Birmingham’s ‘most sustainable workplace’ to open this summer

Renovations to the Citadel building on Corporation Street in Birmingham city centre are now underway by hybrid office developer Kinrise.

The firm says the development is set to be the city’s most sustainable workplace this summer. It will offer more than 46,000 sq ft of office, retail and social space.

Citadel will be operationally net-zero carbon and fully powered by green electricity, from LED lighting to VRF air conditioning. This is a change from the previous output of approx. 194,428kg of carbon per annum.

It will also feature electric car charging stations and cycle storage spaces.

Kinrise’s Co-Founder Sam Lawson Johnston said: “Our ethos at Kinrise has always been to renovate, rather than rebuild and to ensure we are doing our best by the local community. Sustainability is one of the key pillars on which we built Kinrise, and forms a huge part of our work at Citadel, where we are committed to using no fossil fuels in operation.”

Architecture 00 and contractor Overbury have been brought on board to undertake the restoration of the building. Local craftspeople and sustainably sourced materials are being used throughout the renovation, ensuring the building’s footprint remains low and contributes to Birmingham’s local economy, whilst saving carbon emissions and reducing unnecessary landfill waste by 93%.

Originally developed to mimic a Parisian Boulevard but then heavily redeveloped in the 1960s, Corporation Street is now undergoing regeneration.

Citadel tenants can manage their needs with access to overflow desks, meeting rooms and event spaces alongside their core office.

Bookable by the hour on the app, giving tenants, whether solo entrepreneurs or an established company, a new level of operational agility.

Tenants will also benefit from Citadel’s cultural, wellness and impact programmes alongside fitness classes on-site.

To connect with the local community there will also be food pop-ups, supper clubs, art exhibitions and regular partnerships with local charities.