20 Fenchurch Street (The Walkie-Talkie)

20 Fenchurch Street is one of London’s most emblematic skyscrapers. Commonly known as The Walkie-Talkie, the commercial building has a predominant office use. The top two floors includes the publicly accessible Sky Garden, a main London attraction that welcomes millions of visitors yearly and invites them to dine with views of the city in a landscaped setting. Located in the heart of the City of London and hosting 33 tenants, the asset celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2024. 20 Fenchurch Street has been built with sustainability in mind, achieving a BREEAM New Construction ‘Excellent’ certificate. The management team engaged Envision to help assess the building under the BREEAM in Use scheme. This has helped to inform ongoing operational practices at the site.

Envision assessed and certified 20 Fenchurch Street under BREEAM-In Use Parts 1 and Part 2. Part 1 entailed a review of the physical attributes of the building, whilst part 2 explored the management aspects. The analysis provided H properties, the building’s owners, with an understanding of current performance.

Envision started the project by conducting an information review, using existing facilities management platforms to highlight any potential gaps, and help the Savills Investment Management team, the property managers, collate the appropriate documentation needed. Envision provided continuous guidance to ensure all the relevant information was provided to accurately determine the asset’s performance.

Pragmatic recommendations were presented to the property managers as to where improvement could still be made before certification – this implied conducting various studies to assess metrics such as social or climate risks and opportunities. This meticulous process awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating for both Parts of the BIU assessment.

The categories in which 20 Fenchurch Street scored particularly well were:

Health and Wellbeing
The building achieved an impressive score in the health and wellbeing category, highlighting its strong commitment to creating a comfortable and sustainable environment for its occupants. The design maximises natural light throughout the building, with extensive glazed areas that allow users to experience daylight and enjoy unparalleled views across London. Features to control glare from sunlight ensure a comfortable visual environment, and external lighting is designed to meet best practice standards for illuminance, ensuring safe and well-lit outdoor spaces. Furthermore, the building allows its occupants to control the lighting and temperature in their spaces, enhancing comfort. The building is highly accessible, offering features to accommodate users regardless of ability.

Energy Efficiency
All of the building’s lighting is energy-efficient, utilising LED technology and other energy-saving lighting solutions. This has been achieved through a programme of refurbishment and upgrade from the original construction. The building utilises passive design features, such as externally integrated fins to reduce solar gain and limit external glare, as well as advanced systems for heating and cooling, which have been modified and enhanced since original construction. The building was pioneering and trailed systems such as hydrogen fuel cells and advanced chillers, showcasing and acting as a pioneer project.
Building energy use is optimised through variable speed drives for air handling systems, which help manage energy consumption. The systems in place are designed to efficiently heat and cool the building, ensuring that it operates sustainably while providing comfort to its occupants. On-site renewable energy generation, including solar panels integrated into the buildings iconic roof, further contributes to the building’s energy performance, reducing reliance on external energy sources.

Transport
Located in the heart the city of London, 20 Fenchurch Street excels in supporting sustainable transport options. The building is car free and provides excellent cycling facilities, promoting eco-friendly commuting options for tenants and visitors. It is highly connected to public transport, with bus, underground, rail and river boat services all within walking distance, allowing easy access to public transit for those commuting to and from the building and visitors to the sky garden. This combination of features makes the building a highly accessible and sustainable asset in terms of transportation.

Water Management
The building performs exceptionally well in water management. It has incorporated water-saving technologies throughout, including low-flow fixtures in toilets, taps, and showers, as well as water-efficient white goods. In addition, the building has systems in place to capture and reuse greywater water, which reduces its overall water consumption. The building also has automated leak detection systems, ensuring that any potential water loss is quickly identified and addressed. These physical measures are supported by active management of the building, to ensure that water is monitored and reduction targets set and reviewed annually. Water usage is monitored across all floors by the central building management system and results are shared with building occupiers to encourage more sustainable practices.

Land Use and Ecology
The building has taken significant steps to improve its ecological impact, considering it’s highly urban location, contributing positively to local biodiversity. 20 Fenchurch Street has one of the largest green walls in London measuring over 700m2. The green wall is supported by active landscape management which follow sustainable and horticultural good practice. The sky garden itself provides biodiverse landscaping and helps raise awareness to visitors of plant types and their importance. The building therefore has a strong educational focus in the urban environment.

One of the key challenges encountered during the project was compiling and sorting through the extensive documentation provided by both building management and the tenants. This process required careful coordination and attention to detail to ensure that all necessary information was gathered and organised. Thanks to the expertise of our licensed assessor, the process was streamlined and ultimately straightforward. BREEAM’s clear guidelines helped Envision to navigate the complexities of documentation and certification, ensuring that every detail was accounted for. By working collaboratively across teams and with tenants, we were able to portray the value of the project and the overall sustainability goals. The project’s success was a direct result of strong teamwork, innovation, and a shared commitment to sustainability.

Using BREEAM has provided significant benefits to the owners, managers, investors, and occupiers of the building. Achieving an Outstanding certification standard not only demonstrates commitment to sustainability but also enhances the building’s long-term value and appeal in the market. For investors and owners, BREEAM certification provides a tangible return on investment by reducing operational costs, improving energy efficiency, and ensuring a healthier, more productive environment for occupiers. Managers benefit from the framework by being able to align operational strategies with best practices in sustainability, which helps maintain optimal performance over time. BREEAM also fits seamlessly into the building’s future strategy by providing a clear pathway for ongoing improvements and ensuring that sustainability efforts are continuously met through recertification. This alignment with BREEAM criteria helps ensure that 20 Fenchurch Street remains at the forefront of best practice. The reputational and operational benefits from BREEAM certification are undeniable, providing long-term value both financially and in terms of occupier satisfaction.

20 Fenchurch Street has been shortlisted for the BREEAM In-Use Commercial award, part of The BREEAM Awards 2025. This is a great achievement that recognises the Outstanding performance of the building.