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A Camden workshop rebuilt

This conversion retained its impressive scale and industrial character.

By Charlotte Luxford | 19 April 2021

Competition for building plots in London is fierce. Architect Henning Stummel and film producer Alice Dawson’s search led them to what became the Grand Designs Camden workshop. When they first saw it, the run-down 265 sqm industrial building was a rusting shell between Victorian houses.

Grand Designs Camden workshop roof

Corrugated steel replaces the asbestos roof and gives an industrial look Photo: Rachel Whiting

Demolish and rebuild

The task became harder when the couple took the decision to pull down the trusses that had attracted them to the workshop in the first place. So, they essentially had a new build on their hands. But without any consent to turn it into a home. It took the couple nine months to get planning permission, after producing a convincing case that the building was no longer suitable for industrial use. ‘We fell in love with the workshop and we didn’t want to change it into something else,’ explains Henning. This was no easy task. There were obstacles at every turn and the delicate structure made the couple’s dream of keeping the original steel framework impossible. On the upside, with new trusses in place, the couple were able to save £50,000 on VAT charges.

Competition for building plots in London is fierce. Architect Henning Stummel and film producer Alice Dawson’s search led them to what became the Grand Designs Camden workshop. When they first saw it, the run-down 265 sqm industrial building was a rusting shell between Victorian houses.

Grand Designs Camden workshop roof

Corrugated steel replaces the asbestos roof and gives an industrial look Photo: Rachel Whiting

Demolish and rebuild

The task became harder when the couple took the decision to pull down the trusses that had attracted them to the workshop in the first place. So, they essentially had a new build on their hands. But without any consent to turn it into a home. It took the couple nine months to get planning permission, after producing a convincing case that the building was no longer suitable for industrial use. ‘We fell in love with the workshop and we didn’t want to change it into something else,’ explains Henning. This was no easy task. There were obstacles at every turn and the delicate structure made the couple’s dream of keeping the original steel framework impossible. On the upside, with new trusses in place, the couple were able to save £50,000 on VAT charges.

Image: The kitchen worksurface was made with poured concrete, by the company that supplied the screed flooring. Photo: Rachel Whiting

Plywood boxes

Huge windows and a roof lantern made it ideal to site Henning’s office at the front of the building. A big built-in storage wall serves to separate the workspace from the kitchen and dining areas. The cosy living area benefits from having a compact patio off to one side. While, the back of the building is dominated by big cubic structures. In birch-ply, the cubes contain the main bedroom and a guest bedroom on the ground floor. Upstairs, there is a snug area and indoor balcony.

An office area in the converted Grand Designs workshop

A large bookcase divides the bookcase and living areas Photo: Rachel Whiting

A sense of history

Henning certainly put his unique stamp on this project and also cleverly reveals its former life: ‘You can mentally take the boxes away and still see the factory hall,’ he says. The Grand Designs Camden workshop remains a local feature of the urban landscape.

Bedroom with polished plaster walls and a concrete floor

Bedrooms are tucked away in the box installation Photo: Rachel Whiting

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