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Victoria House

Holborn, London, UK

º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s laboratory consultancy team played a central role in unlocking the potential of Victoria House – enabling the transformation of a Grade II listed landmark into a world-class life sciences hub. The team’s expertise in laboratory strategy and technical integration helped deliver a future-ready scientific environment within a heritage building, balancing performance, sustainability and architectural integrity.

Located on Bloomsbury Square in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, Victoria House is a building steeped in history. Originally designed for the Liverpool Victoria building society and completed in 1932, it retains many of its original features, including decorative staircases, panelled directors’ offices and a grand ballroom. Today, it has been reimagined as a vibrant ecosystem for scientific discovery, offering 300,000ft² of laboratory, office and amenity space. The development supports a diverse mix of tenants – from early-stage ventures to global pharmaceutical and life science firms.

The decision to retrofit rather than rebuild was a defining feature of the project. It allowed the team to preserve the building’s architectural character while dramatically reducing whole-life carbon. This approach aligns with º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s wider commitment to sustainable design and responsible development, and demonstrates how engineering ingenuity can help reconcile heritage with high-performance functionality.

Challenge

Retrofitting a listed building for advanced laboratory use is a complex undertaking. Victoria House was constructed in three phases, with substructure variations concealed behind a consistent facade. Understanding these structural nuances was essential to enabling the building’s scientific functionality without compromising its historic fabric.

Integrating new plant rooms, fume discharge flues and containment-level laboratories into the existing layout demanded a highly coordinated, multidisciplinary approach.

For the wider project team, preserving the historic atrium, Long Room and wood-panelled meeting spaces overlooking Bloomsbury Square were all considered of special interest. The challenge lay in embedding modern laboratory infrastructure within these spaces in a way that respected their character and enhanced usability.

Solution

º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s laboratory consultancy team brought deep sector knowledge and a collaborative mindset to the project. They worked closely with the structural engineer to develop with a detailed understanding of the building’s structural composition, enabling the design of tailored interventions that supported laboratory functionality while remaining sensitive to the building’s heritage.

To address vibration concerns, slab-to-slab structural posts were introduced where necessary, discreetly concealed within drywall partitioning. Laboratory plant rooms were located in the basement, on floor plates and at roof level, ensuring efficient service distribution and compliance with safety standards. The team also developed test-fit layouts for all lab-enabled spaces, supporting flexible tenancy options and future adaptability.

New waste streams were introduced to accommodate scientific operations, including dedicated zones for gas cylinders and liquid nitrogen dewars. The loading bay was reconfigured to support kerbside dewar filling and larger deliveries, bypassing the limitations of the original turntable. Suites of ACDP Containment Level 2 laboratories were integrated with write-up and office areas, designed to sit directly on the structural slab.

The seventh floor was subdivided to create incubator laboratory spaces, open access labs, tissue culture rooms and shared equipment areas, complete with administrative and write-up support. The first, fifth and sixth floors received CAT B fit-outs. Throughout, º£½ÇÊÓƵ worked closely with architects, engineers and the client to ensure seamless integration of laboratory infrastructure within the building’s historic envelope.

Value

Victoria House is a showcase for sustainable retrofit and collaborative design. By choosing to convert rather than demolish, the project team preserved a landmark building and significantly reduced environmental impact. The building is fully electric, targeting EPC B and BREEAM Excellent, with upgraded central plant.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s contribution was instrumental in delivering a technically advanced, flexible and scalable laboratory environment. Our lab strategy enabled 220,000ft² of Grade A wet lab-enabled space, tailored to the needs of a diverse tenant mix. By embedding adaptability, operational excellence and sustainability into the design, we added long-term value for both the client and the wider life sciences ecosystem.