Foxes Invade Google’s Kings Cross HQ

Vulpine Squatters Claim Prime Real Estate at Google's £1bn London 'Landscraper'

Google is confronting an age-old urban challenge at its futuristic £1bn London headquarters as a colony of foxes has taken up residence. The tech giant’s state-of-the-art building at King’s Cross, a "landscraper" designed for thousands of employees, has found its expansive rooftop garden colonised by the wild animals. This unexpected occupation has persisted for years, presenting a curious intersection of modern architecture and resilient nature.

The incursion of these vulpines into the meticulously planned green space highlights a broader story. It is a narrative about the surprising adaptability of wildlife in dense urban environments. London's estimated 10,000 foxes are a common sight, but their appearance atop a high-security, landmark building is a novel development. The situation raises important questions about how urban development can coexist with the natural world.

An Unexpected Tenancy

The London Centric newsletter first brought the fox presence at the King’s Cross location to public attention. Sources close to the construction later confirmed these reports, describing an ongoing saga that has lasted for three years. The animals have not just been passing through; they have established burrows into the huge quantity of earth, some 40,000 tonnes, that makes up the rooftop park. This has created a persistent, if minor, disruption to the final stages of the building's construction.

One particularly elusive vixen has become a familiar character to those on site. She navigates the building with ease, appearing one moment at the fifth-storey level and the garden level the next. All attempts to capture her have so far been unsuccessful. Her ability to evade capture underscores the cunning nature of these urban survivors. The discovery of fox droppings across the grounds of the structure, a Thomas Heatherwick design, further confirms their settled status.

A New Urban Habitat

The "landscraper," a term coined for its immense length, is a horizontal skyscraper stretching 330 metres. Its eleven stories will have space for as many as 7,000 Google employees. The building is Google's first wholly-owned and designed office outside of the United States, representing a significant investment in the UK. Construction on the nearly 1 million square foot facility began in 2018 and nears completion.

The design, a collaboration between Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), features a vast rooftop garden that extends 300 metres. This multi-level green space spreads across levels seven through eleven and was intentionally designed to support biodiversity. Plans included 250 trees, a path for jogging, and spaces designed to attract bees, bats, and butterflies, making it an urban oasis. The addition of foxes to this ecosystem was, presumably, not part of the original blueprint.

Expert Insights on Urban Foxes

Wildlife experts suggest the foxes' survival is connected to the abundance of resources in the urban landscape. Mosh Latifi, a joint director at the pest management firm EcoCare, believes the animals are likely feeding on rodents. He notes the proximity of rats in any urban setting, stating people are never more than a few metres from one. Construction sites, with discarded meals from workers, also present foraging opportunities for adaptable wildlife.

Another pest control specialist, who chose to remain anonymous, pointed to other potential sustenance sources. Faulty plumbing or perhaps deliberate feeding from nearby businesses might be contributing to the skulk's persistence. They remarked that London offers an expansive area for these animals to roam, emphasizing their ability to thrive almost anywhere. These animals are highly adaptable and have become adept at navigating the challenges and opportunities of city life.

Image Credit - Unilad Tech

A Growing Trend in London

The phenomenon of wildlife inhabiting prominent London landmarks is not entirely new. A notable incident from 2011 involved a fox nicknamed "Romeo" found residing on the 72nd floor of the Shard during its construction. He sustained himself on discarded food that the construction team had left before being safely captured and released. Romeo's story captured public imagination and he has since been immortalised in a children's book and a wooden sculpture.

These incidents are part of a larger pattern of urban wildlife adapting to London's ever-changing landscape. As the city grows, green spaces become more fragmented, pushing animals into closer contact with human environments. Rooftop gardens, increasingly popular in London for their environmental and aesthetic benefits, create new habitats for a variety of species, from bees to birds, and now, evidently, foxes.

Corporate Encounters with Wildlife

Google's experience is not unique among technology corporations. Facebook's main office in Menlo Park, within the San Francisco Bay Area, also became home to a skulk of grey foxes. The company embraced their new residents, who were first spotted in the campus Zen garden. The "Facebook Foxes" became so popular they were given their own social media page and were even honoured with their own collection of stickers for the Messenger application.

This positive response contrasts with the more practical challenges faced at the King’s Cross site. While Google has downplayed the impact of the foxes on construction, their continued presence necessitates a management strategy. The company has stated that observing foxes near development zones is a frequent occurrence and the animals' visits were always fleeting, causing minimal disruption. A search on their own engine suggests removing food sources and securing fencing as primary deterrents.

The Architectural Vision of King's Cross

The Google headquarters is a central component of the wider King's Cross redevelopment, one of Europe's largest urban regeneration projects. The area has transformed from a post-industrial landscape into a thriving hub for technology and creativity. The "landscraper" itself is an architectural marvel, designed to be a "piece of infrastructure" that reflects the collision of different building types in the area.

The design prioritises flexibility and connection, with cascading work environments across multiple floors. It also aims for a high standard of sustainability, with features like solar shading and advanced energy efficiency systems. The ground floor will include retail spaces to integrate the building into the local community. The entire project demonstrates faith in London's future as a global tech hub.

A Vote of Confidence

A major construction achievement was celebrated in 2022 with a topping-off event. Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan, who serves as London's mayor, were among the notable guests. Both politicians lauded the project as a significant investment in London's economy and its burgeoning tech sector. Khan described it as a significant show of faith in the city.

Starmer, also a local resident, praised the development for its potential to create sustainable jobs and contribute to the community. The building is seen as a symbol of what can be achieved through partnership between the public and private sectors. The project's ambition is matched by its scale, promising to be a significant landmark in the King's Cross area for decades to come.

Living Alongside Urban Wildlife

Vulpines appearing at the Google building serve as a potent reminder of nature's persistence. While often seen as a nuisance, urban foxes play a role in the city's ecosystem, often helping to control the rat population. Experts argue that culling foxes is often a futile exercise, as another animal will quickly move in to occupy the vacant territory.

Humane deterrence methods are therefore considered more effective. These can include simple measures like securing rubbish bins, not leaving food outdoors, and using motion-activated sprinklers. The key is to make an area less attractive to them, encouraging them to move to another part of their existing territory without causing them harm. Understanding and adapting to their behaviour is crucial for peaceful coexistence.

London's Green Corridors

London's network of parks, gardens, and other green spaces acts as a series of corridors for wildlife, allowing them to move through the urban landscape. The city is home to over 14,000 species, and initiatives to enhance biodiversity are ongoing. The development of rooftop gardens on commercial buildings is a growing part of this effort, providing valuable new habitats.

These "living roofs" can support a wide range of plants and insects, which in turn support other wildlife. They contribute to a more ecologically resilient city, helping to improve air quality and manage stormwater. The unintended colonisation of Google's rooftop by foxes demonstrates just how effective these man-made habitats can be at attracting wildlife, presenting both opportunities and challenges for urban planners and developers.

The Future of the Landscraper

As construction on the Google "landscraper" wraps up in the coming months, the question of its vulpine residents will need a permanent solution. The tech giant's approach will likely be guided by a desire to balance the needs of its employees with the welfare of the animals. The incident has provided an unexpected case study in urban ecology, played out on one of London's most advanced architectural stages.

The story of the Google foxes is ultimately a story about London itself. It is a city constantly reinventing itself, where the ultra-modern exists alongside the ancient. It is a place where nature is not just confined to parks but can be found in the most unexpected of places, even on the roof of a billion-pound building. The resolution of this furry predicament will be a small but telling chapter in the ongoing narrative of London's urban evolution.