IDK

The retrofit of an industrial warehouse providing workspace, laboratory facilities, storage and an operational base for an ecology organisation working on a nature reserve and Site of Specific Scientific Interest in coastal Cumbria.

To accommodate the diverse activities, IDK designed a series of variously sized spaces within the large industrial shell building. The building performance was significantly improved to ensure the large, open plan flexible-use floor areas provide habitable and comfortable working conditions. Smaller laboratory rooms with direct access to the nature reserve are for use by ecologists, with a series of smaller offices hosting support and managerial staff.

The refurbishment provides a simple, sustainable base while celebrating an original industrial relic, one of the last remaining pieces of an industrial mining heritage.