The Fashion-Enter workspace, part of the Andover Estate regeneration, converts redundant parking undercroft spaces into affordable, flexible workspaces. It offers studio rentals, stitching and pattern-cutting courses, sewing machine hire, co-working desks, business support and a platform for selling creations. Activating the street frontage with full-height glazing and an accessible entrance, the design retains existing flats and maisonettes above, while minimising structural changes and maximising natural daylight and ventilation within the workspace.

 

 

Who is on the project team? (designer, consultants, etc)

 

End User: Fashion-Enter

Client: Islington Council

Architect: Studio Partington

Civil and Structural Engineering: Calfordseaden

Building Services Engineering: Ingleton Wood

Contractor: Geoffrey Osborne

Fit-out Contractor: Workplace Creations

Greater London Authority

Mayor of London Good Growth Fund

London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP)

Islington Council Affordable Workspace Strategy

Islington Council Community Wealth Building Campaign

 

Describe the social and environmental context of this project and its neighbourhood and people. Who occupied the building and who uses it now?

 

Located in the London borough of Islington, Andover Community Workspace is run by social enterprise Fashion-Enter. A community-driven project, the workspace aims to nurture and support local residents and businesses within the fashion, creative and garment making industry. The workspace offers a network of services from affordable studio spaces to rent, stitching and pattern cutting courses, sewing machines to hire, co-working hot desks, tailored business support and an opportunity to sell creations. Andover Community Workspace is situated on the southeast corner of Andover Estate at the junction of Durham and Seven Sisters Roads, the project involved the conversion of redundant parking undercroft spaces, into flexible and vibrant affordable workspaces. The Fashion-Enter workspace forms the first part of the phased delivery of Andover Estate’s regeneration masterplan.

 

How does this project make use of an existing structure, place or building in a creative way? Is it innovative? How will this project continue to evolve or enable future flexibility and adaptation? Have you considered its resilience? 

 

Andover Community Workspace is the result of the highly creative conversion of undercroft parking spaces located across the estate, into flexible and affordable community workspaces. The existing three-storeys of flats and maisonettes above the new workspace are maintained with residents in place during the construction, and the building fabric of the residential parts has been substantially enhanced as part of the conversion to provide thermal, acoustic, access and security improvements to the whole building. The conversion has enabled opportunities to provide new community uses, improve the existing fabric and environment, and address everyday concerns of residents, such as level access and personal safety. The workshop spatial arrangement has been organised around the existing structure to minimise structural adaptations whilst also maximising the opportunities to introduce natural daylight and ventilation across the internal workspace environment. The open plan aspect with exposed services that are easily accessed for maintenance, provides flexibility for future tenants and multiple uses. Careful and considered design has resulted in an efficient flexible environment, allowing finishes and materials to be kept to a minimum, with only the essential being provided to make the most of a relatively constrained space.

 

What is the environmental and social impact of the project? For example, increase in energy efficiency; is nature enhanced or optimised; is it accessible; is it a good neighbour; is it a community asset?

 

As a truly community-led project, Andover Community Workspace has social value at its core. Delivering affordable workspaces to nurture local talent and provide employment opportunities and skill development for the local community of all ages, Andover Community Workspace also acts as a catalyst for further regeneration of the estate and surrounding area. The conversion of the existing, disused garages into a vibrant community workspace, addresses issues of anti-social behaviour, reactivates the street frontage and improves both the thermal and acoustic performance of the whole building, benefitting both users of the workspace and the existing residents in homes above. Work experience and job opportunities were provided to members of local community through an apprenticeship scheme that was run by the Contractor and the Client during the construction of the project. The conversion retains the existing homes above, with residents remaining in place during the construction. Refurbishing the existing structure greatly reduces the embodied carbon footprint compared to new build. The new fabric makes use of high quality, robust and thermally efficient materials ensuring the best possible thermal performance and longevity, with analysis undertaken to overcome any condensation risks. Internally, the workspace has been designed with flexibility in mind - open plan with exposed services easily accessed for maintenance and adaptable, omitting unnecessary materials/finishes. Full height external and internal glazing maximises daylight within the studios and main workshop space, located to avoid overheating and direct sunlight.