Paddington Works

Paddington Works is a 15,000 sq ft co-working and events space designed by Threefold Architects. Set across the ground and first floors of a mixed-use development in the Paddington Basin, the scheme comprises private studios, open co-working areas, meeting rooms, seminar space, and an auditorium suitable for a wide range of businesses in the creative and tech industries. Informed by the practice’s ongoing research into the potential for Wellness principles to create happier and healthier places to work, the space integrates innovative air filtration systems, adaptive lighting, and shallow floor plates in order to allow excellent natural light into every room.

Developed as a joint venture between Space Paddington and Westminster Council, it offers high quality business space at affordable rents to local startups. The design seeks to create a space for interaction and collaboration with ‘clusters’ intended to create smaller communities or neighbourhoods within the wider workplace. Each cluster is centred around a kitchen and social space, and includes informal breakout and meeting areas, phone booths, meeting rooms, private studios and shared workstations. Inspired by Brunel’s eponymous station and its heroic train shed, the design deploys a limited palette of simple and robust materials intent on giving the space both an industrial and civic quality. Bespoke detailing throughout the space cleverly hides the utilitarian office fixtures, subtly blending functionality and craft, for example through magnetic oak flooring covering floor outlets and perforated metal covers discretely disguising the air filtration units.

Wellness was at the heart of the brief the building services are designed to an exceptional standard. The air circulation system (air socks) bring at least 25% more fresh air into the building compared to other commercial spaces. The lighting system uses intelligent white LEDs which adjusts the colour temperature of the light throughout the day in line with circadian rhythms.

Matt Drisscoll, Director at Threefold Architects said “Paddington Works was a collaboration with an inspiring client to deliver a shared vision for a contemporary workspace, which places wellness and community at the heart of the design. The scheme has evolved the co-working model in a series of neighbourhoods of enclosed studios clustered around shared work, meeting, and social spaces. Collaborations with joiners and steel fabricators to deliver highly bespoke crafted elements give the project an individual feel and unique identity through a simple palette of honestly expressed materials inspired by the eponymous local station.”

Architect, Interior Designer and Contract Administrator: Threefold (not CA) Interiors with Client
Structural Engineer: TBC
Key Subcontractors: Hatton Metalcraft