Workplace Interiors, created by Designers for Designers
Peeking into various architecture firms thanks to Open House Festival 2023, I was able to explore how the workplace concept were created by these organisations. Their workplace design was an opportunity to showcase their brand, design ethos, what they could achieve for a client. And I was curious as to how that design would look for them.
Conran and Partners at 30A Great Sutton Street, London, is an impressive studio with a sleek modern feel. Upon stepping into their general waiting area with a friendly receptionist on hand to greet you, the mood is immediately set with warm lighting and contrasting dark and cream finishes. Your eye-line is immediately drawn to the back of the building where their architects are hard at work, seated in clean rows of brightly lit desks. The firm was showcasing their work on sustainability, with presentation materials strategically placed across their building walls and in open meeting spaces. Unsuspectingly, there is a generous lower ground floor where most of their interior designers are based. It is a machine of designers, hard at work, with grand high ceilings above them on both levels. You are transported to another world within the four walls of the studio; almost like a scene from Harry Potter, I return to the Muggle world as I step back out onto London’s street.
HTA Design announced their new home at the start of this year, based in a 1868 heritage warehouse located at 75 Wallis Road, London. And boy, do they have a lot to be proud of. I was lucky enough to have a one-to-one tour by one of their partners, who evidently was quite passionate about the design of this new workplace. Walking through the grand arched facade, you immediately notice the mass amount of natural light flooding throughout the building. Overhead in the entrance hallway was a beautiful bespoke lighting feature, intelligently discreet in its wiring placement. There was such openness in the space, you couldn’t help but to feel light and free. The interiors were finished with the raw exposure of the original brickwork, an array of beautiful wood selections, and white painted metal structures. Sound absorption was a well considered factor, achieving quieter spaces for working, and less so in the more social areas. The functions of different rooms and circulation were designed with the wellbeing of their staff in mind - ranging from rest rooms, bike storage and the seamless transition to the shower rooms and the wider cafeteria. Staff satisfaction was key, and therefore staff retention. HTA Design has successfully showcased how a workplace can cater for functionality of a business whilst supporting the wellbeing of their employees.
Gensler, an architecture power house, opened their doors at Moretown, London. You are greeted by the grandeur of the organisation at the entrance, as the interior design draws your eyes upward to absorb the full scale of the space. The imposing black metal structure throughout shouts “we are an institution in this industry” that you just cannot ignore. Walking through the levels, Gensler showcased their flexibility in their floor plans, with moving furniture that allow seamless reconfiguration as needed by the teams. There is a seriousness in the business that is reflected in their interiors. Travelling to the top floor, the furniture style immediately relaxes to a more social setting, with views boasting their prime location as you overlook the London city skyline. It would appear that Gensler was determined to leave its visitors in awe of its sheer size and capabilities as a business, and it has achieved just that through their building design.
Having seen a selection of in-house workplace designs by architecture firms, it is clear that the business mission and values of each are reflected in their interiors. And rightly so, as the interior design of a company is the first impression they give to visitors before words and contracts are even exchanged.