The brief
The brief called for a space that was a digital lighthouse for our clients as a company, a space that was both flexible and multifunctional and fostered collaboration. The existing space was a combination of existing meeting rooms, cellular offices and open plan office space. To meet the brief intent an early decision was made to remove the existing spatial divisions and expose the original footprint of the area. This immediately highlighted the overall spatial quality of the existing floor space and the huge benefit of the space enjoying natural light from three sides.
The concept
The concept layout for the scheme centred around the two primary brief requirements; a flexible Gathering Space for client personnel and visitors and the Virtual Reality zone which showcases our clients’ technological advancements. These two spaces form the heart of the scheme, the Gathering Space as a welcoming ‘living room’ for the Innovation Centre and the VR Zone which showpieces the technological brain of the Innovation Space. All other spaces flow from these with the pathway through the Innovation space defined using American white oak wall cladding and window screening and reinforced underfoot with the American white oak herringbone flooring. The work and collaboration spaces are all located adjacent to this pathway and include a variety of zones; a formal meeting room, a staff training room, innovation work zones, a large collaboration zone and smaller more intimate breakout and collaboration zones located to enjoy the controlled natural light on the outer perimeters of the space.
