Construction Manager reports that the UK arm of Dutch firm BAM has landed its biggest-ever contract after it was chosen to build a new suite of offices in London’s King’s Cross that will serve as social media giant Facebook’s new headquarters.
Bennett Associates, which is designing the development, aims for Facebook’s buildings to be the lowest-carbon commercial offices in the UK.
BAM, which recently completed Coal Drops Yard, also in King’s Cross, said the deal "represents the largest contract signed by BAM" although did not reveal the contract value for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
Plots T2 and T3 of the development will become known as 11-21 Canal Reach and will house Facebook’s offices in two BREEAM Outstanding-rated buildings.
The building on plot T2 will be 12 storeys high at its highest point at the southern end of the site, stepping down to nine storeys towards the north. There also be roof terraces with views across the city.
BAM is onsite already with a "substantial" enabling and substructure works package. Completion is expected early in 2021.
Construction director Ewen Hunter, who has led for BAM on several of the buildings at King’s Cross, said: "Nothing at King’s Cross is ordinary. Every building is ambitious and the client is constantly pushing what can be achieved for itself and others.
"Our teams embrace the challenge and our integrated model, involving our design and engineering businesses, makes us an ideal fit for the scale and complexity of this big building with a demanding design."
