| Project | 88 Gray's Inn Rd |
| Client | Scudder Threadneedle |
| Size | 1,200 sq m |
| Location | London |
| Value | £1 m |
| Procurement | Management |
| Status | Complete |
| Sector | Workplace |
This involved the comprehensive conversion of three floors of a formerly derelict building and later the addition of a further floor of accommodation on the roof of the building to provide a roof-top penthouse conference suite.
The pentehouse floor was undertaken after the building had been occupied, the construction was phased so as not impact on the operation of the business.
The studio space is arranged in open-plan over the ground, first and second floors, with smaller cellular offices and meeting rooms, kitchens and bathrooms located off the main open spaces. At ground floor level, the studio opens out onto a full height atrium from behind an open-ended glass screen. The atrium provides a high degree of natural daylight and houses the buildings’ principal staircase, providing a circulation route that visibly links ground to first and second floors and penthouse.
The spaces are configured so as to provide the architects with the optimum in natural daylight, layout and model building space and administration storage. The contemporary aesthetic of the external walkway, which links the front entrance to Gray’s Inn Road, is continued into the interior, with an emphasis on light and transparency.
The project was procured using a management contract adopting the principles of the “Egan Report”: an open book policy that promotes the collaboration of the contractor and design team to engineer the project, thus ensuring the achievement of best value within the tight budget constraints. The cost savings achieved were shared between the client, contractor and design team.
