We were asked by our client Columbia Threadneedle Investments to design a 1200sq.m Category A refurbishment that joined two existing office buildings in a central London Conservation Area.
Our design involves the insertion of a new lift core and glazed courtyard to link the two offices together, creating larger open plan floorplates. Externally the existing façade was enhanced with a specialist paint treatment, new entrance canopies were added and all windows were replaced with slim aluminium glazing designed to be openable, allowing tenants control over natural ventilation.
Internally the building has become fully accessible and we have inserted facilities such as showers, bicycle storage and a complete M&E services upgrade. We also provided a full interior design service to the client, choosing to express the original steel structure and to use a simple material palette of reclaimed timber and ceramics that reflect the industrial character of the area.
The construction involved a complicated structural ‘cut and carve’ to relocate the central core and lifts, in order to provide improved space utilisation on each floor as well as a new glazed walkway to link the front and rear buildings, enclosing the previous external courtyard.
Winner, AJ Retrofit Awards
