Technique

Our approach at Technique is about uniting design and history through a transformational design that balances old and new. Radical in design and its use of materials, it sets a benchmark for sustainable, adaptive re-use and the development of thoughtful, human-centric office space. Set across six storeys of high-ceilings and generous open volumes washed with superb natural light, Technique is richly textured at every turn. Conjured and crafted from two historic buildings in the heart of Clerkenwell, the building’s past histories have been expressed to create a space that is generous, light-filled and full of raw character. Laser House, the existing building at 132 Goswell Road, was built in the 1960s to replace a gin distillery, one of the many clustered in the Clerkenwell neighbourhood. Our refurbishment has created office space: behind the retained façade, upward extensions of one floor to each of the existing blocks has created workspace for more than 850 people, including 5,000 square feet dedicated to small businesses. Our most significant intervention is at the corner of the block, where the existing building steps back to leave a small redundant piece of ground on the site of the old inn. Here, we have designed a double-height volume at first-floor level, floating above its own active base. The corner intervention, collaged against the older building, acts as the main entrance to the development, but also has a public use as a flexible venue for exhibitions and events. We wanted to create a sense of activity on the perimeter, so the old loading bays of the printworks along Pear Tree Street have been given new full-height glazed shopfronts, making visible the office space inside. Here, a new sunken courtyard brings natural light down to a flexible commercial unit of 6,350 square feet on the ground and lower-ground floors. Regarding sustainability, alongside our client, we were set against the waste of energy and resources involved in tearing existing buildings down. This presented an opportunity, through the smartest architecture, elegant and ingenious additions and reconfiguration, to create something remarkable. Three entirely new floors have been built using glulam and cross laminated timber structural components, sourced from sustainably managed forests, resulting in a 43% reduction in carbon emissions. Structural elements of the CLT addition were pre-fabricated off site and assembled on site, cutting site traffic by 70%. The building is topped with 10,000 sq ft of green roof, increasing local bio-diversity and reducing the heat island effect. The building has achieved a BREEAM Excellent sustainability rating, a rare achievement for a refurbished building. The ingredients chosen to create Technique are not just sustainable but crafted, richly detailed and of the highest quality. The CLT structure in the three new floors has been white-washed and left exposed, creating a warm, organic new bone structure creating an altogether earthier office environment. Concrete in the existing buildings has been sand-blasted, celebrating its tactility and tones.