An existing system built laboratory was stripped back to its steel frame and refurbished as the new headquarters for the Kentish Property Group and other associated companies. The brief required that each company had a clearly defined space but retained the ability to interact with other members.

The building, as found, was a warren of drab cellular offices and corridors wrapped around an open courtyard. In the new scheme, the courtyard has been reconceived as a kind of town square, providing a point of arrival and a focus to the building’s circulation system. This new arrangement makes orientation easier and removes the need for corridors.

The first phase of construction was designed and built in six months. The remainder was completed with the owner in occupation.

Budget: £10 million
Completed: 1993

Awards:
1990 National Drywall Award
1990 Designers Journal Award