Studio 6a Architects in London have revealed plans to renovate and expand a vacant office in Camden that forms part of the Grand Union complex designed by Grimshaw in the late 1980s.
Expected to be completed in 2023, the project will include the renovation and expansion of the office, called the Grand Union House, to create 6,500 square meters of modern working space.
Besides offices, 6a Architects will offer three flexible commercial units and six affordable apartments, while optimizing the surrounding public space.
Design responds to ‘post-COVID city’
The project, approved by Camden Council, was developed by 6a Architects in collaboration with London developer Cellar, who acquired the Grand Union House in 2006.
The office forms part of the Grand Union complex, a campus designed for Sainsbury between 1986 and 1988 by Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners, the British studio now known as Grimshaw. The complex also includes a high-tech Sainsbury supermarket and the listed Grand Union Canal Walk, both of which are List II*.
The Grand Union House was designed for light industrial use but was only used as an office space due to the limited access to the site.
According to 6a Architects, the redevelopment of the office will refer to the high-tech architecture of the adjacent listed buildings, characterized by industrial materials and expressive structural elements.
However, the design priority is the well-being of the occupants, which will be enhanced by the provision of natural light and ventilation, as well as extensive planting and conservatory.
According to the studio, this is a response to changing ways of working that have been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our design takes a holistic approach to creating a workspace for a post-COVID city, addressing well-being, environment and biodiversity by ensuring access to landscape, daylight and fresh air,” said Tom Emerson of 6a Architects.
Adaptive reuse will reduce your carbon footprint
Another key element of the proposal is to preserve the existing structure of the Grand Union House, which is made of concrete.
According to Sellar, this is to reduce the carbon embodied in the project and to provide a “standard for low-carbon sustainable development in London”.
“Another major focus for us was the significant carbon savings that we could achieve in building the Grand Union House by retrofitting the existing building rather than tearing it down and starting from scratch,” explained James Sellar, CEO of Cellar.
Embodied carbon refers to emissions from manufacturing, construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings, which are not currently regulated in the UK. By reusing existing structures, these emissions can be reduced.
The public sphere will be enhanced
The overhaul of the Grand Union House will be completed with updates to the surrounding site, which Sellar said currently has an unwelcoming atmosphere and is prone to antisocial behaviour.
This will improve connectivity to the surrounding area and conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. Cultivated areas will also be entered.
Emerson of 6a Architects concluded: “The project will also transform the surrounding public realm through intensive farming that will enhance the local environment for pedestrians and cyclists.”
“By integrating workspace interiors, architecture, and urban landscapes, the proposals will create a new social and ecological setting.”
Elsewhere in London, insurance company Lloyd’s of London is planning to renovate its office – the high-tech Lloyd Building in London designed by Richard Rogers.
The overhaul will prioritize the iconic underwriting room at the heart of the Lloyd’s Building to adapt it to the company’s flexible working methods in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The visual image of Grand Union House is by 6a Architects.