“ The interplay of existing fabric and new material lead to hundreds of bespoke details
for the design team to tackle and celebrate .
When Pearson Lloyd acquired the building in 2017 , it was a mess ; a haphazard collision of old and new , with a mishmash of overlaid alterations and adaptations that had been made over the decades . Part of the Victorian building had been replaced with a modern utilitarian structure some time in the 1990s , likely in response to a fire , leaving 6,000 sq ft of usable – but uninspiring – space . As a former workshop block that had housed an assortment of makers and craftspeople for centuries , it had a heritage that Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd identified with and wished to continue , but it was ill-suited to the needs of a multifaceted 21st-century design studio operating internationally .
The easiest approach would have been to knock it down and start from scratch , but Cassion Castle Architects and Pearson Lloyd agreed that restoring and retrofitting the building – although much more challenging and architecturally complex – would be a far more sustainable , low-carbon approach , as it would preserve the embodied carbon in the existing structure . On average , between a third and a half of a structure ’ s carbon emissions are concentrated in the construction phase , so the reuse of a building has significantly less impact than a new-build .
This determination to minimise environmental impact influenced the design approach from the outset ; Pearson Lloyd and Cassion Castle Architects worked hard to minimise the demolition needed , the potential landfill generated and the new materials introduced . They ensured existing materials were retained or reused wherever possible , repurposing bricks , steelwork and timber joists from the demolition phase , supplemented by materials sourced from reclamation yards wherever necessary . The floorboards , for example , were reclaimed from a Victorian factory site in Mile End .
The retrofit approach was not only environmentally the right choice , but it also created the opportunity for a much richer
CASSION CASTLE ARCHITECTS
interior . The interplay of existing fabric and new material lead to hundreds of bespoke details for the design team to tackle and celebrate . Original brickwork seamlessly intersects with contemporary concrete and smooth sheets of birch plywood – a balanced and harmonious meeting of old and new at macro and micro scales .
Another priority was to achieve optimal user comfort as passively as possible . To ensure optimal insulation , all retained elements of the external envelope , including the concrete ground-bearing floor slabs , were upgraded to modern standards and new roofs were added throughout . Natural cross-ventilation prevents overheating , whereas north-facing window openings and -east -and south-facing roof lights with integral blinds reduce solar gain . The need for air-conditioning has been overcome by the inclusion of naturally cooling exposed-masonry walls . Low-energy lighting has been installed throughout – powered with renewable energy supplied by a photovoltaic array on the roof .
The finished building imaginatively matches form to function . The domestic-scale Victorian part has been adapted to house more intimate studio activities such as meetings and events , whereas the larger and more open 20th-century factory wing holds the Pearson Lloyd workshops and primary studio space . A central entrance lobby holds a bespoke industrial steel staircase painted bold red , which grabs the eye from the moment of entry . This leads up to the first floor studio space and meeting areas – generously spacious thanks to raised ceilings – and to an outdoor garden and roof terrace that act as a bridge between the building ’ s functions and eras , allowing the two wings to be read as distinct but connected .
There was a compelling creative benefit to the retrofit approach , too . Preserving the original industrial character of the buildings has given the workshops a clear contextual connection to the surrounding structures , and emphasised their relationship with the architectural heritage of the local area . By carefully combining Victorian and modern elements , they have created a balanced , engaging space that meets the studio ’ s modernday needs without sacrificing its historic character – the latest iteration of a structure that has been evolving for over a century .
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