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home / programmes / research associates / 2001 / working lives / e-scape
Jennifer Brown / Architecture and Interiors
e-scape:
digital business incubators for social regeneration
An architectural study which looks at the urban infrastructure and workplace needs of technology start-up companies, focusing on the re-use of Poplar Baths in East London as a high-tech hub.
Socially deprived inner-city areas struggle to attract start-up businesses that can create wealth and employment due to lack of appropriate facilities. New technology start-ups struggle to find suitable workspace that is inexpensive and flexible enough to accommodate their volatile and unpredictable growth patterns. This study, set in the context of regeneration strategies for Tower Hamlets in east London, sought to resolve both challenges by exploring the design of digital business incubators that can attract new technology firms and help regenerate rundown urban areas.
The project studied work patterns and innovation issues at a range of scales: workstation, office, campus and location scale. Poplar Baths, a delapidated 1930s Art Deco building, was chosen as a, exemplar technology 'hub' for the area. It is a local high street landmark, close to transport links, rooted in the heritage of the area and offering the potential for architectural intervention to create large, open workspaces for fast-growing companies. A resulting scheme shows how a digital incubator might operate combining community and commercial imperatives.
Research partner: Gestetner in a consortium with Geoffrey Reid Associates, GMW Partnership, Jones Lang LaSalle, Peabody Trust and Roneo Office Systems