Strata SE1, nicknamed the "Razor", is a 148-meter, 43-story residential building in London completed in 2010 at a cost of over 113 million pounds. It contains over 1,000 residents in its 408 flats. Notable features include wind turbines that generate electricity for common areas, exceeding sustainability regulations by 13% and reducing carbon emissions by 15% compared to standards. During construction, a worker was killed in an accident at the previous building on the site.

1. STRATA SE1 ( THE RAZOR )

2. Strata SE1, nicknamed "Razor" or "Electric Razor", is a 148-metre (486 ft), 43-storey building
at Elephant and Castle in the London Borough of Southwark in London. Designed by BFLS (formerly
Hamiltons), it is one of the tallest residential buildings in London and more than 1,000 residents live in
its 408 flats.
Status Complete
Type Residential
Construction started 2007
Completed 2010
Cost Over 113 million pounds
Height ( Roof ) 148 m. ( 486 ft. )
Floor counts 43
Floor area 3,06,000 sq. Ft.
Lifts 4
Architect BFLS
Developer Brookfield Europe
Structural engineer WSP – structural, M&E Engineer
THE BUILDING
Strata SE1 is located on the site of Castle House, an early 1960s six-storey office building, which was the first
commercial premises at the newly rebuilt Elephant and Castle. When completed, Castle House was warmly
received. The Architects’ Journal in August 1962 found "little to criticise and much to praise and until New
Zealand House is completed it is possibly one of the best examples for anyone wanting to look at a good office
block in London."
25% of the building's flats have been sold by Family Mosaic Housing Association for shared-ownership sale.
These consist of the "Esprit Apartments" — located on floors 2–10 of the tower — and a further nine flats in
the adjacent "Pavilion", a three-storey structure located to the west of the tower and earmarked for former
residents of the nearby Heygate Estate.

3. Each floor of the affordable area comprises 10 flats (equally divided between one and two-bedroom flats),
while each floor above the 10th floor contains 11 flats in a mixture of studios, one-bedroom flats, two-bedroom
flats, and three-bedroom flats to a total of 310 units.
Only the open-market flats have access to car-parking (in the basement of the building). The 39th floor features
a "Sky Lobby" (a small corridor with a view over central London), while the living area is topped by a £2.5m
three-bedroom duplex penthouse. The ground floor comprises two commercial units. A third one is located in
the Pavilion, along with a "kiosk". All three remain unoccupied.
The top of the building features three wind turbines.
The building has its own extranet site, named "inhabit".
The one-level basement of the building contains a secure car park and 437 bicycle storage places.
The building features prominently in the science-fiction novel, Ice Diaries, by Lexi Revillian.
CONSTRUCTION
The core rising in June 2008.

4. The current tower was first proposed in 2005; construction began in 2007 and was completed in June 2010. The
cost is estimated at £113.5 million. The building was 'topped out' in June 2009
ceremony were over 70 senior members of London’s business community including Sir
Mayor for Policy and Planning, Cllr
Southwark and Bermondsey, Simon Hughes
During the demolition of Castle House to clear land for Strata, a construction worker, John Walker, 33, father
of two was killed when a roof collapsed on him
Ltd, which was served with a Prohibition Notice by the Health & Safety Executive. An inquest was due to be
held at Inner London South Coroner's Court
hundred thousand pounds as a result of their negligence
Typical Floor Plan
The current tower was first proposed in 2005; construction began in 2007 and was completed in June 2010. The
cost is estimated at £113.5 million. The building was 'topped out' in June 2009
ceremony were over 70 senior members of London’s business community including Sir
cy and Planning, CllrNick Stanton, Leader of Southwark Council and then MP for North
Simon Hughes. The turbines were installed in May 2010.
During the demolition of Castle House to clear land for Strata, a construction worker, John Walker, 33, father
of two was killed when a roof collapsed on him. He was employed by 777 Demolition and Haulage Company
Ltd, which was served with a Prohibition Notice by the Health & Safety Executive. An inquest was due to be
held at Inner London South Coroner's Court. In November 2015, both companies were fined by the several
hundred thousand pounds as a result of their negligence.
The current tower was first proposed in 2005; construction began in 2007 and was completed in June 2010. The
cost is estimated at £113.5 million. The building was 'topped out' in June 2009. Attended the topping out
ceremony were over 70 senior members of London’s business community including Sir Simon Milton, Deputy
, Leader of Southwark Council and then MP for North
The turbines were installed in May 2010.
During the demolition of Castle House to clear land for Strata, a construction worker, John Walker, 33, father
777 Demolition and Haulage Company
Ltd, which was served with a Prohibition Notice by the Health & Safety Executive. An inquest was due to be
In November 2015, both companies were fined by the several

5. Lobby

6. SUSTAINABILITY
Strata SE1 is one of the first buildings in the world to incorporate wind turbines as part of its structure. Randoll,
the engineering consultancy involved with the Bahrain World Trade Center, which also features wind turbines,
was involved in the project.
The three 9-metre (30 ft) wind turbines at the top of the building are rated at 19 kW each and are anticipated to
produce a combined 50MWh of electricity per year. They are expected to generate sufficient energy to provide
power for the common areas of the building (8% of the energy needs of the building), although questions about
their real efficiency will remain unanswered until the completion of two years of comprehensive wind data
analysis.
The building exceeds by 13% the current UK regulations relating to sustainability, whilst overall carbon
emissions are expected to be 15% lower than the Mayor of London's good practice benchmark. The developers
claim that the building will achieve 2050 CO2 target emissions and that (with the Multi-Utility Services
Company in place in the area) it will achieve a predicted 73.5% reduction in CO2 emissions when measured
against the Building Regulations benchmark.
Featured on-site is a combined heat and power system to provide sustainable power generation, with a
provision for the collection of rainwater for re-use. The energy costs per flat are envisaged to be up to 40% less
than Britain's typical housing average. The building is clad in a "bespoke high thermal performing facade" with
an air permeability leakage rate that is apparently 50% better than current building regulations.
Wind turbines