CULLINAN STUDIO FOUNDRY (CULLINAN STUDIO OFFICES)

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1 FOUNDRY ( OFFICES) Location: Islington, London, UK Client: Cullinan Studio Started on site: October 20 Completed: September 202 Size: 78sqm (GIA) Construction cost:.m Awards: RICS London Awards - Design Through Innovation AJ Retrofit Awards - Offices Under m BREEAM rating: Excellent Our new canal-side offices at the demonstrate beautifully that retrofit can be as elegant and energy efficient as anything new. In 202 we moved into our new studios after radically transforming a dilapidated 9th century warehouse on the Regent s Canal in Islington. Our brief was for a mixed-use development: half the building was to be refurbished to become the practice s new low energy offices over two floors, with rentable office space above; and the other half demolished and replaced by 2 two-bedroom apartments. We have created a beautiful and efficient workplace for ourselves proving that retrofit can be as inspiring as new-build but we are also using our first-hand experience of running a newly completed building as a research exercise. What we learn from investigating how users interact with their building after handover will be put to good use in our future projects. Context The three-storey Victorian warehouse building that has become the is located on a narrow south-facing stretch of towpath along the Regent s Canal. It falls within a conservation area and both the south brick wall facing the canal and the original timber roof trusses are locally listed. Our design responds to the building s canal-side setting and the listed structural elements that had to be retained. An added complication was that the south brick wall was leaning by 20mm from bottom to top towards the canal and significant structural works were needed to arrest movement. Above: Open plan studios on the first floor with original roof trusses retained. Photo@Tim Soar. Above: An inserted steel frame interacts with the existing Victorian structure. Photo@Tim Soar. Above: Ground floor meeting room. Photo Tim Soar. Facing page: The void against the canal wall creates a connection between the ground and lower ground floor studio spaces. Photo Tim Soar.

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3 Creativity The first and decisive intervention for the retrofit was a response to the constraints of the existing building: the leaning and locally listed south wall that needed stabilising, and its doubleheight windows. The structural solution that we devised was to insert a steel frame that interacts with the original Victorian steel frame and masonry. This stabilises the existing building fabric, including the south wall, and also supports the listed timber trusses. Above: A continuous band of glazing to the first floor allows plenty of daylight into the studio space. Photo@Tim Soar. Steel shear walls articulate the two circulation zones that frame the studio spaces. A horizontal truss, with intermediate supports, spans between the shear walls, supporting the failing south wall and creating a void against it. This allowed the double-height windows to remain largely as they were. The street entrance on the ground floor opens into a mezzanine level office that looks down into a communal kitchen and more office space which is level with the canal. The double-height windows enlarged as much as possible within the constraints of conservation guidance provide light, ventilation and views onto the canal. Above: The first floor glazing is hung from the new steel frame which supports the listed trusses. Photo@Tim Soar. The first floor is self contained and open plan, leaving the assembly of existing roof trusses undisturbed. The first floor has a particularly generous amount of daylight and cross ventilation. This was achieved by cutting the existing north wall off at first floor sill level, and hanging a continuous band of glazing from the new steel frame. Climate Tackling energy efficiency in existing buildings is critical. We took a fabric first approach at the and it leads the way for low energy retrofit. Although new foundations were laid to support the south wall, the fabric was retained and almost 80 per cent of the existing building was re-used. The building has been refurbished to BREEAM excellent standard. This represents a significant upgrade to the building s environmental performance before refurbishment. Above: The open plan studio space enables internal communication between project teams to be direct and effective. Photo@Tim Soar. The walls, roof and floors are highly insulated: for the north and south walls a thick layer of blown recycled newspaper was used. After maximising insulation, and providing as much natural light and ventilation as possible, we employed low energy technologies to provide space heating and energy generation. An air source heat pump provides domestic hot water and underfloor heating. Photovoltaic panels on the south slopes of the roof generate electricity, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery services the toilets. These systems are controlled through a Building Management System, and energy performance and space temperatures are monitored through an internet-based dashboard. Above: Cullinan Studio having Friday lunch in the kitchen area. The lunch is prepared each week by a different member of the team. Photo@Tim Soar.

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5 2 T0WPATH Above: First Floor Plan TOWPATH Above: Ground (Street) Floor Plan 6 7 TOWPATH Above: Lower Ground (Canal) Floor Plan 2 6 Open plan studio Meeting room Lift Stair Project storage/display Main entrance 7 Entrance lobby 8 Cycle entrance 9 Cycle storage 0 Reading/display shelf Void 2 Archive vault Kitchen Lunch/event space Plant room 6 WCs/shower 7 Server room