Birkbeck Toddler Lab
Tags: education, science and research, masonry, refurbishment, listed building
Related projects: 373 Euston Road , Wimbledon College of Arts
- Client: Birkbeck, University of London
- Architect: Bisset Adams
- Photographer: Agnese Sanvito
- Completion: 2021
- Value: Confidential
- Size: 9,000 m²
32 Torrington Square is an end of terrace building in a row of terraced townhouses. The building was Grade II-listed in 1969. Built between 1821 and 1825, the empty site north of the row of terraced houses suggests previous bomb damage. In recent years, the building has been used for research and administration offices, but is not purposely tailored to the needs of the institute.
The existing building was earmarked by Birkbeck College to undergo a full refurbishment, and along with a new build on the adjacent site, now houses the Wohl Wolfson ToddlerLab. However, with previous structural surveys highlighting a number of defects and deterioration of the existing structure, part of our scope of works was to assess the feasibility of the project. This included undertaking a full assessment of the structural condition and constraints, recommending subsequent repairs and undertaking further intrusive surveys and monitoring in order to assess the existing structure.
Webb Yates Engineers, in collaboration with the Client and Architect, transformed this rather outdated listed building to house the world’s first ‘ToddlerLab’, specialising in the ground-breaking research on the early development of autism and other behavioural conditions in children.