Once a Victorian brass and iron foundry, Grainhouse on Drury Lane in Covent Garden combines five heritage buildings into a six-storey, high-end workplace for small and medium-sized businesses.
The development - shortlisted for a 2024 Structural Award - includes flexible retail and food and beverage space to support the new tenants, including developer client, Hines, which relocated its UK and Europe operations to Grainhouse with a 15-year lease on 36,000 sq ft. Built within a conservation area, the five buildings were redeveloped sensitively to retain their character and seamlessly integrated into the local context.
Our low-carbon design extends, combines and reconfigures the buildings, allowing four buildings to be retained. Our whole life carbon calculation showed the redevelopment emitted 384kgCO2e/m2, well below both the RIBA 2030 target of <750kgCO2e/m2 and the more stringent Greater London Authority (GLA) requirement of ≤600kgCO2e/m2.
Grainhouse shortlisted for the prestigious Institution of Structural Engineers Structural Awards 2024
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"This is an excellent example of heritage integration. The careful preservation and incorporation of the buildings highlights a commitment to maintaining the site's rich heritage while creating a cohesive and modern workspace to high levels of client satisfaction and occupancy. The project sets a good precedent for adaptive reuse of ageing infrastructure through meticulous and thoughtful design with a conscious intent to reuse wherever possible."
