Modern work environments with GIRA - Co-working spaces in London

2 min read

Uncommon's latest and now fourth office building can be found on Liverpool Street in the heart of London – right where the famous skyscrapers of the British capital are located. This part of the city offers excellent transport links and fast connections throughout London and beyond. And Uncommon certainly lives up to its name, because here nothing is ordinary. The Uncommon Liverpool Street office building is all about co-working spaces.

Uncommon London - Coworling Space from the inside
Uncommon London - Coworking Space inside view

Co-working offices are designed to reflect new ways of working. They are aimed at freelancers, small start-ups or digital nomads who use these workspaces and the infrastructure provided – network, printers, scanners, phones, etc. – for a limited period of time. Uncommon in London specialises in the creation of flexible, attractive and motivating work environments. The aim is to encourage cooperation and a genuine sense of community among those working in these spaces. Design and technology-driven equipment, including comprehensive business services and events, form the basis for this.

On 3,850 sqm (41,430 sqf), over nine floors, numerous flexible co-working spaces, and meeting rooms were created to form the "Uncommon" on Liverpool Street. The concept of modern working also comes complete with a coffee lounge, an outdoor roof terrace and a wellness area with shower facilities. There is ample space for bikes, while four-legged friends are welcome too.

London-based firm Cousins & Cousins, which specialises in renovation and modernisation, is responsible for the architecture. The interior design bears the signature of Tania Adir, co-founder of Uncommon, who created bright spaces with high, open ceilings. Following the contemporary biophilic design trend, the building contains plenty of green plants in its interior. The proximity to nature is also reflected in the use of materials.

When Uncommon took over the building there were a number of systems running, including Trend, local Toshiba controls and BACnet. It was important they had a holist system that could take care of both the local room control and back end BMS. For that reason KNX was chosen and the other systems stripped out.

In this respect, the owners rely on modern building technology from Gira. The Gira X1 server controls the lights and blinds while the Gira HomeServer is responsible for controlling and monitoring complex building functions such as water supply and ventilation. The servers are operated via the X1 app and the HomeServer app, and are coupled with the Gira S1 remote access module.

The technology used makes Uncommon Liverpool Street a particularly energy-efficient building. Heating and cooling control works on a room-by-room basis, making it user-oriented. An individually adjustable timer option of the HomeServer app automatically switches the building to night mode – a function that can, however, be overridden room by room. The lighting in all public spaces is switched to night mode in the evenings. When there is too much sunlight, the blinds close automatically. The HomeServer monitors all hot water functions and saves energy when floors are not occupied or rooms are not used.

Architect: Cousins & Cousins, London

System Integrator: Mosaic Audio & Visual Ltd, London

Watch a video about the project here

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