Chipping Norton offices redesigned

Client brief
Our client asked us to remodel a commercial property in central Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. The property had been neglected over the years, and was being used as storage and staff rooms. It is located within the boundaries of the recently remodelled Cooperative carpark and as a result looked at odds with its surroundings in a prominent location, with a structure made primarily from insipid brick and concrete, providing a very solid mass.

The process
The existing two-storey elevation was adapted to create a sophisticated, modern space with reworked elevations and an animated roofline. A small architecturally designed addition to the existing framework was created to reorientate the building by enabling the rear to become the front and focal point, with a signature entrance.

The result
The new front extension provides access to the offices inside and through a tall, glazed front door. With subtle lighting, this entrance provides a point of intrigue within the car park. 

The previously hard exterior is now punctuated with large picture windows, giving a glimpse of the working environment inside. The windows have been dressed with Cor-ten steel which will weather in time to a rich, rust colour, providing further depth to the building as a whole. The reveals have been finished in hardwood timber, giving a dimension which suggests direction and flow.