Elshaw House, Sheffield’s first zero carbon ready office, marked an important construction milestone this week with the building reaching its peak height.

A key part Heart of the City – a city centre development programme being led by Sheffield City Council and its Strategic Development Partner, Queensberry – Elshaw House is between Wellington Street, Carver Street and Backfields.

The office’s industrial-styled metal frame, which has now reached its highest point, will incorporate about 70,000 sq ft of workspace over seven floors. The ground floor will house new retail and food and beverage units.

Decarbonisation of the grid will ultimately make the building, which is designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, an operationally carbon zero workspace.

To celebrate Heart of the City’s latest milestone, Sheffield City Council welcomed key representatives from Queensberry, Henry Boot Construction and Turner & Townsend for a tour of the site, along with a topping-out ceremony.

Kate Martin, executive director, City Futures at Sheffield City Council, said: “It’s great to see the progress being made on Elshaw House.

“Heart of the City is committed to a green and sustainable future. This will the most sustainable office in Sheffield and will continue to grow the new business district at the heart of our city centre.”

Andrew Davison, project director at Queensberry, said: “We are looking forward to seeing Elshaw House complete next year.

“The building is already years ahead of current practice, with predicted performance close to expected 2035-2050 standards. It sets the bar for new offices in Sheffield – delivering a blueprint for more sustainable, innovative and flexible workspaces.”

Richard Jackson, principal engineer for Arup, said: “I am really proud of what is being achieved with Elshaw House, using cutting edge building design techniques to create a building that is highly energy efficient and future ready whilst creating spaces that are modern, flexible and controlled by the people that use them.”

The office space, which will be ready for occupation in spring 2023, is set to hit the market in the coming weeks.

This Heart of the City site is also seeing ongoing construction of Cambridge Street Collective, a new food hall and restaurant destination, Bethel Chapel, a live music venue, and Leah’s Yard, a hub for independent retailers and creative workshops.