Hub and Bridges Fund Management have submitted plans for a co-living-led development at 45 Beech Street, EC2.
The Allford Hall Monaghan Morris-designed proposals would transform the 1950s office building into a community-focused residential scheme comprising 174 co-living homes, new public realm, ground-floor commercial space and resident amenities.
Hub acquired the freehold to 45 Beech Street, on the edge of the Barbican Estate, for £30m from flexible workspace provider BE Offices in May 2023.
Tom Stoneham, senior development manager at Hub, said: “The opportunity to develop a scheme adjacent to the most iconic residential development in London is hugely exciting. The Barbican pioneered city centre living, and our proposed scheme seeks to continue this legacy, providing a new kind of residential offering for the area.
“Our proposals would reinvigorate an existing building at risk of becoming a stranded asset, demonstrating the potential for new models like co-living to not only bring new homes to city centres, but also to minimise carbon emissions by giving new life to tired office buildings.”
Celia Harrison, director at Bridges Fund Management, said: “This ambitious co-living development would not only help to tackle the dearth of high-quality rental accommodation in London, it would also bring an under-occupied building back into economic use and make it more environmentally efficient, supporting the decarbonisation of the built environment.
“Co-living is becoming increasingly popular across Europe, providing much-needed sustainable housing in urban locations. We are excited about the potential of our proposals at Beech Street to help address the clear shortage of homes in the City.”
Image © AHMM
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