Circular Renovation at Theobald's Road

The redevelopment of Mercury House at Theobald's Road in Holborn demonstrates how circular principles can be successfully embedded into commercial refurbishment when collaboration sits at the heart of the project.

Led by Gravitas Properties and delivered through a close partnership between TECHNAL, Orms, Opera and Deconstruct, the scheme places reuse, retrofit and responsible recycling at the centre of its approach. As Martyn Wright, Sustainability & Project Consultant at TECHNAL reflects, "reuse, retrofit and responsible recycling were just embedded throughout the entire project," setting the tone for a process driven by shared ambition and open collaboration.

A key role in this project was played by Opera, acting as both project manager and employer's agent. Supporting the client throughout, Opera translated long-term sustainability ambitions into a clear and deliverable brief, while aligning stakeholders and managing risk across the project. As Will Jarrett-Kerr explains, "it's about durability, adaptability, and operational performance... keeping the site relevant for the next 20, 30, 40 years," reinforcing the project's focus on long-term value over short-term gains.

That long-term thinking shaped a refurbishment first strategy, with approximately 85% of the existing structure retained, showing the retrofit can deliver high-quality, commercially viable office space while significantly reducing embodied carbon.

Central to the project's circular strategy is TECHNAL's closed-loop aluminium recycling model, delivered through Hydro. Working closely with the wider project team, aluminium removed from the building is carefully deconstructed, segregated and processed before being recycled back into high-grade billets. This not only preserves material quality but also significantly reduces environmental impact, with recycling aluminium requiring just 5% of the energy needed for primary aluminium production.

Circular thinking extends throughout the wider design. Orms, acting as architect and sustainability consultant, embedded reuse and material efficiency into the architectural language of the building. The existing stone facade was carefully deconstructed and reassembled, while new materials are selected to minimise waste and make use of underutilised resources.

Internally, the scale of material recovery presented challenges and opportunities. More than 175 tonnes of limestone were removed from the atrium, much of which has been repurposed into new applications including flooring and terrazzo finishes. Alongside this, eight tonnes of aluminium was recovered and returned to the aluminium supply chain for remelting into Hydro CIRCAL® alloy - used to make new TECHNAL windows, doors and facade systems, showing the value of keeping high-quality materials in circulation. While some material loss was unavoidable due to the original construction methods, the team adopted a pragmatic approach - prioritising reuse wherever possible and continuing to identify alternative circular pathways where needed.

On site, Deconstruct UK played a vital role in enabling these strategies. The introduction of closed-loop recycling and careful material handling was integrated without impacting programme or safety. More broadly though, this project highlights the importance of collective efforts across the supply chain. As Helen Collarbone explains, "circular economy is at such an infant stage of its journey that we have to work together and we have to be innovative together." This collaborative mindset enabled the client, designers, contractors and supply chain partners to identify new solutions and overcome challenges together.

Early engagement, a clear brief and shared willingness to innovate enabled the team to respond to challenges together, and embed circularity across all aspects of the project. As Sarah Keetch summarises, "we try to be enablers and facilitators - bringing the right people around the table to achieve the client's goals."

A collaborative model for circular construction

Theobald's Road provides a clear model for the future of refurbishment-led development. With Opera guiding the client's vision, Orms embedding circular thinking into the design, Deconstruct enabling material recovery on site, and TECHNAL delivering the closed-loop process and products, the project demonstrates how circulation can move from aspiration to reality.

It also reinforces a wider shift in the industry - towards retaining existing buildings, reducing waste and designing with long-term performance in mind. Crucially, it shows that these ambitions can be delivered without compromising programme, safety or commercial outcomes.

Ultimately, the whole project highlights that circular construction is not defined by a singular innovation, but by how effectively the project team work together. By aligning client ambition with design, delivery and supply chain expertise, Mercury House on Theobald's Road proves that collaboration is the key to making sustainability work in practice - and at scale. Due to complete in 2027, the project will incorporate new TECHNAL windows, doors and facade systems, fabricated by TECHNAL partner Sealtite, creating a tangible link between the materials recovered from the original building and its next chapter as a more sustainable, future-focused workspace.