A leading technology firm based in Harlow identified an opportunity to optimise their real estate by consolidating their workspace from two floors into one, and commissioned Woodhouse to come up with a solution and carry out a full refurbishment. This strategic move aimed to significantly enhance the remaining floor by integrating new hybrid working practices, ultimately creating a more efficient and collaborative work environment.
Flexibility was a key driver to the design solution, resulting in the creation of diverse work zones tailored to various departmental needs. Zones included desking areas for concentrated individual work, project tables for collaboration and team tasks, private 2-4 person pods for smaller meetings, and a full suite of meeting rooms equipped with outstanding AV equipment. This has allowed employees to work in an activity-based style, varying their work location depending on the task at hand.
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Embracing the design principle of concentric circles, we created a multi-purpose space to the heart of the building; incorporating a lovely teapoint area with a dining zone, shop, breakout area, games space, banquette seating booths and a large auditorium. This fantastic space is fitted out with state-of-the-art audio visual installations, enabling large-scale town-hall meetings as well as smaller collaboration groups. The aesthetics are more industrial, creating an atmosphere that is more creative and collaborative than the desking areas and meeting suites.
To support the dedicated executive boardroom, Woodhouse creative an adjoining teapoint area with some soft seating to create the perfect zone for important strategy meetings. The whole reception has also been completely renovated - by allowing daylight to permeate the central heart space of the building the space now has a much more open feel, as well as providing better facilities for visitors to sit down with laptop or chat with employees.
Although the central heart space was the main focus of the work, the client strategically planned light-touch enhancements to the remainder of the office floors, so despite the modest spend a user of the building will enjoy the refreshed aesthetic in all areas of the premises.
With sustainability as a key priority of the client, throughout the design development and construction Woodhouse was careful to retain as much of the existing infrastructure as possible.
All throughout the refurbishment, the building remained in occupation, so Woodhouse created a detailed logistics plan of the works, including careful planning of the works on the M&E services, to ensure that there was minimal disruption. Meticulous planning of work phases allowed the client to take part occupation of the workspace as the areas became available.
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The project successfully transformed the workspace into a dynamic and flexible workspace, perfectly aligned with their new hybrid working practices and poised to support their ongoing growth and innovation.
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