KPF has submitted a planning application for the upgrade of a key component of the Strand Campus.
Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) has submitted a planning application to the City of Westminster, for the extension and retrofit of Bush House South West Wing, as an extension of their ongoing work on the Masterplan Framework for the Strand and Waterloo Campuses for King’s College London (King’s).
Bush House South West Wing is a former government office, built in 1934, which will be transformed to provide state-of-the-art educational facilities, a centre for student services, and faculty offices. A contemporary extension will create a destination student hub that spans the lower floors of the building, with social and study spaces extending the activity of the newly pedestrianised Strand, to address King’s ambitions for student wellness and experiences.
Within the existing courtyard, the King’s Agora is a 160-seat circular teaching and events space, a revolutionary new facility for learning, discourse, and assembly. Fully integrating space-planning and technology, a 360-degree screen arrangement will enable global conferencing and active distance participation.
As part of the retrofit, KPF has maximised the potential of the existing irregular and complex floorplates, which will be restored to provide office space for academics and professional staff with improved efficiency and occupant well-being. The fabric of the existing building is being upgraded to provide a high-performance enclosure to reduce operational carbon, targeting BREEAM Outstanding, WELL Gold, and EnerPHit certification.
In addition to improving facilities for students and staff, the transformation is an important part of King’s efforts to reach net-zero across their estate. Where possible, the historic structure and fabric is retained and reused, with the King’s Agora maximising the structural potential of the existing slab and columns to reduce embodied carbon. Innovative ventilation systems, occupant comfort, biodiverse planting and natural daylight are all essential elements of the proposal to create a university campus for the 21st century. Bush House South West Wing sets the tone for King’s Masterplan Framework and the future of King’s as an elite learning institution.
Read the full press release here.