The basement level was redeveloped to provide end-of-trip facilities including cycle storage, showers, lockers and changing facilities.
External spaces were also enhanced, including a terrace on the fifth floor and a larger roof terrace on the sixth floor. These outdoor areas provide valuable breakout and social spaces for occupiers, with views across the City of London.
Sustainability was a major driver for the project, with the refurbishment targeting BREEAM Excellent and an EPC rating of B. The building services were upgraded to improve energy performance and operational efficiency, including new air conditioning systems, ventilation with heat recovery and upgraded lighting systems.
By refurbishing and upgrading the existing building rather than redeveloping the site, the project significantly reduced embodied carbon while extending the life of the building for future occupiers.
Cobham House now offers high-quality office space designed to attract a range of occupiers, ensuring the building remains competitive in the London office market for years to come.
Continuation of Building Experience and Works
Having developed a strong relationship with the ALAIN team from the outset, and having delivered an exceptional design that enhances the existing building fabric, Area have subsequently been instructed to continue working on the tenant fit-out for the upper floors.
In addition, Area will also be undertaking further external works to improve accessibility to the existing building.