75 Wallis Road shortlisted in this year AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards

17 Jul 2024

HTA Design reimagined a Victorian warehouse in Hackney Wick, East London, creating a permanent new home for its 200 London-based staff. Built in 1868 as a factory to manufacture the world’s first synthetic plastic, the warehouse originally comprised four separate buildings and was identified as a significant piece of heritage within the Hackney Wick masterplan.

Our design approach retained and celebrated the hugely varied brickwork structure and the large timber and ironwork roof trusses. Adding mezzanine floors, staircases, and roof lights connected the four separate buildings into one seamless and accessible workspace with the added drama of huge double-height spaces. A homely reception area leads to the ‘lunchHTAbles’, a dedicated lunch space with an open plan kitchen.

Our sustainability team prepared a holistic energy strategy that significantly reduces operational carbon. The project retains 150 years of embodied carbon, providing a low-energy, low-carbon workspace for the future. We have maximised renewable energy sources by installing 63 rooftop PV panels combined with our air-source-heat-pumps. Low carbon commuting is encouraged by providing excellent cycle and running facilities, showers, and drying rooms.

75 Wallis Road presents an alternative for creative-led businesses keen to achieve organisational resilience by shaking off the prohibitive cost of London’s corporate core. Our design interventions provide an environmentally and socially sustainable new purpose for the building. Since relocating to 75 Wallis Road, HTA has been growing its local network, assessing the needs of community groups and developing a programme of engagement to welcome its neighbours into the building.

Featured in the Architect’s Journal