Lewis Silkin to make new London home in environmentally friendly office fit for the future

Bankside Yards is the UK’s first major mixed-use estate to be net zero carbon in operation, with the all-electric Arbor be powered entirely by renewable energy. Lewis Silkin will occupy two floors of the 19-storey building, comprising 23,000 sq ft. 

The firm has set ambitious carbon reduction targets for the coming years, including a target to reduce emissions from gas and electricity by 21% between 2019 and 2025, and has committed, as part of the Legal Renewables Initiative, to source 100% of electricity for UK offices from renewable sources by 2025. The new office will play a major role in achieving this ambition.

With heating delivered via high-tech air source heat pumps as part of an energy sharing network across the development, Arbor will use 30% less energy than comparable workspaces. 

Along with an Excellent BREEAM rating, Arbor also boasts best-in-class technological capabilities and is certified Platinum by WiredScore. Lewis Silkin teams will benefit from the wellbeing-friendly design of the building including double-height collaboration spaces and outdoor terraces.

Arbor, which is due for completion this summer, has been designed to reflect the industrial heritage of the Bankside area. This diverse urbanism has played a key role in attracting a range of media, technology and other creative companies to SE1, reflecting Lewis Silkin’s focus on dynamic, innovative and high-growth businesses. 

Richard Miskella, Joint Managing Partner at Lewis Silkin, said:

“When looking for our new London home, it was key that we found somewhere that reflected our culture and who we are as a firm. The brief was to find an office fit for the 21st Century, one that supports our move to hybrid working, our sustainability goals and our desire to continue playing an active part in the local community – and the move to Arbor will tick all these boxes. We want our people to have a strong element of flexibility over where they work but also the face-to-face time needed to strengthen relationships, foster innovation and maintain our culture and community. The move will allow us to reimagine the ways our teams work together in a post-pandemic world and enable us to ensure that time spent in the office is a genuinely positive experience.”

The office move reinforces Lewis Silkin’s existing local connections to Southwark, having partnered with the borough’s Ark Globe Academy since 2018 as part of the firm’s commitment to improving social mobility and supporting local communities. The partnership has worked to raise aspirations and build pathways to careers in law for young people, and since September 2020 has included a ten-stage mentoring programme for year 12 students focused on employability skills and providing careers advice and support.

View the Arbor building here.