Partners & Developers

Nearly 30 Years of Delivering Affordable Artists’ and Makers Studio Space

Second Floor Studios & Arts (SFSA) has been delivering purpose-built, long-term, affordable studio space for artists, makers and creative industry professionals since 1997. Over nearly three decades, we have built an exceptional track record of working with local authorities, property developers, landowners, community groups and architects to bring ambitious studio projects to life — projects that endure, that genuinely serve their communities, and that stand as a model for what affordable creative workspace can and should be.

We are not a meanwhile operator. We are not a temporary fix. We develop, deliver and manage high-quality, long-term studio environments — sustainable by design, affordable by commitment.

Our current portfolio spans Deptford (two sites), Wembley Park, Sevenoaks and a pipeline that includes Woolwich (opening 2027) and further project locations to be announced. We have worked alongside some of London and the South East's most significant developers, architects and funding bodies, and we bring to every partnership a combination of creative sector expertise, planning knowledge, financial rigour and genuine community values.

If you are a developer, landowner, local authority, housing association, architect or community organisation interested in exploring a partnership, we would very much like to hear from you.

Contact: nichole@secondfloor.co.uk

Why Partner with SFSA?

Experience You Can Rely On

Nearly 30 years of delivering affordable workspace is a rare thing in London's fast-changing property landscape. SFSA has navigated economic downturns, planning cycles, development delays, funding crises and the full spectrum of challenges that come with building and operating studios in one of the world's most expensive cities — and we have come through them with our mission, our communities and our relationships intact.

We bring this experience directly to every new project. We know what works, what to avoid, and how to structure partnerships that protect all parties' interests while keeping genuine affordability at the centre.

A Trusted Partner for Complex Projects

Our partnerships have included competitive tender processes (selected twice by Quintain for their Wembley Park S106 obligations), joint ventures with local authorities (Sevenoaks District Council), developer-led schemes (Anthology's Deptford regeneration project), and grant-funded development (Creative Estuary and High House Production Park, Purfleet). In each case, we have been selected because we combine the values of a charitable organisation with the delivery capability of an experienced property operator.

We understand planning, we understand fit-out, we understand the realities of operating at below-market rents — and we know how to make the numbers work without compromising on quality or affordability.

Community Impact That Lasts

Artists' studios are not merely places of work. As SFSA Founder Matthew Wood has written:

"Artists' studios aren't merely places of work; they act as engines of economic growth and innovation, incubators for community engagement, and platforms for widening social participation. Furthermore, they're integral to both education and training initiatives, while also contributing to the enhancement of the public realm."

When a developer or local authority partners with SFSA, they are investing in a long-term cultural asset for their community — not a temporary amenity that disappears when the planning permission is secured.

LAASN: Sector Leadership & Collective Advocacy

SFSA is a founder member of LAASN — London's Affordable Artists Studio Network — the collective body representing affordable artist studio operators across the capital.

LAASN collectively represents 1 in 3 artists in London and operates over 1 million square feet of affordable artist studio space. It is the most significant representative body for the affordable studio sector in the UK, and SFSA has been at its founding and its continued development since inception.

Through LAASN, we have:

• Contributed to London Plan consultations and open letters to the Mayor of London on studio affordability

• Published research and data on rental pricing across the sector (2024 research shows rental prices ranging from £9.45 to £22 per sq ft, with a mean of £18.55 across London)

• Produced case studies demonstrating what artist studio providers contribute to London's creative and cultural ecosystem

• Developed policy positions on S106 planning gain, meanwhile space and affordable workspace definition

• Worked with Red Frock to advocate for genuinely affordable workspace across the sector

• Hosted and contributed to cross-sector events including Unlocking Culture by Creating Stability

For developers and local authorities, LAASN membership is a signal of credibility, accountability and genuine sector standing. SFSA's founding role and continued active participation in LAASN means that partnering with us connects your project to the broadest and most respected network of affordable creative workspace expertise in London.

What We Can Offer Partners

For Property Developers

• Experienced, mission-driven operator for S106 affordable workspace obligations

• Track record of competitive tender success (Quintain × 2, Anthology)

• Sustainable, long-term occupancy — we do not leave when a planning condition expires

• A blended studio model combining affordable artists' studios with creative industry workspace, making schemes financially viable without compromising on genuine affordability

• A proven community and cultural benefit offer to support planning applications

• Named in planning submissions as a credible, deliverable operator

For Local Authorities & Housing Associations

• Nearly 30 years of partnership experience with local government, including Brent Council, Sevenoaks District Council and others

• Deep understanding of planning obligations, S106 implementation and affordable workspace policy

• Alignment with London Plan Policy E3 and the Mayor of London's cultural workspace objectives

• Demonstrated regeneration impact — SFSA sites at Deptford and Wembley Park contribute directly to the cultural and economic vitality of their neighbourhoods

• Community engagement, open studio events and public programming as standard

For Landowners

• Below-market but sustainable long-term leases with a financially responsible CIC

• Fully managed building operation including health & safety, insurance and tenancy management

• An ethical and reputationally positive use for your asset

• Demonstrated track record of high-quality fit-out and ongoing maintenance

For Architects

• A client with clear, well-developed design briefs shaped by nearly 30 years of studio operation

• Experience of working with award-winning architectural practices including McMullan Studio

• Genuine interest in ambitious, considered design that serves artists and makers well

• Current live projects in pipeline including Woolwich (2027) and further sites to be announced

For Community Groups & Cultural Organisations

• A values-aligned partner committed to widening participation in the arts

• Open studios events, public programming and community engagement as integral to our model

• Experience of joint venture structures with local authorities and other community bodies

• LAASN membership connecting community partners to the wider London studio sector network

Planning & Policy: What You Need to Know

S106 Planning Gain & Affordable Workspace Policy

Affordable workspace for artists and creatives is embedded in the Mayor of London's 2021 London Plan. Policy E3 places a clear obligation on London boroughs to use planning conditions and Section 106 agreements to secure affordable workspace — maintained at below-market rents — for cultural uses including artist and creative workspace.

SFSA is an experienced operator of S106 affordable workspace obligations. We have navigated multiple S106 agreements with borough councils and understand both the policy framework and the practical implementation. Working with us early in the planning process can help:

• Demonstrate a credible, deliverable affordable workspace offer to planning officers

• Satisfy cultural and community benefit requirements within a planning application

• Add economic and place-making value to a scheme

• Provide a long-term, managed operator committed to maintaining affordability

We are available to engage at any stage of the planning process — including pre-application — and can provide evidence of our track record and financial model to support planning submissions.

The Herbert Affordability Formula (HAF)

One of the most significant recent contributions to affordable workspace policy in London is the Herbert Affordability Formula (HAF), developed by SFSA CEO and co-owner Nichole Herbert Wood in her capacity as a founder of LAASN (London's Affordable Artists Studio Network).

The HAF was developed in response to a persistent and damaging gap in affordable workspace policy: the absence of any clear, evidence-based definition of what "affordable" actually means for artists and makers in London. As Nichole has written:

"Too often, the question is pushed into the 'too hard' box. London's stark economic inequality across boroughs makes setting a city-wide affordability standard complex. As a result, policy tends to default to a percentage below market rate. But % affordability on London's property market — a system which is widely recognised as being fundamentally broken — is not serving the artists of London."

The HAF defines affordability as a function of income, not as a percentage of market rent. It is intentionally practical and can be tailored to specific postcodes. Its four components are:

• Y — Income: Drawing on data points from average London incomes down to the DACS-reported national mean artist income of £17,500 gross per year

• % — Percentage: Studio rent should never exceed 20% of income, and ideally sit closer to 15% — recognising that artists also carry significant production and materials costs

• Ω — Baseline Studio Size: A 250–300 sq ft studio as the accessible, inclusive benchmark

• P — Price: The all-in end-user price per square foot per annum, from which to work back when establishing rents between landlords and operators

The formula has attracted attention across the sector and beyond. The Financial Times covered its potential influence on the sector, and it has been endorsed by leading figures in arts funding and policy:

"The Herbert Affordability Formula offers a clear and practical benchmark for what 'affordable' should mean in real terms for London's artists. I believe it should become a vital tool for policy makers who want to support a thriving, equitable cultural sector by ensuring artist studios can remain within a City ecosystem."Fran Sanderson, CEO, Figurative

"It's also great to see that Nichole Herbert Wood, one of our most active, informed and entrepreneurial advocates for affordable studio space has grasped the nettle that has been stinging us all for so long and come up with an innovative formula for defining what #affordable actually means in today's world for a London-based artist or creative."Mary-Alice, CEO, Creative United

"Visual artists in the UK earn an average of £17,500 a year, of which £12,500 comes from their practice. 84% of them experience unstable earnings. It is therefore vital that artists have access to truly affordable studios that reflect the economic reality of their working lives."Christian Zimmermann, CEO, DACS (Design and Artists Copyright Society)

For developers and local authorities, the HAF provides a clear, defensible framework for defining and measuring genuine affordability in workspace planning obligations — moving beyond the inadequate shorthand of "X% below market rate." We actively encourage its use in S106 negotiations and planning policy, and we are available to advise partners on how to apply it.

Full details of the Herbert Affordability Formula are published at www.laasn.co.uk/herbert-affordability-formula

Our Partnership Track Record

Quintain / Wembley Park — Selected twice in competitive tender (2017 and 2023) to deliver Quintain's S106 studio obligations at Wembley Park, one of Europe's largest regeneration schemes. Two schemes delivered, 57 studios operational.

Anthology / Deptford Foundry — Selected by Anthology in 2015 to purchase and deliver 30,000 sq ft of studio provision as part of their Deptford residential scheme. 85 purpose-built studios now operational.

Brent Council — Long-term planning and implementation partnership supporting two Wembley Park studio schemes. A model of productive, practical local authority collaboration.

Sevenoaks District Council — Joint venture since 2017 delivering a proof-of-concept studio site in the heart of Sevenoaks, demonstrating that the SFSA model translates beyond London.

Creative Estuary / High House Production Park, Purfleet — Three-year collaboration with Creative Estuary, Thurrock Council and McMullan Studio to bring a purpose-designed artist studio building to RIBA Stage 2.

Arts Impact Fund (Nesta) — Supported by the Arts Impact Fund at a critical point in SFSA's development; loan fully repaid.

Charity Bank — Commercial mortgage partner since 2021, providing ethical finance aligned with SFSA's mission.

McMullan Studio — Architectural partner on the Purfleet project; collaborative, experienced studio design specialists.

Beep Studio — Fit-out partner on multiple projects including Deptford Foundry, SFSA's largest studio build.

Get in Touch

If you are a developer, landowner, local authority, housing association, architect or community organisation and would like to explore a partnership with SFSA, we would love to hear from you.

We are always interested in new site opportunities, planning conversations, S106 partnership discussions and creative workspace collaborations — in London, in the South East, and beyond.

Nichole Herbert Wood, CEO nichole@secondfloor.co.uk

Matthew Wood, Founder matthew@secondfloor.co.uk