4 Tavistock Place, London: Grade II Listed CAT A Lighting

Marek Wojciechowski Architects originally created proposals for 9 self-contained apartments over 7 floors. The property was then sold in 2015 and MWA were reappointed by the new client. New proposals were developed with a brief of complete refurbishment and extension, transforming the property into high quality workspace.    

The building had suspended ceilings, which were stripped down to create an exposed soffit following the architect’s design brief. The reception area was remodelled and transformed into a welcoming contemporary space. The office space consists primarily of open plan space with provision for tea points. The building is split over the lower ground to the 5th floor. 

Our team was originally approached by MWA design studio in June 2016 with a request of designing a lighting scheme for the entire CAT A. Thanks to our experience in designing and delivering office lighting for listed buildings, we were trusted with this CAT A fit-out. 

Full lighting design and calculations alongside luminaire schedules were produced for the office space and communal areas by the team to ensure the correct light levels were achieved. In total, 12 hours of lighting design including the emergency lighting design, were dedicated to support this project.

The project was originally specified with a luminaire that has now been discontinued. Several product options were put forward for the architect’s approval. The linear profile Rio Suspended was used across the scheme as the main office lighting. The architect’s brief for the linear lighting was a clean looking linear LED lighting with minimalist suspension kit, great performance and efficiency and the Rio Suspended fits the bill perfectly. The CAT A scheme was designed to meet the Part L 2013 and BCO office guidelines. The building features different ceiling heights on each floor.

We worked closely with the design team, ensuring we understood the design intention and the look and feel they were trying to achieve. We also worked with the main contractor on the project, attending site meetings and providing working samples. 

Several LED downlights from the 299 range have been supplied for the communal areas. All lighting was supplied as DALI Dimmable with direct-indirect light distribution to ensure high visual comfort for the future tenants. 

The building provides seven floors of bespoke offices accessed through a beautiful reception space. The result is a contemporary scheme in subtle hues of grey and high-end material palette.