Synergy House
- Status
- Completed 2017
- Client
- Synergetic Management Ltd
- Value
- £6m
- Procurement Method
- Traditional
- Services
- Architect and Lead Consultant
- Scale
- 1,907m²
The Synergy House project involved extending and refurbishing an existing 1950’s post war infill site construction which previously housed the Sue Ryder Foundation in Southampton Row, in the heart of Bloomsbury.
- Status
- Completed 2017
- Client
- Synergetic Management Ltd
- Value
- £6m
- Procurement Method
- Traditional
- Services
- Architect and Lead Consultant
- Scale
- 1,907m²
This area of London has long associations with research and education and is one of London’s long established cultural centres. These social precedents were ideologically important for the building owner Synergetic Management Ltd who required a flexible mix of spaces to promote local-regional-economic-ecological synergy and advancement in a creative hub for commerce, culture, certain arts and sciences. They saw the building refurbishment as an opportunity to demonstrate innovative approaches for constructing and maintaining human habitats in a World City Eco-system.
The project consisted of a refurbishment of the existing basement to fourth floor levels, with the demolition of the existing roof slab to allow for a new rooftop extension. Each of the floors have been designed to allow and encourage flexible workspace and encourage collaborative working environments.
The original Synergy House building was deemed as not “positively contributing towards the urban streetscape” by Camden Council. The client opted not to demolish the building but retain the bland 1950’s cladding, and to clad this in a living wall. This is a precedent within the London area, the first living wall to an entire primary elevation in a Conservation Area in London. This is now Camden’s default advice to clients wishing to clad / demolish buildings which are deemed as negatively impacting the street elevations. The existing roof level was demolished to allow for roof extension with an angled roof to maximise development within sightline constraints. The glulam extension is passively ventilated through acoustic louvres integrated into bench seating and has a series of photovoltaic cells integrated within the glazing.