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SSDA 2026: Embracing the circular economy
CM Staff
Helping to transform a dated office block into a modern workspace, TBC.London is the UK’s first major commercial project to incorporate and reuse steelwork from the 1930s
Around 40t of steelwork removed from a 1930s property was incorporated into the TBC.London project. Image: Jack Hobhouse
Described as urban mining, approximately 40t of steelwork removed from a 1930s-built department store on Oxford Street has been incorporated into the TBC.London project, establishing a significant precedent for the UK’s fast-growing circular economy.
Working within the Tower Bridge Conservation Area, the TBC.London project has transformed a dated commercial building into a modern mixed-use, workspace-led development.
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“The design sought to balance substantial new accommodation with the careful stewardship of the surrounding heritage context, enhancing the existing building while complementing nearby assets, including Tower Bridge,” says Stiff + Trevillion associate Dimitar Dobrev.
Special Judges’ Award and Commendation: TBC.London
Architect: Stiff + Trevillion and ECE Architecture
Structural engineer: Webb Yates
Structural engineer (donor site): Civic
Main contractor: Willmott Dixon
M&E engineer: Atelier Ten
Client: FORE Partnership
Overall, the scheme retained and selectively adapted the existing concrete frame, using structural steelwork to create new floorplates, reconfigure the cores and form additional upper levels. This approach allowed the building to be extended and modernised, while responding carefully to its constrained historic setting.
Steelwork was selected for its ability to work with the retained structure, provide long spans and support future adaptation. The resulting floorplates can accommodate multiple occupiers and future reconfiguration, extending the building’s useful life.
“Not long after the project started on site, the opportunity emerged to incorporate 100-year-old steel from the former House of Fraser building on Oxford Street. We had to adapt the design and prove the material could meet modern performance requirements, with no direct precedents to draw from,” says Webb Yates senior engineer Rosie Hudson.
Rather than treating this as a barrier, the design was reassessed so that reclaimed sections could be accepted without changing the building’s structural, spatial or performance requirements. The inherent adaptability of steel allowed load paths, connections and tolerances to be adjusted while maintaining the intended programme and architectural design.
Reclaimed members were used alongside new steelwork within a coherent structural frame. Variable historic section sizes and details required bespoke connection strategies and careful allocation of members.
“The UK’s first major commercial building to incorporate large-scale reuse of pre-war steel, TBC.London has redefined what is possible in circular construction, challenging industry norms and proving that ambitious carbon reduction can be achieved at commercial scale. It championed reuse across the built environment, creating a legacy of collaboration, innovation and industry-wide change”
SSDA judges
Making sure that 1930s-produced steel could satisfy modern requirements was crucial. As the members did not have contemporary certification, they underwent destructive and non-destructive assessment, including tensile, chemical, metallographic and carbon-equivalent-value testing. Newly issued guidance for the reuse of pre-1970 steel was applied in practice, informing material verification, connection design, load paths and performance checks.
Before fabrication, the recovered steel arrived with redundant plates and evidence of its previous use. Each member had to be identified, cleaned, tested, prepared and reworked to contemporary tolerances and connection details.
TBC.London achieved whole-building embodied carbon below 300kgCO₂e/m² for modules A1-A5. Alongside the 40t of reclaimed steel, the remaining 600t of new steelwork was specified with a minimum recycled content of 56%. The fully electric development achieved BREEAM Outstanding at 95.6%, WELL Platinum and NABERS 5-star ratings, and aligns with operational net-zero carbon targets.
The project’s influence extends beyond the completed building. Challenges encountered while recovering, verifying and integrating historic steel contributed to the creation of the Engineers Reuse Collective.
Launched in 2024, the not-for-profit group provides a forum for engineers to implement, demonstrate and champion reuse, turning project-specific experience into shared industry knowledge.
Produced by BCSA and Steel for Life in association with Construction Management.
