Mental health and wellbeing has jumped to the top of our design agenda as a crucial component of creating great spaces to live, work and thrive in modern cities.

In the wake of the pandemic this couldn’t be more important. Bolstered by established AEC industry frameworks from WELL and the BCO, and by the inclusion of health and wellbeing chapters in sustainability targets set by the RIBA 2030 challenge and Architects Declare; designing with wellness in mind is key to creating resilient cities. We enfold these principles within each design in an effort to create spaces that enrich us, because we believe our relationship with the buildings we inhabit is fundamentally symbiotic.

We applied these principles to the Fjord Building, a project which comprises the sensitive refurbishment of the old Swan House to create 20,471 sqft of unique, contemporary offices over five floors in King’s Cross. The building is located in what was once an industrial trading powerhouse as the main hub for the Norwegian timber and ice trade. As a practice, we look at how design contributes to physical and mental wellbeing in this workplace and how the use of space in combination with the right amount of light and carefully chosen materials can help create the perfect scenery for work and creativity to blossom in.

Read the published article in full on the NLA.

Written by Catalin Crina