East Thames HQ
East Thames HQ
East Thames Housing Group, one of the ten largest providers of affordable housing in England, asked us to design a headquarters for approximately 750 staff on a site assembled from a patchwork of different owners with various activities on West Ham Lane in east London. They believe the dynamic of change arising from the opportunities which are rippling outwards with varying speed and intensity from the new rail link at Stratford can be directed to help them meet ambitious goals.
To this end the building offers more than the obvious benefits of bringing staff together in one purpose-designed location: it actively demonstrates how design can help to foster the most positive balance of activities, from its engagement with street life to encouraging effective work by spreading daylight throughout the office and how to gain the most from a particular site.
On the edge of a Conservation Area, the site is largely surrounded by East Thames Housing Group's projects, including a tower block converted into a 'Foyer' for young people that imposes conditions on overlooking. Even by relocating a Unitarian Church, the site remains an irregular shape, and our response is to make the headquarters follow the extent of the site at the lower three levels.
To this end the building offers more than the obvious benefits of bringing staff together in one purpose-designed location: it actively demonstrates how design can help to foster the most positive balance of activities, from its engagement with street life to encouraging effective work by spreading daylight throughout the office and how to gain the most from a particular site.
On the edge of a Conservation Area, the site is largely surrounded by East Thames Housing Group's projects, including a tower block converted into a 'Foyer' for young people that imposes conditions on overlooking. Even by relocating a Unitarian Church, the site remains an irregular shape, and our response is to make the headquarters follow the extent of the site at the lower three levels.
It takes advantage of the best orientation and aspects the site has to offer by introducing a cubic volume that steps back to create a roof terrace, while its structure and construction make it efficient to build and operate. Each façade has a character suited to its immediate context; some have solar shading, others have devices to minimize overlooking.
As the building contains a single function, it is the architecture, which creates the variety within a multi-use city block. On completion the building was awarded an 'Excellent' BREEAM rating. East Thames Headquarters has been awarded a Commendation by the Civic Trust, and is also shortlisted for a BCO Corporate Workplace Award 2009 and RIBA (London) Award 2009.
press:
RIBA Journal December 2004;
As the building contains a single function, it is the architecture, which creates the variety within a multi-use city block. On completion the building was awarded an 'Excellent' BREEAM rating. East Thames Headquarters has been awarded a Commendation by the Civic Trust, and is also shortlisted for a BCO Corporate Workplace Award 2009 and RIBA (London) Award 2009.
press:
RIBA Journal December 2004;