Brent Cross Town’s second office building, 2 Copper Square, gets go-ahead from Barnet Council

Related Argent has received planning consent for the second building in its new commercial district at Brent Cross Town: a nine-storey, mass-timber office building, designed by architects, Bennetts Associates.

The planning approval has been granted as activity at Brent Cross Town continues to progress with five buildings, including residential and student rooms, already under construction, alongside associated infrastructure and key amenities.

By delivering the building with an engineered timber frame and using off-site manufacturing and construction methods, 2 Copper Square will set industry-leading targets for embodied carbon reduction, operational efficiency and user wellbeing, supporting Brent Cross Town in its commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.

Brent Cross Town, which is being delivered by Related Argent and Barnet Council, is among Europe’s largest urban regeneration projects and, once completed, will be one of the UK’s largest net zero town centres. This new district will be home to a cluster of knowledge-led businesses that will be anchored by Sheffield Hallam University’s first campus outside northern England. The area will welcome businesses that prioritise quality of life for their people and a desire to be part of a new net zero town with outstanding amenities such as parks, sports facilities, and great places to live. The first residents of the new homes under construction will move in from the end of 2024.

The 3 million-square-foot commercial district is located next to the new Brent Cross West railway station, which opens in autumn 2023 and will connect to central London in as little as 12-minutes, offering excellent connectivity for occupiers. 2 Copper Square sits adjacent to the newly opened Claremont Park, and alongside two major new public squares that will act as a gateway to the rest of the neighbourhood.

The building offers 138,000 square feet of inspiring workspace over eight levels, with a large communal roof terrace. Typical floor plates are a spacious 18,350 square feet, with views out over Claremont Park and beyond to the playing fields and Hampstead Heath.

The ground floor offers a permeable and welcoming experience with a colonnade linking the prominent office entrance with a 7,000-square-foot F&B venue. Its three terraces will be densely planted, providing biodiversity net gain and enhancing the experience of its occupants.

Matt Flood, Development Director for Brent Cross Town, says, “Brent Cross Town represents an incredible opportunity to be part of a whole new London neighbourhood – and one that is 12 minutes from King’s Cross by train, run as net zero, and with an amazing mix of sport and play, green spaces, education and culture. Delivering majority-timber buildings in the UK is ambitious, and therefore can be challenging, however, it’s important for a zero-carbon future that we continually innovate. 2 Copper Square will offer an amazing opportunity for a business to make a tangible statement about their own ESG commitments and values.”

Peter Fisher, Director at Bennetts Associates, says, “2 Copper Square epitomises everything Related Argent is hoping to achieve at Brent Cross Town in terms of sustainability and social value, whilst also being a pioneering project for the future of office buildings and net-zero architecture using our research undertaken in the Design for Performance process. Furthermore, this project supports the new and existing community by providing key, interactive areas for all, including the wildlife.”

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About Brent Cross Town:
Brent Cross Town is the neighbourhood at the heart of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme. It is a joint venture between Related Argent and Barnet Council to develop a large-scale mixed-use development including new homes, retail and office space, as well as improved schools and greenspaces in the area. Early work started on site in early 2020 and construction is also underway on the new Brent Cross West station which is expected to open in autumn 2023. Building on the strengths of this diverse part of the city, Brent Cross Town will draw inspiration from the best of London’s long-established neighbourhoods with all their complexity and character.

At its heart, will be a focus on sport, play, health and well-being. The new neighbourhood will provide 6,700 homes, state-of-the-art workspace for over 25,000 people, and pedestrian friendly streets and squares with local shops and restaurants that will complement the offer at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The community will be supported by first-class public transport infrastructure, a new and improved network of walking and cycle routes and a series of new parks and other amenities. www.brentcrosstown.co.uk @brentcrosstown

Related Argent is making four significant pledges for Brent Cross Town:

• To create the place in London to participate in sport and play: with indoor facilities and 50 acres of parks, Brent Cross Town will provide the best of both traditional and emerging sports, working with leading sports organisations, governing bodies and hero ambassadors to help drive female participation and champion diversity and inclusion.
• To make a new North London town where all can flourish. Brent Cross Town will launch a Flourishing Index which will pioneer the measurement of how individuals and communities flourish in a town centre. Partnering with Manchester University and Buro Happold, this approach represents a landmark moment in designing a development for mental health and wellbeing and demonstrates that Brent Cross Town is at the forefront of people-centred design.
• To be a net zero carbon town by 2030. This will be achieved by driving down the embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure, the carbon used in energy supply and offsetting the remainder. Partnering with Vattenfall, Brent Cross Town will deliver reliable and affordable zero carbon heating to homes, shops and businesses.
• To strengthen existing connections, both locally and into Central London; connecting businesses, customers, friends and family. Brent Cross Town is in an enviable location – 12 minutes to Central London, immediate access to the M1 and 5 major airports within one hour. Locally, new pedestrian and cycle routes will integrate Brent Cross Town with its surrounding communities.

About Related Argent:
In 2015, Argent and Related joined forces to create an unrivalled UK property business and urban regeneration specialist. The company brings together the expertise and track record of Argent – the developer behind some of Britain’s most successful mixed-use places, and Related – one of the most innovative and prolific real estate companies in the US. The combined experience delivering ground breaking projects such as King’s Cross in London, Hudson Yards and Deutsche Bank Center in New York, Brindleyplace in Birmingham, The Square in West Palm Beach, Florida and The Grand LA in Los Angeles is brought to bear on each of the projects.

Related Argent operates across a range of property sectors including residential, workspace, education, shopping, hospitality and leisure. Its work goes beyond bricks and mortar development. It also specialises in the services, facilities and experiences that are so important to urban life – art, culture, events, schools, skills & training programmes and renewable energy networks.

Related Argent is one of the UK’s leading developer-owner-operators and, since its inception eight years ago, has rapidly grown a £9Bn+, 12m sq ft mixed-use development pipeline. This includes major regeneration projects in London, at Brent Cross Town and Tottenham Hale, as well as a Build-to-Rent (BtR) scheme at King’s Cross, known as ‘Author King’s Cross’. It’s accessing global capital markets to deliver major new projects across the UK and is seeking to expand its BtR housing portfolio. On 1 May 2024, Argent will transfer all employees, projects and assets to Related Argent Limited. Related Argent’s vision is to be a great city builder – for people, planet, and prosperity and its purpose is to improve urban life for all, everyday. This means developing for the long term - astutely, sustainably and with a sense of social purpose. Related Argent is delivering the places, homes, workspace, public space, arts, culture, events and services that our UK cities and town centres need. www.argentllp.co.uk