We co-founded our first creative workspace, Great Western Studios, in London in 1994. It marked a departure from soulless office blocks and was one of the first complexes to include a café and gallery space. Introducing a cultural heart at the centre of our workspaces created huge benefits for business members and the local community. Westbourne Studios, our next development, quickly proved to be another vital regeneration tool, with 100 workspaces, successful café open to the public, screening room, and exhibition space showcasing a popular events schedule.
In 2008 we relocated to the countryside, keen to create a rural hub with an urban energy, and help reduce an exodus of skilled workers. We sought out this incredible industrial heritage complex and developed it into workspaces, meeting rooms, exercise studio, courtyard gardens, parkland, wild swimming lake, and of course a wonderful café. Today, Glove Factory Studios, nestled in its sublime rural setting, supports businesses, connectivity, and collaboration, and embraces the community connected to the thriving village of Holt. Come and see us!
Design
We know that a well-designed physical environment can nurture a wonderfully productive and creative culture; one that reduces stress and fosters growth. We reawaken old buildings using carefully-chosen materials that will guarantee the structure another lifetime. Studios are flooded with natural light, while pretty courtyards – dotted with apple and olive trees – encourage al fresco working. We marry all this in a rural setting where views over glassy lakes and sheep-studded fields fuels creativity.
Sustainability
We are nature lovers. We know how much the great outdoors enhances every aspect of our lives. That’s why we launched a work hub in an industrial heritage building, surrounded by acres of grassland.
Importantly, we’ve made it our business to restore, reuse and recreate. From rainwater recycling tanks to renewable energy and electric car charging points, people and the planet are at the forefront of our approach.
An industrial heritage
Steeped in history, our site has been at the heart of Holt’s community since 1770, when a family-run wool dealership was founded. This developed into a leather and glove company, and J&T Beaven Tannery was born. The business soon became a major local employer, with 600 workers crafting leather goods for worldwide export. Renowned for its quality, the leather was used during the Second World War to craft gloves for airmen.
By the mid-twentieth century, production had moved overseas and the tannery fell silent. Then in 2010, the opening of Glove Factory Studios breathed new life into some of the derelict industrial buildings. Today, the remaining stone warehouses are also being sensitively restored for Glove Factory Studios, with the first available studios opening in Leather Factory, providing more contemporary workspaces for digital, tech and creative businesses.
leather factory workspaces
Now available
We have finished renovating the first phase of new studios as we expand into more of the same stunning heritage tannery buildings next door; growing the Glove Factory Studios’ portfolio of flexible, sustainable and immersed in nature, work spaces.
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