GOOGLE HQ
KINGS CROSS, KGX1

Google HQ – King’s Cross, London 

Grey Water Recycling & Water Reuse Systems Case Study 

Project Overview 

Google’s new UK headquarters at King’s Cross, London — often referred to as the “landscraper” due to its 330m length — is one of the largest and most technically ambitious commercial office developments in Europe. Located adjacent to King’s Cross Station within London’s Knowledge Quarter, the 11-storey development has been designed by Heatherwick Studio and BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) as Google’s first wholly owned and purpose-built campus outside the United States.

The building provides approximately 80,000m²–90,000m² of premium office accommodation with capacity for up to 7,000 staff, incorporating extensive wellness facilities, landscaped roof gardens, sports amenities and high-performance sustainable building systems. Project values reported publicly are in excess of £1 billion.

Water Reuse & Sustainability Scope 

As part of the project’s wider sustainability and water reduction strategy, three independent grey water treatment systems were delivered across Core 1, Core 4 and Core 5 of the development. 

The systems were designed to recover and treat grey water for non-potable reuse applications within the building, significantly reducing mains water demand and supporting the project’s environmental performance targets.

Installed Treatment Systems 

• 3 No. Grey Water Treatment Plants 
• Combined treatment capacity: 70m³/day 
• Treatment technology: Hollow Fibre Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) 

Engineering Solution 

The treatment plants utilise advanced hollow fibre membrane bioreactor technology to provide high-quality treated effluent suitable for non-potable reuse applications within a high-occupancy commercial environment. 

The systems were engineered to deliver: 

• High treatment efficiency 
• Compact plant footprint 
• Operational resilience 
• Low suspended solids and turbidity levels 
• Reduced maintenance requirements 
• Reliable long-term performance under variable loading conditions 

The membrane bioreactor process combines biological treatment with ultrafiltration membrane separation, enabling consistent water quality performance whilst maintaining a compact installation footprint — a key requirement within constrained central London plant spaces. 

Project Engineering Considerations 

The grey water systems were designed and coordinated to integrate within a highly complex building services environment on one of London’s most technically demanding commercial developments. 

Key engineering challenges included: 

• Integration within multi-core high-rise infrastructure 
• Coordination with complex MEP service routes 
• Restricted plantroom access and spatial constraints 
• Phased construction and commissioning interfaces 
• High resilience and operational continuity requirements 
• Compliance with stringent sustainability and water reuse standards 

The systems were developed to support the building’s wider environmental objectives, contributing toward reduced potable water consumption and enhanced operational sustainability. 

Technical Highlights 

Google UK Headquarters, King’s Cross 

Building Type Commercial Headquarters Campus 

Approximate Building Size ~80,000m²+ 

Project Value ~£1bn 

Treatment Systems 3 No. Grey Water Recycling Plants 

Plant Locations Core 1, Core 4 & Core 5 

Combined Capacity 70m³/day 

Treatment Process Hollow Fibre Membrane Bioreactor