Bloomberg announced that its new building received an “outstanding” rating against the latest BREEAM sustainability assessment method, setting new standards in sustainable office design. Innovative power, lighting, water and ventilation systems will allow the Foster+Partners-designed building to use 73 less water and 35 per cent less energy than a typical office building.

One of the most distinctive features of the new headquarters is the integrated ceiling panels, which combine heating, cooling, lighting and acoustic in a striking petal-leaf design. Featuring 500,000 LED lights, the system uses 40 per cent less energy than a typical fluorescent office lighting system. 

An on-site Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generation centre is expected to save 500 to 700 metric tonnes of CO2 each year, and the building’s water conservation systems will save some 25 million litres of water each year, enough to fill 10 Olympic swimming pools. Bronze fins on the façade open and close for natural ventilation, while smart CO2 sensing controls automatically adjust airflow based on occupancy.

“What sets the Bloomberg building apart is its relentless focus on innovation and its holistic, integrated approach to sustainable construction and design,” said Alan Yates, technical director of BRE Global’s Sustainability Group. “Projects like these are really important in giving confidence to the industry to experiment.”

With the addition of the new London building, Bloomberg has 34 LEED or BREEAM-certified projects globally. By the end of 2017, nearly 70 per cent of the company’s 19,000 employees will occupy an environmentally certified office.