The Badge Works is an Art Deco factory built in the 1930s located in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham which has been remodelled to create a mixed use development of live-work townhouses, commercial units and loft style apartments.
The architect’s concept was to restore the existing building by stripping back and subtracting elements to regain the simple and pure architectural quality of the existing space whilst reducing the carbon footprint and using the embodied energy.
A simple palette of new raw materials is combined with the old to emphasise the character of the existing building, which has been revealed and re-invented including the exposure of the existing brickwork, steel and concrete beams, original high ceilings and opening up of large volumes.
To this effect Arden Construction were successful in delivering refurbishment and reconfirguation services to the 1st floor apartment of this development.
We initially took over an empty shell of the warehouse, the objective was to create different areas within the apartment, to create a separate office by the creation of a new workspace that had a separate accessibility to the apartment with a stand alone toilet and shower.
Within the apartment we created areas of a new bedroom, bathroom, utility room, storeroom and kitchen/lounge area.
The works included screeding the floor, incorporating acoustic and thermal insulation, erection of new partitions to create the areas, electrics, lighting, power, water, electric heating, ironmongery, joinery, tiling, new doors and frames, installation of a internal specialist metal glazed screen, sanitaryware and bespoke kitchen units, fixtures and fittings and general decorations.
To retain the authentic industrial feel, a part of the works was in regards to retaining existing features such as the masonry panels and white glazed brickwork which was under the window and entrance, these were left exposed, cleaned up, restored and painted.
Other features included the original pillars where we placed galvanized angles, to retain the industrial feel, then restored them from damage caused from a previous dividing wall.
Existing white bricks within the existing construction were cleaned up, restored and painted.
The electrics were left exposed in the conduit trunking.
We also used galvanized chains for the light fittings and used old reclaimed light fittings in the kitchen.
All these works were completed to a high standard.
Project:
Badge Works Refurbishment and Reconfirguation
Client:
Sjolander Da Cruz Architects
Arden Construction – providing refurbishment services in Warwickshire and the Midlands since 1992
