I first heard about Patch’s Work Near Home vision for UK high streets after being introduced to Varun Vassanth (Patch’s first employee). At the time, I was working with an ambitious early-stage start-up which, similarly to Patch, was rethinking how we work and socialise in a post-Covid, hybrid work world.
Needless to say, Varun and I had a lot to talk about and spent a long evening discussing Patch’s vision for a workplace that is community-oriented and deeply embedded in the rituals and rhythms of its local neighbourhood. A year later - when a role was advertised to lead on design - I immediately applied. It felt like an intuitive next step.
Having personally felt the impact of social isolation during a series of Covid lockdowns and prolonged remote working, I became passionate about the potential for design to be used as a tool to bring people together.
Here, I explore how my mission-orientated, people-first design background led me to Patch and how Patch’s mission to create opportunity for people, work and community on every UK high street has inspired an approach to the design of its spaces. Key to this is choosing buildings that have a strong local identity and support human connection.
A mission-driven, people-oriented design foundation
I believe that design is most effective at influencing positive change when practiced in interdisciplinary, mission-driven environments. This conviction lead me to the London School of Architecture - a disruptive new school whose curriculum operated much like a tech start-up. The school reframed design as a collaborative discipline and taught problem-solving techniques borrowed from start-ups and the business world. As students, we identified opportunities in the city in an agile, multi-disciplinary and connected way.
Out of this, I developed a mission-driven, people-oriented design foundation which is fundamental to how I lead design at Patch. Each new location is an opportunity to enhance our design toolkit aimed at crafting ideal environments for supporting the creation of meaningful connections. Central to this is understanding and celebrating each location’s distinct community groups and amplifying the voices of custodian figures who run and champion these assets.
Choosing buildings that matter
Much of the UK’s modern office space is agnostic to its occupants and generic in its layout. At Patch, we revitalise and re-energise buildings which have embedded historical and social value and tailor them to reflect their local neighbourhood and the community that they serve. We are the custodians of these community assets and have a long-term duty of care towards them.
It is important that our buildings narrate their histories in accessible and engaging ways. Patch Twickenham participated in this year’s Open House Festival where we invited the public to explore the curiosities of our art deco building at 42 York Street. With motifs of light bulbs and the founders of electricity, the friezes on the building’s window surrounds tell the story of its history and illustrate its new purpose as a space for innovation and collaboration.
In true Patch spirit, we invited the participants to imagine their dream neighbourhood through a workshopped series of drawings which were then proudly displayed on our gallery wall. An example of how Patch functions as a Lighthouse for local life amplifying local pride and supporting rich human connection.
Patch at Bobby’s Bournemouth
Since joining Patch, I have been focused on leading the design of Patch’s fourth location in Bournemouth. With its lively ecosystem of independent businesses and start-ups, Bournemouth was selected as the ideal location for Patch to establish a new hub for local entrepreneurs, creatives and community leaders on the South Coast.
Patch teamed up with Bobby’s Bournemouth to deliver a £2 million pound project as part of a long-term vision to reposition an Edwardian ex-Debenhams department store as the pulse of the town’s thriving local life.
The building, located at the heart of Bournemouth's central square, features charming wooden floorboards, a decorative pressed ceiling and large arched windows overlooking the public square. Our design carefully reinstates the building’s historic identity while offering Patch’s community contemporary spaces to work, discover, and meet. Our approach is bold and distinctive, yet mindful of its historical context.
The workspace is reimagined as a vibrant hub that celebrates and supports local businesses, offering the ideal environment for fostering meaningful personal and professional connections.
Building on the success of our first three locations and the momentum behind our upcoming Bournemouth location, I am excited to expand a network of physical places and digital resources that help to build local life across the UK. The future is local and the Work Near Home movement is growing.
About Conor
As Design Lead at Patch, my interests lie at the intersection of architecture and community. My experience has been split between the tech-enabled start up world and traditional architectural practice having worked at leading architectural practices in New York and London (Grimshaw New York and Cullinan Studio) and as the Design Architect for the first three locations of San Francisco-based social club Groundfloor.