Architecture studio HawkinsBrown has taken over a former furniture showroom, giving its staff a workspace with a shop window, a social kitchen and a Richard Woods-designed cabin.
The former Vitra showroom on Clerkenwell Road is now a three-level office for 250 of HawkinsBrown's 350 staff. The new street-front address was designed to give the architects a workspace that facilitates more diverse ways of working and offers greater opportunities for social activities and events.
The street-front office is located on Clerkenwell Road in London
"Our vast shopfront means we are on display, presenting us with a new and exciting opportunity to show the world who we are and what we do," said HawkinsBrown managing partner Hazel York.
"It's a place to connect with our clients, collaborators and the wider Clerkenwell community through a programme of talks and events, temporary exhibitions and art installations." The ground floor can be used for different activities and events
Central to this approach was turning the ground-floor space into a flexible "canteen" featuring a stainless-steel counter where staff meet for coffee and cafe-style furniture that can be easily moved around.
"Our ground floor canteen is our working experiment, our laboratory," said HawkinsBrown's creative director David Bickle.
A stainless-steel counter is the place where staff meet for coffee
"It's a place where we can host talks and seminars, workshops, supper clubs an...