The St James Brand (Now Part of the Berkeley Brand)

A Brand With a Reputation for Brownfield Development

St James was established in 1996 as a joint venture with Thames Water, created specifically to regenerate redundant waterworks and other brownfield land across London and the South East.

Over the following two decades, the company became known as a design conscious developer with a strong focus on transforming challenging former industrial sites into sustainable, high-quality places to live. These developments not only delivered desirable homes but also made a positive contribution to local landscapes, communities and the natural environment

What St James Was Known For

Sustainability sat at the heart of the St James philosophy. As part of the Berkeley Group, St James was a leader in sustainable development, with standards continually raised through the Group’s long-term business strategy, Our Vision.

The Berkeley Group received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development twice: first in 2008, and again in 2014, recognising five years of continuous achievement in sustainable placemaking and environmental responsibility. It has also won the What House? Award over multiple years from 2014 – 2025 for several of their developments.

The St James Legacy

The legacy of St James can be seen across London and the South of England in the form of high-quality mixed-use developments, award-winning architecture, and thriving regenerated neighbourhoods. The company specialised in unlocking complex brownfield sites and delivering residential led schemes with a strong sense of place, carefully integrating homes, community facilities, commercial space and public realm.

St James also played a major role in shaping central London’s riverside, replacing former industrial areas with vibrant communities — a contribution consistently highlighted by both the Berkeley Group and industry commentators.

Key Developments Included:

• White City Living: A major West London regeneration project and one of St James’s most successful schemes
• Albert Embankment: Delivered 3 sites designed by globally acclaimed architects, transforming the skyline on this central stretch of the River Thames
• Riverlight: This site was integral to the Nine Elms regeneration which is continuing today
• Roehampton House: 24 luxury properties within an exceptional grade I listed building

Track Record and Impact

• Delivered approximately 5,000 homes in its first decade of operation
• Transformed major brownfield sites including former reservoirs, redundant waterworks and gasworks
• Recognised for shaping the modern regeneration of central London’s riverside neighbourhoods
• Contributed significantly to Berkeley Group’s expansion in mixed-use and regeneration led development
• Consistently delivered design led developments with strong environmental credentials, supported by the Berkeley Our Vision initiative

Recognised for Architecture and Design

Merano Residences by St James was the only major residential developer project to receive a 2019 RIBA National Award, selected from the RIBA London Award winners.

This award recognises the best architecture completed in the past 12 months. The scheme was selected from the RIBA London award winners.

Merano was selected thanks to its design, delivering St James's vision that judges described as a 'mixed-use development of the highest architectural quality'. With its clear attention to detail and honest approach to the structure and materials, the award celebrates its distinct presence along the Albert Embankment - offering maximum views and daylight, whilst also responding to a variety of potential challenges, from its features to mitigate rail noise to the clever use of limited space.