The London School of Economics' new building has been completed

The Centre Buildings Redevelopment project for the London School of Economics (LSE) has now been completed.

The ambitious scheme is the third collaboration between engineering and design consultancy chapmanbdsp and the LSE and is set to become an exemplar in sustainability.

The building is predominantly naturally ventilated to meet LSE’s zero carbon ambitions and comes with a host of sustainable design features.

Façade optimisation helps to reduce overheating and the building’s overall structural requirement, while a 35 per cent reduction in embodied carbon was achieved by reducing the amount of concrete and aluminum used in the foundations and façade fins and by incorporating more recycled and low-carbon materials.

For the project, which was led by architects RSH+P, chapmanbdsp also designed a bespoke sustainability tool – which has been validated by the Building Research Establishment - to help reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

The ‘carbon calculator’ makes buildings more sustainable by mapping-out the break-down of embodied and operational carbon to better inform project decisions at the design and construction stages.

The project required the demolition and redevelopment of many existing buildings on the Aldwych site and the RSH+P design will see a public square at the heart of the campus, creating a new focal point for the area.

The building’s stand-out feature is the collaborative staircase, which weaves through the heart of the structure and is aimed to inspire debate between academics and students.

The project, which was awarded ‘BREEM Excellent’ in construction, is due to be showcased at the Education Estates conference in Manchester in October.

The Centre Buildings Redevelopment is the third redevelopment project chapmanbdsp has undertaken with the LSE. The award-winning Saw Swee Hock was named RIBA London’s building of the year in 2014 and development of 44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields is under construction.