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Architects: Waugh Thistleton Architects
- Area: 34000 ft²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Ed Reeve
Text description provided by the architects. The sustainably focused office building comprises 34,000 sq. ft. across five floors and has been designed to enhance productivity. The building champions the use of sustainable materials and has been built using an innovative hybrid structure that combines cross-laminated timber (CLT) and steel, meaning that the whole building can ultimately be demounted and repurposed.
Storey is British Land’s solution to flexible private workspace; flexible in terms of lease length, size of the office, layout, and design, and a suite of all-inclusive services. This nimble approach allows customers to create an office that is truly designed and built around their company’s needs. 6 Orsman Road has been designed to cater for businesses with 20+ employees and customers will benefit from Storey’s focus on private space and the ‘Storey spine system’, which offers a uniquely sustainable and re-configurable office model, enabling workspaces to easily adapt to changing office requirements.
Championing sustainable materials. 6 Orsman Road is championing the use of sustainable materials for flexible offices. The building’s design is aligned to the core principles of sustainability and throughout the design process, there has been a focus on reducing environmental impact by reusing or recycling materials where possible. At 6 Orsman Road, a cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure has been used to reduce the building’s impact on the environment, as compared to concrete and steel CLT production requires less water and energy to manufacture. CLT is also exposed internally at 6 Orsman Road, minimising the number of finishes used on the structure, and the offcuts from the building have been repurposed to make furniture within the shared spaces of the building.
To further enhance the sustainability of the building, 6 Orsman Road has photovoltaic cells on the roof which are a renewable energy source. The expansive rooftop terrace has been designed by landscaper FFLO and is biodiverse, featuring a brown roof, insect boxes, edible plants, and fruit trees.
Designed to enhance productivity and wellbeing. Everything at 6 Orsman Road, from the exposed timber to the waterside setting, has been designed to make customers feel calm, focused, and inspired. Storey worked with leading acousticians Sandy Brown to develop acoustics guidelines for the office to ensure that there was a range of spaces where productivity would not be impacted by bustle and noise; the timber surfaces and panels within the building have a special acoustic benefit, absorbing sound and so improving comfort. Other areas within the building have been created for noisier and more collaborative work, such as the lounge and the café, ensuring activities at different noise levels happen in different spaces.
Throughout 6 Orsman Road, a range of all-natural materials have been used, including clay finishes and Marmoleum tiles, which when paired with natural daylight and air-purifying plants come together to create a working environment that actively boosts productivity and improves wellbeing. Studies by the World Health Organisation have found that the use of biophilic design can increase office productivity by 8% and wellbeing by 13%, and companies with timber interiors report higher staff retention, and fewer employee sick days.
