Belgravia House, located on a prominent corner location just a stone’s throw from the Houses of Parliament, had a handsome façade, and enough space to create a modern, flexible workspace for a multi-let or single-let tenant. But when we first visited, the entrance was unwelcoming, the spaces beyond were dark and cheerless, and the functional elements of the building undermined its finer elements.
It was built as a lodging house for destitute boys in 1912, and a red lamp shone from its roof as a beacon of hope and help for those in need. Following several extensions during the 1970's and 1990s, only the original front façade remained. In 2022, the owner sought to reposition the dilapidated building into first class offices, and commissioned Woodhouse to lead the project: an opportunity to celebrate its heritage and make it fit for the twenty-first century.
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One particularly substantial change has been key to making the most of this Grade II listed building: by rethinking the fire-escape routes and removing a substantial slab of concrete, we’ve created a single, light-filled space out of the original ground floor and basement. Now there’s a real sense of arrival, with a visible entrance leading into a bright and comfortable double-height atrium.
Beyond the entrance, we’ve reconfigured lift-core openings, reclaimed floor space on the roof, made everything properly accessible, and enabled the spaces to flow better across all seven floors. Each floor now has its own outdoor space, with views out across Westminster, daylight and fresh air.
We’ve picked up the interesting curves of the windows in the scallop shapes of the panelling and referenced the original stonework in the warm tones of the oak joinery. We’ve taken out suspended ceilings to give a sense of space, and we’ve given the windows and original steel columns back their height and dignity. Belgravia House is now one coherent, characterful whole.
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By splitting the work we needed to do across six separate planning applications, we kept things running smoothly from the moment we got on site until we finished ten months later. Throughout, our focus on creating a resilient, future-fit building was relentless.
We integrated the latest technology, installed energy-efficient systems, diverted waste from landfill, and used sustainably sourced and recycled materials. We included bike storage and showers to encourage active lifestyles, and made these spaces just as spacious and well considered as the rest.
The result is a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, a WiredScore 'Gold’ rating, and – particularly impressive for a refurbishment – an EPC of ‘A’. Sustainability is now deeply ingrained in every element of the building.
A modern, attractive and flexible office accommodation for the Westminster area.
Awards and accreditations
BREEAM Excellent
WiredScore Gold
EPC A
