The Atrium & The South ‘Pod’

While most of the building fabric was in good condition, some interventions were needed to the key frontages to help realise the ambitions of the project to become a hub for the wider park. This meant enhancing the existing understated entrance, drawing people in from the main approach and giving presence to the key vistas from both Park Drive and Eastern Avenue. Vehicle access to the site was relocated to create areas for outdoor seating, priority for pedestrians and lots of space for a variety of hard-working, bee-friendly soft landscaping areas.

A dramatic new portal feature was extruded from the existing building fabric, contrasting with the existing façade and projecting into the new public realm. This move created additional space internally, adding drama and light to the triple height atrium space and reception. The existing original staircase and walkway were refurbished and allowed to breathe, revealing key details as new features in the atrium space, animated with projecting elements and break out areas around the new central hub.

The Lightwells

Two new feature lightwells at either end of the reconfigured core were punched through the existing floorplates. Not only did this flood light through the centre of the floorplans but, with amenity and collaboration space arranged around these new atria, it created new focal points to the plan, drawing users in and promoting teamwork.

Adaptive Re-use

The Bee House is a true reflection of innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, and has been designed to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’. Its new EPC B rating represents a 75% reduction in operational CO2 emissions through investment in completely new MEP services with improved efficiencies and controls.

New buildings are expensive – in cost, materials, labour, land. Adapting an existing building to work with new technologies, reducing the operational footprint, whilst prolonging the sequestration of embodied energy and carbon in a building’s original construction are great and innovative ways that we can minimise this impact.

Bee-coming the Bee House

MEPC originated the Bee House concept after discovering that the what3words square for the location of the Hive Café is ///feasted.cloud.honeybees. With the bee having already been adopted as the spirit animal of Milton Park, this find was translated into the interior finishes with hexagons, flowers, signage and art, as well as externally with the Bee House Hibernacula welcoming visitors as well as solitary bees. It’s relaxed, fun, and playful with the aim of evoking a home-from-home feel.