Architecture firm THISS Studio has completed an innovative office fit-out project for communications company SALT, transforming a 55-square-meter space in London's Shoreditch district using sustainable reuse principles. Moving into its own premises for the first time, SALT sought to create a bright, welcoming workspace that could easily adapt from a daytime office environment to a flexible venue suitable for talks, events, and photography shoots.
The project is located within Perseverance Works, a former warehouse building that now houses various creative businesses, including acclaimed architecture firm Henley Halebrown. The office space, accessible through its own private courtyard at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac off Hackney Road, features impressive high ceilings, exposed steel beams and columns, and abundant natural light streaming through large industrial windows.
THISS Studio designed the spatial layout with an open-plan concept that includes gentle zoning for storage areas and meeting spaces. The design team created custom furniture pieces specifically for the office, prioritizing the reuse of existing materials wherever possible to challenge the typically wasteful practices common in commercial fit-out projects.
The most striking elements of the design are two expansive tables made from cork and timber trim that define the studio's layout. The larger table, measuring 3 meters in length, serves as a shared workspace, while the smaller 2.3-meter table functions as a meeting area. These custom tables were ingeniously constructed using three retired steel catering tables as bases, topped with a large worktop crafted from leftover cork and American oak trim—both materials salvaged and repurposed from previous renovation projects.
The reuse philosophy extended throughout the entire fit-out process. Kitchen cabinets from the existing double-run kitchen were carefully dismantled and repurposed, with half relocated to a rear wall to provide additional storage solutions. Old cabinet doors found new life within the space, while the original kitchen sink was donated to a joinery workshop in south London, continuing its useful life elsewhere.
Additional sustainable design elements include reclaimed stainless steel butcher's shelves that have been transformed into attractive bookcases, providing both storage and visual separation from the bathroom area. Steel sheets and detailing were introduced sparingly throughout the space to create visual cohesion, while the previously black-painted steel columns and beams received a new rust-tone coating for a warmer aesthetic.
The design team also restored the original character of the space by sanding back the existing floors and finishing them with a matte varnish, celebrating the building's industrial heritage while providing a durable, attractive surface.
This project represents the latest in a series of successful warehouse conversions by THISS Studio. Last year, the emerging practice completed another former warehouse renovation in Shoreditch for music management group Common Knowledge, transforming the building's third and fourth floors into a flexible social hub featuring office space, co-working areas, and a recording studio.
Tamsin Hanke, director of THISS Studio, emphasized the importance of client collaboration in achieving sustainability goals. "The relationship between client and designer is crucial when pursuing a strong sustainability vision in fast-paced projects like office renovations," Hanke explained. "We shared a commitment to minimizing the use of virgin materials, and turning that ideal into reality required a collaborative, flexible design approach. The constraints actually became opportunities—introducing productive friction that sparked creativity and innovation, rather than assuming all materials were readily available."
Celeste Bolte, founding director of SALT, expressed satisfaction with the collaborative approach and final results. "Our new space is as much for our community as it is for SALT," Bolte noted. "Working with talented makers and designers like architect THISS Studio and textile specialist Georgia Bosson within a clear remit of reuse has given us beautiful space we not only love being in, but embodies the forward-thinking architecture and design SALT represents. The project has been an opportunity to invest in the design community and make space for creative production, and the result is a space that feels personal to us, made by many hands for SALT and our collaborators to enjoy."
The rapid timeline of the project, with construction beginning in January 2025 and completion in February 2025, demonstrates the efficiency possible when sustainable design principles are integrated from the project's inception. THISS Studio's recognition continues to grow, with their Clapton 1930s terraced house extension project "Sunny Side Up" being shortlisted for AJ Small Projects in 2024, highlighting the firm's versatility across different project scales and types.
