Woodhouse was engaged by iconic British brand Dr. Martens to provide a shared space at their UK head office in Camden that would bring colleagues together for collaboration, innovation and social interaction. The company’s 1st and 2nd floors were already embracing new ways of working with a bookable desk system allowing for flexibility within the workspace. The 3rd floor development was to provide an alternative space where teams could collaborate, share ideas, engage spontaneously, and make creative noise.
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The project included two new large meeting rooms as well as a dedicated suite for the product design team on the 1st floor. The product design space features a library area, a sewing machine bench, and space for laying out products, creating a workshop ambience to foster the Dr. Martens spirit of design creativity. A dedicated legal suite, which handles the company’s IP, has three confidential video pods and its own meeting room, with the colour scheme singing the Dr. Martens brand – black with hints of yellow.
The third floor space is punctuated with soft seating, privacy booths, freestanding work pods and banquet pods, providing multiple options to relax, dine, focus or connect with colleagues. The palette here is softer than on the hot-desking floors, yet the street-style art on pillars and walls echoes the streets of Camden and the rebellious culture of Dr. Martens. A standout feature is the town hall stage area for product launches and design review, a place to get together and celebrate.
The project was fast-tracked so that it could be finished in seven weeks, in line with Dr. Martens’ return-to-office programme. In order to achieve this, Woodhouse created a phased out-of-hours work schedule to fit around the changing needs of the client.
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The third floor breakout space, overlooking the regenerated canal at the heart of Camden, perfectly reflects Dr. Martens’ iconic ‘alternative culture’ image.
The redesign has created dedicated spaces for key areas of the business as well as a more reflective, contemplative space that puts people at the heart of the business.
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