Squire & Partners has launched The Department Store Studios, a new local workspace next door to their award-winning offices in Brixton. The new development creates a platform for growing businesses with flexible workspaces – from individual desks to private studios – and a host of serviced social and meeting areas. The Studios is also home to a neighbourhood bar, restaurant and screening room. Created as a natural addition to The Department Store, The Studios is a highly sustainable development that will support local businesses by offering a Residency scheme for young entrepreneurs and a programme of events curated to share skills, inspire creativity and expand local networks.
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Hyperlocal working
Having moved their 200-strong office to The Department Store in 2017, Squire & Partners know first-hand the benefits of working at the heart of a vibrant neighbourhood. Sustainable commuting, an improved work/life balance, supporting independent high streets and engaging with the local community all mean that the hyperlocal model benefits people, cities and the planet.

Primarily conceived for local businesses and entrepreneurs, The Studios model of private office spaces as well as individual desks also supports a hub & spoke model of regional workspaces acting as satellite hubs to a central HQ.

Architecture/exterior
Externally, designs draw on the robust Edwardian structure of its older sibling The Department Store, built in 1906 as an extension to the Brixton Bon Marche. Following the corner boundary at the junction of Bellefields Road and Stockwell Avenue, the contemporary brick building meets The Department Store across a central cobbled courtyard centred around a mature oak tree.

Facades are crafted with a textured snapped brick, offset by smooth concrete lintels framing openings across the building. A base of dark engineering brick marks the street level, softened with planting and outdoor seating. Large, faceted bay windows create a rhythm across the elevations, with dark metal frames referencing the industrial Crittall windows in The Department Store.

The building form is set back to the north and east elevations to respond to the surrounding residential streets, creating generous landscaped roof terraces for tenants. Workspace floors can be accessed via a fully glazed reception on Bellefields Road and the restaurant entrance on Stockwell Avenue.

Designed as a highly sustainable low carbon development, The Studios features a prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) structural frame which absorbs carbon dioxide and provides in-built soundproofing, fire safety properties and airtightness. 120 sqm of green roof and planted terraces enhance local biodiversity, and 28 photovoltaic panels create renewable energy on site.

The Studios workspace
Designs for the workspaces are centred on sustainability and celebrating the honesty of raw materials. Establishing a stripped back aesthetic, textured CLT and brick finishes are exposed throughout, offset by a smooth pale grey screed floor. Large windows are openable across the facades to lessen the need for artificial heating and cooling. An advanced lighting system ensures that natural daylight from all four sides of the building is only supplemented when necessary.

Bellefields Restaurant
On the ground floor of The Studios, Bellefields is a neighbourhood bar and restaurant offering modern cuisine inspired by the seven seas of the Mediterranean, from the Aegean and Balearic to the Levantine basin. The menu celebrates raw ingredients and favourite dishes from family holidays over three generations.

Interiors follow suit with a palette which celebrates the honest expression of natural materials including textured brick and exposed timber, with accent colours inspired by the seasons. The restaurant is arranged around a central brushed steel bar featuring crafted panels, with timber and cane-backed bar stools by Ercol and TON providing informal seating. Above the bar a series of terracotta pendant lights create warm, earthy tones reminiscent of the Mediterranean.

Blurred divisions of inside and out allow for al fresco dining areas within a central cobbled courtyard under the branches of a mature oak tree, and on the pedestrianised street to the front. Courtyard dining areas use bistro style furniture in a bright palette of contrasting colours, while planting, heating and feature outdoor lighting create an intimate atmosphere.

Internally, dining spaces draw the outside in with a natural palette of materials including tables topped with responsibly sourced Carrera marble, wooden dining chairs and terracotta pendants.

Sustainable materials include vegan leather banquettes and linen curtains which use significantly less water and dye than cotton or velvet.

Banquettes and curtained seating booths embrace digital craft as well as handmade elements, with machine-fluted joinery details. Commissioned artwork by Anna Kövecses reference simple organic shapes and colours inspired by the food and topography of her childhood living by the Mediterranean Sea.

Members’ Lounge
At street level, the fully glazed Members’ Lounge provides a relaxed clubhouse environment for member tenants or local freelance workers needing space by the day. Separated from Bellefields restaurant by a central brushed steel bar, the workspace is designed to be adaptable for co-working and informal meetings during the day as well as dining or events in the evening.

 Seating is created in light-filled window booths, private curtained banquettes, at freestanding tables or in relaxed lounge areas. Exposed services are suspended from the timber lined ceiling, with softness introduced by bespoke rugs, sustainable fabrics and artwork.

Reception
The Studios’ main reception features a custom-made desk by Isomi and a notice board displaying news and information about member events.

A blackened steel storage unit adds a layer to the raw palette of exposed timber and brick, while a linen upholstered bench provides a comfortable waiting area for guests. Post and parcels have a dedicated room to avoid cluttering the main reception space.

As well as a lift to all floors, an open top-lit stairwell in exposed CLT provides access down to the basement – where a screening room plus generous bike storage, lockers, showers, toilets and changing areas are provided – and up the workspace floors.

Workspace floors
Each workspace floor has a landing area with wayfinding, and a generous floor to ceiling height which takes its cue from the proportions of The Department Store next door.

Large openable bay windows draw natural light into three sides of each floor, creating bright open floorplates. Workspaces comprise a mixture of individual desks and private studios for 6 to 72 people. Members benefit from shared facilities including phone booths and bookable rooms for private meetings to sociable kitchens, dining tables and lounge areas.

Workspaces are designed in a simple loft style based around a raw natural palette and exposed services suspended from the timber ceiling. Added domestic comforts include large rugs, plants, artworks and soft furnishings in colours inspired by the seasons.

Floors are organised around families of desks each with a furnished breakout space, separated by metal framed glazing or walls with an unpainted plaster finish. Desks comprise a timber worktop supported on a dark steel frame, with an under counter lockable pedestal.

Curated as a mixture of classic and contemporary pieces, furniture suppliers include Carl Hansen, Ercol, &Tradition, Rawside and HAY. Dhurrie rugs by Laguna add texture and a series of warm floor lamps and Kilim poufs create a homely feel in lounge areas.

Kitchens and tea points feature in-built appliances for food and drink preparation, and informal dining and lounge areas. Natural and dark stained timber units, tables and chairs are given added character with pops of colour on soft furnishings, artwork and planting.

Meeting room interiors are tailored to create spaces for high and low tempo tasks, with bespoke wall hangings aiding acoustic performance. Colour palettes for meeting rooms correspond to the four seasons with a curated selection of rugs, artworks and chair finishes adding individual character.

On the third floor, a large communal roof terrace is landscaped with plants and furniture to host social interaction between members and a chance to get some fresh air during the working day. The space is fully serviced with power to enable pop up events to take place.

The fourth floor, configured as a single floor for a tenant, has its own private roof terrace wrapping around two sides of the building with views out across central London.

Michael Squire, Senior Partner, Squire & Partners: “We believe people are tired of conventional offices defined by standard industry benchmarks. The Department Store Studios is a loveable place to work, where people can work ‘free range’ in a generous space where they are part of a community which supports them to do more than just their jobs.”

Basement
At basement level, a neighbourhood screening room for tenants and the local community provides an intimate space for presentations in theatre style seating for up to 16 people.

Painted in a dark grey with timber joinery elements, the acoustically enhanced screening room features generous cinema seats, a built-in service countertop and floor length screen curtains in moss green.

Also on the lower ground level, members have access to stacked cycle storage, lockers, showers, toilets and changing areas, promoting sustainable travel.

Sustainability
Sustainability has been a driving force from inception through to delivery of The Studios. A low carbon development, the building features a prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) structural frame rather than steel or concrete. Made from renewable wood, it absorbs carbon dioxide and does not require the burning of fossil fuels during production. The structural frame provides in-built soundproofing, fire safety properties and air tightness.

In addition to 48 sqm of photovoltaic panels creating renewable energy on site, there is 120 sqm of green roof comprising a biodiverse and ecologically friendly sedum matt on top of a waterproof membrane. This improves thermal insulation; the plants convert carbon to oxygen through the day and – alongside an attenuation tank – actively manages rain water from reaching the sewers. Efficient water saving equipment and sanitary ware is used throughout the building to reduce waste of mains water.

Energy consumption is minimised by large openable windows throughout The Department Store Studios providing high levels of natural daylight which reduce the need for mains lighting. These windows and access to outdoor spaces allow The Studios to be naturally ventilated instead of relying on artificial cooling. An advanced lighting system ensures that energy is not wasted.

Low and zero carbon technologies ensure the building is highly energy efficient. Insulation keeps heat losses to a minimum thereby reducing demand. A centralised plant system includes air source heat pumps and heat recovery units to further reduce wasted energy.

The building is expected to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating by BREEAM, the world’s leading sustainability assessment method.

The Studios Residency
It was important that The Studios built on the award-winning work in the local community already established by Squire & Partners at The Department Store via creative collaborations, mentoring and support for local organisations.

In January 2021, The Studios launched its first Residency programme – a chance for two young Lambeth entrepreneurs to have free workspace for 12 months, with access to a host of amenities and mentoring to start and grow their creative idea. Applicants aged between 18-30 were asked to submit a brief outline of their plan to grow a fledgling business or social initiative, and a statement of what they hoped to achieve during the residency period.

A shortlist of six candidates was interviewed in March 2021 by a selection panel – including local guest judges Binki Taylor from The Brixton Project and celebrated artist Azarra Amoy – with the first two Residency places being awarded to Gabriella Lafor for Line Stream (supporting media careers for Black British talent) and innovative textile designer Coco Cripps.

Credits & Details
Project: The Department Store Studios
Client: Squire & Partners
Architecture/Interiors: Squire & Partners
Planning Consultant: Jon Dingle Ltd
Cost Consultant: Core 5
Services: DSA Engineering
Structure: Elliott Wood
Photography: Jim Stephenson

Key facts
Workspace areas 1,973 sqm (gross external area)
Workspace desks 322 total (292 on workplace floors, 30 in the Members’ Lounge)
Restaurant area 491 sqm (gross external area including screening room)
Restaurant seats 130 (with additional 32 when coworking area becomes dining)

Creative Collaborations at The Studios
The development of The Department Store, launched in 2017, involved collaborations with over 50 artists and makers. The Studios revisited many of these relationships, as well as establishing new creative partnerships.

Squire & Partners is an architecture and design practice with experience spanning four decades, earning it an international reputation for architecture informed by the history and culture of where it is placed. Their award-winning portfolio, for some of the world’s leading developers includes masterplans, private and affordable residential, workspace, retail, education and public buildings.

Squire & Partners’ approach responds to the unique heritage and context of each site, considering established street patterns, scale and proportions, to create timeless architecture rooted in its location. Embracing traditional and emerging technologies in craft and construction, the practice is renowned for delivering a rigorously detailed product.

The practice has created workspaces for several emerging brands, helping to develop innovative approaches to working which are adaptive and engage all senses. Closely tracking changes in workplace culture, the practice has designed and developed The Department Store Studios, which offers high quality flexible workspaces with a focus on wellbeing, sustainability and meaningful connections with the local community.