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Architects: D+DS architecture office
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Tom Fallon
Text description provided by the architects. The Capco and Bold Rocket offices in Shoreditch, London are located in a 150 year old 5 story steel and brick loft building. The architectural and cultural context of the neighborhood inspired the design concept: open loft space, industrial architecture with character, solid materials, visible joinery details. The custom furniture and walls use raw materials and expose the method of construction. Solid ash wood, timber pine either left natural or painted and black powder coated steel are the predominant materials. Walls reveal the method of construction, turning the typical construction inside out; wood studs are visible.
The building has a challenging shape, dividing the floor plan in 4 fairly separated corners with a central area in the middle. All floors have an open plan, in keeping with the loft character of the building.
The ground floor is the most public. A series of volumes defines different areas. The cafe is situated near the entry, creating a welcoming and relaxed feeling. A freestanding bleacher divides the entry from the central lounge. Facing the bleacher, another volume houses the main conference room - its interior painted in ochre to create a happy feeling even when the London weather is dreary outside - and it's exterior surface functions as a projection wall, turning the lounge & bleacher in a space where town hall presentations can be held.
Adjacent to the ochre room, a large orange rocket, which is a 3D print, is suspended in the stair void. The stair leads to the lower floor where the bold rocketeers work. Flanking the rocket, the wall of the fire stair case is transformed into a living wall, its plant patterns echo-ing bellowing rocket smoke.
Except for chairs and sofas - this is a mix of mid century inspired pieces - all furniture is custom made, using solid ash wood planks and timber combined with blackened steel. The solid materials will hold up to wear and tear and will get a rich character when aging. Most of the materials are sourced within a 100 miles radius.
The furniture and layout is designed so that it will allow different types of spontaneous meetings to happen. There are large communal office tables, organic shaped meeting tables, high butcher blocks, quiet booths. The walls received white write-on paint so virtually any wall can be written on.
Similar to the contrast of Shoreditch and the city, its high tech neighbour, the raw architecture is juxtaposed with digital technology: projection & LED screens, cameras, speakers, etc are interlaced throughout the space.
