Sutherland Road
2024–
Assemble has been appointed by Waltham Forest to transform an early 20th century warehouse into an exemplar net-zero, multi-unit workspace as the new home of Switchboard Studios.
The deep retrofit includes passive measures, such as external insulation - finished in lime render of varying textures, with the detailing taking cues from the ‘art-deco’ industrial character of the existing. These are paired with technology such as solar panels, air source heat pumps and mechanical heat recovery ventilation systems to remove the reliance on fossil fuels in the creation of net zero carbon scheme.
New landscaping will be introduced, increasing biodiversity, attenuating rain and surface water run-off and bringing a greener interface between the site and its surroundings whilst ensuring practically of external areas commensurate with that of a working building.
Internally our designs seek to make use of generosity of height and light, building on the industrial character of the space and celebrate the existing layers of built fabric, creating spaces that are simple to navigate and easy to use, for tenants and visitors alike.
The design of industrial and commercial spaces commonly employs materials such as metal, concrete and other cementitious products, which are cheap, robust and readily available, but also have a high carbon footprint. In line with the project principles, our material palette is carefully considered with the aim of being less carbon intensive, prioritising the use of lime render externally and lime plaster internally over a cementitious equivalent and using timber in place of metal studding throughout.