Sustainable Workspaces

Whilst working for U-Build in 2021 and up until 2024, I supported the team in completing a large circular office fit-out design, suitable for re-use and historic building fabrics. In 2021, U-Build worked with Sustainable Workspaces to create a modular, removable partition system for a co-working space on the 3rd floor of County Hall, Southbank. The idea was to relocate each partition system from 3rd to 5th floor of County Hall, when a complete renovation of the derelict upper floor space was complete. Two years later I was able to co-create a unique office fit-out design for the 5th floor office space.

The circular design system was reconfigured to create a new co-working environment that reused 95% of existing components and minimised waste. The removable partitions utilised a compression system, designed specifically for the two sites, leaving no-trace on the 3rd floor building fabric. The design process focused on maximising what already existed, reconditioning finishes to give the workspace a fresh identity. New elements were developed to fill gaps, designed to the same dimensions and materials to integrate seamlessly within the original system. The expanded 5th floor layout allowed the design team to introduce new meeting pods, phone booths, and storage solutions, each with a distinct look and material palette. Natural materials such as wood wool board and orange-peel cladding were used to add a contemporary, sustainable look.

As a key member of the leadership build team, I quickly stepped into a teaching role, sharing my knowledge of the U-Build system with labourers and contributed to the overall construction efforts on-site. Over a 3 month period, a team of four of us managed the site, working alongside the main contractor and sub-contractors. Attention to detail and finish was important as our small team were responsible for all the snagging concerns at the end of the contract, we were responsible for ensuring the overall look and feel of the U-Build modules.