A 19th century Victorian former furniture warehouse, spanning three floors in the heart of Camden, has undergone an extensive refurbishment; the stunning 10,500 square foot space transformed into a sustainable workspace with serious design chops.
Initially constructed in the 1800s, the building sits within the Camden Town Conservation Area——known for its rich industrial and creative heritage——and is surrounded by a selection of London’s best clubs, bars and venues. Acquired by property investment and development business, Fabrix, in 2018, architectural practice, pH+ Architects, have repurposed the former factory from a state of disrepair into a series of connected open-plan and flexible spaces brimming with industrial heritage and character; gaining ‘BREEAM Very Good accreditation’ along the way.
Key to the retrofit of Symes Mews was resolving the confused collection of spaces and improving accessibility and wayfinding throughout the building, the new fit out sees the interior divided into five distinct areas which can be flexibly arranged for different occupiers. Natural light floods into the deepest parts of building, whilst the installation of feature lightwells into original trapdoor apertures creates vertical connections between the entirety of the building.
Exposed wooden flooring, white walls and industrial heritage are all celebrated at this creative space, with interiors featuring as much of the existing structure as possible; an industrial almost gallery-like aesthetic fused with comfortable lounge areas and inspiring breakout spaces.
“Symes Mews is exemplary in its showcase of beautiful heritage architecture alongside a highly sustainable performance, principles which are at the core of the Fabrix refurbishments approach,” explains Toby Crane, pH+ director and project lead. “The renovation has been a true labour of love celebrating the original heritage features whilst improving the performance of the building fabric. The team has struck a subtle balance bridging the boundaries between existing and intervention utilising light as our defining material.”
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Symes Mews Camden Photography © Timothy Soar / courtesy, pH+ Architects.
