How a brief to ‘flourish’, set within a new-build office that is one of the UK’s most environmentally-friendly buildings, took form in a dynamic new social hub and co-working space.
SpaceInvader created a stunning social hub on the ground and mezzanine floors of Eden, New Bailey – a newly-build £36m office building in Salford one of the UK’s most environmentally-friendly buildings. The 115,000 sq ft development – aimed at ‘businesses who are serious about protecting the planet’ – was created by The English Cities Fund (ECF), a strategic partnership between master developer Muse, together with Legal & General and Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency. Eden forms part of New Bailey, ECF’s wider £1bn, 50-acre Salford Central mixed-use regeneration masterplan.
The stunning lighting installation in the ground floor space, visible to all passers-by, was a collaboration between SpaceInvader and lighting designers Light Forms.
The ground-breaking, 12-storey building was designed by architecture firm Make and is a LETI Pioneer project, created to achieve net zero operational carbon and to champion sustainability, resource efficiency and wellbeing at every level. The building incorporates high-efficiency air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels to generate on-site electricity, whilst its highly-insulated façade is now Europe’s largest green wall, entirely fed by harvested rainwater and devised to absorb air pollution, enhance biodiversity, reduce urban temperatures and provide thermal benefits.
The brief to SpaceInvader for the new social hub – comprised of 3,067 sq ft of ground floor space and a further 1,130 sq ft on the mezzanine level – was that it should be a cohesive offer, embodying both the needs of tenants and the local community and that it should harmonise with the building’s exterior and sustainable credentials.
Approach to cafe space, now operated by local firm Spice & Grind.
The key to achieving the required cohesion was to make the space busy and active through a series of amenity provisions, offering local-operator F&B, co-working and collaboration areas, alongside wellness and retail/events spaces available to the local community. Along with a strong sustainability narrative, the interior spaces also needed to achieve a sense of balance for users through mindfulness, offering a strong wellbeing sensibility and good quality food and drink.
The key design concept was ‘flourish’, which was directly inspired by the external façade’s live planting, and relating to both sustainability and the wellbeing of all who use the building. When it came to sustainability, the designers sought to feature a selection of reclaimed, low VOC and carbon-conscious materials.
Lounge seating beyond cafe.
The various spaces within the amenity offer include co-working, meeting, presentation and lounge areas; sustainable F&B and an accent throughout on nature, biophilia, social connection and contemplation. Cycling and shower facilities are incorporated to encourage more active travel into work, whilst an elevated area – ‘The Canopy’ – offers a serene environment for contemplation and wellbeing, incorporating a treatment room and full-size wellness/fitness studio.
The mezzanine canopy area, accessed via the rear platform, is a place to escape from the bustling ground floor. This area is a low sensory threshold, with colours, textures, lighting and smells that are quieter and softer to create a calming atmosphere. A canopy effect in the mezzanine is created via planting in the ceiling and a self-replenishing water station encourages users to bring their own water containers.
The mezzanine canopy area is a place to escape from the bustle of the ground floor.
Planting includes troughs and plants known for climbing, which will create a green wall over time by wrapping around the balustrade. The canopy space also incorporates a treatment room and a full-size studio, featuring a sustainable and adaptable vinyl floor, to cater for a variety of wellness-related activities and treatments. The latter can also be booked as a presentation space, with a joinery unit that allows for yoga mats and small stools to be stored out of sight, embodying the scheme’s approach to adaptable spaces. A darker palette throughout the mezzanine area reflects this calm and meditative atmosphere, inspired by the concept of a tree house.
The lighting design throughout, created in partnership with Light Forms, needed to help create a variety of zones with different moods for task-oriented work or relaxation. Lighting is also a major feature of the ground floor sculptural installation. The sculptural piece was inspired by close-up photos of carbon rods and consists of recycled cardboard tubes and suspended rods with a bespoke-designed LED fitting.
Full-size studio for wellness actitivies.
When entering the space, sculptural elements, such as the tubular ceiling feature and the curved, white-clad staircase to the rear, emphasise drama and scale. The arrival sequence then flows naturally from one space to another, with the sculptural ceiling guiding visitors through the main thoroughfare.
Project: Eden
Location: New Bailey, United Kingdom
Project Size: 115,000 sqft
Design Studio: SpaceInvader
Photo Credit: Pip Rustage
Website: spaceinvaderdesign.co.uk
