Grosvenor named AJ100 Client of the Year

Grosvenor wins the 2023 Client of the Year award for its all-round commitment to climate action and CO₂ reduction. This includes the creation of a net zero mentoring programme to upskill its suppliers.

Last year Grosvenor became the first European property company to have its long-term net zero targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It also reported a 24 per cent reduction in emissions across all scopes over a two-year period, and aims to reduce its entire carbon footprint by at least 90 per cent by 2040 (from a 2019 base year) to reach net zero. Grosvenor has created a free Net Zero Mentoring programme to help its SME suppliers map and reduce their carbon emissions and set their own science-based targets.

The Ice Factory, a remodelling and extension of a former industrial building in Belgravia for a mix of uses

Both nominating practices praised Grosvenor’s proactive approach. ‘We think that Grosvenor lead the way and encourage other developers to do better,’ said Buckley Gray Yeoman, which participated in the mentoring programme and has now calculated its own Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. BGY also praised Grosvenor for championing good design, supporting innovation, and paying on time – ‘a small but supportive trait for an SME client’. Current projects include the Ice Factory, a remodelling and extension of a former industrial building in Belgravia for a mix of uses.

Barr Gazetas has worked with Grosvenor for more than 10 years.

‘They are mentors and leaders who push boundaries and challenge the project teams to achieve outstanding results at every step of the process,’ says the practice. ‘Their commitment to a sustainable future, and to inclusive and diverse spaces and communities, challenges us (in a good way) and makes us strive to do better in every aspect.’

Barr Gazetas recently completed Holbein Gardens in London’s Sloane Square for Grosvenor. The retrofit is the first net zero development as defined by the UK Green Building Council, and is the winner of the 2023 WasteBuild Zero Award for commercial buildings.

Six other clients were shortlisted for AJ100 Client of the Year. These included three from the public sector – London Borough of Waltham Forest, Scottish Prison Service and Historic England – and developers MEPC and The Office Group. The shortlist was completed by Nick Starr at the London Theatre Company, a long-time repeat client of nominator Haworth Tompkins.

AJ100 Client of the Year was judged by the AJ editorial team