Revitalising an unloved building for Bath’s best creatives.
TCN needed a destination hub to house Bath’s most creative businesses in their new coworking space at Newark Works. Intended to combat the city’s shortage of Grade A offices, the building needed to include a variety of private office spaces joined with communal areas for amenities and networking.
Constructed in 1857, the No.1 Bath Quays building holds a lot of history, which we were keen to preserve. Originally it was the premises of Stothert & Pitt, crane-making engineers, and some time after 1989, Newark Works fell into dilapidation. At Interaction, we are passionate about taking on unloved spaces in Bath and bringing them back to life, so we accepted this challenge with open arms.
Historic design
Fusing heritage with the contemporary
We took a collaborative approach for this project, working together with TCN’s Gemma Pearce who provided much of the design. Our existing relationship and nearby HQ meant that we could work fast to deliver high-end finishes on time.
We designed a feature bar and entrance area, creating a hub for events spaces and general socialising. TCN’s in-house creative team designed the space to be sympathetic to the building, including a comfortable and eclectic feel.
Warm earthy tones are complimented with cool blues to form a distinctive colour palette. Exposed brick is in keeping with the history, along with the rust crane hook manifestation which celebrates the building’s original use.
The Clubspace
A fresh take on co-working
Interaction also designed and built Newark Works’ own co-working space, TCN’s Clubspace. Located in the mezzanine area, the Clubspace offers a space for individuals and entrepreneurs, whether they’re needing to take a break from working from home or find a permanent desk to make their own – all while being able to make the most of the communal facilities in Newark Works.
The Clubspace features sit-stand desks, a high work bench, phonebooths for focused work or private calls and a collaboration table to ensure every member is able to work in a space that suits them. There is also a small kitchen for those all-important workplace coffees, echoing TCN’s vision for spaces that build community.
Social spaces
Community-first design
When designing a coworking hub, it’s important to include compelling shared spaces to help foster community between tenants. Large dining tables encourage eating lunch together, games areas act as great ice breakers, and the honesty bar sparks conversation.
Newark Works gives back to the local community by offering a large events space used for both corporate and charity events in the heart of Bath.
Design Features
A dual sided kitchen allows for spontaneous relationship building between tenants, and works effortlessly to facilitate seamless community events. The main social space is also home to an 85-inch screen for internal comms and advertising, a table tennis area, honesty bar, wine fridges and informal soft seating for socialisation.
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