Story of Construction

Addison Studios is the conversion and retrofit of a Victorian mission church into an Architectural studio. The conversion puts the building back into use, having most recently been vacant for two years, following a period of diminishing use.

The building was not recognised of any local merit in Planning terms, having been significantly extended and altered over time, however the design intent was always to work with the existing fabric - to restore and enhance - retaining the appropriate scale of the existing building in its dense urban setting. The building form, roof and as much of the original historic brickwork were retained, stripping away newer, incongruous extensions back to the original footprint. Infilled lancet windows with arched brick lintels were reinstated and extended, reusing sills. New larger openings were inserted within the walls and two new dormers all increase natural daylight internally. Any existing features not being restored were either relocated, or consciously left in place and infilled to create a visible collage of the building’s history.

The removal of the extensions also created space for private external amenity, increasing space for greening and biodiversity on a landlocked site. Permeable surfaces fed into a new sustainable drainage strategy. Sustainable heating is generated via an ASHP, feeding an underfloor heating system to the building, without the use of gas on site.

To reduce embodied energy a glulam timber internal structure was employed, reducing the use of steel. Structure and services were left exposed, internal finishes are minimised exposing primary brickwork and blockwork, with fair faced surfaces throughout minimising the use of plasterboard. The existing Victorian steel trusses and sarking boards to the roof were all retained and exposed. The roof was insulated, and a new insulated floor was also added. The existing rose window frame was refurbished and re-glazed.

Demolition materials were reused where possible, brickwork was used to construct the new extensions and roof slates cleaned and retained. Excess bricks and demolition waste were also used in the terrazzo kitchen worktop.

The large spans of the structure allow for open floor plates give maximum flexibility and allow for evolution of use. Designed into the scheme is space for future expansion to the ground floor, which is currently flexible meeting and collaboration spaces. Only the island unit and central partition loosely dividing the space into more intimate areas.