Wedoany.com Report-Aug. 16, McLaren Construction has been awarded a £100 million ($135.7 million) contract to renovate and expand a 1950s building at 35 Lincoln’s Inn Fields for the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in the UK. The project will create the Firoz Lalji Global Hub, designed by David Chipperfield Architects, aiming to be the UK’s largest Passivhaus retrofit.

Completion is set for 2027.

The renovation will retain 60% of the original structure while adding a cross-laminated timber extension, expanding the building from 9,856 to 11,848 square meters. The redesign removes the top three floors and roof plant enclosure, adding an infill structure for a spacious atrium to improve accessibility.

The facility will host the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, Executive Education, and the Data Science Institute, with teaching spaces, breakout areas, offices, a dining area, a terrace, and a ground-floor café. The LSE Agora, a 270-seat multi-purpose space, will support debates and broadcasts.

The basement will feature cycle parking, changing rooms, showers, and lockers, while the roof will include green and blue roofs and photovoltaic panels. The project targets top sustainability certifications, including Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method Outstanding, Passivhaus, and WELL Platinum, exceeding London’s carbon, energy, water, and biodiversity standards.

Working with Buro Happold, McLaren Construction has adopted measures to reduce embodied carbon through material optimization and low-carbon alternatives, prioritizing adaptability and a circular economy. The project is set for completion in 2027.