Welcome. kingscross.iop.org

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1 Welcome The Institute of Physics Team Welcome to our exhibition. The purpose of the exhibition is to provide you with the opportunity to view our proposals and give feedback prior to submitting a planning application to the London Borough of Islington. Members of the project team are available to answer any questions you may have about the scheme. The Site The Institute of Physics has recently acquired the freehold of no.s 2-8 Balfe Street and no.s Caledonian Road to accommodate our new headquarters. This sizeable investment is a significant decision for us and a new and exciting chapter in our history. The site consists of three buildings with interconnected spaces on split floor levels, occupied by 17,500 square feet of office space and 4,100 square feet of retail space. The retail space is currently located along Caledonian Road at ground and basement levels. The site currently has a basement level that is split between retail and office use, and two terraces at first and second floor levels. There are views to the rear communal garden from both of the terraces. The Be At One Cocktail Bar, on the corner of Balfe Street and Caledonian Road, is not a part of the site. The location is ideal for us as it will help us to extend the educational outreach work we already do with schools in the borough. Moving to Islington will enable us to develop further partnerships with schools, businesses and community organisations in the area, as well as strengthen links with our existing partners in King s Cross. Site Aerial view of the site View of the site along Caledonian Road

2 About the Institute of Physics About the Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics was established in 1874, following drives to improve the professional status of physicists. In May 1922, the Institute released the first issue of its own publication, the Journal of Scientific Instruments, which began regular circulation in October Unlike many of the other scientific societies that were operating at the time, the Institute actively encouraged women to become members and participate in its activities. Today the Institute of Physics is a worldleading, international scientific society with over 50,000 members. We engage with policymakers and the general public to develop awareness and understanding of the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, we are world leaders in professional scientific communications. Education Whilst promoting physics education is one of our primary objectives, the facility will be open to the wider general public, and host a range of scientific, arts, and cultural events that have an educational basis. The Institute already runs a year-long calendar of workshops and lectures that engage students of all ages, and the aim of the new building will be to capitalise on greater opportunities for collaboration and outreach at the new site. Through a range of initiatives, including responding to government consultations and publishing reports, we help to promote the interests of physics departments in universities. We are especially proud of our work to inspire girls to continue their physics education into A-Level. We are helping teachers to become aware of girls misperceptions about careers in physics and to tailor their classroom practice. We have worked with WISE to create workshops for students to discuss and explore gender stereotyping in a comfortable and safe environment, and find out about the different career options available to students who have taken their science education further.

3 A New Home For Physics Artist s impression of the view along Caledonian Road Our new headquarters will act as a stage to promote the continuing relevance and evolving application of physics in public life. The building is designed to make a statement to visitors and the local community about the Institute s central role within physics. Engaging with the public and policymakers is an important part of our work, and we hold regular meetings and events that attract a wide range of visitors. These include senior politicians, members of government, business representatives, academics and educators, as well as programme funders and members. A range of new and dynamic spaces will be created as part of the development: Educational zone and Exhibition Space Café (for public and staff access) Visible plant room with interactive technologies Meeting and seminar rooms Members room Large Auditorium Accessible terraces We hope that by creating an open and accessible space an even greater diversity of people will be able to join us, particularly members of the public, to learn, engage in policy discussions and develop their interest in physics.

4 Benefits The building will be welcoming, have open circulation space, and provide ease of access to its public spaces. It has the potential to create an exciting and vibrant destination for the local community at Caledonian Road. We feel that the proposal will revitalise the site, and contribute greatly to the local Cultural Industries Quarter, as well as the character of the immediate Keystone Crescent Conservation Area. The redevelopment will bring an empty building back into use and help to revitalise the frontage of Caledonian Road. We look forward to extending the work we already do with schools in the area to other parts of the borough, helping to motivate children to develop their interest in physics further. Engagement Through Art Physics plays a significant part in much of the innovation and progress within the creative industries sector. We are keen to showcase contemporary visual artwork that uses physics as its starting point and support local and national artists. A recent example of this is the Superposition series of installations commissioned by the IOP. Superposition is a pilot artist-inresidency programme that aims to explore and test ways in which the Institute of Physics can work with artists to open up contemporary physics. Covariance by Lyndall Phelps, inspired by Dr Ben Still s research in the field of particle physics

5 Heritage View of the site along Balfe Street There are increasing numbers of fine examples of heritage and conservationled regeneration in the area, including along York Way and in the neighbouring Regent s Quarter. This atmosphere of creative regeneration has created a distinctive urban quarter, delivering exciting and active new uses within historic and new buildings inspired by the area s industrial heritage. The new IOP Headquarters will blend contemporary architectural additions with retained historic facades. We hope to continue the heritageled regeneration that has been so successful within the Regents Quarter, and also remain in keeping with the character and appearance of the Keystone Crescent Conservation Area. Example of butterfly roofing in the Keystone Crescent Conservation Area Along Caledonian Road a new roof extension will showcase sustainable photovoltaic technologies, with a saw-tooth roof profile which is a contemporary reinterpretation of the butterfly form typical of the Conservation Area. Ventilation stacks for the building s passive systems are carefully composed to echo the rhythm of chimneys on neighbouring terraces and to align with historic window openings below and party wall lines between properties. The terrace frontage along Caledonian Road has been harmed by alterations, including removal of its original windows and shop fronts. Our proposals offer the unique opportunity to reinstate this frontage as a positive and active part of the Caledonian Road streetscape. The new glazed wall frontage will draw in visitors and help to establish this building as the new international face of the Institute. Keystone Crescent Example of heritage-led regeneration within the Regents Quarter

6 Design Artist s impression of an aerial view of the proposals Sustainable design has been a key consideration from the outset and we have designed the building to make the best use of the site s specific environmental characteristics. Crucial to the success of the overall scheme is the saw-tooth roof, which on the Caledonian Road side includes solar panels and is orientated to capture north light. The chimneys will harness natural ventilation, bringing air to the office spaces below, and the central atrium will expel excess heat naturally. In the winter months this heat will be recovered and utilised within the building. On the Balfe Street side a green roof is proposed, and a glazed atrium roof and full-height north-facing glazed wall will help to bring natural daylight to the heart of the building. Artist s impression of the view along Balfe Street These clever design features make the building incredibly energy efficient. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the public spaces we are creating and also to learn how the sustainable technologies we are using actually work. We have designed the building to be interactive, with a large, exposed plant space on display at basement level.

7 Welcoming Visitors Artist s impression of the building interior Entrance to the building is at ground floor level on Caledonian Road. Visitors and staff enter here into the main lobby, enjoying views to the central atrium and to Balfe Street through the glazed feature staircase. This level comprises meeting and members room space, and a large cafe which can be accessed from Caledonian Road. As Caledonian Road is predominantly fronted by commercial units, it is considered important that the notion of an active shop frontage is preserved. The proposed scheme incorporates large projecting window boxes that replicate the feel and proportions of a shop front and allow for views from the street into the heart of the space. The basement level is predominantly an exhibition and conference space and the design allows a number of configurations to cater for different events. Caledonian Road proposed street elevation Cross section of the building showing exhibition spaces

8 Sustainable and Interactive Technologies The IOP is at the forefront of scientific innovation and wish for their new headquarters to be an exemplar of sustainable design and operation. The IOP want to: Demonstrate their sustainable aspirations in the construction and operation of the building Use technologies that are interactive allowing visitors to understand and learn from the building s sustainable credentials Re-use some of the existing building fabric Create a naturally ventilated and naturally lit space Achieve a high BREEAM rating the leading environmental assessment method for certifying buildings Achieve a significant reduction in carbon emissions compared to current Building Regulations standards The technologies being considered include: Energy generating floor tiles that harvest energy every time someone walks over them A system to track occupancy levels in the building by tracking individuals movements through the building this will enable refined control of the lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation, with live data visible on a 3D model showing the pattern of use in the building Roof mounted photovoltaics to generate electricity Green roof that uses thermal mass to store energy and encourages biodiversity Ground source heat pumps providing cooling in the summer and heating in the winter Exposed concrete construction for passive cooling Rainwater collection The building provides the opportunity to demonstrate the use of physics in sustainability and make this visible to the building users and visitors.

9 Transport and Servicing The site is highly accessible with excellent walking, cycling and public transport links. As well as bus stops on Caledonian Road, King s Cross St. Pancras, Euston and Angel Stations are all within a short walking distance. The proposals do not include any new car parking and it is anticipated that the highway impacts of the development will be minimal. We are currently consulting with the London Borough of Islington to ensure the proposals, including the servicing strategy, are consistent with the proposed scheme to convert Caledonian Road to two-way operation. A Travel Plan will also be produced to encourage sustainable travel amongst the Institute s staff and visitors.

10 The Team We are an established practice of architects and designers who thrive on providing design solutions through a unique combination of design and commercial understanding. We work with high profile clients and have completed many interesting and challenging projects across a variety of sectors including: Nissan Headquarters Office Refurbishment of Grade II listed rotunda in Paddington One Poland Street Office Refurbishment of former garages and warehouse for The Albion Motor Car Company, located in the Soho Conservation Area New Fetter Place Office refurbishment of tower and link building in Holborn Circus New Fetter Place Nissan Headquarters Daniel Watney are a firm of Chartered Surveyors which has been offering property services since The planning team provides expert advice across a broad client base in London and the south east to deliver a range of redevelopment and regeneration projects. We adopt a dynamic and holistic approach to our projects, placing the interaction between the environment, society and economy at the centre of our advice. We are leaders in developing environmentally sustainable buildings. We provide a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the natural environment. We are a specialist built heritage consultancy, providing expert assessments on the significance and conservation of nationally important historic buildings, as well as the delivery of exemplar new developments within the historic environment. Recent permissions include the remodelling and extension of three Grade II* listed buildings for the Law Society Headquarters, and Consent for a new luxury hotel, housing and visitor attraction within the Dover Western Heights Scheduled Monument.

11 Next Steps We aim to submit a planning application to the London Borough of Islington in Summer Subject to planning consent, we would aim to start construction work towards the end of 2014 with completion provisionally set at late Feedback Thank you for visiting our exhibition. To ensure that we understand the views of the local community, we would be grateful if you could take a few moments to fill in a questionnaire. The exhibition boards are available on our website We also have an online version of our questionnaire available. Construction Management During the construction phase of the development, careful consideration will be given to minimise disruption to our neighbours. Working hours for the construction works will be restricted to those agreed with Islington Council planning officers Contact us Freepost RTEJ-EXCH-TXLL Public Consultation Cascade Regent Street London W1B 5TE T: E: consultation@cascadepr.co.uk W: The site will be fully hoarded to ensure no unauthorised access to members of the public The main contractor will provide 24 hour security to the site Residents and businesses will receive regular updates during both the preconstruction and construction periods