Huckletree | Studio RHE

Architects Studio RHE have completed an interior fit out project for co-working group Huckletree at the Alphabeta building on Finsbury Square in the City of London. The 16,500 sq ft space across the ground and lower ground floors of Alphabeta, which was also designed by Studio RHE and completed in 2015, features a variety of areas that meet the needs of contemporary knowledge workers. Huckletree aims to create a community of like-minded ambitious young companies who share similar aims and can prosper from their proximity. Organisations that have already taken space at Huckletree span varied focus areas, from venture capitalism to artificial intelligence, and from gaming to digital marketing. As well as installing a series of private offices, dedicated desks and hot desk areas, Studio RHE has created a healthy and up-lifting environment whilst also providing the required wide variety of spaces, atmospheres and functions required. These include: 

• The Auditorium – a 300 seat terrace of stained plywood and stage lighting, directly accessible from both Huckletree and Alphabeta’s atrium, features a consistent programme of events for members and the public.

The Conversation Pit – a social space featuring soft furnishing and low level lighting for more intimate meetings and collaboration.
• The Library – a comfortable, private and quiet for concentration and contemplation.
• The Kitchen - the social heart of the community, featuring a large concrete bar as well as black and white picnic tables.
• The Potting Shed – a break out space with a cascade of wall hung pot plants and a tree of irrigation pipes.
• The ‘on-air classroom’ - a lecture and presentation space with sculptural acoustic ceiling.
• Phone booths – a series of small individual spaces for quiet conversation, featuring cork and upholstery to increase sound dampening.

Users also have access to external terraces, featuring planted gardens and decking for outdoor working and socialising. Smart systems for programmable entrance control and space use data analytics to record usage and allow design to adapt accordingly have also been installed. The fit out features a wide range of bespoke detailing and materiality, as Studio RHE has sought to retain and enhance the original fabric of the building whilst still ensuring a clean, contemporary and dynamic aesthetic. Reclaimed joinery, such as original Victorian doors and fireplaces are juxtaposed with plywood furniture and painted steel in Huckletree’s brand colours. Plants feature extensively throughout. 

Richard Hywel Evans, Director of Studio RHE commented: “The brief for Huckletree allowed us to push the limits of workspace understanding and design a space that truly reflects contemporary working life”

Gabriela Hersham, CEO of Huckletree commented: “We believe that the Facebook office model should be available to everyone, regardless of who they work for. We’ve worked closely with Studio RHE to design our Shoreditch space to accommodate for the varied styles of working and to really inspire the mind and nurture our community.”