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Light industrial units are usually built on one floor, but due to an increase in land values in the area the client, Greenwich Enterprise Board, asked for a multi-level building that catered to a variety of different unit sizes. The inspiration for the building form came from a detail of a Victorian workshop. Each brick was imagined as a progressively longer workshop unit, and this initial concept was developed using a plywood model. This resulted in a cantilevered form with progressive overhangs working as both solar shading and covered delivery area. Cross laminated timber was chosen for the project because of it’s strength in supporting this cantilever as well as it’s biophilic properties.
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Located on the periphery of the Charlton Riverside industrial area, and opposite residential neighbourhoods on Woolwich Road, WorkStack’s strong massing acts as both billboard for the industrial uses in the area, and as a front-piece to this particular industrial estate. WorkStack uses the language of surrounding anonymous industrial buildings to make landmark, sustainable architecture. The design quality improves the setting of the immediate urban area that is otherwise characterised by surface parking and low-quality, large tin sheds. The building is positioned to address a key pedestrian crossing, providing interest and activation to a route used by many local residents. According to the building users, passers by are intrigued by the form and often ask about what goes on inside.
WorkStack takes sustainability very seriously and is on track to achieve BREEAM Excellent. The cross laminated timber (CLT) stacked structure sequesters 343 metric tonnes of carbon, with around 21% less upfront embodied carbon than LETI’s 2030 Design Target (of 350 kgCO₂ /m²), and 44% less than RIBA’s 2030 Built Target for whole life carbon (of 750 kgCO₂ /m²). The panelised construction reduces time on site, creates a safer and cleaner working environment and minimises material waste. The loadbearing timber walls and ceilings are exposed throughout. This beautiful and economical solution eliminates the need for additional internal finishes, reduces associated material resources and environmental impacts, whilst offering biophilic benefits to users.
WorkStack is a pioneering new model for high density industrial space on compact sites, primarily constructed from engineered timber. The client, Greenwich Enterprise Board (GEB), are a social enterprise developer providing affordable workspace in south-east London. WorkStack answers a growing socio-economic need for industrial capacity while challenging the generic, land hungry, ‘tin shed’ default of light industrial buildings. Many London Boroughs have de-restricted industrial land which is inevitably acquired for residential development, forcing production away from city centres. Designed to be affordable to rent, operate and maintain, these workshops encourage manufacturing in central London. WorkStack’s 14 units vary between 55 - 110 sqm offering tenants choice and growth within the building. Occupiers include furniture makers, workwear manufacturers and a bicycle workshop. The distinctive cantilevered form gives the building a powerful presence with a minimal footprint. The material palette is simple. An engineered mass timber structure with limited steel, polycarbonate, glass and rubber introduced only where function or regulation demanded. Each building element is designed to be as efficient as possible; a direct design without excess. This project successfully demonstrates the viability of timber in an urban environment. WorkStack is designed to create a new class of high-density industrial buildings which can be integrated within mixed-use development across cities.
"I contacted dRMM when searching for new approaches to the building of urban workspace. I was extremely lucky, because I found there a wealth of experience and expertise in the use of timber. After a period of planning and development, Workstack was devised and built; it now provides outstanding accommodation for 14 SMEs in an area where space is becoming increasingly scarce. I believe dRMM have the imagination and commitment to bring new techniques to bear in this field." Michael Findlay, GEB.
dRMM is a London and Berlin based, international collaborative studio of architects and designers founded in 1995 by directors Alex de Rijke, Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan, now joined by co- directors Jonas Lencer, Saskia Lencer and Judith Stichtenoth. dRMM are makers of radical, sustainable and socially useful architecture, recipients of numerous awards including the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2017 for Hastings Pier. Recently completed projects include WorkStack industrial workspace in south London; Maggie’s cancer care centre in Oldham, UK; Wick Lane housing and industrial workspace in east London; Old Fire Station mixed-use retrofit in east London; and Wintringham Primary, a large new timber school in Cambridgeshire, UK.
