Victoria Park House, Hackney, London
#UB-01
UB-01 imagines the works required to transform an existing building to meet these ambitions and create a space with a contemporary and distinctive character that drives a broad appeal to targeted markets. To achieve we’ve proposed a series of architectural moves - demolition and additions that make significant changes that embody the facilitate proposed range of activities and realise the projects ethos.
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The permeable ground floor
To connect and add to the real networks of city life it is important to open parts of the building to create fully accessible places and events that can reach beyond the buildings tenants, provide space for quick or spontaneous meetings with non members and also to act as a showcase for the building to passers by. To achieve this, large parts of the ground floor are given up to amenities either continuously or partly open to the public. An internal street connects to the public realm and provides a series of F&B provisions and market stalls that continue and add to the street scape outside. An event space and auditorium, clearly visible from the street and entrance, provides a venue for the buildings users to network and showcase with the city beyond. Adjustments to the ground floor facade and removal of parts of the 1st floor slab enable these changes and create an open, energised atmosphere reflecting back to the City.
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Basement uses
Basement spaces which are typically ignored or reserved for plant and services are put to more profitable uses. Part of the floor is reserved as a gym both for the buildings users and the public beyond. The gym connects directly both the street and the buildings central atrium creating a further connection into the building.
The encouragement of cycling as a sustainable means of transport within the city is encouraged by the provision of extensive cycle storage and changing facilities accessible direct from the street. Other areas of the basement and used to provide bookable suites for video and audio editing allowing creatives facilities to record and produce media on site.
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Roof top
Older office buildings are generally built to support higher dead-loads of antiquated IT systems and document storage that are no longer required. This means structures often have spare capacity to accommodate additional building at roof level. UB-01 proposed the addition of additional floors constructed from carbon light timber framing. The additional floors provide further workspace but also access to newly created terrace areas that can accommodate external work spaces and gardens, further sports facilities and a roof top events space and bar.
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Facades and Atriums
To create the desired permeability and openness at ground floor parts of the facade will be removed to create new openings, doorways and increased transparency into the building. Replacing parts of the facade also enable upgrades to the facades thermal performance and enable new designs to restrict drafts and add to thermal comfort.
Older facades are unlikely to perform to contemporary standards of heat loss and air tightness. Rather than a full scale replacement of the facade, PCW proposes an enhanced refurbishment of the existing including the provision of openable windows to enable natural ventilation.
The existing courtyard is to be converted into an internal atrium to provide a visual and social focus to the building. The additional of a glazed roof at high level alongside the removal of walls creates an internal space that provides an access route as well as a source of natural light and connection to circadian rhythms. The atrium is seen as the heart of the building design - a dramatic, active space that embodies the aesthetic values of the buildings ethos
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The Meet Floor
The first floor is given over to spaces for collaboration and meeting. A range of spaces are proposed from open furniture for impromptu discussions to board rooms and presentation suites bookable via the online system. The provision of an array of meeting spaces allows each tenant access to suitable spaces to meet the requirements of each particular event they are organising rather than relying on one or two standard sized and equipped spaces which may be less suitable. Spaces range from formal meeting rooms with board tables and AV equipment to relaxed workshop spaces. Larger event spaces provide opportunities for larger presentation and launches as well as social events and receptions.
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Flexible Work Space - Layers of privacy, ranges of atmosphere
Throughout the building a range of workspaces are provided to suit different activities, different atmospheres, degrees of privacy and tenancy or membership options. Open plan hot-desk areas are close to circulation routes and refreshment points provide opportunities for active areas for touch down working and informal meeting. More secluded areas in remoter corners are fitted with sound absorbent materials and partitions to create quiet areas for concentrated focused work. Private rooms and phone booths provide opportunities for quieter work patterns and a range for studio sizes are created to allow teams to occupy space permanently to facility continuous interaction.