Change of use: Retail to Gym
Project type: Change of Use Class A1 to D1 & D2
Client: Hapkido School of Korean Martial Arts (SKMA)
Date: 2016
Location: Sutton
The scheme for this client included a change of use application in a retail warehouse in Sutton. He required planning permission, as the existing and proposed uses are clearly in different use classes: from A1 (a shop) to D2 (Martial Arts Studio) and D1 (Clinic). The brief specified the following program: café with a reception / waiting area, acupuncture clinic, office and training studio.
The proposed layout for the interior spaces took into consideration access as well as hierarchy of importance. The sizes of each space reflected its importance, with the training studio as the most significant and therefore the largest. The use of materials and interior finishes suited the respective spaces’ functions, so mirrors were placed on the walls of the training area for potential users. Frosted glass and softer furnishings were used in the clinic to achieve a greater degree of privacy and rest; and natural materials with subdued lighting in the café created an environment suitable for relaxation.
The planning application for the change of use was approved, partly due to a detailed Transport Assessment Report which we commissioned as part of the pre-application stage for the project. It justified the chosen location for the facilities. The site is located in Sutton, with good transport links, which allows easy access to the facilities limits the need for significant parking nearby.
