Refurbished industrial sheds provide the perfect space for the creation of modern workplaces, according to a study by Hawkins\Brown and JLL. In what the authors claim is the first comparative study of its kind, Industrial Rehab: A new space of opportunity takes a look at the global trend for companies in the knowledge economy to seek out large-span buildings because they support creative working, are able to accommodate rapid growth and deliver high quality, good value accommodation.
The key characteristics of these buildings can be summarised by the “Three Vs”: Volume, Versatility and Value. The study has analysed 30 successful conversion projects from around the world, represented by 12 case studies that are discussed in detail in a report published jointly by the two companies.
According to the report, the characteristics of the buildings that make them attractive include:
Volume – large spans and high ceilings affect our mood and stimulate creative thinking. Neuroscientists at Rice University in the US have concluded that that the experience of high ceilings activates exploratory parts of the human brain which are instrumental to understanding spatial complexity. These brain activities then evoke the concept of freedom, key to creative thinking. A variety of spaces suited to different tasks can be created by subdividing enclosed spaces more conducive to focus and concentration.
Versatility – constructed with the rigours of industry in mind, refurbished industrial buildings come with flexibility built-in. Robust steel or concrete frames make modification and adaptation relatively straightforward. They also create space for organisational flexibility – companies have room to scale without the need to find new accommodation. In addition their size requires that they are occupied by more than one organisation, allowing communities of businesses to develop into collaborative creative ecologies.
Value – Rehabilitating an industrial building takes it from eyesore to icon. The social value delivered by the regenerative uplift of these projects is hard to quantify, but apparent in the regeneration of run down urban areas and the enhanced competitiveness of cities. The value of the Industrial Rehab case studies was also apparent in their ability to help employers attract and retain talent: these charismatic buildings, sensitively and intelligently repurposed, create unique spaces with high levels of user-satisfaction.
A new metric – One of the leading findings of the study shows that the Industrial Rehab case studies all have a much higher ratio of volume to floor area than typical purpose-built offices, and identifies this as their defining characteristic. As an example, the Broadcast Centre at the recent Here East development in London’s Olympic Park encloses more than double the airspace per square metre (NIA) of a typical office. This led JLL and Hawkins\Brown to propose that a new metric of cubic metres per usable area will become an important benchmark for evaluating space as it comes to market, with higher ratios suggesting better suitability for creative work and a more robust environment for businesses in the medium to long term.