Lumen House

• Refurbishment of a two-storey existing office building to accommodate a new office and laboratory fit out with a 60% Lab-40% office accommodation type split.
• Retain and upgrade the existing staircase and passenger lift.
• Additional requirements of new risers, goods lift, cycle rack/storage, shower facilities and potential of additional WC or replaying existing with superloos.
• Neurodiversity and inclusivity to be a main focus within the interior design.
• ARC to have their first UK Neuroinclusive laboratory and workspace office and lab space.

• Neurodiversity and inclusivity – balancing the needs of a fully functional lab whilst creating a welcoming and homely environment for all users.

• To breathe new life into the building both externally and internally, creating a combination of laboratory and office space to serve a growing need for such facilities. With sustainable redevelopment at the heart of the concept.
• Retaining existing fabric where possible while finding opportunities for reuse of existing materials, while upgrading and enhancing the existing space and surrounding grounds.
• ARC to have their first UK Neuroinclusive laboratory and workspace interior creating a well-considered environment for a shared and flexible space.

The existing entrance to the building offers a generous double height arrival space, but the fabric has deteriorated to a significant extent and does not meet current building standards. The design concept will replace this with a new fully glazed feature entrance lobby, offering a welcoming environment with a remodelled welfare core and the addition of a goods lift, alongside the existing passenger lift.

Access will be provided through the new main entrance lobby, with level access to all parts of the building being available to all users.

Upgrading of the building and fabric will be carried out to suit the new function of the building, including provision of an extended plant room, defined service yard and appropriate extract ventilation. Where possible, existing finishes will be reused either at the building itself or at various other projects through the engagement of ‘collecteco’. It has been assessed that partitions, raised access floors, ceilings and carpet tiles are all appropriate for re-use, while refurbishment of the comms room equipment is also being considered.

• Refurbishment of a two-storey existing office building to accommodate a new office and laboratory fit out with a 60% Lab and 40% office accommodation type split.
• Sustainability redevelopment will be at the heart of the concept.
• ARC’s first UK Neuroinclusive laboratory and workspace interior with a highly considered interior layout.
• Neurodiversity and inclusivity to be at the forefront of the interior design. The internal fitout is carefully considered to create an appropriate workplace which considers all users, including the neurodiverse. Clarity of circulation and the creation of spaces with differing character is a particular consideration for shared and flexible spaces.
• New cycle shelter to accommodate 10 bicycles to promote a more sustainable commute for the occupants.
• The removal of the raised floors in the laboratory area will mean services are primarily managed at high level and the laboratory area will be approached via gently sloping floors. As a result of this, the existing external escape stair will still be retained.
• The layout of the interior has been split into zoned areas creating various working styles and breakout spaces to accommodate individual staff and visitor working needs. Block colour and visible highlighted circulation routes are to assist and guide the occupants to various areas within the building.
• The use of standard desking, individual poser high benching for independent working, relaxed working and lounge seating area. Combined with private meeting, semiprivate booths, collaboration areas and individual enclosed pods will cater for the wide range of the neurodiverse community.
• Storage and printer stations are concealed within floor to ceiling cupboards and pull-out shelving creating a clutter free space which promotes a calm working atmosphere.
• The core circulation sits central to the building creating a clear circulation route to both the ground and first floor via either the stairways or lift. All areas of the building are clearly indicated with signage which guides you though the space.
• There are three clearly sign posted emergency routes giving all areas of the building adequate and safe exists from any part of the building.

• While the building requires updating externally in addition to the internal works, there is a level of quality that remains in the brickwork of the façade. Externally the overall appearance of the building will greatly benefit from the new entrance lobby and escape stairs. These improvements will be complemented by attention to the details.
• New finishes to the soffits, fascia’s and windows (including brise soleil) will visually connect the remaining original features with the new. The rainwater guts are to be renewed, while improved lighting and signage will reflect the branding of the building and give it a new lease of life.
• Demolition of the existing entrance and create new lobby entrance for an enhanced and contemporary, light and inviting welcome entrance to the facility.
• Improved landscaping and external furniture to entrance and surrounding grounds and creating a newly updated External plant and bin store.
• The core colour palette is to create a neurodivergent calm, soothing, simple, light and comforting environment, using a neutral base colour palette throughout the scheme with pops of feature blues/teals and tans to help create zone areas.
• Floor, wall and ceiling finishes have been kept to a minimum and neutral in appearance so not to create too many changes in finish to create a sophisticated, timeless and calm interior space. Pops of colour indicate various working settings and zones for clear indication. While highlighted circulation routes are clearly visible through the building from lab areas to office to main circulation core.
• All fabrics and finishes are in-line with the neurodivergent outline. The use of matt or natural finishes and lightly textured fabrics to add interest.

Creating Arc’s first UK Neurodiverse and inclusive office and laboratory interior which gives not only the occupants but also visitors a comfortable, well-considered space for daily running of the building.

Giving external and internal access throughout with provisions of welfare facilities with multilevel seating and desking areas, lounge and teapoint areas. Creating subtle guided circulation routes and wheelchair access throughout both the laboratory and office space.

• Neurodivergent office and lab layout.
• Integrated joinery for teapoints, semi-private booths, storage facilities and cantilevered bench table creates a seamless design with clean lines through the space keeping clutter and individual furniture items to a minimum.
• Extensive glazing to the perimeter of the building gives large amounts of natural light and external views thought.
• Innovating curved lab benching creates a softer more organic feel to the space creating a less regimented lab interior along with breakout and collaboration space within.

The use of Bim (Revit) helped create a visual 3D visualization for the client, giving them a clear understanding of how the space will look overall, which was a huge benefit that ran alongside the look and feel and neurodiverse documents for the internal space. Physical material sample boards were created, giving the client confidence in what the final outcome will achieve.

Revit was a great tool for the coordination between Architectural, interiors design and MEP. Giving us the opportunity to highlight and coordinate any clashing items within the design. Continuous scheduled project meetings between all the design team hugely benefitted the scheme to be able to achieve the high quality and best outcome for the project.

• Integrated Dali lighting systems installed thought the building giving the occupants the options for multiple lighting settings for their needs and wants.
• Anti-glare lighting throughout the interior hugely benefits all occupants’ wellbeing as a whole, focusing on the neurodiverse population especially to the desking and meeting room areas.
• Lighting to breakout areas is warm and soft creating a relaxing and calm atmosphere away from the working labs.
• Light saving motion sensor used throughout the scheme reducing electrical power.
• Environmentally friendly Photovoltaic solar panels have been applied to the existing roof to capture energy from solar radiation to transform into electricity to give back to the national grid and benefit the running costs of the existing building.
• Access control to core areas for access through the main entrance into the office and lab suites.
• AV.
• Standard sockets, USB connections within all workstations and collaboration areas.

In the early stages of the project, stakeholder engagement played a crucial role in forming the design approach. Workshops and discussions were held to understand the end-users’ requirements for both lab and office workflows, ensuring that operational needs were clearly defined. Particular attention was given to neurodiversity considerations, promoting an inclusive and supportive environment. This collaborative process proved highly beneficial in coordinating design decisions with other consultants, maintaining efficient workflows, and preserving the functionality of the lab spaces.

• DDA compliant teapoint and island, Accessible WC to both ground and first floor, DDA shower facilities, Lift between floors, Automatic assisted entrance door and Disabled parking spaces, DDA refuge point to first floor.
• All signage fitted with braille and positioned at an accessible height.
• Ramps to lab areas.
• Various heights for desking and seating to accommodate employees needs.
• DDA compliant doors.

The scheme prioritised access to natural light, views, and ventilation to support occupant comfort and mental wellbeing, while the inclusion of adaptable workspaces encouraged collaboration and flexibility. Together, these strategies created a supportive, sustainable workspace designed to promote wellbeing and retain long-term functional and social value.

Implementing passive design strategies proved challenging due to the constraints of working within an existing building fabric, which limited opportunities for natural ventilation, orientation adjustments, and envelope improvements. However, sustainability measures were still prioritised, with the roof successfully retrofitted to accommodate photovoltaic panels.

Materials and finishes were selected for their low environmental impact and durability where possible.

The labs were designed with flexibility and future adaptability in mind, allowing tenants to configure spaces to suit their specific research and operational needs. The layout accommodates linear arrangements of lab benching to the primary labs and a CAT A level fit out in the secondary labs, this enables an easy reconfiguration without disruptive changes. MEP systems, particularly ventilation and service distribution, were strategically positioned to support varied equipment setups and potential upgrades. This approach ensures the laboratories remain future-proofed, and capable of evolving alongside changing user requirements and scientific advancements.

The team successfully translated a complex technical brief into a distinctive, high-quality facility that met the client’s expectations. Their disciplined approach and attention to detail ensured timely delivery without compromising on quality.