Nutmeg House, SE1
In 2015 we have completed an office refurbishment at Nutmeg House, an the Edwardian warehouse built in 1903, Southwark and after the successful completion of the office refurbishment on the 4th and 5th floors we have been instructed to reimagine the ground floor through a CAT A+ scheme.
- Project
- CAT A+
- Duration
- 14 weeks
Creating a CAT A+ scheme with a new outdoor space for the community to enjoy.”
Open –
From nursery to blank canvas
The ground floor of the building was previously used as a private nursery and, in the garden, there was a container that occupied half of the outdoor space. To reimagine this floor, we devised our office refurbishment works in two phases, the first one focused on bringing the space back to a blank canvas, including the strip-out of the existing nursery fixtures and fittings, and demolishing two of the internal walls in the reception area. The purpose of these two structural changes was to make the ground floor feel brighter and more spacious.
Bringing in the light
In the second phase of the programme, the office refurbishment works focused on making the space more habitable as an office environment. After we had removed the two internal walls, we added crittall glazed partitions in place of solid walls, which allowed more natural light to enter the space.
We then built partitions to form showers, WCs, bike storage, offices and made drainage alterations to fit the new layout. HVAC and lighting systems were similarly integrated with the new layout, alongside a new LED lighting system. While raft ceilings were created for offices concealing heating and cooling units and recessed lighting. As the space became brighter and more inviting, we started focusing on how to draw attention to the industrial elements.
Sustainable office refurbishment works better for everyone
One of the industrial features that can be seen throughout the building is the original timber floor. Sadly, on the ground floor this was partially missing so we collaborated with a business that provides reclaimed timber floors to help us recreate the flooring.
To achieve the same look and feel we had to sandblast and polish the new pieces to match the existing floor. We also exposed the original steel beams in the strip-out process and coated them with black matt paint to marry up with the new black crittall partitions.
Reimagining the outdoor space
In the garden, we removed and recycled the old container which left a fantastic space for us to landscape and creates a relaxing courtyard. To achieve this, we cleaned the old brick slips, brought nature in by adding lots of patio plants, and laid new tiles around one of the existing Acer trees.
This CAT A+ scheme completes our refurbishment at Nutmeg House, and we leave the building with an enhanced charm, better working facilities, and hopefully happier occupants.
