All Saints former orphanage on Austral Street in Southwark was acquired by EPR Architects in 2016 and after an extensive retrofit has housed the firm’s 150 staff since 2022. The five-storey, 2,854sqm Victorian building has been reimagined as an open studio for collaborative working. Major refurbishment, including masonry and roofing repairs alongside insulation upgrades, have substantially extended the building’s useful life.

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

Client - EPR Studio Ltd

Building Owner - EPR Studio Ltd

Project Manager - EPR Architects

Quantity Surveyor - Gardiner & Theobald Ltd

Architect - EPR Architects Interior Designer - EPR Architects

Mechanical/Electrical Engineer - Hilson Moran Partnership Ltd 

Structural Engineer - Alan Baxters

Sustainability Consultant - Hilson Moran Partnership Ltd

Contractor - McCue Crafted Fit

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

All Saints has a chequered history. Built in the 1870s as an orphanage for girls, it also served as a hospital and as an archive facility for the nearby Imperial War Museum. EPR’s recent repurposing as its London headquarters adds a fourth use, proving the continuing adaptability of the 35,000 sq ft building. In more than 75 years of practice, All Saints is EPR’s first purpose-built home. It was important to the practice that its new headquarters not only provided an exemplary workplace for staff but did so in such a way that communicated EPR’s core values to both staff and clients alike. Despite undergoing numerous unsympathetic alterations, the building’s potential for retrofit was clear. When EPR acquired All Saints in 2017 it boasted impressive floor-to-ceiling heights, large windows and many of the building’s original Victorian features were still intact. Drawing on our extensive heritage expertise, EPR has restored a once fine but crumbling Victorian building to its former glory. The transformation showcases the rich character of the original building while making bold interventions that safeguard its future as a viable workplace. The headquarters’ residential location, combined with the practice’s respectful approach to the site, allows EPR to build strong relationships with the local community of Elephant and Castle. Since moving into All Saints in December 2022, the practice has hosted guided tours, offering local residents an exclusive look into the renovation of the former orphanage and has participated in London’s Open House Festival and the London Festival of Architecture.

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? 

Keen to celebrate the character of the former orphanage, EPR developed innovative solutions that prove it’s possible to transform historic buildings into modern workplaces, whilst preserving their history. EPR’s creative architectural interventions have delivered a versatile workspace that facilitates the practice’s collegiate working style. Well-connected studios, an abundance of breakout areas and a communal hub offer a variety of options where staff and visitors can work and socialise. A modular desking solution has also been introduced for the studio workstations. Furthermore, All Saints has been designed with adaptability and longevity at the forefront – future-proofing the scheme for many years to come. A high-performance Wi-Fi network allows for additional network infrastructure to be incorporated to meet the expansion of the studio. Likewise, meeting rooms have been equipped with additional data and power capacity to suit extra workstations, allowing the studio to evolve without significant intervention. Major refurbishments, including masonry and roofing repairs alongside insulation upgrades, have substantially extended the building’s design life expectancy. EPR also employed high-quality materials to increase the headquarters’ energy efficiency. Combined, EPR can operate a significantly more efficient and sustainable building. As well as upgrading an in-need-of-repair building, EPR’s net zero carbon London studio has been innovatively designed with sustainability at its core. The practice implemented several active design measures, including all-electric heating and cooling and CO2 sensors to control ventilation systems, which culminated in a 22% reduction in energy demand. Achieving BREEAM Excellent, EPR has successfully eradicated all fossil fuels from its London studio operations.

What is the environmental impact of the project? How will the carbon use and material impact of the development be mitigated? What is the sustainability strategy?

All Saints is a tangible demonstration of EPR’s commitment to both people and the planet. With sustainability at the heart of the design, the retrofit of All Saints implemented a fabric-first approach to improve the building’s fabric performance. Key moves, including the installation of double-glazed windows and the introduction of high-performance roof insulation, ensured significant improvements to the thermal performance of the existing building envelope. Additionally, the arrangement of the two contemporary extensions, which infill the void between the rear wings, substantially reduces the surface area of the external envelope. This approach was vital to the building achieving net zero carbon in operation. Beyond the scheme’s impressive sustainable credentials, All Saints incorporates several innovative wellbeing measures. A central hub provides an uplifting space for lunch and events and planted terraces offer an outdoor area to promote connection. The scheme also incorporates gender-neutral washrooms, a wellbeing room, which can be used for meditation or by nursing mothers, and exemplary cycle and end-of-trip facilities. All Saints is also a fantastic opportunity for EPR to form long-lasting relationships with Elephant and Castle’s residential community. Since moving, EPR has thoroughly enjoyed bringing residents together through various events. Social responsibility is also extremely important to the practice. EPR’s School Outreach Programme works with several local schools to provide opportunities for work experience, and in doing so diversify the intake of the architectural profession. To date, EPR has delivered eight workshops at local schools attended by more than 250 participants and has hosted 15 work-experience placements.