City Place House: London

Project Overview

The development (New Build) of 2 Aldermanbury Square represents one of the City of London’s most progressive but challenging commercial schemes - a regeneration project that provides new office accommodation boasting an Outstanding BREEAM rating and a net zero carbon operation by 2025, five years ahead of the developer’s target.

The project involved New Build of the existing footprint and the creation of new commercial, business, and service spaces.

The building has now substantially increased in size from 176,000 sq ft to 322,600 sq ft and is already 100% pre-let - testament to the quality, design intent and sustainability credentials embedded in the development from the outset.

Excellence From Design to Delivery

Knauf AQUAPANEL® was appointed mid-way through the project and commended for exemplary service support that not only satisfied the strict technical and criteria set by Arup, the project’s structural engineers but also the architect's design intent which required precisely defined shadow gaps on the soffit.

Knauf’s AQUAPANEL® Specification Team were able to evidence the systems’ durability and resilience against demanding weather conditions with extensive test documentation and robust traceability.

Knauf’s Integrated Solution

Knauf is the only cement board manufacturer in the UK market to supply a fully integrated coated metal system.

The Knauf AQUAPANEL® C3 Exterior Ceiling System includes:

Unlike other systems that combine materials and components from multiple manufacturers, Knauf’s integrated coated metal and cement board system is manufactured, tested, and warranted by a single source. This simple ‘one manufacturer, one system’  solution significantly reduces project risk, simplifies specification, and offers a clear, single point of responsibility from design through to completion.

Knauf Service Support

The data to evidence compliance was provided in an accelerated review period and included:

Unlike composite systems that combine materials and components from multiple suppliers, Knauf’s integrated metal and board system is manufactured, tested, and warranted by a single source. This simple ‘one manufacturer, one system’  solution significantly reduces project risk, simplifies specification, and offers a clear, single point of responsibility from design through to completion.

Knauf’s system and comprehensive service support helped reduce risk by:

Outstanding Sustainability & Assurance

In addition to the project’s net zero carbon targets and Outstanding BREEAM ambitions, Knauf’s Exterior Ceiling System has also provided additional environmental benefits thanks to recyclable materials, their long life expectancy, and low maintenance requirements. This further reduces the environmental impact and the assurance of a single-manufacturer system warranty provides additional peace of mind for the entire project team from the developer through to the façade contractor.

Outcome : Knauf Exceeded Expectations

Product installation was completed on time, Knauf met all technical objectives in  an accelerated review period and exceeded contractor expectations for coordination and ease of installation.

The finished soffit meets the architectural vision and the rigorous compliance criteria for fire safety and durability set by Arup, showcasing how Knauf’s integrated metal and AQUAPANEL system can deliver efficiency, aesthetic quality, and long-term assurance.

By taking ownership from the moment of engagement through to project handover, Knauf demonstrated that ‘value’ extends well beyond product performance.

The “one manufacturer, one system” approach offers one accountable service team who provide a holistic advisory service covering specification, installation and aftercare.