Refurbished, purpose-built facilities for a sustainable theatre production.

Enhancements to the wig, hair and make-up studios, dye rooms, prop workshops and laundry rooms, including replacement of gas fired tumble dryers and dye vats with electric alternatives and improving heating, cooling, lighting and controls to support the Theatre’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon by 2030.

Respecting the Theatre’s Grade II* listing, Skelly and Couch provided facilities tailored to the unique nature of the work. Liaising with the local authority was vital to preserving the building's heritage, while working with dye vat and fume extract specialists ensured the facilities met specific operational needs.

Boasting over 80 square meters of glazing, the existing structure utilises a large light well to naturally illuminate the spaces. Thermal modelling was imperative to ensured this expansive façade was not overheating the studios. Furthermore, building fabric and insulation options were explored to reduce heat loss during the winter months.

The theatre has made strides in reducing its energy consumption through the installation of heat recovery in the ventilation system and upgrades to heating and lighting controls, which have allowed staff to better moderate the internal environment. Additionally, the existing heating system was replaced with an electric alternative, future-proofed for compatibility with a heat pump to support the NT's ongoing progress.

Skelly and Couch used precise phasing and conducted noise testing of existing areas to limit disruption and allow performances to continue, where applicable, attenuators and spring mounted fans were fitted.  

To minimise the presence of dust and fumes in the workshops, different vent and ventilation strategies were assessed through BIM modelling, and existing specialist extract equipment was evaluated including an analysis of air movement at user face height and measurements of air velocity. These practices, accompanied by the installation of emergency safety features helped promote employee welfare.

Following this project, Skelly and Couch have continued to work closely with the National Theatre, developing crew facilities and the new NT Green Stores, refurbishing the Dorfman theatre, and undertaking extensive reroofing and rewiring works.

Refurbishment and extension of one of the world’s leading scholarly institutions.

Phased refurbishment of the world-leading center in a conservation area, focusing on preservation through environmental control. It includes the historic libraries, a new archive and gallery, an extension with a lecture theatre and reading room; and supports future district heating decarbonisation.

The Warburg Institute, at the University of London’s Bloomsbury campus, is a renowned humanities research institute and library. Housed in a 1950s four-story building with a lower ground floor, it holds a globally significant collection. Its open-stack library of over 360,000 volumes is the largest dedicated to the afterlife of antiquity and cultural transmission, with key materials secured in the archive.
Renovation began with library stacks and academic offices on the upper floors, followed by the first and second floors. The final phase transformed the ground and lower ground levels, adding a reception, gallery, special collections archive, photographic room, and a courtyard extension with a floating lecture theatre and archive reading room. Two AV-equipped classrooms replaced the former lecture theatre and connect to the new one, accommodating larger audiences. Plant facilities were upgraded throughout.

Passive strategies included double-height lightwells to bring daylight into the special collections reading room, reoriented library stacks to reduce sun exposure, and new secondary glazing to limit heat loss, improve thermal performance, and protect materials with integrated UV film.

Skelly & Couch worked with the existing district heating system to serve renovated areas and upgraded it to support future decarbonisation. Fragile ceilings required careful coordination with the structural engineer to ensure safe MEP installation. New heating with improved controls serves the building, while humidifiers in the libraries maintain moisture during heating periods. MVHR ventilates the gallery, lecture theatre, and reading room; toilets use extract-only systems. In the lecture theatre, an air source heat pump provides cooling during busy periods. Energy-efficient LED lighting with occupancy sensors and daylight dimming, along with low-flow water fittings, was installed throughout.

Archive materials were relocated to a windowless, insulated lower-ground room , designed to meet stringent storage standards. Thermally coupled to the ground, it is passively climate-controlled, with a dehumidifier to manage external moisture.

The renovation secures the Warburg Institute’s legacy of discovery and learning, creating welcoming, functional spaces for visitors and staff while safeguarding invaluable materials. The project achieved an SKA ‘Gold’ rating.

FT: Warburg Institute renovation to bring enigmatic establishment into 21st century

Awards

2025 - AJ Architecture Awards, Refurbishment (£10m and Over) and Higher Education categories, shortlisted.

A new, 134-bed student residential building for the 400-year-old college at its site on Iffley Road, Oxford.

A practical and contemporary-style pavilion for the visitors of Grade I-listed Waddesdon Manor.

This competition-winning project is the provision of new student accommodation (100 bedrooms) and facilities for Gradel Quad at New College, Oxford.

A modern performance centre developed within a historic maltings.

A former maltings now hosts drama and dance studios, a 350-seat theatre encouraging pupil involvement both on and off stage. Foyers, carved out from historic barley kilns, connect to a commercial kitchen, dining rooms, science labs, and art studios. Additional spaces include drama department offices, actor changing rooms, and set production workshops.

The King’s School Canterbury is Britain’s oldest public school, a co-educational day and boarding school. Our long-standing professional relationship with the school has resulted in bespoke standard project specifications, simplifying maintenance, and establishing common design standards for future endeavours.

The sensitive repurposing of the 19^th century Malt into a new performance centre involved threading services around existing building features, requiring close collaboration with the whole design team, whilst meeting the client’s brief for facilities akin to those found in professional theatre environments.

Significant upgrades to the fabric and insulation resulted in a largely-reused existing building with great sustainability credentials. Secondary glazing was added to improve efficiency whilst retaining the historic windows and a careful analysis determined which parts of the building could be comfortably naturally ventilated, despite it being immediately beside both the train line into London and residential properties.

Where natural ventilation was not appropriate, heat recovery systems were designed to ensure efficient use of energy in operation. Full M&E services were designed to ensure energy-efficient operation and lower carbon emissions.

Winning a RIBA National and four East Awards in 2021, the Malthouse at King’s School Canterbury was praised as an "exemplar of how to repurpose an existing building in an imaginative, honest, and sensitive way." This recognition highlights the successful transformation of the maltings, now a centre for creating and experiencing drama and dance of the highest quality.

Awards

Winner of a RIBA National Award 2021.

Winner of three RIBA South East Awards 2021: main award, Building of the Year and Conservation - Full Article.

Civic Trust Awards 2023.

Winner of an AJ Retrofit Award 2021: Cultural Buildings £5 million and over. The conversion of the Victorian brewery maltings into a school theatre and drama centre was described by judges as combining ‘a freshness of approach while sensitively retaining the character of the existing building’.

Eco-Friendly home for international students entering UK Boarding

A three-storey, cross-laminated timber building surrounding a courtyard, designed for international students. It features 34 ensuite bedrooms for 80 students, staff flats, and teaching facilities, primarily located on the ground floor, including classrooms, music rooms, IT suites, art studios, and common rooms. Achieved BREEAM 'Very Good'.

The project is part of the school’s £48m masterplan, which includes the Malthouse performing arts centre, Kingsdown House boarding accommodation, Mitchinson’s day house, and the new Rausing Science Centre—all developed in collaboration with Skelly & Couch.
The building features a modular, square plan, surrounding a private courtyard designed for socialising and outdoor learning. Ground floor classrooms are complemented by breakout spaces that overlook the courtyard. Above, the first and second floors accommodate up to 80 students in en-suite bedrooms, with staff flats provided on both levels.

The building has been designed on passive environmental principles. Early involvement ensured the façade and fenestrations allowed for all internal spaces to be adequately daylit, and naturally ventilated, while preventing overheating. Off-site construction bathroom pods and CLT elements have been integrated, requiring a high level of early co-ordination.

The ground floor classrooms are naturally ventilated, and include a system by Windowmaster, which monitors internal temperature and CO2 levels, adjusting window openings accordingly. The same classrooms rely on architecturally exposed concrete ceilings to provide thermal mass, maintaining comfortable internal temperatures all year round, without the need for active cooling measures.

LED lighting and smart lighting controls reduce electrical energy consumption. Underfloor heating has been used throughout the ground floor, utilising low water temperatures, thus reducing the heat demand from the main heating plant.

The International School creates a welcoming and inspiring experience for young pupils arriving in the UK, whilst setting a benchmark for sustainability in boarding education. It reinforces the school’s global leadership and environmental responsibility.

Awards

RIBA National Award 2021. Find out more.

Civic Trust Awards - Highly Commended. Judges’ Comments: “Overall, there is a good sense of proportions, the chosen materials work well and the atmosphere of the place is secure and safe for the student community.”

This project is a pair of linked schemes in Brentford, west London catering for the demolition of the former Brentford Police station and its related housing section. In place, the new site will feature the redevelopment of the Watermans Art Centre and also the creation of nearly three hundred homes.

Redevelopment of an exceptional riverside site for high-quality, sustainable housing.