Part of British Land’s Paddington Central campus in London, faced significant challenges, at it was heavily dependent on gas boilers, resulting in high energy consumption. As part of British Land’s ambition to meet their 2030 sustainability vision, the refurbishment aimed to transform the building into a net-zero and resilient workspace.

Ramboll led the building services design, replacing gas boilers with high-efficiency simultaneous heating and cooling heat pumps, projected to cut energy use by more than 60 percent. By retaining the original structure and reusing around 30 to 35 percent of the mechanical and electrical systems, the project significantly reduced embodied carbon.

To further support performance and long-term adaptability, the building management system (BMS) at 3 Sheldon Square will feature an MQTT-enabled architecture for advanced data extraction, a focus on energy performance, system transparency, and smart platform compatibility, as well as infrastructure designed to enable building-wide insights and digital placemaking integration.

The building’s Energy Performance Certificate rating will improve from D to a targeted A, ensuring compliance with future Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations. By retaining key structural and mechanical elements, the project avoided substantial embodied carbon emissions typically associated with demolition and reconstruction.