Eden wins prestigious British Council for Offices Award for ESG Excellence

Eden, the striking office development on Irwell Street, Salford, has won both National and Regional awards for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) innovation at the prestigious British Council for Offices Awards 2025.

Celebrated as Europe’s greenest commercial building, Eden features a 3,300m² living wall with 350,000 plants, delivering a 174% biodiversity net gain. With local employment, community partnerships, and sustainable design at its core, Eden sets a new benchmark for responsible development—proving that environmental leadership and commercial success can go hand in hand.

The building, delivered by ECF – the partnership between MUSE, Legal and General and Homes England – sits within the wider Salford Crescent masterplan and has attracted  tenants including law firm TLT and Accountancy firm BDO, who together host over 600 staff in this stunning setting, supporting their ESG credentials.  

Eden is the UK’s first commercial office to achieve a 5.5 star NABERS UK sustainability rating and is one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in the UK, with a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and EPC ‘A’ Ratings, all helping running costs to be 60% cheaper than a traditional office. 

The development has also had a strong social value impact, with the  ground floor being a base for coffee vendor Spice and Grind, a local independent business, who originally started from a horsebox. Collaborations with Salford City Council led to active travel initiatives including dedicated cycle lanes and end of trip facilities, with 156 cycle spaces, whilst community engagement was important when the building was developed, for example through engagement with schools,  use of local labour, support for apprenticeship programmes and responsible sourcing. 

By prioritising low-carbon strategies and fostering community wellbeing, the judges said Eden sets a benchmark for new build ESG-led commercial developments, demonstrating that sustainability, inclusivity and economic viability can work hand in hand, commenting that Eden was a deserving winner of the BCO’s national ESG award. 

Managing agents for the building are JLL and OBI.  

For further information on Eden, including floorplans and availability, please visit the website.