Edinburgh
5 Forres Street
Edinburgh, EH3 6DE
Glasgow
83a Candleriggs
Glasgow, G1 1LF
Manchester
11 York Street
Manchester, M2 2AW

Public Sector Fit Out

Connection and Innovation at a Destination HQ

Four people sat around a white and black table in an office meeting room, sitting on black office chairs Five people sat around a black table on white office chairs in an office meeting room

Relocating to a new building in Glasgow, our client’s goal was to create a destination HQ where their team could be more connected and innovative. Their previous space had been dated and inefficient, limiting their potential productivity. They wanted to maximise this opportunity to improve business processes and working behaviours.

  • Location Glasgow
  • Client Public Sector (Confidential)
  • Status Complete
  • Services Consultancy, Interior Design
  • Size 24,869 sqft GIA
  • Photography Alan McAteer
One person sat at a black and white front desk in the reception area of an office, on the other side of the reception area, two people sit reading - one on a blue patterned chair, the other on a white sofa

Strategic Consultancy

To accurately assess their needs, our strategic consultants worked with the project team to develop a brief. Through engagement sessions, interviews and a series of visioning design workshops, they guided the team to envisage their future workplace.

Mapping user’s journeys identified the type and range of spaces required along with the frequency of use. This highlighted the need for inclusive and accessible spaces and furniture to create a welcoming and productive environment for all.

A meeting room with pink walls where five people are sat around a white table on office chairs listening to one person stood in from of the table presenting

Variety of Work settings

More meeting rooms and a variety of workspace options were key aims. Learning from previous experience, where large meeting rooms were often occupied by just one person, they needed a range of formal and informal spaces of different sizes.

Ambitious desk to sharing ratios and encouraging the use of different work settings facilitated a reduction in standard desking. This supported the client's goal of fostering a more collaborative space and increasing social interaction.

In addition to open plan areas to bring colleagues together, highly sensitive confidential, secure spaces with good acoustics were also required.

Two people sat on opposite sides of a white table in a small meeting office meeting room, they are sat on white office chairs
One person sat in a blue booth in the an office space, leaning on a white table looking at their phone
A meeting room with windows lining the outer walls - two people sat at a big circular table on white office chairs, two people sat off to the side on a white sofa
A seating area in an office with grey sofas and small circular wooden tables , at the back of the room is a long high table with black chairs
A visualisation of artwork to go on the walls of an office
A visualisation of a hallway with several meeting rooms
Visualisations of a meeting room in an office with a long rectangular table and 8 office chairs with a red wall to the right of the table and a branded wall behind the table

Home from Home Inspiration

Workshops helped develop the home-from-home look and feel that the client envisaged. Earthy tones provide softness, a connection to the outdoors and subtle nods to brand colours. Elsewhere brighter colours are used strategically in signage and on some furniture items.

With better flow and a ‘front of house’ feel, the reception offers a welcoming arrival space for colleagues and visitors.

And baffled ceilings with a custom criss-cross design, inspired by the brand logo, bring a unique touch to reception and meeting spaces.

The reception area of an office building - one person sat at a black front desk talking to a person stood beside it, two people sat in front of the front desk on blue patterned chairs facing each other

Sensory Zoning

Calming blues and nature-inspired, cloud patterned carpets contrast with the bolder, punchier terracotta and moss green used elsewhere. Colour defines high and low sensory zones which provide users with the choice they need to find a comfortable workspace to suit their task. Sensory zones further recognise and accommodate colleagues with different experiences of light and noise sensitivity.

Natural materials on soft furnishings and timber shelving add warmth to the space. And black accents in lighting, corridors and the reception desk connect to the industrial aspect of their work. Adding a bit of fun, meeting room signage is inspired by bus-stops with the names of Scottish Islands.

Visualisations of the signage around an office
A close up of the wooden signs that show meeting room names
A hallway with three meeting room spaces - the doors to the meeting rooms are glass with a privacy film, outside each room there is a wooden sign with the name of the meeting room

Sustainable Design

With waste reduction in mind some FF&E from their previous space, which was found in good condition, was integrated into the design. Newly procured items were selected for longevity, durability and recycled content. And a clever intervention to add demountable sections to booths for M&E access ensures ease of maintenance at a future date.

And with experience of fitting out a similar floorplate in the same building, the design team were able to anticipate any technical challenges. This helped maintain the smooth running of the project and the ability to deal quickly with any issues that arose.

The hallway of an office building - one person walking down a hallway turning to another sat on a white sofa with their laptop on a blue portable table. On the other side of the hallway, a person is sat on a green armchair in a meeting space with a glass door

Productive Work Environment

The result - a new workspace that better serves colleagues, encourages interaction and improves efficiency.

With the flexible and versatile space they envisaged, colleagues of this public sector organisation are supported with the range of work settings they were previously lacking. The ‘resimercial’ aesthetic supports well-being and creates the welcoming destination office the client had sought. And the subtle branding reinforces brand identity, allowing for a contemporary yet professional, sophisticated design.

Four people sat around a white and black table in an office meeting room, sitting on black office chairs
One person sat at a black and white front desk in the reception area of an office, on the other side of the reception area, two people sit reading - one on a blue patterned chair, the other on a white sofa 1
A meeting room with pink walls where five people are sat around a white table on office chairs listening to one person stood in from of the table presenting 2
Two people sat on opposite sides of a white table in a small meeting office meeting room, they are sat on white office chairs 3
One person sat in a blue booth in the an office space, leaning on a white table looking at their phone 4
A meeting room with windows lining the outer walls - two people sat at a big circular table on white office chairs, two people sat off to the side on a white sofa 5
A seating area in an office with grey sofas and small circular wooden tables , at the back of the room is a long high table with black chairs 6
A visualisation of artwork to go on the walls of an office 7
A visualisation of a hallway with several meeting rooms 8
Visualisations of a meeting room in an office with a long rectangular table and 8 office chairs with a red wall to the right of the table and a branded wall behind the table 9
The reception area of an office building - one person sat at a black front desk talking to a person stood beside it, two people sat in front of the front desk on blue patterned chairs facing each other 10
Visualisations of the signage around an office 11
A close up of the wooden signs that show meeting room names 12
A hallway with three meeting room spaces - the doors to the meeting rooms are glass with a privacy film, outside each room there is a wooden sign with the name of the meeting room 13
The hallway of an office building - one person walking down a hallway turning to another sat on a white sofa with their laptop on a blue portable table. On the other side of the hallway, a person is sat on a green armchair in a meeting space with a glass door 14
Four people sat around a white and black table in an office meeting room, sitting on black office chairs 15

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