980 Great West Road transforms the former GlaxoSmithKline campus, once an isolated corporate enclave, into an open, inclusive and sustainable new neighbourhood for Brentford.
Spanning 13 acres along the Golden Mile, this pioneering project will deliver over 2,300 new homes across a range of tenures, from Build to Rent and Co-living to Purpose-Built Student Accommodation and 35% affordable housing, alongside 330,000 sq ft of commercial and community space. Together, these create a dynamic, mixed-use environment where people can live, work and play in close proximity.
At the heart of the scheme lies a reuse-first approach, retaining the basement and substructure of the existing GSK building, as well as key architectural elements such as the tower. This approach saves tens of thousands of tonnes of embodied carbon while shaping a bold and distinctive new skyline.
980 Great West Road is led by Haworth Tompkins as masterplanner, with Studio Egret West, as plot architect, and leading the landscape and public realm for the wider masterplan. Sixty percent of the site is publicly accessible open space, including 6,320 sqm of designated play areas that knits into a wider strategy forming a 1.25 km play loop into Boston Manor Park. Together with the direct riverside access to promote wellbeing, connectivity and biodiversity.
Studio Egret West are leading the design of the retained tower, transforming it into a vibrant residential landmark with generously proportioned homes, shared amenity spaces, and a rooftop conservatory overlooking the evolving Brentford landscape.
This is a place designed to heal and reconnect, opening up a once-private campus to the public, celebrating nature and diversity, and reimagining Brentford’s relationship with its river, park, and community.
Studio Egret West is leading the design of the retained landmark tower.
Rooftop conservatory at the top of retained tower
Studio Egret West's Plot F - affordable housing
Storyboard of Play Area experience
Storyboard of The Underside experience
Storyboard of the connecting public spaces
Illustrative Aerial sketch
Sustainability
980 Great West Road sets a new benchmark for circular, community-focused regeneration. By retaining and repurposing key building structures, the scheme is expected to save over 34,000 tonnes of embodied carbon, avoiding approximately 12,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
A circular economy strategy underpins every layer of design, from an energy centre built using reclaimed materials to a soft-strip process that achieved 99% diversion from landfill. The reused basement will accommodate low-carbon logistics and mobility, freeing the ground level for people, play, and planting.
Social value runs alongside environmental performance. Over 2,300 homes, including policy-compliant affordable housing, are supported by a new health centre, nursery, and community facilities, ensuring the place delivers long-term value for Brentford’s residents and businesses alike.
As the Great West Road marks its centenary, this regeneration looks ahead to the next 100 years, celebrating Brentford’s legacy of innovation while shaping a more inclusive, sustainable, and connected future for generations to come.
Gateway Axis
Underside - activated during the day
Underside - activated at night time
Awards
Key Project Contacts
