A family office in Fitzrovia

This four-storey, Grade II-listed townhouse in the vibrant and eclectic Charlotte Street Conservation Area in Fitzrovia had fallen on hard times. The basement, ground and first floors – refurbished in the 1990s – featured outmoded and inefficient office space as well as incongruous rear extension, while the second and third floors were significantly reworked by previous owners into a single residential dwelling. This latter project was undertaken without planning, listed building or building control approval, resulting in considerable harm to the existing fabric and failure to meet building regulations.

We have reimagined the building as a first-class workplace for a family office, in a lovingly restored building that can once again make a meaningful architectural, cultural and economic contribution to the area. Now complete, the lower ground floor houses a charity dedicated to ending poverty and inequality in the London Borough of Camden, while the client’s own charitable arm occupies the second floor and the remaining floors are devoted to the team running the family office.

As much of the historic Georgian plan form of the property has been sensitively reinstated as possible, with a response that prospers community and chance meeting through vertical circulation that stitches each of the differing functions together. Emphasis was placed on the restoration of the rich heritage assets, including the original cantilevered stone stairs, external windows, coving mouldings, external roof spaces and external walls.

Central to the design is a honeycomb motif that symbolises the client’s ethos of collectiveness, sustainability and social responsibility. The consideration was not to over-provide this, focusing on a stunning hexagonal glulam roof structure on the new rear extension to define our own hive for the family office – a collaborative social space to inspire and prompt community.

The striking sculptural feature is handcrafted in UK-grown European Oak. Conceived as the building’s heart, the design allows plentiful light into the ground-floor space, while supporting an external roof terrace with a fluid form oak balustrade and seating area.

The main challenge when developing the timber honeycomb design was the constrained site, which required a design that could be broken down into manageable pieces and manually lifted through the existing building.

Eschewing a sterile, impersonal commercial aesthetic – the building’s historic details and new interventions contribute to its unique, inviting character.

In keeping with the nature of the client as a family enterprise – the interiors emphasise a welcoming domesticity.

The heritage spaces are calm and celebratory with a rich palette of colour and textures whilst the contemporary remodelling offers a neutral palette, warm timber tones and clean lines, bringing a sense of calm and quiet sophistication.

The concept maintains Victorian and Georgian architectural features, such as wall panelling and plaster mouldings, whilst incorporating contemporary elements including furniture, joinery, lighting and wall colour, for a coherent eclectic mix throughout.

The new headquarters not only bring to life the spirit of the historic building but enable the legacy of the family and its charitable endeavours to flourish.