Hoxton Farms: Redefining Lab Spaces with Award-Winning Design

Wow. Almost a month has passed since AIS was awarded the trophy at the Mix Interior Awards 2024 in the category of Design and Build Project of the Year. This industry recognition, presented amidst the great and the good of London’s design community, highlights the exceptional work of our teams, particularly in the sphere of life sciences.

Our collaboration with Hoxton Farms on their innovative laboratories and workspace at the HYLO building in Bunhill Row, London, stands as a testament to our people’s expertise, confirms our commitment to pioneering projects and has provided the whole AIS team with a well-deserved boost.

Hoxton Farms Laboratories and Workspace: What’s it all about?

The HYLO building at Bunhill Row in the City of London now houses Hoxton Farms, a biotech firm at the forefront of sustainable food production. Their mission to cultivate affordable and sustainable animal fats for human consumption is not only ground-breaking, but also essential in today’s world. This space, nestled within a diverse neighbourhood of residential, commercial, retail and hospitality outlets, represents a significant shift in the local community’s landscape. By repurposing former commercial premises into a state-of-the-art lab and workspace, we’ve contributed to both the evolution of the building and the community.

Nominating something different

Among the projects we submitted to the Mix Awards this year, Hoxton Farms stood out as our only life sciences space. Its significance extends far beyond its four walls, embodying a compelling narrative about sustainable and environmentally conscious food production. The technical demands of creating such a space were immense, requiring a sophisticated technical services strategy to ensure a meticulously maintained environment for innovation.

The life sciences sector is booming, yet the availability of suitable lab spaces lags behind demand across the UK. Building labs from scratch is both costly and energy-intensive. Therefore, the successful delivery of Hoxton Farms’ laboratories and workplace in repurposed commercial space was not only a strategic milestone for AIS, but also a critical addition to the industry. We entered this project into two categories: Positive Impact and Design and Build Project of the Year, confident that its story and significance warranted recognition.

What the judges said:

“A uniquely individual and interesting project with a number of challenges – to combat these and still end up with a modern and exciting design takes commitment which clearly shows.” 

A Night to Remember

As we arrived in Battersea, feelings were mixed as to whether or not we would win. We had high hopes for the Positive Impact category, our thinking that the project story held broader appeal than just the creation of the space itself. The category for Positive Impact was awarded early in the evening. Awarded to IA Interior Architects for their tech-firm space in Romania, our spirits at the AIS and Hoxton Farms table were, admittedly, slightly dampened. That being said, we took great pride in having made it as finalists to both categories. 

As the night drew on tiredness was setting in. However, when the announcement came, and AIS was named the winner, the table erupted in surprise. Faces that had been weary were suddenly animated with smiles and laughter.

The recognition of Hoxton Farms’ laboratories and workspace as the Design and Build Project of the Year was both unexpected and thoroughly deserved. Our guests from Hoxton Farms, as well as our very own designer, Jessica Lee-Mather, who played a pivotal role in the workspace design, shared in the celebration. Jessica’s contributions, along with the efforts of our Life Sciences team led by Heath Payne, and the guidance of biological containment expert Alan Fox, were instrumental in this achievement.

Takeaway

This past year has been marked by significant growth and change at AIS. This recognition validates our efforts and direction. The Hoxton Farms project exemplifies the kind of impactful spaces we aim to create—spaces that are not only functional, but also inviting and narrative-driven.

The spaces at Hoxton Farms are designed to be transparent and welcoming, reflecting the open and innovative culture of the business. By integrating design that facilitates both the work and the culture of Hoxton Farms, we’ve created a space that transcends its physical boundaries.

AIS is excited to continue pushing the boundaries of design and build, particularly in the life sciences sector. This win is not just a celebration of our past achievements but a catalyst for future innovation and excellence.

Read more about Hoxton Farms here.