Woodhouse was engaged by Frasers Property to refurbish a flagship property, the Hub building in Farnborough. Completed at the same time as The Templar building, the brief was to maximise the asset value with a design led refurbishment of the common areas, as well as attract tenants back to the office post-Covid by providing improved amenities. Thus, the design needed to be striking and engaging, with a nod to the rich aviation heritage of the site, whilst remaining cost-effective and as sustainable as possible. The building was to remain occupied whilst the project was conducted so work had to be planned accordingly to minimise disruption and maintain fire safety protocols.
The Hub is an award-winning listed 1930s art deco building that was originally used as an airport departure lounge and control tower. This presented a very inspiring site to work with and Woodhouse was very keen to embrace the existing Art Deco style in its interior redesign, weaving in tasteful thematic nods to its history.
The new reception desk is a reminder of the building’s past and the large corridor that leads off it displays original black and white artwork of key moments in aviation history. The palette here is subtle, allowing the images to shine, creating a journey through time. The corridor is softened with people spaces –the alcoves have inviting soft seating for touch down meetings. Upstairs, the second-floor lobby has been updated with new furniture and wall art.
The refurbished buildings is a welcoming, people-centred space, significantly adding to the desirability and asset value of the property. We collaborated closely with the client to agree concepts that did justice to the heritage of the sites whilst catering to the needs of a busy modern office building.
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