Created to set a dynamic new sustainable precedent for organisations across the country and worldwide, the Living Planet Centre maximises innovative sustainability features and was awarded a BREEAM Outstanding rating. It is designed as an inspired reflection of the functional ethos of WWF and includes an outreach component to welcome members of the public into the building.

Located on a prominent and challenging site in Woking, the Living Planet Centre’s facilities include open-plan office for 300 staff, meeting and collaboration space for WWF, along with a public front of house, school educational space, a boardroom, a rentable auditorium seating 150 people and new civic public realm, wetlands area and bridge link across the adjacent Basingstoke Canal.

To reflect and enhance the rich surrounding ecology and biodiversity, the building has been designed to limit its impact on the site, and is flanked by a series of green, planted spaces filled with trees, shrubs and flowers. The building itself is constructed as a dramatic and structurally-efficient 37.5 meter wide curving timber grid shell composed of crossing glued-laminated timber trusses. These are capped with a zinc roof featuring photovoltaic panels for energy production and large metal wind cowls to help ventilate the building.

Eastern and western ends are glazed, with timber louvres providing protection against solar gain. Office spaces are arranged around a double-height internal street which adds focus and intensity to the environment. The open-span nature of the building’s structure allows for easy future adjustment of internal partitions and layout to thoroughly future-proof the building.

A new bridge from the town centre has been constructed, which leads to the public piazza at podium level to further connect the building with the community. Surrounding the site, existing trees have been retained and a new wetlands area created to provide a wildlife corridor from the Basingstoke Canal to Horsell Moor and enhance the public realm along the historic canal.