In response, an in-depth optioneering exercise took place that assessed a range of criteria such as whole life carbon, quality of space, biodiversity, and longevity. The resulting design prioritises minimising its embodied carbon, maximising its energy efficiency, and providing the highest quality of workspace and amenity.

With its varying size of floor plates, the building is adaptable to cater for a range of office requirements and tenants and ensuring efficient and comfortable internal conditions. This, alongside maximising the opportunity for external green spaces, contribute to the ESG credentials of the building and its consideration of health and wellness in the workplace.

Located nearby Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, the design's southern aspect is designed to engage positively with this Grade I Listed site. Through carefully planned terraces and external spaces, the design sensitively steps down and reducing its visual impact whilst providing premium tenant amenities. The stepped form echoes the human form, with Classic House's existing height and mass serving as the shoulders from which the plinth rises.

Th design for 180 Old Street looks to respond to the character of the area, addressing the quality of the building at street level, through enhanced pedestrian routes and a vibrant public realm that integrates with the urban fabric of the Old Street/Clerkenwell area.