Sustainable Workspaces in London by Material Works Architecture

Almost every visitor to London has seen the building, but few likely recall it: County Hall is located diagonally across from the Houses of Parliament on the right bank of the Thames. For 64 years, it served as the seat of London’s regional government. After the Thatcher administration dissolved it in 1986, the property stood vacant until it was acquired by a Japanese investor who repurposed it for hotels and rented offices.

Start-up incubator 

However, on the fifth floor, under the high roof of City Hall, an area of around 3600 m² remained untouched since the 1980s. Sustainable Workspaces, part of a company group promoting start-ups, has now rented this space and established workspaces for young entrepreneurs. As the name implies, conserving resources and minimizing the carbon footprint was a top interior design priority. 

Minimal intervention

Sustainable Workspaces features offices, event spaces, innovation labs, a café, and breakout zones. “Renovation” is almost too big a word for what Material Works has done with the top floor. Instead, they embraced the existing aged and, in many places, damaged structure, using it as a backdrop for their new interventions.

Modular partition walls

Five principles guided Material Works’ design: minimal intervention, reversible fixtures, reclaimed furniture and fittings, low-carbon footprint materials, and prioritizing natural materials where possible. Rather than standard drywall, the architects used a modular partition wall system with plywood panelling. 

Beyond workstations, the programme includes workshop spaces and larger event rooms. © Fred Howarth

Reused and renewable materials

Most furniture, lights, restroom fixtures, and interior doors are repurposed items, now enjoying a second life. Some of the newly installed materials come from curious sources: joinery finishes incorporate recycled coffee and vegetable waste, paper, shredded plastic, and construction debris, while sound baffles are crafted from mushroom mycelium. Many other elements were simply preserved, like the original herringbone parquet flooring found in most rooms.

Most workstations are open plan, with discrete areas for telephone calls and meeting rooms behind partitions. © Fred Howarth

Over 1000 tonnes of CO2 avoided

The impact of these choices is impressive – both visually and environmentally. Over the entire lifecycle, Material Works expects around 1150 t of CO2 equivalent emissions avoided compared to a standard same-size office interior fit-out.