Architecture

75 Wallis Road is situated in Hackney Wick, an area with a history of innovation and making. Originally built in 1868, 75 Wallis Road first served as a factory for the manufacture of Parkesine, an early manmade plastic that offered an alternative to ivory and tortoiseshell, since then, the building has had many lives, as the home of cabinet maker Bernard Parker; as the store for Lesney products, the manufacturer of Dinky Toys and as a communist book warehouse. HTA acquired the building in 2020, following a ten-year search for a new home. 75 Wallis Road commanded respectful treatment to safeguard its sense of place. HTA’s approach retained and highlighted the original large span timber trusses, supporting ironwork and local brick envelope.

Our design approach retained and celebrated the hugely varied brickwork structure and the large timber and ironwork roof trusses. The addition of mezzanine floors, staircases and rooflights helped connect the four separate buildings into one seamless, fully accessible, interconnected whole workspace with added drama of huge double height spaces. The spaces within offer the variety and flexibility essential for today’s needs, but with future adaptability in mind. A muted colour palette celebrates inspired by the existing building fabric and draws on precedents and history of the surrounding context. Recycled timber and cork add to the natural finishes and as well as the reuse of all joinery and furniture from our previous home in Aldgate, optimising circularity as part of our sustainability ambitions. The result is a bright, light-filled, and calm atmosphere for staff and visitors.

A fully accessible WC and shower room is provided. At first floor level, the team had to carefully infill floor voids and form openings between spaces to install a DDA compliant lift. Where the existing fabric meant a walkway couldn’t be lowered, they designed a small internal ramp with a new skylight above. The project demonstrates what can be achieved when a company acts on the needs of its people, setting the bar for creative businesses keen to achieve organisational resilience.

Our organisation works hard to support the individual and collective wellbeing of our team, our efforts have been recognised with the Architects’ Journal Employer of the Year Award in 2018, 2022 and 2023. This culture is reflected in the design of specific spaces at Wallis Road, the in-house team ensured the building provides something for everyone. A series of hardworking spaces that reflect an understanding of their own organisational culture. The Snug is a lockable domestic scale room that plays multiple roles. It is equipped with a breast milk fridge to support our new parents. A wudu, used for washing before worship has also been installed allowing it to serve as a multi-faith prayer room. The space suits smaller meetings and 1-2-1 sessions.

The ‘LuncHTAables’ has been designed so every team member can come together in the middle of the day to share a nutritious lunch. The area supports creative collaboration with its floor to ceiling whiteboard, allowing teams to ‘pin-up’ and critique designs in progress. It doubles as a space for public and private events and provides the backdrop for ‘Makery Make’ a monthly series of craft workshops and, our regular programme of talks and networking events. On the upper floor a large meeting room called ‘The Gallery’ has been left unpartitioned, allowing it to support internal board meetings and design reviews, as well as serve as a bookable space for local businesses. The size of this room, its calm, white-washed brickwork and adaptable lighting make it a perfect venue for evening yoga classes.

Our move to Hackney Wick is a deliberate decision to relocate between the green open space of the Victoria and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Parks for the health and wellbeing of our people with access to nature and opportunities for active commuting. Our location benefits from being situated next to Stratford and Stratford International, providing national and international connections. Active travel is encouraged through the provision of excellent cycle and running facilities, showers, and drying rooms. A generous open plan kitchen and communal dining area encourages the practice team to come together over freshly cooked lunches, locally sourced, provided by the practice every day.