Yardhouse

Yardhouse was an affordable workspace building in Sugarhouse Yard in Stratford, funded by the London Legacy Development Corporation as a pilot for the provision of new creative workspace in the Olympic Park. Yardhouse was dismantled when Sugarhouse Studios was relocated to Bermondsey and the building is yet to be rebuilt.

The building aimed to create a sociable and collaborative work environment. It was simply arranged, as a two-storey, three-bay structure. The two outer-bays were used as individual studio spaces, opening onto a generous double height communal area. Studios were provided without partitions, but tenants were free to adapt their space to suit their practice, combining adjacent units or enclosing their space for greater privacy.

The main structure was formed from a barn-like timber frame and enclosed by prefabricated insulated panels. The front facade facing onto the Sugarhouse Yard was made from colourful concrete tiles handmade on site. The unlikely scale and intricacy of this facade formed an backdrop for the active public yard onto which it faced.

Through utilizing off the shelf materials and taking an extremely economic approach to construction, the project provided the generous scale, light quality and ceiling heights desirable for creative uses at a fraction of the cost of a conventional new build. Constructed for only £291/m2, the project presents extraordinary value for money and guarantees that the spaces provided can be affordably let to its end users. The building was fully let prior to completion, oversubscribed by 10 applicants for every space.

Yardhouse was designed and built by Assemble, including fixtures and fittings. Internal partitions are tenants own.