Elder Yard, British Land

Elder Yard forms part of British Land's Norton Folgate development in Spitalfields, where heritage meets high performance. This contemporary workspace spans seven floors across multiple levels, combining an original Victorian warehouse with brand new office buildings. Dodds and Shute specified and procured the furniture and fittings for the fully fitted Work Ready spaces, working in collaboration with Universal Design Studio and QOB Interiors to deliver workspaces that support every mode of working.

The furniture specification reflects the building's commitment to sustainability and craft. We sourced a considered mix of pieces from established manufacturers alongside carefully selected vintage items. The scheme features cherry wood Wooden Dowel Tables throughout the meeting rooms and boardrooms, hand-loomed and hand-tufted wool rugs, and upholstery in durable, high-performance fabrics including Kvadrat textiles with recycled content. The building targets BREEAM 'Excellent' certification and achieves 57% lower upfront embodied carbon than industry benchmarks.

Photography by Felix Speller

Client

British Land

Project Date

2025

Size

74,823 sq ft

Location

Spitalfields, London

Altar Dining Table

Amanta Armchair

Product Feature

Vintage Amanta Armchairs

Amanta armchairs by Mario Bellini were carefully reupholstered in Astrid fabrics, extending the life of an iconic 1970s design while bringing it into a contemporary workplace setting. By reusing and reworking existing pieces rather than specifying new, the project reduces material impact while celebrating craft, longevity and design heritage. The updated upholstery offers improved durability and comfort, ensuring the chairs remain fit for high-use, Work Ready spaces without compromising their original character.

Solid Oak Communal Tables

The Altar and Brix tables form the backbone of shared spaces throughout Elder Yard. Crafted from solid oak with natural oil or low-VOC finishes, these large-format tables are designed for longevity, repair and refinishing rather than replacement. Timber furniture with minimal processing carries a significantly lower embodied carbon footprint and supports circular use over decades, not years.

FLW Lounge Chairs with Recycled Upholstery

Used extensively across lounge and breakout areas, these chairs combine European ash frames from responsibly managed sources with Kvadrat Guest fabric made from 100% recycled material. The high-durability specification of 100,000 Martindale reduces replacement cycles, balancing comfort and commercial resilience with material responsibility. Recycled textiles in high-use seating dramatically reduce raw material demand while maintaining performance standards.