With the trend to continue remote work, Fathom Architects designed an office for property group The Crown Estate “for all things that happen away from your computer screen.”
Located in St James’s, London, 6 Babmaes Street responds to the fact that employees of The Crown Estate have been largely working from home since the pandemic.
Recognizing that not all activities can be completed effectively in the home, the building primarily provides spaces for colleagues to meet or meet clients.
There are a few places to sit and work individually at the computer; Instead, the spaces are designed with a focus on meetings and collaboration.
“The post-Covid office landscape needs a rethink,” said Harry Godfrey, associate at Fathom Architects in London.
“When individual office tasks can be accomplished from home, workspaces become about teamwork and collaboration,” he told Dezeen.
Organized on four levels, 6 Babmaes Street features a mix of meeting rooms, work spaces and lounge areas, as well as areas that can be used for events or wellness activities.
Each floor is slightly different, responding to the specific uses of each space. However, the entire interior design has a retro vibe that recalls the decade in which the building was constructed, the 1970s.
Warm colors are paired with tactile materials for a more relaxing aesthetic than a traditional office.
“We developed an aesthetic that is more in tune with home and hospitality environments than a traditional workspace, to encourage interaction between people,” Godfrey said.
He continued, “6 Babs Street is for everything that happens away from your computer screen, so it needs to foster conversation, rest and relaxation.”
On the ground floor, the lobby space is decorated with turquoise and white terrazzo floor tiles and a curved wooden reception desk.
A fluted glass screen separates this area from the event space, which can be used for anything from yoga classes to exhibitions or talks.
The first floor features booth seating surrounded by sage-green upholstered benches, curved tables and tall flowerbeds. This level also includes formal meeting rooms and telephone booths.
The lounge space occupies most of the second floor and is furnished with contemporary furniture and large carpets, along with a kitchen area that allows for group dining.
There is also a roof level featuring a jungle-style meeting room called The Potting Shed, and an outdoor seating deck featuring green walls and climbing plants.
The original artwork helps to complete each of these levels. Highlights include a ’70s-inspired triptych by Sophie Coe and various murals by Rob Crabtree, including geometric shapes and a wildlife scene.
Other details that appear throughout the building include rough ceiling panels, brass details, and spherical lighting fixtures.
“We enjoyed interacting with the raw texture of the building’s original concrete lattice with elaborately crafted interior elements alluding to the art and culture of the same period,” Godfrey stated.
“Embracing playful, retro vibes and materialistic palette created a strong visual thread throughout.”
This project is the latest in a series of office spaces exploring the future of work culture post-pandemic, with other examples including Paddington Works focused on health and Roche’s workspace designed for flexibility.
Godfrey believes that wellness and collaboration will become the most important features of offices in the future.
“Businesses need to address the collective mental and physical health of their employees, and provide access to fresh air, outdoor space and wellbeing activities,” he added.
“Office environments will need to meet this shift with fewer offices and more space for shared activities.”
Photography by James Ballston unless otherwise noted.
Project credits:
Client: Crown Real Estate
Architect: Architects Fathom
interior design: Architects Fathom
Early internal concept: Afroko
Planning: Gerald Eve
local authority: Westminster
structure: Price and Myers
Services: Watkins Pine
contractor: built with
project manager: TFT
Costs: TFT
light: International Lighting Design
IT Consultant: wireless
fire consultant: Jerry Gardner Associates
Audio consultant: Clark Saunders