BT HQ designed to bring people together

On the advice of Solus Sales Manager, John Rose, a bespoke terrazzo was commissioned. “BT wanted a modern grey monolithic look that would suit an office but at the same time had a bit of warmth. A lot of the space is tiled with a grey tile from our Format range, which contrasts nicely with the terrazzo.

“Large tiles - 600x1200mm and 30mm thick - with large grey, white, and brown flecks were specified. The joy of terrazzo is it’s highly customisable. Terrazzo artisans can create pieces that are totally unique and match the design vision exactly. It also has a super-high recycle value. BT has something that no one else has got, that has real character.” 

BT is undergoing a process of estate rationalisation by consolidating more than 300 UK locations to around 30. Sheppard Robson Architects have been brought in to help BT achieve their vision.  

“The London HQ encapsulates many qualities that BT promotes throughout its estate. The office embraces agile working, moving away from cellular offices. Wellness is woven throughout the design, with ‘community’ floors, café and restaurant spaces for socialising, and quieter spaces, such as the multi-faith and contemplation rooms.” Peter Dye, from Sheppard Robson, tells me. 

The entrance area is striking. John Rose explains, “The idea behind the large 600x1200mm tile is to suggest distance as you enter the space. Laying the tile going away from the entrance should give you the impression that it’s a longer space than it is.”

John Rose worked closely with BT, Sheppard Robson and tiling contractors Stone & Ceramic, “The working relationship between architect, client, contractor, and supplier is always critical. On this project we were able to actively engineer solutions because of the quality of the communication. For example, the Kisber terrazzo that we installed on two floors of stairs sits in a metal frame to overcome the deflection that naturally comes with the material.

“I worked closely with Stone & Ceramic to get the tiles on site. The weight and volume of the tiles meant that we shipped straight from factory to site. This was during the various lockdowns of 2020, and we had hundreds of palettes coming over from Europe, so there were a lot of logistical challenges to work out.”

The office has a BREEAM Excellent rating and 99% of materials removed from the site were recycled. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “It’s great to see BT’s new global HQ at Aldgate opening. It will provide a great boost to the area, and, as workers across London increasingly return to the office, demonstrates how businesses can combine technology and smart ways of working to really benefit their staff.”