Printing House Yard

Printing House Yard is Studio McW’s self-designed office, conceived as a case study in how domestic character can elevate workplace design. Rather than a corporate environment, the project creates a lived-in, welcoming space that supports staff wellbeing and strengthens relationships with clients.

Designing their own workspace allowed the studio to directly align spatial decisions with everyday working practices. The project began with whole-office input, applying the same attentiveness to daily patterns and needs as their private residential projects.

The 80-square-metre former warehouse is organised using a clear served/servant strategy. While the primary office space is defined by triple-aspect glazing and a unified desk arrangement accommodating all eight team members, functional spaces (toilets, shower, kitchenette and meeting room) are consolidated along one side of the office. These have been gently separated by freestanding joinery and ceiling-mounted curtains, which provide flexibility and spatial richness within a compact plan.

Responding to lease constraints and allowing for reuse and adaptability, all joinery is freestanding and demountable. Fabricated by frequent collaborator Idle Furniture using oak and timber offcuts, the detailing takes a deliberately low-tech approach. Floors were insulated and levelled to improve thermal comfort and acoustic performance. Cork panels and heavy curtains by local makers further define spaces, soften acoustics and contribute to a calm atmosphere.

Materials were selected for affordability and low-carbon impact. Surplus hemp blocks and plywood have been imaginatively reused as shelving; salvaged desk legs and second-hand chairs sit alongside recycled cement tiles and cork. The office serves as a live site for experimentation, testing low-carbon materials, reversible construction and collaborative making as a working methodology.