Architects' Office

This simple, but elegant single storey purpose designed and built office, opened in 1964 and situated Ryder and Yates’ practice amongst the new town where they were to realise their most renowned works. It is a rare survivor of its type and was awarded Grade II listing in 2014, only to be delisted in 2016. The framed structure allows for an almost continuous band of horizontal glazing around three sides, only broken by the floor to ceiling windows of the short elevation to the street and the entrance doors on the western side. Even in its adopted state as an office for a car finance company it has a striking street presence more akin to a showroom. Its open planning mirrored the company ethos of skill interaction between disciplines, with no offices for partners and purposefully designed so that it couldn't expand to accommodate more than 40 staff. [1] Around the corner from the office is the Engineering Research Building that Ryder and Yates designed for the Gas Council and is listed at Grade II*.

[1] RIBA Journal, January 1976