Since this client's original commitment to achieving an operating mode that does no harm to the environment, it has expanded its sustainability definition to encompass human health and wellbeing.  Prior to establishing Iguana Architects, Yaniv Peer was central to the Exploration team that had the privilege of supporting the client in creating a vision for their London showroom.

 

A critical step in developing a business that achieves success at the triple bottom line, people, profit and planet. As a consequence the company was looking to envisage a design for its London showroom that would espouse its operating ethos. The brief was to transform its showroom in to a space that would have its visitors leaving feeling rejuvenated, relaxed - recognizing the importance of environmental and human wellbeing.

​

The existing showroom was split over two floors, ground and lower ground, meaning that the lower ground space was almost completely deprived of daylight. The design teams priority was to open up the ground floor to flood the lower spaces with natural light and provide views to the outside. Whilst this approach might seem commercially counter intuitive, due to the loss of floor area, the new quality of space throughout the property is such that significantly higher rents could be charged by the building owner. 

​

Opening up the two floors to greater levels of light meant that an array of planting could be incorporated with the specific purpose of providing an air quality that is significantly better than the polluted London air. 

 

This project is a great example of how prioritising human health and wellbeing delivers significantly better working environments whilst adding commercial value to the building owner. 

 

​

Design: Exploration Architecture: Michael Pawlyn | Yaniv Peer 

Visualisation: Tomasz Laszny