The Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton; “The new Kingston Campus is a fantastic investment in our borough, bringing high-quality jobs, supporting local businesses and reinforcing Kingston’s reputation as a vibrant hub for innovation and growth. It’s great to see such a vote of confidence from a global company like Unilever continuing to back our community and contribute to the local economy.”
Sunlight House is named to reflect Unilever’s heritage. Over a century ago founder William Lever built the company’s first factory in Port Sunlight in the Wirral, to make its famous Sunlight Soap. Today, Unilever is one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world, and its brands in the UK include Dove, Sure, Vaseline, Persil, Cif, Domestos, TRESémme, Hellmann’s and Marmite. The new office has been designed to bring these brands to life, with home kitchens and bathrooms, which will help to test products and create content.
Employees based at the campus will benefit from facilities including a 250-seater auditorium, gym and exercise studio sponsored by Sure deodorant, a hair salon to showcase its TRÉSemme and Dove Hair brands, market hall restaurant and staff shop.
Sustainability is built into every aspect of the building, with extensive use of reused and low-carbon materials, including refurbished furniture and innovative finishes made from recycled textiles, to cut waste and reduce carbon. The building’s steel structure alone delivers 100 tonnes of embodied carbon savings. Features such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting and water-efficient systems further reduce resource use, with the Campus designed to use 40% less water than comparable buildings.
Sunlight House is also leading in inclusive and accessible design. Every workstation is fully wheelchair accessible - far exceeding typical office standards – and inclusive design is integrated into everyday use, from accessible tea points and controls to colour contrast features and easy-grip fittings. The building supports a wide range of working styles through flexible, thoughtfully designed spaces, to create an environment that supports neurodivergent needs.
Sitting in the heart of Kingston’s town centre, the Campus is designed to reflect its place. The building features public art, Flow, designed by local artist duo Clarke + Scholes to reflect Kingston’s historic relationship with the Thames and its long tradition of salmon fishing. It also features a detailed visual map of Kingston by artist Ian Wornast, alongside new pieces created with local students.
The project was delivered in partnership with architects Perkins & Will, construction partner Overbury, and project management, cost management and sustainability consultants Mace Consult. It is targeting Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), as well as a Platinum WELL score and an EPC ‘A’ rating, in recognition of its industry-leading credentials in sustainability, employee wellbeing and design innovation. Achieving Platinum in LEED and WELL would make the Campus one of the first UK workplaces to hold both of these global accreditations at the highest level.
This year has seen the completion of a number of significant investments for Unilever in the UK. As well as the new Kingston HQ, Unilever completed £150m of investment in advanced manufacturing and a new high-tech distribution centre in Port Sunlight in May.
Alice Taylor, Head of HR for Unilever UK and Ireland, and Site Lead for Kingston, commented: “The opening of our new Campus marks an exciting new chapter for Unilever in the UK and reaffirms our commitment to Kingston, where we have had a presence for more than 50 years. Sunlight House certainly delivers on our ambition to create a creative space for our brands, to reduce our environmental impact and support our people’s wellbeing.
“I am proud that, with our partners, we have created an incredible space for our teams and wider network of retail customer and partners to work together.”
