A five storey hybrid CLT office building nestled in a complex landlocked site at One Pear Tree Street, Islington. The 45,000 sqft of high-performance workspace is reached through a unique gatehouse entrance to the street, with generous stepped landscaped gardens looking out onto mature tree canopies at the rear.

Riverside Capital

Islington, London

45,000 sqft

Working within an existing planning approval, the new proposal responds to the high demand for quality, high performance office space in the area. Creating a considered, architecturally rich scheme that complements the varied and contrasting surroundings in the immediate vicinity, as well as referencing the architectural character of the area.

Morris+Company’s have optimised the superstructures spatial, structural, and material efficiency to minimise embodied carbon, while façade performance has been maximised within the constraints of the site through careful placement of glazing and a new façade system.

The revised proposal gives the narrow entrance, on Pear Tree Street, the opportunity to announce the hidden building behind, creating a special moment whilst complementing the streetscape through its materials use, detail, and contrast.

  • BREEAM Outstanding
  • New Build office over existing parking depot
  • Generous and ambitious terracing incorporated into the design
  • Cycle hub and EOJ facilities at ground floor
  • Hybrid CLT and concrete structure
  • Mixed mode ventilation strategy
  • The proposal enhances the appeal of the building to the neighbouring developments and streetscape
  • The rear elevations respond to environmental constraints while echoing the much-loved mid-century warehouse typology
  • Maximised external amenity space using biophilic design as a means of improving occupier wellbeing
  1. Client: Riverside Capital
  2. Project Manager/Cost Consultant: Knight Frank
  3. Architect: Morris+Company
  4. Engineering (MEP) and Sustainability: Flatt Consulting
  5. Structural Engineer: Heyne Tillet Steel
  6. Landscape Architect: Farrer Huxley
  7. Facade Engineer: Billings Design Associates
  8. Planning Consultant: Gerald Eve
  9. Approved Inspector: Socotec
  10. Transport and Infrastructure: Cundall
  11. Fire Consultant: Hoare Lea
  12. Neighbourly Matters: Anstey Horne
  13. Measured Survey: MSA Survey
  14. Facade Access Consultants: Access Advisors
  15. Communication: Kanda Consulting
  16. Arboriculturalist: Hallwood Associates
  17. Acoustic Consultant: AAD
  18. CGI Artist: Secchi Smith


Related work

Curtain Road North Crescent The Loom
March 2024 Planning approved by Islington Council
Final Material Palette Pale Waterstruck clay brick, polished green pre-cast concrete, acid etched green pre-cast concrete, acid etched mushroom concrete
Massing Model The horizontal ribbon glazing works with the stepped building mass to create a series of horizontal strata, maximising views of the neighbouring green space and tree canopies
Massing Model The building sits hidden in an landlocked site, presenting itself to the street via two 'narrow fingers'.
Turning the Corner Entrance study exploring how the narrow entrance announces itself to the street.
Entrance Study Exploring introduction of relief and texture to the proposed street facade
Entrance Study Brick and pre-cast elements
Exploring the Gatehouse typology Ten City of London gates before demolition: Bishopsgate; Cripplegate; Ludgate; Newgate; Moorgate; Aldgate; Bridgegate; Aldersgate; Whitehallgate; Templebar

One Pear Tree Street