Drakes Warehouse Conversion

A carefully crafted conversion that balances industrial history with contemporary performance, thoughtfully reworking the space to meet modern needs while preserving its original character for the future.

For years, Drake’s had been working out of a space that simply didn’t suit the way their business was evolving. It was too big, too costly, and too disconnected for a brand that depends on fast production, daily content creation, organised storage, and efficient fulfilment. When the time came to downsize and rethink their operations, they weren’t just looking for someone to “fit out a building”, they needed a team who understood how their business actually worked.

After finding Craftex online, they saw a partner who could reimagine a raw railway-arch warehouse and turn it into a smarter, tighter, fully functional home for their entire operation, without inflating long-term running costs.

Services

Design and reconstruction

location

Self-supported internal structure

Total size

500 sq m

Timeframe

8 weeks

Craftex didn’t just reshape the 500 sq m warehouse, we rebuilt the way the workspace functioned. Every zone was intentionally mapped around how Drake’s teams actually worked day to day: offices, a kitchen and staff area, a full photography and content studio with an infinity cove, a manufacturing and pressing zone, structured storage, and a clear dispatch route for fulfilment. The goal was simple: remove wasted movement, increase speed, and let the space support the brand instead of slowing it down.

Working inside a railway arch meant one major limitation: nothing could be drilled into the structure. Instead of letting this restrict the design, Craftex engineered a fully self-supported internal build. Freestanding partition walls, independent service frames, and a complete MEP strategy were created without touching the arch at all. This kept the project compliant, safe, and fully approved, while still giving Drake’s the layout, lighting, ventilation, and functionality they needed to operate at full capacity.

Drake’s planned a five-year tenancy, which meant every choice had to be cost-smart and built to last. So we focused on materials that were durable without being expensive, engineered heating and cooling systems that wouldn’t drain their budget, and added zonal control so energy was only used where it was genuinely needed. The new layout allowed Drake’s to operate comfortably in a smaller space without losing any capability, cutting rent, utilities, and daily running costs. By balancing performance, budget, and long-term value, the project delivered real savings while giving the team a polished, professional workspace they could rely on and grow with for years.

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