Architectural Photography of Sky BIBB Building, London, by Arup Associates

The blog of Simon Kennedy, Architectural Photographer based in London. 

The Believe in Better building is the tallest commercial timber structure in the UK and was designed and constructed in less than one year.  The building was conceived as a home for Sky’s Believe in Better schools outreach programme and Academy training programme for apprentices and provides an inspiring, showcase and public face to Sky as well as an inviting multi-functional amenity for the staff and visitors to Sky to use. The building programme combines accommodation for visiting school children at ground level with offices, staff training facilities and a restaurant on the three stories above.

Part of the brief was that the spaces should be adaptable over the long-term and none of the main spaces were conceived with fixed uses in mind. A large, open-plan, column free space on the second floor for has been provided to accommodate large meetings and gatherings. The room partitions are therefore designed to achieve enhanced acoustic separation commensurate with the potential multi-media teaching in adjacent rooms in mind.

A sweeping, open staircase starts at ground and rises through the triple height atrium. At first and second floors the stair width is increased to incorporate breakout spaces, and provides not only circulation, and visual communication across the floors and out to the plaza, but creates the social and interactive focus of building.

As well as creating a super-flexible workspace for a fast-changing corporate culture, the design of the Believe in Better Building focuses on creating specific, holistic, integrated conditions for optimising the health and well-being of the people in this building. It is the first building in the UK to be designed in accordance with the emerging Wellness Certification principles. The key principles of which are quality day-lighting, air quality, natural material selection, and great design. Materials were specified that have low or no VOC content to avoid off-gassing problems. The extensive use of natural wood, internal and external greening provides human delight, celebration of SKY culture, and for human-nature interactions within the building.

(Architectural photography completed over 1.5 days, all images copyright Simon Kennedy. If you wish to use any of these images for any purpose please email me at info@simonkennedy.net.)

BSkyB Believe in Better Building, Osterley, London, elevational photograph

Underneath outward projected internal staircase

London Architectural Photographer

Corner of Arup SKY BIBB, Osterley, London

Interior photography showing open plan meeting space

London interior photography

Photograph of view up through public atrium

Looking up the staircase, through the building

Interior photograph showing timber architecture in London

Timber columns against glazing in meeting areas

This is the blog of Simon Kennedy, London Architectural Photographer. If you would like to see more of my work, please visit www.simonkennedy.net