Positive Impact: Feix & Merlin unveils Impact Hub London

Photography: Rachel Ferriman

Continuing its ongoing partnership with property developer British Land, design practice Feix&Merlin has revealed a new workplace concept for social enterprise Impact Hub London. The firm was commissioned to fit out a new flexible hub within British Land’s Regent Place Campus back in 2022, with the goal of creating a world-class yet affordable workspace in the heart of the city. As an organisation that offers business support and hybrid office space to a wide range of London SMEs, Impact Hub London’s latest outpost was also completed in partnership with the Knowledge Quarter, a collection of over 100 academic, cultural, research and media organisations dedicated to preserving and sharing valuable knowledge resources – ranging from some of the world’s earliest manuscripts to cutting-edge medical research.

Creating a design concept with community at its heart, Impact Hub London Euston (which opened its doors earlier this summer) welcomes visitors with a large open coworking space. Here, a circular relaxation island invites users to engage with one another and exchange ideas, knowledge and support. Alongside this open plan coworking floor, members of the hub can additionally make use of smaller, separated offices and phone booths to conduct focused work or client calls that require more privacy. Feix&Merlin also incorporated bookable meeting rooms and informal meeting areas into the concept, successfully catering to a broad spectrum of working styles and employee needs.

Complementing this choice of practical workspaces are a host of on-site amenities including a member’s kitchen, secure lockers and post boxes, and a large flexible events space complete with an in-house bar. A full catering kitchen is also available for any SMEs that wish to cater for larger company events, while a tiered seating area and library next to the member’s kitchen offers another informal space for users to connect and relax.

As well as nurturing a sense of community and inclusivity for Impact Hub’s members, Feix&Merlin also led with sustainability. The studio opted for a considered palette of natural materials including cork flooring, timber finishes and felt pendant lighting, all of which are complemented by an overarching scheme of nature-inspired hues such as green, terracotta and ash (the cork and felt finishes also offering acoustic absorption during busy periods). The hub additionally features reclaimed hardwood pieces from sustainable furniture initiative Think Found, natural cork flooring from Quadmod, and Planq kitchen worktops made with recycled army clothing.

“We envisioned Impact Hub London Euston as a vibrant, inclusive space where innovation thrives,” explains Devi Clark, Managing Director at Impact Hub London. “We selected Feix&Merlin for their ability to blend functionality with inspiring design, creating an environment that fosters collaboration, creativity and sustainable solutions for a healthy planet and healthy people.”