Historic Whitehall office recognised for inclusive design

A refurbished government office in Whitehall has received an industry award for accessibility, according to the Government Property Agency (GPA). The GPA said its hub at 22–26 Whitehall had been awarded Inclusive Environments Recognition by the Construction Industry Council, in acknowledgement of its approach to inclusive design in a historic setting. The building brings together the Grade I listed Ripley Building with the adjoining Kirkland Building and is now used as the London headquarters for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The site forms part of the government’s wider strategy to rationalise its estate and create shared workplaces for civil servants.

The recognition follows a programme of refurbishment completed in 2025. The work was intended to modernise the building while maintaining its historic character, with a particular focus on improving accessibility for a wide range of users.

According to the GPA, the project introduced step free access throughout the building, alongside power assisted doors and improved circulation routes. Accessible showers and changing facilities were also added, as well as upgraded welfare provision.

The workspace itself includes a range of settings designed to accommodate different ways of working. These include height adjustable desks, meeting rooms and quieter areas intended to support concentration. The agency said these changes were designed to support both individual and collaborative work.

The Inclusive Environments Recognition scheme, run by the Construction Industry Council, assesses how well buildings meet the needs of people with a broad range of physical, sensory and cognitive requirements. The GPA said the award reflects the way accessibility had been integrated into the design and delivery of the refurbishment.

The agency also noted that this is the first time one of its listed buildings has received the accreditation. Adapting heritage buildings to meet current standards can present technical and regulatory challenges, particularly in central government locations where many offices are historically significant.

The Whitehall hub is part of the Government Hubs Programme, which aims to consolidate government departments into a smaller number of shared offices across the UK. The programme is intended to reduce the size of the government estate and support more flexible use of space.

The GPA is responsible for managing and transforming the civil service estate, including the delivery of new hubs and the refurbishment of existing buildings.

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