Lately I’ve been reading about the huge trend in recycling salvaged wood, glass or entire buildings into something new, and it reminded me of an eco-inspired project in London that is definitely on track — converting recycled Tube carriages into office space.

Known as Village Underground, six wildly-painted retired train cars sit perched on an abandoned railway viaduct, high on the skyline of London’s Shoreditch district. When I discovered the project, as part of London’s Open House Weekend last fall, I thought it was a modern art installation. I was surprised  (and inspired) to find it’s actually affordable, and well-used, studio space for artists.

The brainchild of Auro Foxcroft and Nicholas Laurent, the recycled space is not only creative, but also sustainable as solar power runs the lighting and office equipment.

Village Underground is a brilliant example of combining ecology, building and design. When you approach the colourful trains it’s like a high-impact collision between contemporary art and architecture. And it gives a whole new meaning to going to work on the Tube.