One Newhall Street

Due to the configuration, the existing building was wasted in its location and highly impractical from a commercial perspective. Although it was apparent it needed to change, finding the right solution was proving difficult due to the constraints of the site and the existing structure. In addition, being located in a conservation area was increasing the complexities of the project.

The existing building had a back office which was separated from the front and always difficult to let. We explored a number of options to link the front and back spaces together and maximise floor area. These ranged from minor refurbishment through to full demolish and rebuild, and each was tested in terms of its financial viability. The selected design was to create a side extension into the existing lightwell.

Further additional floorspace was gained through an ‘oversite’ build which extends from the existing building's frontage. A previous project we delivered further down the road, 35 Newhall Street, set a precedent for a 1.5m oversail. This supported us to smoothly guide this application through the planning process.

A projecting front facade was also incorporated to increase the net area of the development whilst transforming the external appearance of the building.

Another key challenge was tackling the constrained floor to ceiling height. It was necessary to work closely with the M&E consultants in order to make the most of the height of the space. The chosen strategy incorporated vertical Air Handling Units with suspended lighting rather than a more conventional suspended ceiling approach which would negatively impact the sense of height and space.