EXPERT INSIGHT: How to maintain BCO standards three decades on

Over the last 30 years, expectations around office design have evolved beyond recognition, writes John Robertson,  founder of John Robertson Architects.

Within an ever-competitive leasing market, amenity provision and employee wellbeing have become a key determinant in rental prices with occupier demands ranging from the quality and detail of the interiors to the extent of amenity space (such as roof top terraces and end of trip facilities). From the developer side, the raising of capital – and often planning – is predicated upon strong sustainability credentials and strict operational & embodied carbon reduction strategies.

Neither of these issues were at the forefront of the market in the early 1990s. In addition, the standards that buildings are judged against have evolved to reflect these changing expectations. However, the lifecycle of One Great St Helen’s (OGSH) indicates that the BCO Specification, first published in 1994, was not just about technical guidance; instead, it produced a market-changing framework for creating offices capable of standing the test of time.

Complex planning journey

Commissioned by Greycoat in 1995, OGSH was one of JRA’s early projects and a pioneering speculative 70,000 sq ft office scheme for London. Located away from the historic City core around Bank, OGSH dominated a townscape very different to the dense commercial district that exists today. We had a complex planning journey with the City of London Corporation due to the building’s intricate urban context, nestling between the neo-Georgian parish church of St Helen’s to the north, the winding contour of the Undershaft to the east and Crosby Square to the south – long before developments such as 30 St Mary Axe or The Leadenhall Building appeared across the Eastern Cluster.

The consented scheme was one of the first offices developed to meet the 1997 edition of the Guide to Specification and went on to receive a BCO Award for Best Commercial Office, South and South-East Region in 2000. Its recent retrofit was also a finalist in the 2026 BCO London Awards in the Recycled Workplace category.

JRA’s design sought to respond sensitively to its neighbours through a distinctive curved façade and efficient floorplates which reflected the then emerging priorities of the BCO Specification. The original guidance placed significant emphasis on flexibility, natural light, servicing, circulation, and occupational efficiency – principles now taken for granted within office design, but still relatively new to speculative development at the time.

Greycoat, which was closely involved in the development of the first BCO Specification, recognised the opportunity to demonstrate how these standards could be successfully delivered within London. Importantly, OGSH was not considered a prime site, allowing us to test emerging best practice in a commercially realistic context without excessive risk.

Change reaction

Its leasing success was equally significant. The building was let to commercial insurer Hiscox within weeks of completion, with the insurer remaining in occupation for the next 25 years – a strong endorsement of the enduring quality of our original vision.

In 2021, JRA was reappointed by Rafer Investments to comprehensively refurbish and reposition OGSH to meet contemporary leasing, ESG and occupier requirements. By then, the surrounding context had already undergone dramatic change, with the Eastern Cluster emerging as London’s most recognisable commercial skylines and occupiers placing far greater emphasis on amenity provision and wellbeing, particularly in a post-Covid environment.

What became immediately apparent during the refurbishment process was just how well the original building had stood up against the BCO’s 2019 updated specification. Encouragingly, many of the fundamentals established nearly 30 years earlier remained entirely relevant and, as a result, the project became less about correcting obsolescence and more about giving OGSH a new lease of life.

The refurbishment, completed earlier last year, introduced a new level 10 amenity floor incorporating a winter garden and roof terrace with sweeping views across some of London’s tallest buildings. At basement level, the former car park was reconfigured to provide cycling and changing facilities, reflecting changing patterns of workplace use and a greater emphasis on active travel. And at lower ground level, we have formed a new light well creating new workspace in what was previously secondary accommodation. But the core ideas of OGSH’s design – and the 1997 Specification that informed them – have remained.

OGSH shows us that offices designed and built to the highest industry standards not only have tremendous staying power but can also provide demonstrable and significant returns on initial investment.

Imagery: © Jack Hobhouse