Bateman’s Row is a perfect scheme for Shoreditch: stylish modern homes with raw industrial chic mixed with commercial space. Architects Patrick Theis and Soraya Khan have created four homes plus three floors of commercial space in the 200 square metre post-war industrial building in the city. The architects bought the building a decade ago and initially used the first floor for their practice office. They subsequently decided to carry out their own redevelopment, retaining the first floor for their practice and creating their own family home on second, third and fourth floors. A second commercial unit was created on ground and basement levels, which is now an art gallery. Two studio flats and a one-bedroom apartment complete the development. The design makes the most of the accommodation and fits into its city context. The four main units have their own separate entrances at ground floor level, which allowed for the reintroduction of the original pre-war street numbering and related the building to the intimate local scale. The ground floor ‘base’ of the building uses dark coloured engineering brick, a common look for buildings in the area and a robust, vandal-proof finish. The upper storeys are constructed from a yellow Danish brick that reflects the yellow London stock brick on surrounding buildings. The architect has played with opposites in the design, such as rough and smooth finishes, and flushed and recessed windows. While the brickwork has a rough texture, the windows have dark grey metal frames to match adjacent industrial buildings. The design takes sustainability into account. The internally exposed concrete structure makes the most of the thermal mass and is combined with a highly insulated envelope. Solar panels supplement water heating, and the building features natural ventilation and a green roof.
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