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CambridgeHOK indoor farm built in London commercial building wins workplace wellbeing award

A first-of-its kind indoor farm designed and built by the expert team at CambridgeHOK and housed in a London commercial building has been hailed for its positive impact on workers.

The farm, built for and operated by our client Square Mile Farms, grows fresh, sustainably grown leafy greens and herbs for the building occupiers, visitors to the onsite restaurant and local community groups.

Located in the basement of the multi-million pound new London development, our teams installed the complete a 135 square metre facility between April and November last year.

The build included install grow racks, benching systems, a nutrient dosing system, LED grow lights, controls, germination racking and all electrical systems. Irrigation systems were completed in partnership with specialists Grow Dynamics.

Square Mile Farms integrates modern hydroponic farms into offices, residential buildings and other communal spaces and creates unique interactive experiences through farm harvests, educational events and local community outreach to promote health, wellbeing and sustainability within city centres.

Now, the farm - one of the world’s largest within a commercial office building - has been awarded the Best Environmental Wellbeing Initiative award at the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards.

Prestigious contract

Jason Tether, project manager for CambridgeHOK, said: “This was a very exciting project for us given it was in one of the capital’s premier new office developments, and we knew it would be a project to attract a lot of interest.

“To be chosen for such a high-profile project reflects our position in the market as leaders in our field, and we have been delighted to see the success of the farm for Square Mile Farms and their clients, leading to this recent award.

“Whilst this was a project on the smaller scale in terms of the amount of equipment used, and produce being grown, it is certainly an important project in terms of demonstrating how fresh, healthy produce can be grown successfully in the heart of a busy city building and deliver significant social impact for its occupiers and local community.”

Patrick Dumas, CEO of Square Mile Farms, said: “CambridgeHOK have been an incredible partner to us on this groundbreaking project, working hand-in-hand with our team to deliver an exceptional outcome for our clients.

“This project is a flagship example of how Square Mile Farms bring food production and nature back into our cities to create healthy, happy and sustainable places to live and work.”

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