The University of London were looking to re-envisage the function of their home in the historic grade II* listed Senate House. The brief was to consolidate non-teaching teams from across the organisation into one space within the lower ground floor – an underutilised space previously used for storage. The project represents a milestone in the development and use of Senate House as an academic hub for the university and its member institutions.
The external, non-utilised courtyard has been transformed into the buzzing heart of the workspace, feeding into and connecting the surrounding spaces. A faceted structural glass roof now completely encloses the courtyard - snaking its way from one side to the other, whilst a striking new staircase leads visitors from the ground floor entrance directly into the courtyard, further increasing the movement and energy through the space.
Based on the data gathered through our workplace consultancy process, we recommended that the client move to a more efficient, agile way of working, and have introduced a diverse range of different workpoints to facilitate this, including touch-down benches, quiet working points, soft booths, break-out spaces and a suite of bookable meeting rooms.
Original elements such as lighting, parquet flooring and wood paneling have been preserved and seamlessly married with new interior design features, whilst graphics used throughout the space further reflect and retell the buildings rich history.
The space has been completely transformed into a light, welcoming and modern workspace that fully reflects the building’s rich history in every detail.
