Work/Live Space

Often ‘live/work’ is simply another word for ‘loft-living’, a piece of marketing that has more to do with lifestyle aspiration than deriving from a genuine need for people to work from home. The philosophy and design of the majority of live/work schemes places the emphasis on the residential element; the workspace is often small and, over time, may cease to be occupied for genuine employment use.

The driving force behind Acme Studio’s work/live programmes is the need for artists to have adequate studio space. The living element is necessary but ancillary to that of the studio. Acme deliberately refers to units as ‘work/live’ because it is the artists’ professional practice, their need for a studio, that determines the design and philosophy of the scheme.

Acme currently manages 20 work/live units as part of two residency programmes at the Fire Station and the Sugar House. Both programmes select artists from a national submission for residencies of a fixed-length. Please note both these programmes are currently closed for applicants.

In 2000, Acme developed and sold eight work/live units to cross-subsidise the purchase of our Orsman Road studios. Although privately owned, Acme maintains the freehold on the properties and the terms of the leases stipulate that the large ground-floor spaces must be used for work space rather than for residential purposes. More information can be found in the 'Cross-subsidy Case Study' in 'Further Reading'.

Developing work/live space which is affordable for artists and meets planning requirements is a challenge. Acme continues to advise local authorities and developers on the specific requirements and benefits of creating affordable work/live spaces for artists.

A list of organisations with experience of live/work spaces can be found in ‘External Links’