As part of a wider re-calibration of practice’s approach to contemporary ways of working, Conran and Partners transformed an existing two-storey workspace in a building on Great Sutton Street into its new workspace. For Conran and Partners the pandemic highlighted the importance of a place of work that creates a sense of belonging, and stimulates creative collaboration. 

The concept was to design a feeling of interconnection, with the aim of promoting interaction across the space and offering a variety of environments that enable to come together as a team, with clients, collaborators, friends and the wider design community in the heart of Clerkenwell. All with a view to enhance creative energy, as well as inspire, support and mentor each other. 

The new Clerkenwell studio is a continuous flow of spaces, without formal or traditional hierarchies, over two floors, connected by naturally-lit double-height volumes at either end. Each area is designed with its own distinct personality to suit different tasks, moods, types of working. From the intimate ‘study’ for private conversations, to the ‘snug’ for an informal focus in a discrete corner, or to the ‘theatre’, a double-height space at the heart of the studio, that promotes a lively exchange of ideas within sight and earshot of both floors. 

The intention was to design a workspace that truly reflects the personality of Conran and Partners and creates a space with a varied landscape that enables different types of task and conversation to happen within one connected and open plan venue. In the spirit of collaboration there are no cellular offices, but instead the spaces are designed to enable movement between different environments through the working day.

 "The pandemic has accelerated the blending of people's lifestyles, and our new studio has been designed to offer a contrast with working in isolation at home," said Partner Tim Bowder-Ridger. The number of additional materials were kept to a bare minimum, leaving walls and soffits exposed where appropriate for performance, with a focus on a very limited robust, durable and sustainable materials palette and re-use of the furniture and technology already acquired. 

Any new elements were prefabricated and modular for assembly on site and for disassembly and potential re-use in another location at the end of the tenancy. Timber floors, panelling, cupboard, doors and ceilings are FSC certified and from renewable sources. Balustrades and stairs were designed for optimised material use and minimal embodied carbon. 

Maximum daylight penetration via the voids along both facades reduces the reliance on artificial light with PIR control to any back of house areas. Most importantly, Conran and Partners opted for a timeless design with robust longevity in mind that can continue to serve as a backdrop for changing trends for decades to come. 

The outcome puts the people at the heart of a design that aims to reinvigorate the team’s pride in what they do together.