Soho Square, Greek, Frith & Dean streets

A square with more than one architectural period

Westminster’s audit describes Soho Square’s surviving eighteenth-century houses alongside larger twentieth-century buildings. That variety calls for a precise surface schedule: retained timber, older plaster and later fit-outs may sit within the same commission. Photograph the existing room before deciding whether its character should come from the wall colour, the joinery or the relationship between them.

Sources: Westminster: Soho and Chinatown conservation area audit

Follow the grain of the interior

In a townhouse or converted flat, show the route through the front room, passage and stair as well as the principal view from the window. Record deep reveals, shutter boxes and panel edges where present. A coherent scheme can still vary the sheen or tone between those elements, provided each change has a clear stopping point in the room.

Separate a studio brief from an office refresh

For a workspace on Greek, Frith or Dean Street, explain whether the room is used for meetings, ordinary desk work, recording or image work. Obtain any technical finish requirements from the occupier. Identify fixed equipment and the rooms needed during the proposed programme; a vacant-looking floor in a photograph may still have essential services and booked sessions.

Describe the entrance and the authority to use it

Give the unit and floor with the full address, then identify the person who controls contractor access. Include the building manager’s instructions for stairs, lifts, keys and delivery times. Where the request extends from private rooms to a common hall or external sash, obtain the relevant owner’s instruction before adding those surfaces to the accepted work.