104 REUSE & RETROFIT
high sustainability and well-being credentials, called Atelier Gardens (see case study). Only four years into the programme, around 42% of let office space has been occupied by social impact tenants, including Tinkfarm, Travelling U, Fridays for Future, and Roots Radicals, which enjoy being part of this cross- disciplinary creative community, along with Netflix, YouTube, ITV Studios and Berlin Met film School.
Te Belgian government has been
pushing the circular economy for the past decade, for all industries and sectors, including supporting the growth of Rotor, a
Husbandry of resources is a topic architects and designers have had to address, what with global recessions, pandemics and now the climate crisis
construction industry portal that offers details of building components becoming available for reuse when demolition is scheduled. And these initiatives are catching on. Says FCB’s Joe Jack Williams: ‘Tere are companies trying to offer something like that.’ He cites Salvo (through which Material Works Architecture managed to source many of the furnishings and features of its almost entirely salvaged refit for Sustainable Ventures, see my FX column in the May issue). ‘But to reuse fully, you need to do a proper pre-demolition audit, so you know what’s useful. We are starting to see lots of money pouring into this area.
CASE STUDY THE HITHE
Architects IF_DO worked closely with pioneering social enterprise Meanwhile Space CIC to create a temporary, low-cost, demountable business incubator space in Rotherhithe. It has been designed as a beacon for the community and local enterprise in a site undergoing massive change, but offers continuity for tenants, as the building can easily be relocated as and when the site comes up for development.
Set within Southwark Council’s Rotherhithe masterplan this plot was designated appropriate for meanwhile use for to up 11 years. However, engagement with the local community revealed that it did not want the building to look temporary.
Shipping containers were rejected in favour of this economical but high-quality alternative, designed to last well beyond its allocated ten years on this site.
Ten micro studios are arranged around a ground floor central gathering space with links to kitchen and yard to the north of the site, which is now a planted outdoor social space. Two larger workspaces are located on the first floor. All units can be accessed externally, removing the need for space-hungry interior circulation.
IF_DO worked with engineer Elliott Wood and fabricator Weber Industries to perfect the design so that it is fully demountable yet robust. The structure is formed of a lightweight steel and timber frame made with bespoke prefabricated components, and fitted with
structural insulated panels. It was built on top of existing foundations, thus largely eliminating the need for new concrete.
Inside, the timber structure
and services are left exposed. Double-height glazed lanterns are a feature of the north and south elevations, to establish The Hithe as a beacon for future employment and enterprise, along with cheerful green finishes on the exterior and boundary fences
Thomas Bryans, IF_DO director, says: ‘The need for affordable workspace and the availability of vacant lots for temporary usage is a reality in many places, and especially so in London, so it’s a model which we expect to be replicated quite widely.’
Its name, The Hithe, is an Old English word for a landing place or
small port for boats, thus neatly alluding to both the presence of the Thames nearby as well as the building’s role in launching new enterprises.
Client Meanwhile Space/ London Borough of Southwark
Architect IF_DO
Structural engineer Elliott Wood
Fabricator/contractor Weber Industries Site area 283m2
area: 200m2 )
Construction value £400,000 Schedule Sept 2017 – Dec 2021
(gross internal floor
ALL IMAGES: MIKE MASSARO
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