The buildings, on Farringdon Road within the Clerkenwell Green Conservation Area, were originally four Victorian warehouses, housing a printworks and shops selling bicycles and printing ink. Incremental conversions over the years had left the warehouses with a confusing array of tenancies contained within an inefficient, leaky envelope. Source:Martina FerreraFathom has extended the workspace area by 920m2, while upgrading the fabric to reduce the carbon footprint, as well as create a new modern identity for the buildings, celebrating their industrial heritage.The ground-floor entrance was designed in collaboration with interior design firm Fettle around a communal area with a co-working lounge and other facilities. The scheme also includes two retail units. Above, six floors of workspace have a series of private and communal roof terraces leading off from them.Advertisement Source:Martina FerreraThe design looks to retain the qualities of the original fabric and balance these with new elements and materials. Circularity and material reuse were key to the project, including the repurposing of 3 tonnes of glass into terrazzo-style worktops and the recycling of 5,000 bricks, 185m2 of timber flooring and 2.3 tonnes of structural steel within the build. Source:Martina FerreraArchitects viewViewed collectively, this series of buildings offered a unique opportunity as a characterful heritage workplace. The challenge was to unify the individual buildings and unlock additional floor space within the constraints of the existing fabric and the conservation area setting.Our design response was to form new connections to create large light-filled floorplates as close to open-plan as its possible to make a Victorian load-bearing masonry structure.The topography of Farringdon Road means that the four buildings step down the hill, with a level change of approximately 0.75m between each. To mitigate this, two of the original circulation cores were removed, with the remaining two reconfigured to incorporate dual-sided lifts providing step-free access to each part of the floor plate.A set of 1970s mansard roof extensions were removed, and in their place, a new attic storey replicates the language of the existing building frontage. Above this is a set-back contemporary sixth floor with a three-sided wrap-around terrace. We worked hard to create external amenity space for every floor of the building as well as a communal roof terrace on level seven.At ground floor, a new centralised reception and co-working space was formed by connecting the separate spaces via a series of large steel-framed openings in the original party walls and lowering the floor levels to create a unified space.Much of the aesthetic comes from the character of the existing building. Exposed brickwork, expressed structural steelwork and concrete are complemented by replacement timber sash windows and an exposed services strategy as a backdrop to the Cat A floorplates.Materials and colours were selected to create a refined industrial language. Handsome late-Victorian tones are complemented by a consistent use of black architectural metalwork, with robust finishes such as glazed tiles adding texture and ensuring longevity.The project has demanded ingenuity, persistence and a collaborative spirit from everyone in the design and delivery teams. The Waterman has become one of the largest heritage workplace buildings in Farringdon and we are proud to have contributed to the next stage of its history.Tom Bulmer, project associate, Fathom Architects Source:Martina FerreraInterior designers viewOur brief was to design Alfreds Club on the ground floor of the Waterman, the main arrival and communal space of the building, and to create an inviting, elevated yet comfortable environment. We wanted to create a space that felt more akin to a hotel lounge or members club than a traditional office lobby, whilst maintaining functionality and flexibility as the space needed to support a variety of daily uses and events.Alfreds Club includes a feature terrazzo-topped coffee counter and events bar, which creates a focal theatre element, as well as a lounge, co-working areas and meeting rooms to serve the buildings tenants. Our design has successfully activated the ground floor and ensured a warm and inviting arrival experience for all buildings users and visitors.Andy Goodwin, creative director and co-founder, Fettle Source:Michele CadeiClients viewBGO tasked Fathom with transforming a complicated and inefficient series of heritage warehouses into a single desirable workplace.Through its analytical and considered approach to the existing Victorian structure, Fathom unlocked net area on every level, improving average net/gross ratio from 79 per cent to 85 per cent. It carved out high-end amenity space and vastly improved the buildings efficiency in operation.Fathoms reimagination has created a distinct identity for the Waterman, celebrating its heritage but very much appealing to the workplace demands of today. Were incredibly proud of whats been achieved on this truly collaborative project.Emma Foster, principal, BGO Source:Fathom ArchitectsProject dataStart on site October 2022Completion date October 2024Gross internal floor area (GIA) 8,614m2Form of contract or procurement route Design & buildConstruction cost UndisclosedConstruction cost per m2 UndisclosedClient BGOArchitect Fathom ArchitectsInterior design (Alfreds Club) Fettle DesignPlanning consultant DP9 and Rolfe Judd PlanningProject manager B&CoContractor AmbitStructure Bridges PoundM&E consultantGDMHeritage consultant The Heritage PracticeQuantity surveyor RLBTransport consultant The Steer GroupLandscape architect Bowles & WyerFire consultant Sweco & SemperApproved inspector SwecoRights of light GIAPrincipal designerFathom ArchitectsPrincipal designer adviser Goddard ConsultingSustainability consultant SwecoBREEAM assessor JAWEcology consultant Greengage EnvironmentalAcoustic consultant EECCAD software used AutoCADEnvironmental performance / sustainability dataPercentage of floor area with daylight factor >2% Not currently assessedPercentage of floor area with daylight factor >5% Not currently assessedOn-site energy generation 0%Annual mains water consumption 6.12 m3/occupant/yearAirtightness at 50Pa 3.43 m3/h.m2Heating and hot water load 21.98 kWh/m2/yrArea-weighted U-values walls: 1.3 W/m2K; roof: 0.12 W/m2K; windows: 1.3 W/m2K; floors: 0.74 W/m2K (NB weighted averages across existing and new build fabric)Design life 60 yearsEmbodied / whole-life carbon Awaiting final assessmentAnnual CO2 emissions 23.4 kgCO2eq/m2