We were asked to refurbish the Shepherds Building, a vacant 1960s former tax office building, into a contemporary workplace suitable for a variety of small businesses and startups.

Designed as an office for a single tenant, the transformation into a modern multi-tenant and co-working space has required careful spatial and regulatory design work.

The Shepherds Building is an ongoing project which will see the complete refurbishment of the entire building.

The transformation of the building is being carried out in phases, with an overall approach and aesthetic established at the start. This includes the use of glazed screens to allow natural light into central circulation spaces, as well as exposed soffits with visible, coordinated servicing.

New lighting and environmental control servicing upgrade the workspaces to contemporary standards.

Within the overall refurbishment framework each phase requires a bespoke solution given the unique nature of each phase. For example where possible the existing concrete slab has been exposed, repaired, and polished to reveal the aggregate.

Special attention has been given to the setting out of visible servicing. This has allowed the structural soffit to be exposed providing thermal mass to regulate the internal temperature and a greater sense of height within the office spaces.