Owain Williams Architects transforms a disused concrete garage into a single-storey freestanding office building that serves as the headquarters of the Stroud Green Housing Co-operative in Finsbury Park, North London
Through clever use of volume and form, the compact building of just 38 square metres gives the impression of being much larger than it is.
The brief was simple: design a space for the organisation’s day-to-day operations within a modest budget, providing a welcoming setting for tenants to drop in, desk space for permanent staff, and a place to host annual general meetings with the tenants.
For warmth and character, the exteriors are clad in timber, and the entryway is completely level, making the building welcoming and inclusive. Inside, the open-plan space is light and colourful. Teale vinyl flooring switches to mint green as it flows from the entrance area to the permanent desk space, leading into a yellow kitchen and an adjoining accessible toilet, complete with a green door and painted frame.
The design sought to fit the greatest variety of spaces into the smallest possible footprint, using a tall clerestory roofline, zoning and material transitions to create a space that is greater than the sum of its parts. Materials were selected for their hardwearing, availability and cost-effective properties. Half-height wall panelling and slatted, floor-to-ceiling storage are subtle but thoughtful details.
“Despite its small footprint, we wanted to give the Housing Centre elements of a public building but delivered in an unassuming way,” says Owain Williams, director at Owain Williams Architects. “The facade reflects elements of classical architecture, contributing due civicness – this is seen in the concrete plinth, timber panels as columns, and the articulation of a pediment. All small details that give the office, and hopefully its tenants, a sense of confidence.”
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