76 Southbank, London

Drought Mitigation

SDS supports heritage-led regeneration on Southbank through intelligent rainwater management

Overview

The redevelopment of 76 Southbank is transforming IBM’s former London headquarters into a modern, low-carbon mixed-use destination while preserving one of the final major works of renowned architect Sir Denys Lasdun. The Grade II listed building, completed in 1985 and located within the South Bank Conservation Area, is being refurbished and extended to provide approximately 300,000ft² of high-quality office, retail and public realm space.

SDS was appointed to deliver a smart rainwater management solution that would support the project’s sustainability goals by reducing mains water consumption and providing a reliable source of irrigation water for the landscaped public spaces surrounding the development.

What We Did

The project required a rainwater harvesting system capable of operating within the constraints of a listed building, integrating seamlessly with the wider Building Management System (BMS), and ensuring reliable year-round irrigation performance.

SDS installed an Intellistorm® smart rainwater management system connected to a basement storage tank that collects runoff from the building roof. The system automatically monitors water levels, maximises rainwater reuse for landscape irrigation and diverts excess water when storage capacity is reached, helping to prevent flooding while maintaining optimal operational performance. Full integration with the building’s BMS provides facilities managers with real-time visibility of system performance, water reuse volumes and operational alerts.

Results

The completed system reduces reliance on mains water, supports the long-term health of landscaped areas and contributes to the wider environmental objectives of this landmark regeneration project. By combining intelligent control, automated monitoring and seamless BMS integration, Intellistorm® ensures harvested rainwater is used as efficiently as possible while maintaining resilience during both wet and dry weather conditions.

The project demonstrates how smart water management technology can be successfully incorporated into complex heritage-led developments, helping to balance sustainability, operational performance and architectural preservation in one of London’s most prominent urban regeneration schemes.

Integrating modern environmental systems into a Grade II listed building requires solutions that are both technically robust and sensitive to context. The Intellistorm® system provides a discreet, reliable way of managing rainwater reuse while integrating seamlessly with the building’s wider management systems. It supports our customer’s sustainability ambitions without compromising the architectural integrity of this important Southbank landmark.

– Dr Neil Sewell, Director of New Technology Systems, SDS Infrustructure