A Collective Effort: A Team United by Vision
The transformation of The Acre was made possible through an exceptional collaboration between Northwood Investors (client), Platform (development manager), Gensler (architect), Core Five (project manager and cost consultant), Bovis (formerly Lendlease Construction Europe, principal contractor), McGee (structural contractor) and Arup as structural and multidisciplinary engineer. This collective effort brought together commercial vision, design ambition, technical ingenuity, and delivery excellence; all essential ingredients in re-imagining this Brutalist structure for a new era.
Reimagining an icon, not replacing it
One of the most meaningful aspects of the project – and something the award judges highlighted – is that we chose retrofit over rebuild at a time when demolition can often feel like the default answer. Retaining 80% of the existing structure not only preserved the building’s architectural identity but also delivered significant environmental benefit: approximately 4,850 tonnes of CO₂ saved, and an exceptionally lean structural embodied carbon intensity of 136 kgCO₂e/m².
Yet the choice to retain was not the easy option. It required a series of precise, inventive interventions:
- creating bespoke vertical separation joints that allowed new 33% net area expansion without overstressing the existing foundations;
- using innovative Radice minipiles to overcome buried obstructions and reduce groundworks risk;
- re-establishing building stability through extensive temporary works, including the now-famous “big yellow props” traversing the atrium void;
- and integrating new longer span infill structures with the existing frame to create flexible, modern floorplates.
These measures were anchored in rigorous analysis, deep knowledge of the existing building, and a commitment to “build nothing” wherever possible.
People, place, and purpose
A retrofit is never just about structure; it is also about people. In reimagining The Acre, we sought not only to improve its performance but also its relationship with Covent Garden.
By removing the defensive moat, lowering key slabs by 1.5m, and opening a public route through the building, we stitched The Acre back into the urban fabric. Wider pavements, improved permeability, and street level retail have turned a once inward-looking block into an active contributor to the public realm.
Inside, the transformation is equally profound. What was a dark, fragmented central courtyard is now a bright, welcoming focal point beneath a bespoke ETFE atrium roof – a design solution that allowed us to maintain the building’s fire strategy while enhancing daylight, ventilation, and wellbeing.
The result is a workplace that is flexible, healthy, and deeply attuned to human experience.
Resilience, collaboration, and delivering through a pandemic
Every project has its personal stories, and The Acre is no exception. For the multidisciplinary design team, much of RIBA Stages 2–4 – arguably the most critical design period – was delivered entirely remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. It meant making major design decisions over video calls, running interdisciplinary workshops from living rooms and kitchens, and building strong working relationships with client and architect teams whom many of us did not meet in person until nearly two years into the project.
That we achieved such cohesion and technical clarity under those circumstances is something we remain immensely proud of. It speaks to the professionalism, trust, and adaptability of everyone involved, and it adds a layer of human resilience to the project’s already ambitious technical narrative.
What the win means to us, and why you should enter
Being recognised by the IStructE with a Structural Award has been a moment of genuine joy and gratitude. It shines a spotlight on the value of structural engineering in city centre renewal and demonstrates that retrofit, even at a large and complex scale, can deliver worldclass outcomes.
For our team, the award has reaffirmed:
- the importance of innovation, even when solutions don’t yet exist on the shelf;
- the power of multidisciplinary collaboration, where every discipline pushes the others forward;
- and the role of structural engineers as agents of positive environmental change.
We enter the Structural Awards because they provide a vital platform for celebrating the ingenuity and dedication that define our profession. They raise the bar, encourage debate, and inspire engineers around the world to approach each project with imagination and purpose.
If you are considering entering, we wholeheartedly encourage you to do so. Sharing your work is not only an opportunity for recognition; it is a way to contribute to the collective advancement of our field. Your project, like ours, may help shift the conversation about what is possible, what is sustainable, and what excellence looks like in structural engineering today.
A future built on reuse
The Acre demonstrates that retrofit is not a compromise; it is an opportunity. An opportunity to preserve the embodied history of our cities, to protect the planet, and to craft places that enrich both people and communities.
We are extremely proud of what this project has become, and deeply grateful to all who made it possible. The award is a celebration not just of a building, but of a shared belief: that the future of structural engineering will be shaped not only by what we build, but by what we choose to keep.