{"id":665789,"date":"2022-06-29T09:40:33","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T08:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=665789"},"modified":"2022-07-01T09:54:13","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T08:54:13","slug":"retrofirst-stories-cooke-fawcett-plans-new-life-for-craft-studios-in-60s-block","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/retrofirst-stories-cooke-fawcett-plans-new-life-for-craft-studios-in-60s-block","title":{"rendered":"RetroFirst Stories: Cooke Fawcett plans new life for craft studios in 60s block"},"content":{"rendered":"
With up to 40 per cent of carbon emissions coming from the construction industry, the profession needs to find ways of adapting the type of buildings it designs, and fast. The default option for any project should be to adapt and reuse an existing building, one of the key demands of the AJ\u2019s RetroFirst campaign<\/a>.<\/div>\n
\n

Our ongoing series seeks to celebrate the projects that save buildings from ruin or give them a brand new life.<\/p>\n

Today we hear from Francis Fawcett of Cooke Fawcett<\/a> about how the emerging practice is giving a major facelift to existing maker spaces housed in an ageing former 1960s council block in Deptford, south-east London. The scheme was approved last month and is due to start on site in December.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\"\"\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n

Tell us about the project? <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Francis Fawcett of Cooke Fawcett<\/p>\n\t

<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n

Cockpit Studios<\/a> is a centre for craft in London, housing the UK\u2019s largest, most diverse cluster of makers. The organisation has studios in Bloomsbury and this one on Creekside in Deptford, a short walk from Deptford high street to the west and the Trinity Laban Dance Centre to the north.<\/p>\n

Cockpit\u2019s Deptford site occupies a 1960s former council office building and is home to more than 60 makers and micro-businesses. It has owned the building since 2000. But this transformation of the building and yards is going to unlock underused space, to deliver lots of new studio spaces and much better public facilities.<\/p>\n

A new caf\u00e9 and front yard space will give Cockpit a permanent public presence for the first time, making it more open, active, inviting and accessible. New education and community spaces on the ground floor will meet a growing local demand for events and practical workshops. In the rear yard, a new for-purpose wood workshop will allow new kinds of making and create affordable provision for makers, giving them the tools to build their businesses.<\/p>\n

The project is funded by \u00a32.3 million from the Mayor of London\u2019s Good Growth Fund and the Stride partnership, and the overall project budget is over \u00a33 million. The remodelled building and site will accommodate an extra 21 businesses and support 26 new jobs.<\/p>\n

What were the challenges of the existing building\/site? <\/strong><\/p>\n

As we often see with old buildings where they\u2019ve been used for different purposes several times over, there was a lot of leftover and forgotten space \u2013 the most obvious was the front yard and ground floor in the building. We couldn\u2019t believe it when we went into the front yard \u2013 it has these 3.5m-tall walls from the old warehouse buildings. It is like a secret garden that gets great light from 11am onwards.<\/p>\n

A main aim of the project is to offer this unusual found space for events, activities, making and relaxation without changing its special walled garden character.<\/p>\n

One of the key challenges of the project has been figuring out how to improve public accessibility \u2013 for example by relocating learning spaces to the ground floor. Keeping studios on upper levels up and running during the works is going to be an important challenge \u2013 it\u2019s always tricky trying to keep access and services going smoothly.<\/p>\n

The timeline is also very challenging, as one of the funders in particular needs the works to be at shell-and-core stage by the end of March next year, so we\u2019ve been working hard to make sure the primary phases of work are relatively buildable and lining up glazing suppliers.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Axonometric of proposals<\/p>\n\t

<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n

Had demolition or partial demolition ever been considered? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The project history predates the current proposals \u2013 this part of Deptford is changing fast. Planned developments along Creekside will shortly deliver a significant number of new homes, and Cockpit, as a light industrial space, will soon find itself part of a predominantly residential neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

The building was going to be knocked down and relocated elsewhere \u2013 Cockpit resisted<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the urban masterplan the building was going to be knocked down and relocated elsewhere on the block, and previously Cockpit was approached by developers keen to acquire the site, replace it with housing and accommodate Cockpit\u2019s activities elsewhere on the site. Ultimately Cockpit resisted because they failed to offer space of an equivalent quality and flexibility of use, including not having enough yard space for makers.<\/p>\n

Interestingly the historic evolution of the current Cockpit setup \u2013 a 1960s office building superimposed on a former light industrial wharf \u2013 has created a pretty ideal situation with flexible cellular spaces surrounded by robust space for outdoor messy working. We recognise the value of this existing setup and want to build on these things that currently work well.<\/p>\n

Cockpit\u2019s decision to resist integration in a larger scheme, and to focus on the revitalisation of its existing building now feels clearly vindicated \u2013 by the delivery of a substantially improved space, new workspaces and jobs, and a public-facing set of spaces, without the expense and environmental impact of significant structural alteration to the existing building.<\/p>\n

While there are difficulties with the relatively low ceiling heights, deep concrete downstands and the state of the existing services, the budget is stretching much further than it would if Cockpit trying to do all of this with a fully new building.<\/p>\n

Aside from retaining the original fabric, what other aspects of your design reduce the whole-life carbon impact of the building? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The intention is to achieve exemplary low-energy standards in areas we\u2019re working on \u2013 for example with a new fa\u00e7ade for the ground floor areas of the existing building, and the construction of the new wood workshop. In collaboration with Max Fordham, there is natural ventilation via the new fa\u00e7ades at ground floor, an air-source heat pump for the workshop, several MVHR units and extensive passive solutions for ventilation and shading. We\u2019re oversizing radiators so that when Cockpit makes the switch to heat pumps for the main building heating, these refurbished areas are future-proofed.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re oversizing radiators in preparation for the switch to heat pumps<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Cockpit<\/a> is actively considering options to improve energy use further in future phases of work; including looking at options for full fa\u00e7ade upgrades to address extreme temperatures. For additional studio space in the future, we have completed feasibility work to establish that the existing structural frame could support additional levels of studio space at roof level.<\/p>\n

Were the planners supportive of the proposals? <\/strong><\/p>\n

This project has involved close dialogue with Lewisham Council<\/a> and the GLA for several years, as well as extensive community consultation. We\u2019ve done three pre-applications, and the council\u2019s planners have been extremely supportive of Cockpit\u2019s vision, our understanding of the history of the site and its contribution to the character of the neighbouring conservation area.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\"\" The decision to preserve the front yard as a defined space behind the existing historic tall wall is definitely informed by the resonance of the existing light industrial language of walls, gates and yards in this area. Striking the right balance between creating this secret yard as a special feature while opening the building up to the public was a long process of design experimentation.<\/p>\n

What have been the main lessons from the project that you could apply to other developments? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the years, we\u2019ve learnt that joyful, inclusive and adaptable buildings only come about from taking the time to really understand clients and the communities they work with.<\/p>\n

Working with Cockpit\u2019s existing community of makers has been a great opportunity to better understand which qualities of the original 1960s building invite studio use. Ensuring those characteristics don\u2019t get lost in the redevelopment has been a vital part of the process and a key lesson learnt.<\/p>\n

As a practice that regularly works with artists and makers, it\u2019s been invaluable to have this opportunity to better understand which kinds of spaces, facilities and equipment can be shared, which should be more private, and what level of ancillary provision \u2013 outdoor working, delivery, storage \u2013 is necessary to really make these buildings work.<\/p>\n

Making these buildings more public-facing is provocative and an interesting challenge. Cockpit is a working building which supports creative practice. An ambition to make it more open, welcoming, and permeable has obvious upsides \u2013 both in terms of community benefit and financial viability. But it\u2019s also critical to remember that the users of the building are businesses, all with their own requirements around access, privacy, and security.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not possible to achieve a successful more public building without taking these sensitivities seriously. The aim of the project is that ultimately the different sides of the building \u2013 makers and public \u2013 should support each other and allow the wider Cockpit community to thrive. This has played out in space planning decisions and in terms of design and materiality; it\u2019s important that all the new interiors will embrace the spirit of \u2018Made at Cockpit\u2019, with a robust aesthetic rooted in practicality and flexibility.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Ground floor plan<\/p>\n\t

<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n

The visitor\u2019s spatial and material experience will closely echo that of the makers who use the building. Specific thresholds between public and private areas have been designed so as not to interfere with the building\u2019s overall usability and legibility. We see a key lesson from this project to be our understanding of how architectural decisions can help bring different constituents within the communities fostered by these buildings together, and make sure they are supported in a productive way.<\/p>\n

\"\"

New studio block<\/p>\n\t

<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n

Is your approach to retrofit and the way you talk about it with clients changing, especially given the increased focus on the climate emergency? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of our current projects involve retrofit, and we are definitely noticing and encouraging conversations that start from a default position of reuse and adaptation rather than new-build or extension. As a practice, we\u2019ve always found that we\u2019ve been able to add value to projects where existing buildings have presented clear qualities justifying retention, alongside tricky challenges that need some unpicking \u2013 such as heritage, layouts, planning constraints or technical aspects like replacing services or structural changes.<\/p>\n

For a long time we\u2019ve offered a \u2018no extension\u2019 option at early stages<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As an anecdotal example, for a long time we\u2019ve offered a \u2018no extension\u2019 option at early sketch stages, irrespective of project type. In the past, people usually found that baffling \u2013 especially when it contradicted their brief \u2013 but now we\u2019re finding that idea, alongside a general ambition for better-designed space, rather than simply more space, is gaining traction. \"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With up to 40 per cent of carbon emissions coming from the construction industry, the profession needs to find ways of adapting the type of buildings it designs, and fast. The default option for any project should be to adapt and reuse an existing building, one of the key demands of the AJ\u2019s RetroFirst campaign. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":915,"featured_media":665812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[681],"tags":[3242,5159,6196,1342,4203],"yoast_head":"\nRetroFirst Stories: Cooke Fawcett plans new life for craft studios in 60s block<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The latest in an AJ series looking at architects who have saved buildings from the bulldozers or given them a new lease of life\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/retrofirst-stories-cooke-fawcett-plans-new-life-for-craft-studios-in-60s-block\" 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