Second Home, a London-based company creating workspaces and cultural venues for entrepreneurship, has opened its fourth London location in London Fields after announced plans for a new location in East Hollywood opening in summer. 

Opened in June 2019, Second Home has expanded its workspaces in Spitalfields (opened in 2014), Holland Park (opened in 2017) and Clerkenwell (opened in 2018) as well as outposts in Lisbon (opened in 2016). 

Image © Iwan Baan

Designed by award-winning Spanish architects Estudio Lasso Cano, the new building presents a family-friendly environment that features bold and vivid colors, shapes and geometric patterns. 

Image © Iwan Baan

The building contains a nursery space that will be provided by one of London’s most progressive childcare providers, N Family Club. The ethos reflects the passion of Second Home co-founders Rohan Silva and Sam Aldenton – who both had babies of their own over the past 12 months – and helps to tackle the shortage of childcare provision in the UK.

Image © Iwan Baan

Cano takes inspiration from the biophilic shapes and lightweight forms of German architect Frei Otto, who was best known for the tensile roof of the Munich Olympic Stadium and the lattice frame of the Multihalle in Mannheim.

Second Home London Fields is clad in a "bubble" façade made from ETFE, a highly efficient woven fabric stretching across a free-form frame, amplifying the surrounding urban landscape. 

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Originally designed by Victorian church architect James Cubitt, the front of the building served as an education space from the 1970s while the rear, known as Morley Hall, was a former cinema, dance hall and temperance house dating back to 1879.

Image © Iwan Baan

Lasso Cano retains Second Home’s trademark biophilic design with an abundance of plants, natural light and stimulating colours. The spaces utilises clear partitions, floor voids, soaring ceilings – as well as signature features such as flying tables and a hanging plant system. The site runs on 100% green energy from Second Home member Bulb.

Image © Iwan Baan

The community occupying spaces at Second Home is diverse, mixing small charities and public sector bodies, with fast-growing innovative start-ups and teams from blue-chip corporations.

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"Being a parent is never easy - as I’m quickly learning myself. But it doesn’t have to be this hard - and our new family-friendly Second Home space shows how workplaces can evolve to support working parents," said Second Home co-founder Rohan Silva.

"Our architects have done a brilliant job of designing this building with children in mind - as well as adults. It’s a real step forward for workspace design, and it’s great to see the local community using the space every day," said Co-founder Sam Aldenton.

Image © Second Home

Nursery © N Family Club. Image © Taran Wilkhu

Nursery © N Family Club. Image © Taran Wilkhu

Nursery © N Family Club. Image © Taran Wilkhu

Nursery © N Family Club. Image © Taran Wilkhu

In Second Home London fields, the range of organisations includes Help Refugees, Black Rabbit, Stretch Yoga, London College of Fashion and Musical Dots. Second Home also provides free space to local community groups and offer reduced prices to charities and social impact organisations.

Project facts

Client: Second Home (founded by Sam Aldenton and Rohan Silva)

Architects: Estudio Cano Lasso

Location: 125–127 Mare St, London E8 3SJ, London

Size of project: 25,500 sq ft

Project cost: £5 million

Environmental engineer: Richie & Daffin

Structural engineer: Webb Yates

ETFE designer: Lastra & Zorilla

Prime contractor: EXA S.r.l.

Total number of plants and trees: 500

Number of different chairs and lamps: 450

Key architectural features: 20x20m ETFE Facade, Full glazed curtain wall system, 16 flying tables, Biophilia hanging system filled with plants, 1.2m glass voids to connect floors, double & triple height spaces, custom lighting, transparency/translucency, on-site nursery and rooftop, cork acoustic panels, lightbox bar.

Key materials: Polycarbonate, Wood wool, ETFE
Furniture: Mid-century original chairs and lamps, Howe 40/4 swivel chair designed by David Rowland, Cano Lasso bar and bar stools.

Top image © Iwan Baan

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