Rendering of a workshop inside the Paradise building, London

Commercial

Creating profitable and resilient places that work for people and planet

Profitable, resilient, sustainable developments. Buro Happold’s commercial projects vary wildly, but our aim is always to create smart buildings that offer a happy, healthy work environment.

The way we work has changed, and therefore our environments must be designed to reflect this; they must be flexible, intelligent and allow for future growth or change of use.

We encourage all our clients to put sustainability at the heart of their vision – it can mean saving large sums in energy reduction, lower maintenance, or gaining more profit from improved productivity or higher yielding entities. Our global specialists are expert in harnessing natural light and ventilation, recycling grey or black water and designing passive (non- powered) heating and cooling systems. Alongside great design, these measures all add up to making your building more attractive for tenants, landlords or developers and accelerating the return on your investment.

The Olympic Media Centre is an example of how we engineer spaces which allow for rapid reconfiguration of floor layouts – saving time, space, money and hassle. Building human engagement into commercial design is also important; strategically-placed refreshment areas and interactive information points at London City Airport mean increased flow and interactivity. At Battersea Power Station, our engineers looked at the whole picture; what is needed to help this community to thrive? From site investigations through to sustainable transport links, waste management, water, energy and employment opportunities for local people, Buro Happold’s global expertise and local knowledge proves that any vision, however ambitious, can be realised.

Our specialist commercial services



Areas we work in

wessex water sustainable office head quarters

Agile office design

Our commercial sector experts understand the need for facilities to be resilient and work hard but also deliver on sustainability targets. Offices facilities must be flexible for current and future use by being designed with space reallocation and adaptability in mind.

As well as a sustainable, flexible design, our engineers always put human experience at the heart of any building. Intelligent lighting, glare-free glazing and self-regulated temperature and ventilation are all key to a happy, healthy workforce. Contented employees equal improved productivity, increased profit and higher ROI.

Buildings in Elephant Park with green roofs

Thriving residential communities

Seventy per cent of the world will live in cities by 2050. Governments and developers face the pressing challenge of how to make the most of land, whether reusing brownfield sites or starting fresh.

BuroHappold’s consultants look at how net zero carbon housing can be achieved, how to speed up the building process without losing quality, and most important of all, what does it takes to win the hearts and minds of local communities.

Brent Cross Cricklewood Regeneration

Reimagined retail spaces

Why shop in store when you can click online? Today’s customers are notoriously fickle, so it is essential that retailers create inspiring and compelling shopping experiences. The difference is in the detail: smooth navigation through the centre using our People Flow modelling can dramatically increase footfall, dwell time, mood and yield.

Whether it’s a shopping mall or a greenfield development, a retail-led urban regeneration scheme or multiple-use complex, we combine state-of-the-art facade engineering with low energy heating and ventilation systems to create comfortable, sustainable retail spaces.