Mix Interiors 204 - July 2020

STRENGTH & SIMPLICITY

DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS OF WORKSPACE FURNITURE

www.gof.co.uk

UPFRONT

Seven 17 Steve Gale 21 Perspective 23 Material Matters 24 Desert Island Desks 26 Property 28

SPOTLIGHT

The Big Question 37 Designing for people, not pandemic 38

CASE STUDIES IFS 48 The Catalyst 56

HOSPITALITY LIVING 30 UNDER 30 MIXOLOGY20 FINALISTS LAST WORD Criteo's Head of Workplace Experience, Mike Walley

UPFRONT Welcome

GET IN TOUCH EDITOR

Mick Jordan mick@wearemixgroup.com MANAGING DIRECTOR

Martin Mongan martin@wearemixgroup.com

THE COVER

A WORD FROM MICK Firstly – and most importantly – I hope you’re all keeping safe and well. I also hope that you’re finding a way to keep your businesses strong and healthy. We know it’s not easy – far from!

So, we’d just like to reiterate the fact that we’re here to help. As many of you will be aware, we haven’t published Mix for the past couple of months – but we’re back and raring to go. With events and travel still handcuffed, we’re very much here to promote, to champion and to publicise the best this resilient sector continues to offer.

We know the landscape looks very different right now – and will no doubt continue to do so for the foreseeable future. But we’re also aware that many of you remain extremely busy and continue to be proactive and to innovate, despite facing the toughest and most complex challenges.

THE LOGO

During a time when normalcy feels like a luxury, ordinary objects begin to present a curious sense of beauty. We incorporated the Mix logo in the stitching on the back of this Hitch Mylius chair in homage to the everyday objects that make up the fabric of our lives. www.oktra.co.uk

It really is good to be back.

EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE

Chloe Petersen Snell chloe@wearemixgroup.com HEAD OF OPERATIONS

Lisa Jackson lisa@wearemixgroup.com OWNER

DESIGNER

Tammi Bell tamzin@tamzinrosedesigns.com THE COVER

The Cebl seating collection, re-imagined by Eleanor Pritchard, is an exclusive edition of the hm58 range designed for Hitch Mylius by Matthias Demacker.

The collection comprises three metal-framed pieces: a chair, an armchair, and a tall stool. Each frame is available in a choice of three bespoke powdercoated colours, with upholstery from the Aerial fabric collection by Eleanor Pritchard.

Courtesy of Hitch Mylius

FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Henry Pugh

CONTRIBUTORS

Steve Gale, David Thame Mike Walley ADDRESS

Unit 2 Abito, 85 Greengate, Manchester, M3 7NA TELEPHONE

0161 519 4850 E-MAIL

editorial@wearemixgroup.com WEBSITE

www.mixinteriors.com TWITTER @mixinteriors INSTAGRAM @mix.interiors LINKEDIN Mix Interiors

GET YOUR OWN To ensure that a regular copy of Mix Interiors reaches you or to request back issues, please call 0161 519 4850 or e-mail: lisa@wearemixgroup.com ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION CHARGES:

UK single £45.50, Europe £135 (airmail), Outside Europe £165 (airmail) 2 | Mix 204 July 2020

Kate Borastero kate@wearemixgroup.com

Marcie Incarico marcie@wearemixgroup.com

Well, let us help. Let us know what you’re up to and what you and your clients have planned for the immediate and longerterm future. Email us on editorial@ wearemixgroup.com – we’d love to share your thoughts and promote your brilliance in Mix and online.

Speaking of digital content, our very own Mix newsletter has recently morphed into the bright, shiny and brilliant Mix Edit – so please keep sending through your news, events, products and projects.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Printed by S&G Print ISSN 1757-2371

NOOM

NOOM NEWS Soft seating

www.actiu.com

UPFRONT Mixology Statement

MIXOLOGY AWARDS 2020 THE WAY FORWARD

F

or the past 18 years, the Mixology Awards have recognised the very best projects, products and people in the commercial, hospitality and residential interior design industry.

These annual ceremonies in London and Manchester have established themselves as THE must-attend events for our community. We are so proud of the Mixology Awards and remain continually humbled by the positive support and response we receive from sponsors, entrants, judges and guests alike.

If you’d asked us 12 weeks ago what our plan was for Mixology20 London, we would have proudly boasted that the event was almost sold out and that this year’s esteemed judges had another tough challenge ahead of them, selecting winners from the largest pool of entrants ever. Then coronavirus struck and we now find ourselves with a dilemma – we have an exceptional list of finalists and winners but we can’t deliver this event to the scale and manner you have come to expect, whilst maintaining social distancing measures. The safety of our guests continues to be our number one business priority.

We have investigated the pros and cons of creating a virtual awards ceremony for you but, in all honesty, when we reflect on what makes Mixology the special occasion it is – the buzz and anticipation of the crowds at the drinks reception, spontaneous group celebrations, a packed dance floor in the company of superstar DJs such as Paul Oakenfold, Soul II Soul, Trevor Nelson, Grandmaster Flash and Pete Tong, to name but a few – we’re not sure it’s fair for the guests, sponsors, finalists and winners of 2020 to be offered a watered down version of this event.

We have therefore decided to incorporate our 2020 awards into our 2021 ceremony.

We will host the Mixology Awards in London next June, recognising the shortlist and winners of both 2020 and 2021.

Details on actual date and venue to follow.

Fear not entrants of Mixology 2020, we have announced all finalists in this issue (page 104), so you will still get plenty of well-deserved bragging rights in between now and the event next year.

For those of you who had already booked your tickets for Mixology20, we will of course honour your booking for next year’s event at this year’s rate and a huge thanks to all of you for your continued support. Visit mixinteriors.com for more details and to book tickets.

What about Mixology North Awards 2020 you ask?

We would love to be able to host an awards ceremony in Manchester this December, but need to monitor the Covid/ social distancing measures closely over the next few weeks and will therefore make a definitive announcement on this before September.

A huge thank you to everyone who has been in touch expressing your support for the strategic changes we are having to make. These are challenging times for us all and whilst large scale events remain the cornerstone of our business, we are quite simply not prepared to compromise on your safety or the quality threshold you expect from us.

Marcie Incarico Owner Mix Group

4 | Mix 204 July 2020

Bespoke corporate furniture. Designed by us, tailored by you

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UPFRONT

▼ Vetrospace Vetrocube

BOX CLEVER

H

ow we work is changing and the design of the open plan office needs to evolve to support this. Organisations are already investigating how they can make office spaces safer, effective and efficient whilst still adhering to government guidelines of social distancing.

With this in mind, Bisley has recently brought Vetrospace to the UK. Vetrospace, based in Finland, manufactures unique meeting pods and phone booths that incorporate critical health technology, including anti-microbial lighting, antiviral nano-coating and clean-air ventilation.

The CLEAN ROOM variant is fitted with antimicrobial photon disinfection lighting that kills bacteria, including MRSA and E-Coli. ANTiBAC clean lighting is automatically activated when you step into a Vetrospace, which restricts the growth of microbes. When you leave the pod, the WiSDOM AiR blue disinfection lights turn on. This generates a powerful antimicrobial effect, which kills up to 99.9% of microbes, but is completely harmless to humans and material and makes a room clean of all bacteria in six hours.

In addition, it has a HEPA filtration system that filters out 99% of all particles in the air entering the room.

The HEALTH variant also comes with the entire room coated in a photocatalytic nano coating, which kills viruses on contact – including COVID-19.

Vetrospaces come in six booth sizes (1 sq m – 12 sq m) and five structural layouts.

Robin Bayliss, Group Sales Director for Bisley, commented: ‘Post-COVID-19, the landscape of the modern workplace will undoubtedly change; having an individual office or meeting space

that can kill bacteria and viruses effectively is a vital component of our future healthy working environment. We are delighted to be introducing the most technology advanced sound isolation booths to the UK and beyond, where people can concentrate and work more effectively, as well as communicate privately.’ w

LUMEN NATURE

h

▲ humanlumen UVC

umanlumen, the lighting brand with a uniquely human-centric approach, has introduced the Clean Air Series, a range of UVC Air Sterilisation Units, providing a safe, reliable and sustainable solution for the big return to work.

The Clean Air Series is a range of efficient UVC lighting devices that actively reduce the bacterial and viral charge of the air in closed environments.

This truly innovative design can provide fast sterilisation for offices, classrooms, hotel rooms and healthcare environments.

The UVC Air Purification Unit ensures that the powerful UVC radiation is totally isolated inside the Air Filtration System (AFS) as exposure of UV light, of any type, in high dosage to the naked eye, will cause potential long-term health issues.

The system draws-in contaminated air and removes all bacteria through a series of integral filters and then delivers clean air back into the space. Each unit cleanses up to 3,000 cubic sq m of open office space and is a simple plug and

play system with no integration into the existing mechanical systems.

The clean air units work like an air purifier, but instead of filters it uses the UVC technology to eliminate the viruses.

In addition to the UVc Clean Air Series, humanlumen has also launched UVc Direct – a purification lamp system that can be installed into ceilings to provide a safe, reliable and sustainable way to disinfect surfaces.

These powerful lamps help protect against airborne pathogens, creating a safer and healthier indoor environment through direct radiation.

UVc Direct must only be activated in unpopulated spaces, so needs to be used before and/or after working hours, in between the occupation of rooms and spaces, as the disinfection process emits harmful rays that are damaging to humans.

All humanlumen UVc products are made in the UK with high-quality Philips light sources.w

Mix 204 July 2020 | 9

UPFRONT

▼ Sycamore by Harry Barber

SYCAMORE AND ECHO SHARE THE SPOILS

T

he winners of the annual KI Award, now in its fifth year, were recently announced, in the lead up to this year’s unique digital graduation show.

The awards and cash prizes are given to final year students selected from the RCA’s ‘Design Products’ and the RCA/ Imperial College London’s ‘Innovation Design Engineering’ double masters course.

The winning projects showed an outstanding approach to functionality, durability, sustainability and enhancement to user experience for our future working or learning experiences.

‘We are delighted to directly support the creative talent on which the future of our industry depends,’ comments Jonathan Hindle, Group Managing Director – EMEA, KI. ‘The UK furniture industry draws much of its competitive advantage from its investment in design, materials and production innovation.

By encouraging students to seek careers in our industry, we are laying the foundations for a more prosperous, export- and investment-driven future led by a generation of forward-looking, entrepreneurial individuals.’

The joint winners were Sycamore by Harry Barber and Echo by Kevin Chiam.

Sycamore is a portable wind power harvester that has been designed as a replacement for

diesel generators. It generates energy using an inflatable kite that flies crosswind in a figure of eight pattern, 100m above a base on the ground, and the whole system can be packed down into a small box for transportation.

Echo is a modular alarm and wayfinding system, which facilitates safer, more effective evacuation of buildings in an emergency. Acting as a secondary warning, Echo is manually activated upon confirmation of danger. Its rapidly inflating red balloon triggers occupants to evacuate promptly.w

▲ Echo by Kevin Chiam

▼ Humberside Police's control centre plans

GREEN LIGHT FOR BLUE LIGHT SCHEME

W

illmott Dixon will start work later this year on a new £20m building to house Humberside Police’s control centre and other specialist services, after the scheme received planning approval.

The 107,000 sq ft, three-storey operational support building, which will be constructed next to the force’s existing facility at Melton West Business Park near Hull, will accommodate over 500 staff and contain a new control room, as well as specialist units such as major crime investigation to free-up space in other buildings to accommodate the uplift in police officers, which has increased by around 500 since 2016.

The development is a joint project between Humberside Police Force and Melton West landowner and developer, Wykeland Group, supported by planning consultants DLP and designed by Bond Bryan architects.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Keith Hunter, who has responsibility for the force estate, said: ‘I am delighted that planning permission has been granted for the new police building at Melton. At this moment of national crisis our thoughts and efforts are naturally on

10 | Mix 204 July 2020

dealing with the tragedy affecting many families and coping with the stresses on our NHS and other public services.

‘It is nevertheless hugely important to consider how we emerge from this and position our public services for the future, in what will inevitably be a challenging time as businesses try to re-build and people who have lost jobs try to regain their former employment or seek new work. Being able to confirm this new building will now go ahead is therefore a great announcement for our area.’

Anthony Dillon, Managing Director of Willmott Dixon in the North, said: ‘It’s critical that those who work around the clock to keep us all safe have the right facilities and a suitable working environment for 21st century policing.

These new modern facilities for Humberside Police are designed to create a state-of-the-art environment, giving control room teams and officers in specialist units the very best support they need to serve the people of Humberside.’ w

MOLLIE By surprising yourself, unsurprisingly, creative flair will strike you in every day life.

This is Allermuir.

MOLLIE BY JOHN COLEMAN

allermuir.com

UPFRONT

▼ Helen Arvanitakis, Design District

MATRIX REVOLUTION

D

SWITCHING ON/OFF

I

n response to the lockdown, Design District Director, Helen Arvanitakis, has developed an innovative leasing approach for their new development of creative workspaces. Helen’s concept of the ‘On/Off office’ introduces a new vision for the future of the workplace where businesses and individuals can combine the convenience and community of a physical office with the freedom of flexible working. ‘On’ when you need it; ‘Off’ when you don’t.

Aiming to make everything as convenient and flexible as possible, the new leasing concept gives tenants options to rent office space for one to three days a week, with the benefit of an ‘active’ landlord on-call.

A range of rental options will be available to ensure maximum flexibility, while the Design District team will ensure the workspace is fully set up for the tenant before they arrive, including bespoke IT provision, so it truly feels like their own permanent workspace.

Businesses and individuals will still have access to full-time workspace rental if they choose, but this approach offers potential ‘On/Off’ tenants physical access to the Design District’s buzzing creative community.

At the heart of Greenwich Peninsula, the Design District is London’s first permanent, purpose-built hub for the creative industries. A collection of 16 unique buildings designed by a team of eight leading architects, the District is designed to support an ecosystem of 1,800 creatives.

‘As they look to what the future holds for them, a growing number (of businesses) are realising the current model of office culture and leasing isn’t fit for purpose, and discovering that a new way is possible,’ Helen says.w

12 | Mix 204 July 2020

esigned in collaboration with a leading colour consultant, Matrix is the latest ceramic wall tile collection from Parkside.

Inspiring creativity, Matrix offers an unprecedented portfolio of 23 tile colours, available in matt or gloss finishes, accompanied by matching grouts and trims.

With the Matrix collection, Parkside wanted to create a range of colours that would allow the design community to curate coordinated looks or mix and match colours to create striking design statements.

The Matrix colours were developed in collaboration with colour consultant Vanessa Konig, who wanted to ensure that they would complement natural materials as well as work across a range of environments; from warm, cosy restaurants and bars to more pared-back, minimalist designs.

The colours range from neutrals and pastels through to brights and jewels.

‘The deep, almost ultramarine, Heritage Blue would team up well with crisp white architectural details, used as you would a paint colour,’ Vanessa comments. ‘For example, completely tiling a bathroom space floor to ceiling in this rich, elegant colour.’

Available in 148 x 148mm and 98 x 198mm, every Matrix colour is accompanied by matching straight edge and box trims, as well as grout, allowing the creation of a beautifully coordinated end result in solid colour, or to experiment with striking designs combining contrasting tiles, grouts and trims.

Sample boxes are available that include all 23 tile colours, grouts and a selection of trims.

If Matrix doesn’t have the options to meet specific colour requirements for a project, then Parkside’s Design Lab can work to any RAL or Pantone reference. w ▼ Matrix

HYGIENE PROTECTION SCREENS

ELITE OFFICE FURNITURE UK LTD

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VICINITY™ DESK SCREENS Design: Polka Colour: Pinnacle and Acros

SOLACE IN OPEN-PLAN SPACES Truly acoustic, Vicinity™ Desk Screens control distracting chatter and background noise at the source; a sanctuary for focused, independent work.

Vicinity is a modular desk screen system designed to be fixed, non-destructively, to any desk via the Vicinity Desk Clamps. The simple, intuitive design makes installation and customisation easy – giving you the freedom to construct and rearrange your workspace as required.

To learn more about Vicinity, contact us at info@autexacoustics.co.uk

Discover the new chalky and grained limestone designs.

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Reduces noise transfer by 21dB

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Introducing our five new rigid core stone designs demonstrating the understated tones found in natural limestone. With an integrated foam backing, our Korlok stones offer effective sound absorption, reducing noise transfer to rooms below by 21dB; an ideal solution for hotel rooms, apartments and offices. Enhanced with our K-Core technology, these new designs are available in the larger format of 457mm x 600mm (18” x 24”) and have 0.55mm wear layer.

T: 01386 820104 | karndean.com/explorekorlok Featured floor:

Frosted Stone RKT2401

UPFRONT Seven

SEVEN

Considerations for specifying flooring in community living spaces

C

ommunity living can offer both high quality, convenient housing as well as a sense of community. But how can we design and live in these shared spaces so that everyone can thrive?

Fleur Carson, Commercial Sales Director at Karndean Designflooring, looks at seven considerations for specifying flooring in co-living spaces.

Designing for resilience

Creating a sense of identity

The co-living model emphasises togetherness and promotes social interaction through the use of shared spaces. However, the current situation has certainly highlighted the importance of personal safety. So, whilst the benefits of open plan communal spaces remain, designing-in adaptability, such as including smaller breakout activity spaces can help residents manage any social distancing needs.

A community living development creates a sense of vitality and belonging when it is embedded in its locality. The interaction between private and communal indoor and outdoor spaces can encourage the neighbourly interactions that build relationships. By incorporating design elements that are inspired by the local environment and cultural history, a co-living development can offer

an interesting narrative that will link with the wider society in a constructive and sustainable way.

Boosting wellness and wellbeing There is now a wider awareness across society of the importance of access to nature and the benefits of the natural world on our mental wellbeing, and this translates into an appreciation of the connectivity of a home with its outside spaces. Nature-inspired designs using natural patterns, materials and planting, with large windows and easy egress to liveable green spaces, will create a relaxing environment that is sure to be increasingly desirable.

Practicality and hygiene With a greater emphasis on health and infection control, co-living projects will need to provide reassurance that systems are in place to protect the most vulnerable in society. Environmental issues such as air quality and hygiene can be managed with solutions such as air filtration systems, no-touch technology and easy-clean surfaces.

Specifying flooring that will resist stains, allergens and microbes, and that is simple to maintain, will support a cleaner, healthier environment.

Managing noise levels

footsteps and everyday activities, such as moving chairs and other furnishings. For multilevel developments in particular, specifying a flooring with a preattached acoustic backing will significantly reduce noise transfer to the floor below and help meet building regulations.

Combining durability and style While durability is of key importance when specifying flooring, there’s no need to compromise on style. Luxury vinyl flooring can offer the stunning looks of natural wood and stone but with all the practical benefits of the latest manufacturing technology. With outstanding flexibility, bespoke designs can be imagined with an almost endless combination of products and laying patterns to create individual personality in connecting spaces or to highlight different activity zones.

Challenging deadlines With developments operating under challenging timeframes, flooring that is quick to install could be the answer. With no need for a separate underlay, selecting an easy-fit rigid core or loose lay design will ensure that projects can meet tight deadlines and achieve a beautiful and hardwearing floor that will look great for years to come.w

Noise disturbance is known to be a significant environmental stress factor, so the use of materials with enhanced acoustic benefits is key in shared buildings. The choice of flooring can have a significant impact on the noise generated by

Mix 204 July 2020 | 17

UPFRONT Focus

WHY MEASURING MATTERS You might have read the start of our story with developing sensors in an article titled ‘Our sensor story’ in an issue a few months back, Nathan Lonsdale, Co-founder of sense_ tells us.

B

ut that was just the start of the story, and we’ve come a long way since that was first written; we’ve launched a whole new business, sense_, the newest addition to the lab_ collective.

In a nutshell, sense_ is a platform that uses the latest and best in class sensor technologies to gather insights for how space can be optimised, as well as reduce energy consumption and measure your carbon footprint, so you can see for yourself how your space is being used in real-time. All of which means you can adapt, evolve and optimise your space to support your people’s wellbeing, minimise your impact on the environment and save money.

But before we delve into the story of sense_, here’s a little background on us. We’re the lab_ – a collective of free thinkers; architects, designers, developers, engineers, social scientists, educators and technologists – constantly experimenting and reshaping the boundaries so that we can live our lives better. We constantly ask ourselves the question.

‘Is there a better way?’ And this thinking has been the driving purpose behind the lab_ collective, and the start of each business within it, including sense_.

Over the past 18 years, we’ve provided insights and data-driven design solutions for over 60,000 people, across 150 businesses, transforming over 6,000,000 sq ft of space. And we’ve come to notice some fundamental problems with buildings and how they’re used.

Firstly, the vast majority of businesses have no idea how their space is actually used. Even before lockdown, our research showed that, on average, at any one time, over a third of employees are not in the office. Yet workspaces were still predominantly designed and set up for full capacity. Already, businesses were wasting money on space they didn’t need, simply because they don’t have the data or insights to understand how it’s being used.

18 | Mix 204 July 2020

Post-lockdown, occupancy levels are predicted to drop even lower, with 72% of people stating they would like to work from home at least two days per week moving forward.

Some business leaders are questioning the need for an HQ altogether, having seen that it is possible for their team to get their work done whilst working remotely. Whilst we firmly believe there will always be a need for the office as a place for face-to-face collaboration and socialising – an essential part of any organisation’s culture – the main purpose of the office will shift to just this; a place for collaboration.

One thing is clear: we have to change how we design, use and adapt buildings – fast

Whilst none of us can say for certain what the world of work will look like post-lockdown, undoubtedly the workplace will need to change. For a business, measuring their space and understanding exactly how it is used so that they can make informed decisions has never mattered more.

And then there’s the climate crisis. Human activity is producing CO2 emissions at a record high, and buildings currently contribute to a whopping 39% of this. The construction industry alone accounts for 60% of all materials used (that’s a staggering 400 million tonnes per annum), whilst creating a third of all waste. Simply put, buildings (and the process of building them) are bad for the planet.

One thing is clear: we have to change how we design, use and adapt buildings – fast – if we’re going to win the race against climate change.

So, what’s the solution? Whilst these problems might seem mutually exclusive, they are both compounded by a lack of understanding of how space is occupied and used within buildings, and how energy is consumed. That’s where sense_ comes in.

Over the past few years we’ve been developing, testing, and developing sense_, fine-tuning it along the way. We’ve now designed a target-driven solution that truly works, and that, we believe, is going to completely change how space is used. It uses infrared sensor technology that connects via Bluetooth over a standalone network to continuously measure your space and how it is occupied. It’s not just another sensor; it comes with our 18 years’ experience and knowledge to provide you with expert insights along the way, defined by targets identified and set out by you to meet your specific business requirements – all surfaced in your easy to use dashboard within the sense_ app, so that you can adapt and optimise your building to support your team and your business goals.

It also remotes into your building’s BMS and overlays AI technology that continually evolves over time, helping to reduce your building’s energy consumption by up to 20% – saving you money whilst also reducing your impact on the planet.

There’s no doubt that these are uncertain times. But one thing is certain – we can’t continue as before. More than ever, we need an informed approach as to how we use space – one that’s sustainable and enables space to adapt to the changing world we’re living in. One that saves you money, makes your life simpler, and helps ensure you achieve specific targets. That’s why we founded sense_. w

Your perfect home office companion Bento’s no joke. He’s flexible, versatile, affordable, useful, pretty, and just plain fun! Use Bento anywhere and everywhere as a laptop stand, a document holder, a handy dandy toolbox or as a tablet stand.

Make your home office complete with Bento.

You won’t regret it. www.dataflex-int.com

To see the benefits of sense_ for yourselves, simply drop a note through the website: sensespace.com

Flat Mate rawside.co

UPFRONT

‘THE NEW NORMAL’ OR HISTORY REPEATING? After three months of being locked down, Steve Gale asks, 'how much more home working do we want?'

I The unwelcome pandemic experiment has exposed structural weaknesses that for years were merely hairline cracks

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates.

SteveG@mmoser.com

f you thought Brexit was divisive, what about home working? My unscientific poll of work colleagues shows that those for and against are equally divided and there is no decisive preference one way or the other. Just like Brexit then.

However, there is a sniff of consensus around a compromise. When people compare the office with home, most can see advantages to both. If we tried having a bit of each, what could that look like?

The concept of home working has been tried and tested, but never before under the conditions of these last three months, with realistic alternatives ruled out. What have we learnt about how it might look?

Technology began to loosen our chains to the office during the nineties, and demand for remote working warmed up, so employers offered it as a perk or compensation for desk sharing or, more commonly, both. The prospect of saving real estate costs kept it on the agenda.

For example, in the private sector, Microsoft boasted how everyone’s contract in the Thames Valley Park allowed people to work mainly at home, with office space guaranteed if and when they wanted it on the well-appointed estate. At the same time, IBM, Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems had formal provision for employees to elect for a home working assessment, which was never unreasonably refused. In the UK public sector, local authorities embraced the idea during the restructuring of social services and education departments, and central government adopted it as they reviewed space across the ministries, always with an eye on the prize of a smaller estate portfolio.

Questions surfaced about employee rights, and corporate responsibility, but we learnt from all the people who had been working like this for years. Sales reps, peripatetic health workers, farmers and consultants had seen these problems before. What if someone suffers an injury while working at home? How do you know if someone is actually working? Do we provide furniture? Do we compensate for using domestic services like electricity and the Internet?

But…just as things settled down, the tide turned back in February 2013 when Marissa Mayer (new Yahoo! CEO) ordered everyone back into the office. Over the next couple of years, other

tech companies followed suit until the idea of all working together under one roof became the official religion again, but for different reasons from the old days. Now it was to preserve the culture and encourage interaction, not because it was where the tools and files were kept.

Right up until March this year, tech companies (with very few exceptions) accommodated all of their people in the workplace, and they either discouraged home working, or grudgingly allowed managers to use their discretion. The infamous Yahoo! email from 2013 had become reality – ‘It isn’t just about your day-to-day job, it is about the interactions and experiences that are only possible in our offices’, which is fertile soil for the seeds of ‘workplace experience’ concepts where food offerings shame the high street, gyms are brought in-house, meditation, games and music facilities are common – and don’t get me started on the coffee!

But COVID changed all that, as we know.

Then Twitter, an international shrine to workplace experience, announced in May that its employees will be allowed to work from home ‘forever’. Other organisations are keeping their options open for the long-term, but all tech firms seem to agree that home working will be around for a while. Has the flood tide begun to ebb? Will remote working stick this time? And will companies need less office space?

The unwelcome pandemic experiment has exposed structural weaknesses that for years were merely hairline cracks. Now we must reassess the demand for home working in the light of vastly improved software and internet access, and the possibility of more global disruptions, and the renewed interest from employees who have found it works for them.

Organisations are looking again at how much they can retain their culture and the interactions needed to innovate with a more dispersed workforce, and they will address the real danger of partisan tribes forming around self-selecting groups of home workers and office workers before it becomes a reality.

A silver lining for business might be a smaller real estate footprint that is pre-prepared for the next pandemic (or a resurgence of the same one) but all organisations will need to respond to the shifting centre of gravity in the workplace model.w

Mix 204 July 2020 | 21

Designing for Distance At Interface, we understand the benefits that our modular flooring products play in creating social distancing in commercial spaces.

Using carpet tile and LVT in squares and planks, floor designs become aesthetically pleasing for occupants and reassuringly functional. Our Designing for Distance solutions offer inspiration for creating boundaries, zones, and movement throughout various types of environments.

Find out more at interf.ac/designing-for-distance

Composure - Seclusion Composure Edge - Sunburst/Seclusion

UPFRONT

PERSPECTIVE THE POST-COVID-19 WORKPLACE: ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Interior designer, Enrico Caruso, and workplace consultant, Julie Lecoq, from HOK’s London studio, suggest that, rather than adhering to stringent global guidelines, companies look to their employees and individual offices for inspiration.

O

ne of the few silver linings to COVID-19 is that, for the first time in modern history, the world is united in a common mission as researchers around the globe race to develop a vaccine to benefit everyone, everywhere. This rare spirit of cooperation and humanitarianism has us thinking about how we, as designers, can apply those same values as we help our clients, particularly those with global portfolios, respond to the new normal in the workplace.

In recent months, much has been written about the return to the office and how the coronavirus will forever change these environments. The recommendations laid forth in those pieces – including physical distancing, staggered work shifts, more handwashing stations, thermal scanning – all have their merits as safety must take precedence. Yet, as we rethink the

A client with an international f inancial f irm recently told us that her company has seen a 26% increase in employee productivity since the work-f romhome mandate began

workplace in response to COVID-19, infection control is just a short-term priority. The more important long-term goal is to make the office relevant again.

Looking small, thinking big This pandemic has proven, once and for all, that employees can be trusted. No longer do they need to be ‘present and accounted for’ in order to perform their jobs and meet expectations. We’ve experienced this within our own practice at HOK, where work-from-home protocols have caused no interruptions in operations.

In some industries, companies have even recorded measurable increases in output. A client with an international financial firm recently told us that her company has seen a 26% increase in employee productivity since the workfrom-home mandate began.

So where should global organisations seek guidance as they look to make the office relevant in the wake of COVID-19? Our suggestion: start with those same employees who have kept the business afloat during this crisis. Which improvements to their specific workplace, be it a headquarters in London or a satellite office in Singapore, would make them eager to return? This regional, bottom-up approach to workplace guidelines makes even more sense when it comes to coronavirus safety, as the pandemic will continue to affect each city differently.

When we’ve asked our clients and their employees – as well as our own colleagues spread across 24 cities and three continents – which changes they’d like to see post-COVID-19, the responses have pointed to a common theme. People want the Office 2.0 to serve as more than just a place to work.

Making the office relevant again Employees are increasingly viewing the workplace as a place to collaborate, learn and socialise with colleagues, clients and industry peers. As we’ve all discovered during quarantine, technology allows for a certain degree of sharing, training and bonding. Yet virtual interaction often lacks the quality and richness of the in-person experience.

This human-centric approach to the workplace is all about the experience: creating positive and memorable spaces that transform the office into

a destination similar to that of the beloved local coffee shop, pub or park.

This new office type emphasises a choice of workspaces and wellness options, from group brainstorming areas to quiet workspaces and access to fresh air and natural light. The postcoronavirus office priortises inclusivity, with accommodations for those with special needs. It also serves as the embodiment of corporate culture and brand and can be used as a powerful marketing and recruitment tool.

Most importantly, the Office 2.0 takes its cues from the individual workers it serves while encouraging the type of collaboration, innovation and creative problem solving that is difficult to replicate outside a physical workplace. In this approach, no two offices are the same. Yet each office shares a spirit of cooperation and connectedness that, like the global race for a vaccine, is born of adversity while promising brighter days ahead. w

Mix 204 July 2020 | 23

MATERIAL MATTERS BIOHM

Mix meets Aaron Jones, Special Project Lead at Biohm – an award-winning research and development led bio-manufacturing company on a mission to create a healthier and more sustainable built environment.

▲ Mycelium wall panels

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ounded by designer and engineer, Ehab Sayed, British bio-manufacturer, Biohm, creates construction materials from waste products, drawing on nature for inspiration and innovation.

Harnessing the power of mycelium – the vegetative filament root structure of mushrooms – Biohm grow materials using organic and synthetic substrates that are the by-products or 'wastes' of other industries. Biohm is the first company to use mycelium to manufacture a biodegradable and all-natural insulation panel, a revolutionary construction material. The living fungi consume organic and synthetic waste as they grow into insulation panels.

24 | Mix 204 July 2020

We ask Aaron what processes the material goes through to become the finished product. We have several stages

to our production. We use agricultural and industrial by-products, which are consumed by mycelium as it grows. The mycelium also locks in carbon as it grows – for each sq m of mycelium insulation that we grow, we sequester between 0.8-1.7kg of carbon. Before the mycelium is ready to be used in the built environment, we use a curing process, which I can’t describe in too much detail, however this ensures the mycelium structure is no longer alive, making it completely dry and inert, ready for use as a building material.

What uses do you envision for the product? Our mycelium panels not only have

amazing insulation properties but they are also air purifying. As our process uses all-natural materials, these panels don't contain synthetic or petrochemical based materials, which emit harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) throughout their lifetime. Whilst it is estimated that we spend up to 90% of our time within buildings, air pollution has been increasing steadily in our cities. This means it is incredibly important that we have materials that will filter VOC’s and toxins from the air as they pass in and out of the building envelope. Our mycelium panels have been used for wall installations

UPFRONT Material Matters

▼ ORB material samples

to create a healthier office space and improve the acoustics of the space. Mycelium is hugely versatile and has numerous interior design applications, as it can be grown into any shape, retaining intricate surface detail. It also offers design freedom as it is grown into intricate shapes with amazing vapour permeability and mechanical strength. As we continue to develop our technologies and evolve our strains of mycelium, we aim to improve these properties and cater for various applications.

How have people reacted to the project – do you think opinions towards biomaterials are changing? At such a critical

time in human history, it is more important than ever to reassess the way we live within our built environments. Bio-based materials feed into the growing circular economy far more effectively than non-biodegradable alternatives. Our environmentally and socially regenerative production processes appeal to multinational giants and governments globally.

At the end of their life they can be disposed of into the ground in a way that will actually improve soil pH. People are now appreciative that we need more sustainable materials that

will not end up polluting our oceans. The demand for our materials and technologies has been truly overwhelming and we have very quickly found ourselves engaged with some of the world’s largest corporations, top universities and prominent governments. We have had an amazingly positive response to our crowdfunding campaign, which we launched to raise investment, grow our team, expand our R&D facilities and achieve our global ambitions.

The campaign is still live and we are very excited about the incredible network of bio-revolutionists

that we are creating through the campaign.

There is now a huge demand to re-imagine our ecosystems and materials and invest in the future of our planet and the future of home.

What does the future hold for Biohm?

At our heart we are a biotechnology company, aiming to revolutionise industries and change perceptions. We are already creating a healthier and more sustainable built environment in the UK and we will continue to do this globally in the future. We are developing groundbreaking technologies that can tackle the climate crisis, regenerate the health of the planet and all of its inhabitants. We are developing mycelium strains, for example, that can consume plastics and we will be developing this technology further, with the view of commercialising it in the next few years.w

BIOHM is launching a crowdfunding campaign to support the development of its bio-manufacturing facilities, as it scales up its offering, to meet increasing demand and fulfil major construction projects.

Crowdfunding investors, in return for their support, will receive equity in the company through the online platform, Seedrs.

Visit biohm.co.uk for more info.

▲ Mycelium bowls

Mix 204 July 2020 | 25

UPFRONT Desert Island Desks

DESERT ISLAND DESKS B&W Group

Jamie Cook, Associate Director, AECOM Born and raised in Glasgow, Jamie grew up in a working class, close-knit family environment. With a love of both music and sport, he dedicated much of his youth to playing football and clubbing. His passion for the arts and creativity transpired in him studying interior architecture in Glasgow, graduating in 2005, while winning the Royal Society of Arts design competition for innovation and the Glasgow Gold Medal for Design.

Inspired, Jamie worked within Glasgow’s architecture circle for five years, before moving to London to further his career. Working across retail, hospitality and development, Jamie’s focus is now on workplace, where he’s enjoying the challenge more than ever, working on a host of projects across EMEA. Here’s what Jamie would want to take with him, were he stranded on our fabled island (a tropical lockdown, as it were!).

26 | Mix 204 July 2020

A SKETCHBOOK With a head full of ideas, a sketchbook allows me to get things on paper and ease the brain.

Scribbling and noting down ideas lets me keep a record of my creative thoughts. A common trait of a creative is forgetfulness and that’s most certainly me – so record keeping is key!

MY FAMILY Not sure if I’m allowed this one on my list, but they’d kill me if I didn’t include them. My partner, Hannah, and our two girls – Rebecca-Rose and Isla – are my biggest inspiration. They keep me on my toes, to say the least, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

MY ZEPPELIN Music is my second biggest inspiration. It fuels my creative process and I always have something playing in the background – work rest or play.

A good sound system is key for any music lover and the tracks listed on this page all deserve to be heard at their best.

TURNTABLES I grew up in Glasgow amidst the rising underground clubbing scene. My friends and I religiously attended clubs such as the Sub Club and Art School, seeing the best DJ’s every week. I bought my first set of decks at 16 and, when I was in my early 20s, we started our own club night, at which I used to DJ. I still take to the decks at home for another creative outlet.

A FOOTBALL Growing up, I was also football mad. As a Glasgow Rangers supporter, I grew up playing backyard football. By 16, I made it to semi-professional level, playing for Queens Park in Glasgow at Scotland’s national stadium.

Eventually deciding it wasn’t for me, I chose to study design. I still enjoy the odd kick-about today and, not being a fan of running, it’s a fun way to keep fit.

JOHN MCLEAN’S CAIRN You have to make your mark.

Instead of claiming the island with a flag, I’d do it with John McLean’s Cairn. John McLean was a Glasgow socialist who fought for equality and peace. My father used to take me to the Cairn on my birthday to have my photo taken sitting on it. It reminds me of my parents and my roots – my middle name is even John McLean and, yes, my father was politics daft!

TRACKS FOR THE JUKEBOX Explosions in the Sky – Let Me Back In

One to inspire me.

Joy Division – Shadowplay

One for the inner punk.

Modern Man – Wastelands

My Father’s band – he wrote this!

Mogwai – Every Country’s Sun

One to help me focus.

Doves – Pounding

One to get me motivated.

Ambo – The Album Leaf

One to chill out to.

London Showroom 25 Bastwick Street Clerkenwell, EC1V 3PS Open by appointment only: Tel: 01925 850500 Email: info@sixteen3.co.uk

www.sixteen3.co.uk

PROPERTY Insight

WHAT GIVES? Fed up with talk of the ‘new normal’ workplace?

David Thame points to three very real workplace trends you can bank on.

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our months since lockdown. Four months since the world of work changed forever. Or did it? As offices in towns and city centres hesitantly re-open, what have we learned about what post-pandemic workspace will look like?

The answer is, it’s a work in progress. But this is the emerging consensus…

28 | Mix 204 July 2020

1

Cities are not finished – not by a long way If you’ve ever been to Siena, you’ll have seen the sad view from the loggia of the Palazzo Publico: a 13th century plague meant it never grew to fill the space enclosed by its city walls. Allotment gardens fill the empty acres, a tribute to the dramatic effect of disease on urban space. Post-pandemic London and the other big cities could share a similar fate as businesses and residents stampede to the suburbs and countryside.

You’ll have sat-in on dozens of Zoom chats full of this kind of talk, and it’s what lots of property people thought, too. By mid-lockdown they had bought into the idea of spoke-and-hub offices as the new post-pandemic property model. Base some staff in town, some out of town, and businesses would be more resilient and coronavirus-proof – or so the argument goes.

Unfortunately, this bird is not going to fly, according to most late-lockdown observers.

The pressure that forced AstraZeneca from the Cheshire countryside to Cambridge city, and took Vodafone from the gentle Thames Valley to roaring Shoreditch, are real and continuing, says Centre for Cities policy officer, Simon Jeffrey.

‘There’s a reason why city centres are popular, and that’s because they are in the centre of things.

Literally. If employers need to reach a wide labour pool, head to the centre. If you head to the periphery, you shrink your labour pool,’ Simon explains.

David Ainsworth is Chief Executive at CORE, the development specialist behind a string of monster central London schemes, including the forthcoming 450,000 sq ft office tower at 20 Ropemaker, EC2, designed

by Make Architects for Old Park Lane Management.

‘The centre will remain

the hub and people come to work in hubs, not just offices there. So, long term, the city centre remains the logical solution for major tenants,’ David says.

These views are widely shared. Maybe occupiers will want less, or healthier, offices in the future, but those offices will still be in cities.

PROPERTY Insight

2

▲ 20 Ropemaker Street. © Cityscape

Watch the life sciences – they will be big workspace users

If there was one consistent trend over the last 20 years, it was away from campus-style, out-of-town business parks. Amenity provision has improved, and business parks have a dedicated user-group, but little development has taken place outside a handful of Thames Valley and M42 locations. The supply of good Grade A floorspace is strictly limited.

With one big exception. The UK life sciences sector was on a roll before coronavirus came along, and it is now set for a boom. Investment in the sector is flourishing – a rapid rise to £25 billion capital raised in 2019, the highest yet by several billion – and Savills say property investment is following. Manchester and its Cheshire hinterland, the Thames Valley, the Oxford/Cambridge arc, will

all benefit. A rising share of venture capital funding, now up to around 20%, means more growth for smaller life sciences business, says Savills. This is one to watch.

You can find the Savills research online at www.savills.co.uk.

Mix 204 July 2020 | 29

PROPERTY Insight

▲ WeWork, Paddington.

Design by Oktra

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Coworking has some issues – and some opportunities

Social distancing is a pain for all office occupiers, but it’s a hugely expensive pain for the already vulnerable (and over-supplied) coworking sector. That’s because their charging structure is per desk, and yet social distancing means perhaps 60% of those desks cannot be used.

The big providers, like IWG and WeWork, are taking slightly different approaches. IWG seems to be happy to talk turkey, but WeWork insists it charges per desk, end of story, though it will help occupiers work out how best to use the space they’ve hired.

Working from home has, of course, temporarily cut the legs from under the serviced and coworking sector. The hope is that the post-pandemic world will provide a resurgence of interest in serviced floorspace as part of what Cushman & Wakefield calls an ‘ecosystem’ of workspace options devised and bespoke, for each occupier.

30 | Mix 204 July 2020

Henry Shearer, Head of UK Offices at giant Canadian investor/developer, Oxford Properties, points the way.

‘The period of enforced working from home over the last few months could result in people contemplating looking for less central places to live if they no longer have to commute to an office every day – especially if they have a family and are looking for more space and a larger garden,’ he says.

‘As a multi-asset real estate developer, we understand the nuances across the different sectors and how development projects are increasingly looking to incorporate mixed-use elements to meet the demands of modern users. For example, providing workspace as part of residential schemes, such as at Get Living’s New Maker Yard in Manchester, which has a residents’ workspace.’w

GOGO Designed by John Coleman

PROPERTY News

Government Action

PROPERTY SHORTS There are, of course, plenty of unknowns and a great amount of wild speculation when it comes to the future of the property market.

Thank goodness we’ve got David Thame on hand to find a few golden nuggets of news.

Government relocations were big news in the regional cities in 2019, and whilst the big surge in regional hub deals has probably passed its peak, the government is likely to be a big player in the post-pandemic office market.

Proof that they are still active, and still paying serious money, comes from Solihull, where a big refurbishment for The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is now underway.

The ministry has signed up for 15 years at the 34,000 sq ft Sandford House, Solihull. The town, and entire M42 corridor, has strictly limited supply – hence this older block coming into play.

The decision will provoke big cheers among landlords who hoped for more government relocations, and particularly big cheers for landlord, AEW UK, who secured a 30% hike in rent, thanks to the government.

The payback is that AEW will undertake the refurbishment.

The big winner so far in the government relocation and refurbishment stakes has been Legal & General.

The UK giant has secured deals valued at £1.5B plus.

The flagship deal is a 25-year lease on 374,000 sq ft at Quarry House, Leeds.w

Si Senior Whatever else has gone quiet thanks to COVID-19, the senior living sector hasn’t. The shielding of the over 70s and high-risk groups has probably made purpose-built housing more rather than less relevant, or so developers appear to be wagering.

Lockdown saw Goldman Sachs choose Penny Hughes, a former chair of student property developer, iQ Student Accommodation, to run their senior living business, Riverstone.

The £2 billion venture debuted in the higher end of the central London market.

Meanwhile, Legal & General used lockdown to press on with a £130 million senior living project in Uxbridge.

The project, under the Guild Living banner, is its fourth (and first in London).

Guild Living will develop the Uxbridge town centre site, currently a retail warehouse occupied by Halfords and Wickes, to create new later living apartments alongside intergenerational facilities that will be open to the whole community. The development will also offer additional tailored care suites that aim to support local NHS services by helping people who leave hospital to staircase back to independent living.

London is expected to be the main battleground for senior living, at least in the early days.

Just 2.5% of the UK’s 29m dwellings are defined as ‘retirement housing’ according to research published by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation.w ▲ Guild Living Epsom

32 | Mix 204 July 2020

Arresting Developments Big planning and design rethinks are underway in both Manchester and Birmingham, with other regional cities set to follow.

The process is most advanced in Birmingham, where a new Development Management in Birmingham document is about to go to public examination before an inspector. If agreed, it will support the Birmingham Development Plan agreed in 2017 and provide guidance on design issues.

The examination in public looks set to be rowdy, with a host of big name developers objecting to new policies on air quality, local amenities, and the cumulative effect of development on neighbourhoods.

Developers want the council to water down its air quality plans so that the effect of developments on the city as a whole, not just its immediate neighbourhood, is relevant. They also resist council plans to ensure 30% of homes are disabled access equipped – or at least ready for it.

Developers say new council controls on the ‘aspect and outlook’ are not well defined. The new policy on amenity says development must be appropriate to its location and ‘not result in unacceptable adverse impacts on the amenity of occupiers and neighbours’, including privacy, light, noise, vibration, fear of crime and ‘aspect and outlook’. Developers must also take into account ‘the individual and cumulative impacts of development proposals in the vicinity on amenity’.

The council has already rejected the complaints, which opens the door to heated exchanges later this year. The date of the examination in public will be decided by the government’s Planning Inspectorate and is due by late summer. w

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DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE NOT PANDEMIC

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or years now we’ve spoken with leading designers and end users about putting people at the heart of workplace design – so is there a danger that this will be thrown out of the window as businesses consider how to re-address their workspaces in light of the pandemic?

Is there also a danger that company ethos and culture (think sustainability, wellbeing etc) will be discarded in an effort to make spaces safe and suitable for people to return?

Is there a solution – or a series of solutions – that can help businesses ‘have it all’ – to allow their people to work safely, together, while not forgoing their company culture and beliefs? We believe there are – and we know the very people who can provide the answers.

Mix 204 July 2020 | 35

Oceanic.

A polyester with a purpose: made with recycled plastic marine waste.

www.camirafabrics.com

SPOTLIGHT The Big Question

THE BIG

QUESTION

Craig Jones Founder Jones & Partners There is one thing that is niggling me; the world of COVID experts has increased faster in some places than the pandemic itself, which causes me some concern – who should we turn to for advice? Do we take this varied advice at face value or ‘apply the science’ (as we have elsewhere in acoustics and electronics, for example) because no one really knows yet?

Without the time to check and test the myriad of theories, there is a risk – especially given the future economic predictions. There are more questions than clearly proven answers for me at this stage – but we are working on it!

Gurvinder Khurana Director & Co-founder align These have been fear-filled times for all, but too many products released in response to that are ill-considered and ugly, distracting us from the bigger picture. Fear is a poor motivator, especially when this is actually a strangely perfect time to pause and reset, before taking a big leap forward into a healthier, more sustainable and truly considered work world.

Yes to safety and wellbeing – but not at the cost of imagination or vision.

Natasha Bonugli Regional Principal Design Unispace The sheer quantity of pointless new products, which provide little to no material benefit moving forward. PPE shields should be left for those on the front lines, who actually need protection. Plastic screens are pointless. They’re something else we have to clean, they’re not environmentally friendly and research shows that the virus can live for 2-3 days on plastic!

As if we need more plastic waste in the world!

Directional stickers and signage for distancing plastered all over workplaces – we’re all adults and I’m pretty sure we can figure out which direction to move in.

Tim Nisbet Co-founder Phusei Since the inception of lockdown, we have seen some great things from the furniture industry, such as manufacturing support for key industries. However, it has also highlighted the odious sides too. In my eyes, it has magnified the issue that annoys me more than ever – plagiarism. It is rife in our industry. It is a huge contributor to the lack of new ideas we portray; one company releases a knee-jerk solution of Perspex COVID-19 screening, and all of a sudden there is a plethora of desperate copies appearing. We are better than this – and really should realise that this is a long-term issue and not some opportunity to grab short-term profit.

Jamie Wilson Director HLM For me, the most frustrating thing has been the influx of ‘experts’ advising on how it’s going to be, way too early for any of us to understand the fallout of all this – resulting in knee-jerk decision making. Of course, workplace environments will have to change, it’s inevitable, but we really should be focusing on this being an exciting challenge – an opportunity for us to enhance the workplace experience for people, as well as an organisation’s brand and culture.

Mark Lane Managing Director Savile Row Projects There’s been a lot of really poor advice circulating, which isn’t helping clients with their decision-making. From opportunistic sales messages across social media for inappropriate products, such as 400mm high Perspex screens, to suppliers not considering how their products work within a coordinated response to tackling COVID-19. I’m also concerned about the new environmental implications with the current need for single use items such as masks. We really need to give this some serious thought moving forward.

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors Jan 2020.pdf 1 28/01/2020 13:42:00 C

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With particular regards to the workplace sector, what has annoyed/frustrated you over the past few months?

SPOTLIGHT Design for People

THE END USER

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hat is going to happen to the office? I get this a lot. There is obviously no single answer. Do people need physical environments? Yes. Do they need to enter into long-term leases with excess space to grow into for 100% of their staff for 100% of the time? No. The answer to what happens next is somewhere in between. This is nothing new though.

Technology means companies are increasingly running balance sheet light. They are taking on more freelancers and consultants, encouraging more flexibility in staff working and they are taking short-term flexible leases, which means they can shed cost quickly in times of stress (or at least mitigate long-term liability). Seems sensible – but definitely not a new phenomenon.

But then again, maybe only a small number of businesses are actually tapping into this. I walk around London and visit various offices and it still strikes me quite how lifeless, soulless these (often glass) boxes are. Open plan offices (apart from executives), employees crammed in, encouraged to work hard, nowhere to escape, driven to productivity only at the expense of all else and offset by the subsidised gym membership, pension scheme and bang average salary.

It’s a classic trap. I actually fell for it years ago.

Employees – you know what I am talking about. You are the same people who are currently skiving off for two hours a day without your boss noticing (ps. they are noticing – that’s why they are desperate for you to return!). You are also the same employees who are being encouraged to prove your productivity more often even though there is potentially less to do.

So, those thinking there is a revolution in offices coming; take your head out of your 38 | Mix 204 July 2020

Rupert Dean Co-founder and CEO x+why

Simply put, their space can instantly react to their business plan which, when you consider off ice space can be over 10% of total cost on a company’s P&L, is obviously pretty helpful

10-20-year lease in your glass box and note this revolution started ages ago and we thank the likes of WeWork, The Office Group and others for it.

This is not really about productivity. This is about businesses being fiscally responsible and looking after employees. So, find an office structure which provides more than just a destination for work; make it a destination where you can strengthen culture and performance, which will lead to productivity.

An environment where people genuinely are proud, where they want to go to see colleagues and friends, to ask questions, take exercise, breakout/escape, drink good coffee and improve mental health.

Rocket science it isn’t. Perhaps ironically, the people who have got this right are the ones who are thriving in lockdown and working from home. Their employees don’t skive.

For them the physical environment is not mandatory, it is designed to improve culture and help employees flourish. These employers worry more about the mental health of their employees in lockdown, not their shortfall in productivity.

The best thing about this is that, in addition to having inspiring office environments and encouraging flexibility, these companies getting it right by using shared, innovative spaces on flexible lease terms don’t have long-term lease liability and only pay for the space they need and have a ‘pay as you play’ arrangement on meeting rooms etc. So, when lockdown comes, they mitigate these costs and avoid long-term lease liability. Simply put, their space can instantly react to their business plan which, when you consider office space can be over 10% of total cost on a company’s P&L, is obviously pretty helpful.

So, there is no new office revolution coming.

No particular overwhelming new movement to suburban working or ‘hub and node’ structures.

These already exist. It is just that more of the ‘old school’ employers will end up ditching the metaphorical typewriter and will join the laptop age.

Work out why you need an office, then how you should use the office and then what office you need (clue – think about your employees).

Finally, I don’t think design will massively alter either. Yes, materials may change to make them easier to clean and air should be monitored, windows allowed to open etc – but good design should always generally be considered holistically in terms of maintenance and safety as well as how best to inspire. Again, the fact that a lot of this is new to so many doesn’t mean it was not already happening by those who understood the true reasons and benefits of an office space w.

THE END USER Nasim Köerting Head of Design The Office Group

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he art of blending style with substance has always been key to great office design. Workspaces should allow the businesses that occupy them to thrive – being both aesthetically pleasing and functionally seamless; designed to encourage positivity, wellness and productivity.

Three months ago, our whole concept of workspace design changed. The UK went into lockdown and the lines that separated work and home life became indefinitely blurred. As we adjusted to the new normal of working from home, physical office spaces became remote, desks morphed into kitchen tables and breakfast bars often became shared with partners, children or flatmates. Ergonomic chairs were replaced by sofas and dining chairs, and natural light became confined to small windows and a solitary hour of fresh air when we took our daily exercise.

But as lockdown rules are starting to ease, attention is rapidly shifting towards our return to work, and with this comes a new era of workspace design. Our most recent member research shows this seismic lifestyle shift has brought with it both challenges and benefits, both of which must be addressed alongside the new government guidelines, in order to successfully reimagine office design in a post-COVID society.

With 41% of our members most concerned about social distancing and overcrowding in the workplace, and 23% most worried about cleanliness, it’s of paramount importance that we place people’s wellbeing at the heart of our design philosophy, in both current and future buildings.

Office providers must commit to upgrading air filtration systems, and implement social distancing measures – at TOG, we’ve integrated floor markers and revisited furniture layouts in

all of our 40 UK buildings, and will be offering dedicated desks and larger meeting rooms. After the pandemic, we can expect to see one-way systems, sanitation stations and partitioned desks become the new norm in the workplace. Though people will still want to work in an aesthetically pleasing space when they return to work, practical office design is evidently more important than ever before, as it becomes inextricably linked with people’s health in a post-COVID society.

What also struck me from the findings of our recent research is how the humble chair has such a huge part to play in the design of any workspace – although 92% of those surveyed said that the chair they use is important for work, only 55% are satisfied with the one they have at home. I question whether offices have historically prioritised this feature for employees above, say, a state-of-the-art coffee machine or an eye-catching feature wall.

Sometimes, it really is the smaller details that make the biggest difference to our daily lives; the office chair must be a key design focus, not an afterthought. In fact, we consider the chair to be so fundamental that we are in the process of designing our own task chair, which keeps to our design credentials as well as offering ergonomic support.

The pandemic has also exposed generational inequalities when it comes to working from home in a productive environment. Our survey found that Generation Z, followed by millennial workers, broadly have less access to an adequate homeworking set-up, when contrasted with those over 35. This presents an opportunity for office design to make a real difference to the lives of younger workers in particular. Great design should be accessible to everyone – and now,

more than ever, the industry should take note of this, and work to bridge that gap to create an exceptional office environment for all.

Reflecting on my own experience of working from home for the past three months, I’ve largely managed to adapt, but certain things have been harder. Although I’ve have enjoyed having more one-to-one catch-ups, it’s been trickier to have creative sessions as a group, or work truly collaboratively without being in the same room.

It’s reminded me how important it is to have access to a workspace that can accommodate team catch-ups, group brainstorms and the more social aspects of worklife.

Creating different zones for different purposes, which enhance productivity – be it for quiet working, shared thinking or that essential down time – has always been central to the TOG design ethos, but this period has further convinced me that it’s a crucial consideration for any office provider.

I still believe that great design involves unifying style and substance. But, in this new era, designers and architects must realise that the goalposts have shifted – with health and wellbeing at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it is also now intertwined with creating a safe, hygienic environment for occupants. We have a duty to implement the changes that will ultimately help people not only with the transition back to the office, but also ensure that people feel confident in doing so, with social distancing measures and prioritising modifications such as air filtration key to this.

There were benefits to working from home, so it should be our mission to translate these into future workspaces, whilst retaining what makes this environment unique in its ability to enhance productivity and wellbeing where possible.w Mix 204 July 2020 | 39

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THE DESIGNER Gill Parker CEO BDG Architecture & Design

T

he COVID-19 pandemic is a global disaster and nothing should be said to trivialise that. History will judge those businesses that have coped well and cared for their people, and those that have struggled.

For workplace strategy, it might have a positive outcome. People and their wellbeing is currently the focus of attention rather than the cost per sq ft. Long may this last!

Pre-COVID-19, some companies were already working in a manner that is now being heralded as the ‘new norm’. Employees were equipped to choose where to work – either throughout a building or at home. But even within these, there was often a reluctance to accept that remote home working really had a place in the workstyle mix.

Meanwhile, plenty of other companies were still having the debate about open plan vs cellular and missing the fact that this workplace strategy is not particularly linear or simplistic. As in all things where people are involved, a workplace strategy has to be fluid and adaptable, capable of accommodating many different personalities and preferences.

As in all things where people are involved, a workplace strategy has to be fluid and adaptable, capable of accommodating many different personalities and preferences

The answer will most certainly not be found at the bottom of a spreadsheet belonging to the real estate team. It will be found in communication with people to understand what works for them, and their business

We have now witnessed the global adoption of remote working on a scale that no one could have predicted. Some companies made the transition to remote working overnight. Other firms maybe took longer to get organised, but all have got there in the end. As of June 2020, every company is aware that remote working can and does work. It’s just a shame it took a pandemic for employers to both recognise this fact and, perhaps more importantly, to value it.

The technology that enables remote working has been around for a while, but now it is trusted.

As we move into the next stage of the effect of the pandemic, there are two types of businesses – those that comprehend the future will remain about creating choice for everyone, and those that now believe the debate is restricted to office vs home – just another simplistic view in line with open vs cellular. The office is most certainly not dead, as so many are predicting.

The future will undoubtedly be a combination of office based and remote working but it is still too early to predict what the balance of remote and office working will be, and it will vary from sector to sector, culture to culture. The answer

will most certainly not be found at the bottom of a spreadsheet belonging to the real estate team.

It will be found in communication with people to understand what works for them, and their business.

One of the most interesting and welcome shifts in the last three months is how responsibility for getting the workplace right has shifted dramatically from being the sole responsibility of the real estate team into the domain of the HR/people team. Again, as with remote working, it is great to see that the slow change, which has been developing over a number of years, has suddenly been fastforwarded. HR and real estate working together will develop people-centric spaces.

Productivity and remote working is intriguing, and seems to be very personal. There is a considerable body of employee surveys being published with claims of increased productivity attributed to remote working. This really should be caveated to say that this is the perception of the responding individuals. For many years, measuring productivity and its connection to the work environment has always been the holy grail of workplace consultancy. The reality is that productivity in business terms can only be assessed retrospectively, taking into account a number of factors.

Remote working is here to stay in some form, which will enable the office space to develop.

It may become recognised as a place that is the heart of an organisation, and will need to be designed to draw people in. It will enable designers to create experiential spaces that promote the brands, putting people first – which is where they should always have been. w

Mix 204 July 2020 | 41

SPOTLIGHT Design for People

THE DESIGNER Rosie Haslem Director Spacelab

T

he mass exodus of working from home wasn’t designed or thought through in any way – it was out of necessity.

So that’s where the opportunity comes in.

Which of those elements of how we’re working now – what are people enjoying and what is helping them work well – could also work well sustainably for the long term? Let’s really think about what’s not working well. What are we, as a business and as individuals, missing or not able to do as productively?

By proving that people can work from home under lockdown, we’re not proving the death of the office, which is something we’ve been hearing a lot. It’s the fact that people are not enjoying having to commute and are getting more time back in the day. People are enjoying the ability to concentrate more at home – and it certainly points towards people choosing to work from home more in the future.

Some of the challenges that they’re facing are the things that businesses aren’t able to achieve while everyone’s working from home – such as being able to collaborate. Those results signal

Rather than the death of the off ice, the results signal a need for a whole new type of off ice; an off ice that people choose to go to for certain things, and that’s complemented by working f rom home

42 | Mix 204 July 2020

that there is a real ongoing importance of the office as a place to come together to collaborate, socialise, and build company culture.

Rather than the death of the office, the results signal a need for a whole new type of office; an office that people choose to go to for certain things, and that’s complemented by working from home. It’s the bigger picture; what will the future of working look like?

We found (in our recent Spacelab survey ) that 73% of people want to work from home at least two days a week, so that 70% of people would only go into the office for a maximum of three days, and 43% would like to work from home at least three days – meaning that all of those people would only go in for two days. It does prove that the workplace will continue to be a place where people go, but just not as often.

The office will become a real destination, there will have to be a real draw as a reason for people to make the effort and make the journey.

A destination for collaboration, for socialising – but also for amenities and facilities you don’t get at home, and places of real focus without distraction. Everything the office does, it needs to do really well.

It will vary from business to business, but this changes things in terms of what an office provides and what types of space and size are required. There will be leases that will need to be seen through, but you actually need quite a lot of space if you want to manage people being in the office. Over time, as we spend less of our time in the office, footprints will start to shrink, and it may become more varied across office, home and even local working spaces that you can use closer to your home.

People will be driven to look for ways to be more efficient with their space. It’s down to each business to decide how then they might spend some of those savings to support people who work in other ways, whether that’s supporting with their home set-up or paying for memberships at coworking spaces. It might be an individuals’ choice to think, ‘I’m not going to commute into town as frequently, but I do want to leave the house so I’m going to pay to work in a coworking space’.

There will be towns just outside of big cities where there could be local coworking spaces – if there’s enough of the critical mass and new traffic on the high street to support it. In some way, the local high street is going to need a bit of stimulation – so these sorts of things could be great.

I don’t think trust will be a barrier to working from home in the future. I think, again, it comes down to businesses and the individuals to understand how they can best be productive.

From the survey, 79% of respondents feel that their employer will trust them more to work from home or away from the office postlockdown.

For many businesses, obviously, the default was to work in the office – face-to-face collaboration contact has traditionally been unmatched by that through technology.

Technology has undoubtedly been a huge saver through all this though. w Go to spacelab.co.uk for the full results of the firm’s The Future of Work survey.

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SPOTLIGHT Design for People

THE PRODUCT PROVIDER

O

ffice furniture has been my industry for 33 years and I’ve witnessed some huge changes – but none quite compare to the current climate.

Over the past two months I’ve had conversations with business owners, manufacturers, clients and designers about the changes and their impacts on the post-C19 lockdown workplace. Each concluded that there will always be a need for an office. After all, it’s the place where ideas happen, the company’s soul is forged, friendships are formed, problems (business and personal) are discussed, where clients visit, decisions are made, where loyalty and trust is established. It’s where people notice if anyone’s feeling out-of-sorts and needs help or support. How can any of these things be achieved if everyone’s at home?

The overriding feeling from my conversations, and my own belief, is that the long-term changes will be very positive. The offices that emerge from this will be great places to work and be even more people-centric. As I’ve said for years, companies who look after their people will be the ones who thrive; something that’s more relevant than ever.

The biggest change resulting from the lockdown will be the uptake on homeworking.

The technology has been around for years, but the stumbling block was always trust. However, lockdown overcame this immediately; there was no time for what ifs. Everyone that could, simply had to work from home, there was no alternative – and it turned out well for most.

Whilst the lockdown has shown that homeworking is viable, for a huge amount of people it’s also made them realise how much they miss their office. Therefore, if the offices 44 | Mix 204 July 2020

Tony Antoniou Managing Director Rainbow and Yowse

can be made even better, it’ll have a very positive effect on everyone.

At Yowse, we collate data from workplaces to show what occupancy is like throughout the day during a set period – normally four weeks. From this, we discovered that offices already have an abundance of empty desks (an average of 30-50%) so if homeworking becomes more popular (even if it’s only one day a week for each person), there would be a reduction of a further 20% occupancy.

This kind of data is vital for any company looking to adapt their workspace as it provides a good indication of the opportunities available for creating a fantastic new office.

The biggest changes won’t be because of new products. There’s been a lot of investment in product development over the past few years; much of it quite proactive in terms of use and design, and these will be excellent for the new offices going forward. Right now though we’re witnessing a lot of reactive product designs, especially regarding screens that separate people and spaces.

Not only that – they’re also produced with materials that aren’t easily recycled. This is disappointing considering the progress that’s been made. This includes manufacturers using FSC certified wood, or metals and other components made from environmentally friendly sources like fishnets and plastic bottle caps. Many also ensure that once the product’s life has expired, they’re easily recycled. These have been such positive steps that it’s a shame this progress has been ignored in order to rush out products that will only be used for a short while.

The real opportunity going forward is for interior designers to create amazing spaces that cater to the post-lockdown requirements.

There will be no need to have a workstation for everyone – so removing some will be the first step of the metamorphosis. The reduction in people also helps provide social distancing and subsequently gives designers a canvas to create something incredible.

However, the space will need to be even more sociable. Whilst this seems strange at the moment, people still need interaction, especially for those that take up homeworking as they’ll want to catch up with colleagues. This must be encouraged by businesses, as these places are where people bond and the company’s culture forms.

This leads into the issue of wellbeing and, as lockdown has shown us, there will be a need for an increased awareness of people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Spaces should be allocated where mental wellbeing can be considered, nurtured and looked after.

Outdoor spaces should also be utilised.

Rainbow is working with clients to make these more practical, so they’re not just for eating lunch or having coffee, but also to hold meetings and presentations. The amazing weather has probably helped people consider this – but whatever the driver, it makes complete sense.

I really hope that companies take this opportunity to engage with an interior designer or design company to create a place where social distancing can be incorporated, and create spaces that cater for all types of work, be it concentrating, collaborating, video conferencing, meeting formally or informally, or even socially.

Most importantly, it needs to be a place where people enjoy being and look forward to visiting.

The reward for the people and the company will be very worthwhile.w

THE PRODUCT PROVIDER Jim Meier Managing Director Day 2 Interiors

W

ith this unprecedented start to the year, every brief has changed – and so will the end result. At Day 2 we always explore different approaches to different scenarios, rather than attempting to jump straight to finding a ‘solution’ from the outset of a project.

A key point we consider is that we are not actively changing the workplace – we are actively adapting the workplace. As an industry, we have amassed expertly designed workspaces, consciously designed, with meticulous thought put into the office landscape and wellbeing in the workplace, featuring hot desking and with flexible working at the core. So, the question is: Are these offices ready to be truly agile, and become mostly virtual workplaces?

To assume that a great end result can be achieved by applying cookie-cut design is wrong.

Every business is different – in its function, its purpose and in its people. Moreover, changing the landscape of an office would change the way users perceive and behave within it, in turn influencing a change in the company culture that they have built through design within the space.

We can certainly foresee wellbeing focus changes. Having built focal points around fatigue, mental health and occupational health risks, we are now also adding the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Beyond the obvious focus on exemplary hygiene and directing the flow of people in spaces, furniture brings into consideration the finishes for all surfaces.

Flexible furniture now has a new function; instead of its original point of bringing people together, it will now be used to create separation.

We are learning daily what employees and businesses feel they need in order to function.

Flexible furniture now has a new function; instead of its original point of bringing people together, it will now be used to create separation

Using this knowledge, we collaborate with them, and their appointed professionals, helping to guide them to the realisation of exciting spaces that represent their values as a business, as well as providing their employees with a desirable working environment.

Guiding doesn’t only mean guiding people to something. We also guide people away from things that won’t work. Since the pandemic hit, the light was very much taken from the big environmental challenge that we still are facing.

Good reductions in our carbon footprints thus far can easily be undone. So perhaps we need to avoid ‘panic designing’ and cluttering the open office design with measures like non-recyclable, temporary screens.

The truth is; many things will not change in the design of workplaces. They simply won’t have as many people occupying them in future, but people will require more space per user. We know this because we know what the solution has been in beating the virus in the general populous: space and good hygiene.

On the things that certainly will change: Places of work will have new space planning guides

applied, with more allowance given to personal space and less focus on collaborative nooks.

More thought will be given to the movement people take through spaces, so configurations will be adapted. Technology will (continue to) take a leap from quarterly used boardroom to daily essential resource. Offices may not always be occupied with the whole workforce, with the introduction of A/B or Red/Blue teams.

Technology may finally come to the forefront of our work – we can utilise tech to make us feel safe! A leading saviour during the lockdown, allowing people that work at a computer to continue to be effective in their jobs and performing a vital role in helping stave off mental health issues by keeping people connected. This can now be translated through to the office; automated office design technology such as sensor doors, lifts and bathroom facilities, as well as space assessment technology providing data to show usage of space and warnings if signs of overcrowding. The norm may be virtual meeting room adaptations and limited numbers of team members within physical meeting rooms.

As many of us are still working from home, this does not necessarily mean the demise of the office. That same boom in apps like Teams, Zoom and Houseparty demonstrates just how sociability and the company of others is a vital element of work. And, while seeing faces on screens will do for now, the lure of chatting with colleagues and work buddies will pull people back to the office as soon as it is safe to do so.

All in all, if we build upon what we have been creating over these past years, absorb the usage of tech into our old (but forward) ways of working, we all will be truly ‘agile’.w

Mix 204 July 2020 | 45

SPOTLIGHT Design for People

THE PRODUCT DESIGNER

T

he pandemic has dramatically altered our daily lives with a swiftness and ferocity not seen before in many of our lifetimes. It has changed the way we travel, shop, congregate and work. With most of today’s workforce meeting in a virtual world, it has raised fundamental questions about our current working practices and what we think we need in a workplace.

In the last 10 years, there has been an evolution in workplace design and what the ‘modern office’ entails. Beyond the raw functionality of workspace planning, there has been a drive to create a more integrated space where people can collaborate, exchange ideas and be together – a space with people at the heart of it rather than crude efficiency metrics. We think efficiency is simply a part of good company culture. And workplace design is a part of nurturing this company culture.

Beyond pragmatics and mechanics, it is about generating a space where people get the best out of each other.

Creatively working

The pandemic has profoundly disrupted our ways of working. While the precursory glance suggests that the ‘new norm’ is working, upon closer inspection, the lack of physical interaction hinders true collaboration and, moreover, creativity.

By designing the workspace with just the pandemic in mind – separated and isolated – we lose the magic that precipitates the creative spark, which oftentimes comes from the energy of being in the same room. No longer can we witness the moments before, after and during that inform mood, allow understanding and create camaraderie. While safety measures must be observed, we must also design workspaces that

46 | Mix 204 July 2020

Luke Pearson Director & Co-founder Pearson Lloyd

can allow for the quick-fire spark of creativity and collision of ideas that come from occupying the same space and time, without the awkward disruptions or glitches of technology.

Black swans birth innovations

The perfect solution is elusive, but black swan events have a tendency to birth innovations.

Before the pandemic, offices were deemed critical to a company’s productivity, culture, and even procuring the best talent. Now, the centralised office is being questioned and those pre-pandemic preconceptions challenged. How we divide, focus, share and facilitate space will become essential not only to the health of the worker but, more importantly, to the health of the business. Companies now need to figure out how to share space in a socially distanced world, with different teams, at different times.

For Pearson Lloyd, the design for our new studio is a more adaptive space where we can build ‘team bubbles’ that allow for connectivity but reduce unnecessary exposure to other teams. As a creative studio, these spaces need to be adaptable, with moveable furniture that can flex with the way we build our teams. In other words, furniture that adapts to the team, not the team adjusting to furniture. We think the new office space will be a more flexible one where digital and physical are intertwined.

As such, the furniture will need to be much more fluid to meet the needs of the people.

While we may only have 50% occupation at any one time for the time being, we can ensure 100% involvement. Virtual working might be here to stay, but it is our long-held belief that offices should not be seen as an avenue for cost savings, but a strategic tool for growth and collaboration.

How culture, leadership and the workspace intertwine

Earlier we mentioned how efficiency is simply a part of good company culture. And company culture is instilled from the top. Because of the nature of the pandemic, we are reminded of our shared humanity. As leaders, we must lead with more humanity now than ever and we must protect our values, which in turn create our culture. As such, leaders must create effective working environments, which provide a tight correlation between personal interactions, performance, and innovation. The modern office should be designed to maximise chance encounters and the pandemic should not steal from that focus. In the short-term, band-aid solutions may be necessary, but we must not lose sight of the ecological concerns, which are as important a long-term goal as making safe space is for the short-term. Incorporating sustainability and thinking about how office spaces can become more efficient through the use of materials, energy, and correspond with the ecosystem at large should also be at the front of minds for business leaders.

Before lockdown, innocent eavesdropping at work was both socially informative and formed an essential component of ambient project management; that has now been replaced by unproductive small talk as colleagues negotiate with virtual meeting software. Our workspaces have indeed changed, we must keep in mind the importance of culture, leadership and space – and how they are all intertwined.

As we plan to move into our new studio in September, we are reflecting on this new world, shifted on its axis, upended in its madness, that has created a new lens through which we explore the fundamental question of what the office is for, and how to make it work best.w

THE MANUFACTURERS

Knightsbridge Furniture ‘It is an interesting time for many reasons, not least because of the lens focusing on healthcare, which has been a key sector for Knightsbridge for decades,’ the company’s Director of Design and Development, Jason Brown, tells us.

‘Supplying furniture suitable for healthcare environments is no easy task, and it comes with great responsibility. Knightsbridge Furniture has an inherent understanding of the imperative roles that functionality and design take, having been suppliers to the NHS since 1958.

The furniture we design and manufacture is always people-centric, whether that be a hotel, an office or a care home, however COVID-19 sharply puts sanitisation and hygiene under the microscope – so where better to look than the healthcare sector for inspiration and insight?

Conversations around infection control are now entering the workplace lexicon, with everything from HVAC, water systems, capitalising on smart tech, as well as design, furniture and fittings needing a rethought. The key here is ‘rethought’ – not going back to the cubicle and isolating leaders in offices. Let’s use the knowledge we have acquired in science and tech across all sectors, and think of better ways to manage and control infection, keeping people’s health and wellbeing at the centre.’

Image: The Cubitt Range, designed by Roger Webb Associates (and named after the architect, Thomas Cubitt, who designed houses in Knightsbridge). w

Interface COVID-19 is an invisible threat. As many of us go back into our workplaces, we should remember that we haven’t yet beaten this virus – we are simply learning to live and work alongside it. This means taking steps to reconfigure existing interiors to make sure they protect people.

There are some quick and easy adaptations that can be made to workplaces, such as having fewer people condensed into one workspace, restricting communal areas, visual zoning, wayfinding, installing dividing screens and splitting work shifts. Our friends at Interface recognise the vital, functional benefits that their modular flooring products can play in social distancing in commercial spaces and tell us they are seeing customers adjusting their flooring in accordance with new safety guidelines.

For example, designers are able to create lanes in corridors for uni-directional and bi-directional movement, or to create separation with spacing elements down the middle. In open spaces, the floor can work with furniture to create zones. The flexibility of modular flooring allows designers to suggest boundaries through lines, banding, colour and patterns – and be as prescriptive or as subtle as needed.

Modular flooring also has the benefit of built-in mathematics, which provides designers with an easy measuring tool.

With hard and soft surface tiles in squares and planks, floor designs become not only aesthetically pleasing for occupants but also uniquely functional. Interface’s Designing for Distance collection offers some inspiration for creating boundaries, zones, and movement throughout various types of environments.w

Rawside Brixton-based furniture designers and makers, Rawside, have created Eco-Shield, a temporary and 100% recyclable protective workspace shield.

By manufacturing as sustainably as possible in London and continuing their mission to craft furniture with local suppliers, the Rawside crew are innovating a safe return to the workplace that does not add further detriment to the environment.

Created from cardboard, the Eco-Shield is secured to desks using Velcro, is easy to relocate or replace, and is designed to allow safe desk occupancy.

Manufacturing as sustainably as possible in London, Rawside are continuing their mission to craft furniture with local suppliers, whilst creating innovative products that enable a safe return to the workspace. ‘By focusing on how we can use our skills to help people return to work without capitalising on the situation we find ourselves in, the first product we are releasing is Eco-Shield – an eco-friendly and cost-effective workstation screen which protects people without further strain on the planet or pockets,’ our friends at Rawside tell us. ‘Designed to be recycled, EcoShield is a temporary priority for your desk and, like COVID-19, we look forward to it being disposed of.’

Furthermore, 10% of every Eco-Shield sale price will be donated to NHS Charities Together. w Mix 204 July 2020 | 47

CASE STUDY IFS

▼ Reception space

▲ The vibrant staff dining space

SOFTWARE UPDATE When global enterprise software company, IFS, relocated its UK headquarters to Staines-Upon-Thames, a workplace design that puts both clients and employees at the heart of the solution was required.

48 | Mix 204 July 2020

▼ Blend of ad-hoc work and meeting space

S

upporting employee wellbeing and providing an extraordinary experience for visitors and clients were pivotal elements of the original brief.

Employee wellbeing facilities and state-of-theart technology solutions are at the core of this special workplace design. IFS’ UK headquarters is set across a three-storey building, with the second floor accommodating a gym and prayer room, the first floor accommodating the main working environment and the ground floor being utilised for the client’s transient workforce, clientfacing facilities, a staff restaurant and auditorium.

Having previously been in a closed office environment, IFS wanted to take this relocation opportunity to introduce flexibility and agile working opportunities into the space, as well

as creating a warm and welcoming setting for staff and visitors. To achieve this, the open plan working zones are peppered with collaborative zones, while services are exposed and ceiling heights are varied. ‘Wellbeing is a golden thread throughout the IFS culture,’ Kathryn O’Callaghan-Mills, Design Director at Area, tells us. ‘They wanted their employees to enjoy the environment they work in, allowing them to collaborate and thrive.

‘From the outset, our brief was to provide a workplace that was going to be a sanctuary for employees, relaxed and welcoming, with a boutique feel. That meant blending textures, varying ceiling features and keeping each zone connected: using a lot of natural light and soft furnishings as well as planting to break down

It was a ref reshingly brave brief that specif ied employee wellbeing facilities and a stateof-the-art technology solution at the core of the workplace design

Mix 204 July 2020 | 49

imperial Office

Head Office: Imperial Office Furniture Limited.

Bankfield Business Park, Quebec Street, Bolton. BL3 5JN

furniture

Showroom: 9 Portland St, Manchester. M1 3BE

Contact: Tel: 01204 364602 imperialfurniture.co.uk

Fax: 01204 381509 info@imperialfurniture.co.uk

CASE STUDY IFS

▼ Boardroom

It would have been easy for the client to halve these areas and include additional desking, but they have been brave and stood by their decision – and it has really paid off

physical barriers, creating a variety of places to work for people either in groups or on their own.

‘It was a refreshingly brave brief that specified employee wellbeing facilities and a state-ofthe-art technology solution at the core of the workplace design.

‘The IFS values are agile, collaborative and trustworthy. In theory, one flows from another and their previous space in High Wycombe did not allow that to happen. It was important for IFS to be surrounded by good transport links; the location of the new building was perfect, being close to Staines for transport into London and also close to Heathrow for the global business to visit.’

‘What we needed was somewhere that was more connected in all sorts of ways,’ Nicola Carton, Director and Head of Global Facilities Management at IFS, explains. ‘Somewhere we could showcase our brand. Somewhere we could showcase to our customers. Somewhere we could be close to the airport, motorways and city. Somewhere where it would be easier to attract top talent.

‘We’re now a 10-minute walk along the Thames path to Staines. Two supermarkets are within minutes and there’s a selection of bars, restaurants and hotels for anyone visiting from

out of the UK, and we’re closer to transport hubs too. The whole location is healthier and more connected in an emotional and physical way too.’

Wanting to create an exceptional experience for visiting clients, as well as wanting to present IFS’ own technology and systems, client-facing spaces have been designed using advanced technology so they can be tailored to the person or business visiting the building. From personalised screens in the boutique hotel-style reception area, through to the mind-blowing floor to ceiling state-of-the-art screens in the Client Experience Centre – the customer hospitality area – each part of the client’s journey has been thoughtfully considered and showcases IFS’ innovative products and services.

Supporting employee wellbeing was the ethos behind the original brief. The workplace design thoughtfully considers the emotional, physical and mental wellbeing of all individuals.

The main working environment is a major step change from IFS’ previous location. The open plan workspace, with breakout and

Mix 204 July 2020 | 51

CASE STUDY IFS

▼ Breakout space featuring biophilic wall

Project Team CLIENT

IFS

INTERIOR DESIGNER

area

FEATURE LIGHTING

Synergy

JOINERY

JBL

CARPET

Milliken

TIMBER EFFECT FLOORING

Amtico

CAFÉ FLOORING

Amtico

FURNITURE

Orangebox, OB&B AUDITORIUM CHAIRS

ICF

CAFÉ FURNITURE

Vitra

Area understood our vision and were able to provide a solution which incorporates the agile working environments and flexibility we were looking for

52 | Mix 204 July 2020

collaboration areas, promotes a more inclusive culture and has broken down the barriers that the previous closed office layout put up.

Employees are given choice and control over where they work with the inclusion of meeting pods, high tables and informal catch-up areas.

Additionally, employees have access to the prayer room, a wellbeing room and underground parking. The on-site gym is staffed by a personal trainer, who carries out sessions throughout the day, assists employees with their nutrition and runs boot camps and running clubs along the Thames before and after work. Shower facilities and a cycle store area are discretely located in the basement for people cycling into work.

Employees also have access to a fully subsidised restaurant, which provides healthy and nutritious meals. Adjacent to the restaurant is a beautiful terrace area, which overlooks the Thames. The veranda is available for employees to use for events, informal catch-ups and socialising during lunch.

Sustainability and environmental responsibility were important considerations throughout the design and furniture selection stage of the project.

All materials used have been ethically sourced and the client enforces a ‘zero to landfill’ policy.

A lot of existing furniture was re-purposed.

Task chairs, meeting room furniture and lockers were reused, while some sofas and lounge chairs were reupholstered. New complementary furniture was selected from Orangebox and Claremont product ranges – largely because of their sustainability credentials.

Wanting to bring the outside in, biophilic design was also an important part of the brief.

Planting has been weaved through the joinery and is a key feature in the reception area, while a beautiful feature moss wall has been installed in the restaurant area. Connecting to nature and the outdoors, employees are treated to river views from the restaurant terrace and from the main workspace on the first floor, creating a calm and comfortable working environment.

A 175-seat auditorium was part of the original brief – which would take up a large part of the ground floor space, of course.

The solution has been designed to ensure it can be used for a variety of purposes. The design seamlessly integrates with the AV and

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CASE STUDY IFS

▼ Brilliant array of furniture and settings throughout

technology solution so their UK-based team can engage with their global teams. The auditorium is also used for team meet-ups and as an event space for product launches (IFS previously used hotels for these functions).

‘Working with a client that embodies the meaning of wellbeing has been very refreshing.’

Kathryn enthuses. ‘Employees really are at the heart of this design. They have invested in large expansive zones such as the auditorium and the Experience Centre. It would have been easy for the client to halve these areas and include additional desking, but they have been brave and stood by their decision and it has really paid off.

‘We hadn’t worked with IFS before. The briefing process was a collaborative approach – from the first meeting it was clear they were a forward thinking, dynamic business, who wanted to push the boundaries of how they currently worked. They were open to a new agile way of working combined with a real emphasis on wellbeing and technology – it was a really exciting process, seeing the design come to life from our workshops together.’

‘Speaking on behalf of the entire IFS team, the workplace design has achieved what we set out to do – and more,’ Nicola says. ‘The IFS and area teams have had a fantastic working relationship from the outset. Area understood our vision and were able to provide a solution which incorporates the agile working

▼ The space features floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing natural light to flood in

The off ice has been so successful that occupancy has increased by more than 50% compared to the previous off ice – folks just love coming into the off ice!

environments and flexibility we were looking for.

‘Our clients are understandably very important to us. The technology and AV solution that our UK HQ provides is nothing short of exceptional. Not only can we effortlessly communicate with our global teams, we are also able to confidently welcome our clients to our new home and be proud to present our products using our fantastic Client Experience Centre.

‘In terms of meeting our business objectives, the design solution flawlessly aligns with our core values: agile, collaborative, trustworthy; and has created a ‘home from home’ working environment for our team, who we fervently care for. The office has been so successful that occupancy has increased by more than 50% compared to the previous office – folks just love coming into the office!

‘Furthermore, the IFS Staines office design is now being rolled out across our global portfolio, which is testament to how well the solution works for us as a business and for the individuals who work in the building.’

‘So much thought and care went into every element of the building,’ Kathryn concludes.

‘It’s been a pleasure to work with a client team that has been really invested in the vision from start to end.’ w

Mix 204 July 2020 | 55

CASE STUDY The Catalyst

New Castle The Catalyst is the latest building to be completed at Newcastle Helix. This groundbreaking, striking facility is the new home of the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing and the National Innovation Centre for Data – and is now fulfilling its promise as a centre for innovation, as well as being a stunning contribution to the Newcastle urban landscape.

T

he design for the 100,000 sq ft space was developed through extensive collaboration with multiple stakeholders and consultees, including Newcastle University, the two National Innovation Centres, local and national businesses, commercial organisations, specialist organisations like the RNIB, the Thomas Pocklington Trust, the Alzheimer’s Society and other research organisations, such as Stirling University’s Dementia Services Development Centre.

‘The building is located on the site of the old Scottish & Newcastle Brewery in the centre of Newcastle, now named The Helix,’ Design North’s Scott Stewart tells us. ‘This is a redevelopment of a cluster of buildings supporting science, research and innovation. The site was already selected before we got involved.

‘They were previously dispersed around various sites including The Helix, Newcastle University campus and in the Newcastle city centre.

‘The building was procured by Newcastle University, on behalf of the National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) and the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD). There was going to be areas for public engagement as well as office space to lease. The building would be maintained by the University’s estate team, but operated by a third party service provider to look after the day-to-day function of the building.

56 | Mix 204 July 2020

Our interior design worked with, and built on, the architectural concept, a testament to the success of the collaboration between the design team

‘The architect’s concept for the site was innovative – it used a small footprint at the base of the building, and gradually got bigger as it went upwards, like an up-ended cone, achieving the overall gross internal area through its volume.

The other feature is that it is effectively two buildings in one. The ground and first floor areas are public, and everything from the second floor upwards is essentially private. Yet the spaces have a consistency in terms of design, colour, and materiality. Our interior design worked with, and built on, the architectural concept, a testament to the success of the collaboration between the design team.’

The building hosts a suite of bespoke facilities and a range of flexible office space, which will enable the creation of a tightly coupled and supportive ecosystem between the Innovation

Open ground floor space features dramatic staircase Photos: Jill Tate Photography

CASE STUDY The Catalyst

▼ Variety of work settings

Centres and commercial organisations here, with a focus on either delivering new insights through data analytics or delivering new products and services, which help us to age well, for longer.

The design is based around ease of navigation for visitors who may have visual impairments, disabilities or walking aids, alongside the promotion of collaborative working and integration between commercial ventures and market-leading academic research specialists.

Areas designed to be dementia-friendly, private product testing rooms and larger exhibition spaces all promote active research in a highquality but comfortable environment. The Wolfson TED Talk theatre epitomises this considerate design, featuring bespoke seating and USB charging points. The tiered seating fully caters for the elderly and disabled, with wide aisles that allow the seat bases to be permanently fixed in the down position.

The main work areas for NICA and NICD were designed with just as much collaboration and consideration in mind, offering a variety of

▲ The amazing view over public ground floor facilities

58 | Mix 204 July 2020

settings that give people a choice of where to work inside their defined office areas. It was vital that the look and feel of these spaces is noncorporate in look and feel. Instead, the space utilises open shelving for display of plants and the collation of culturally relevant artefacts.

Spaces outside the formal working areas provide a variety of small and large areas to gather to encourage people to come out of their offices. A phenomenal amount of work went into ensuring that every aspect of the interior was considered from every viewpoint. Indeed, this approach was applied throughout the building.

The building needed to encourage collaboration and inclusivity but also to communicate best practice. NICA and NICD wanted to use the building to demonstrate a process for design as well as solutions, and to be a great place to work and visit.

The awarding of BREEAM Outstanding communicates not only a strong message about the outstanding design and construction elements of the building, but also acts as a flagship to the University’s and City’s commitment to the climate emergency and the targets to achieve zero carbon well ahead of the Government’s target of 2050.

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CASE STUDY The Catalyst

▼ Informal breakout space

The main brief was to create a modern workplace and public space with inclusivity and collaboration at its core

60 | Mix 204 July 2020

▼ Boardroom

Sustainability has been held at the core of the development’s ethos. The contractor, subcontractor and design team worked in coordination to deliver a building with performance above specification to support the client to operate an estate with minimised reliance on grid-energy, reduced maintenance and replacement requirements and enhanced energy performance. Collaboratively, BREEAM Outstanding was achieved at no additional cost to the client or stakeholder group.

Stakeholder engagement was key to the success of this project with many sessions to present options, test ideas and debate solutions. We’re told that the word ‘compromise’ was banned; the solutions had to be agreed by all parties and not to the detriment of anyone. Everything was to be carefully considered to ensure we were not only complying with regulations but also enhancing the design to be better than recommended.

We ask Design North’s Jacqui Martin to tell us more about the design process here. ‘I had history with the client and the estates team,’ she says.

‘We were appointed after a small competitive bid process to assist the client in developing the interior design including the furniture selection, working along side the incumbent design team.

The university was keen not to add cost at this stage of the project, so were nervous about bringing in another designer. Our first task was

to review the interior finishes (flooring, walls, ceilings) as quickly as possible to incorporate any changes of specification. Whilst the walls were fixed, there were still opportunities to work with the end-users to develop and improve on space planning and design, by showing them lots of options. 3D visualisation was key and using lots of samples to get across design intent.

‘The main brief was to create a modern workplace and public space with inclusivity and collaboration at its core. The National Innovation Centre for Ageing wanted to ensure the needs of an ageing population were captured where possible, making sure the design considered ageing conditions such as dementia.

‘We tested concepts with various stakeholders and, after the building was opened, an event was held inviting everyone who had participated in the engagement sessions, including Voice North, the local authority and the University.

The response was fantastic – they were grateful that their feedback was implemented, and overall, thought the building and the interior was outstanding.

What do they feel makes this project unique?

‘The engagement throughout the process, started by the architects, and carried out by us, was perhaps unique,’ Jacqui considers. ‘It’s rare that interior design invites such public consultation.

We even had a session where we invited furniture

CASE STUDY The Catalyst

suppliers to provide samples of chairs so we could understand the preferred features – height, with or without arms…

‘Perhaps even more unique was that we created a space that is dementia-considerate.

The guidance that exists for dementia is for health or care environments, so we had to take what we thought was applicable, test it with the stakeholders, and incorporate it into the design.

Everything was received really enthusiastically.’

Indeed, the furniture/finishes selection was crucial here. ‘After all, it is what people touch and feel, and engage with physically, not just observe from afar,’ Scott explains. ‘Every piece of furniture for every space was reviewed and tested before selection. An eclectic mix of furniture was selected for each space, to reinforce a non-corporate approach to the space. And then the fabrics had to be carefully selected too. We had to look beyond the standard offerings, looking at other sectors to get product inspiration.’

This attention to detail can be seen throughout – from the public spaces through to the fantastic boardroom.

Design North implemented a ‘dementia considerate’ rather than ‘dementia compliant’ policy throughout the design process as the

team had to look at all aspects of ageing – not just dementia. This was particularly true in the selection of furniture for the public area.

A selection of different styles of furniture for the café, meeting and social areas were tested, with people asked questions relating to the seat height, arms, materiality and the results compiled to aid the final selection. The key was variety – an eclectic mix of chairs of different seat heights, upholstered, non-upholstered, with and without arms. Fabrics and finishes were then selected to create a warm and cosy feel, akin to a hospitality environment.

In addition to the interior design, Design North developed a wayfinding and sign strategy for the building. This was because the sign system usually used by Newcastle University did not fit with the aspirations of the client – and to ensure signs were dementia-friendly.

Finally, we ask Design North about their personal favourite elements of the space.

Jacqui’s favourite? ‘The view from the fourth floor to the second floor. I love looking down over the handrail, which was designed by the architects to encourage leaning. It gives you a real chance to observe collaboration in action.’

And Scott’s? ‘The boardroom – for obvious reasons.’ Mic drop. w

I love looking down over the handrail, which was designed by the architects to encourage leaning. It gives you a real chance to observe collaboration in action

▼ Bright and brilliant dining space

Mix 204 July 2020 | 61

THEO

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HOSPITALITY The Hart Hotel

YOUNG AT HART This March saw the launch of East London lifestyle hotel, Hart Shoreditch, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Designed in collaboration with London-based consultancy, Fabled Studio, the 126-room property seamlessly blends the heritage and creativity of this area through its thoughtfully designed spaces.

L

ocated in the beating heart of East London, Fabled Studio was given carte blanche to design the new-build hotel. ‘Our challenge was to move away from the typical east London aesthetic of exposed brick walls, filament light bulbs and graffiti to create a more grown-up, well-appointed aesthetic,’ explains Fabled Studio’s Co-founder, Steven Saunders.

Drawing inspiration from the area’s past as a centre for craftspeople and makers, the hotel’s design focuses on showcasing the industries that thrived there, including furniture makers, metal workers and silk weavers.

‘The brief definition was left to us to evolve, and we very much wanted to tell the more intricate and subversive stories of east London through our design.

With most of our studio being resident in East London for many years, we wanted to dig deeper under the surface of our neighbourhood to tell stories that are much less told,’ says Steven.

Client Hart Shoreditch Hotel London, Curio Collection by Hilton Interior Designer and Furniture Provider Fabled Studio Flooring Suppliers Bedrock Tiles, Havwoods, Minoli, Stark Carpets, Cube STM Surfaces Suppliers Calfe Crimmings, Studio E, Rima & McRae

Hart Shoreditch takes its name from one of the building’s previous occupants, The Harts, who were cabinetmakers in the 1800s. Bespoke mahogany lights have been designed to replicate cabinetmaker’s boxes and pay homage to the building’s earlier artisan life.

Subtle detailing and material selection have allowed Fabled to avoid creating a relic or museum, but instead a contemporary and invigorating answer to the other offerings people have become accustomed to in the area.

‘Something with much more gravitas, purpose and means of being than the typical trend-led interior project of today’s throwaway culture,’ adds Steven.

>> 64 | Mix 204 July 2020

Lobby/ Reception

65

HOSPITALITY The Hart Hotel

above Barboun Restaurant

“

The hotel has 126 rooms and 39 different room types – so much so it almost became a residential project, with each room having different footprints, ceiling heights general details and styling

”

‘We felt very strongly in executing a new aesthetic for the east London market. With the prescribed Shoreditch-look so over-saturated in the area, we worked hard to curate and create a brand new experience,’ says Steven. ‘By taking the time to dig a whole lot deeper into the roots of East London we were able to carve a fresh and precise interior scheme that touched on stories from the locale of the previous 300 years.’

showcased on each piece of furniture or joinery to celebrate each material and junction fully,’ says Steven. The pared back warehouse aesthetic is finished off with an asymmetrical pale oak ceiling, replicating the beamed structure of a factory warehouse. A striking steel re-bar and copper staircase sits towards the back of the space, along with a central feature of moon chandeliers.

Soft textures, furnishings and warm lighting guide guests through to TAVLA, the hotel’s bar, where guests and locals alike are encouraged to relax and spend time throughout the day and into the evening. Textured woven stools are mixed with lounge chairs in muted tones and softened textures, giving the space a modern, residential feel.

‘We wanted the hotel to be a social place, so we designed the ground floor lobby, bar and restaurant areas to be open plan,’ says Steven. ‘We wanted to remove the check-in desk from the main lobby space. With the desk sat within its own area, but visible to customers, it does not detract from the ambience of the convivial front of house areas, with guests dragging suitcases to and fro.’

The ground floor restaurant, Barboun, has an ‘industrial-luxe’ aesthetic with rattan chairs and partitions. ‘The Barboun restaurant was conceived as a furniture maker’s warehouse and showroom.

Handcrafted from oak and sapele timbers, we paid homage to the craft of the woodworker and so mortise and tenon, dovetail and halving joints are

Guests can choose from nine room and suite categories, all of which feature a soft colour palette of white and grey with burnt orange and deep green accents. ‘The materiality of the rooms is a totally new aesthetic; we are not trend-led on our design approach, moreover we let the stories we want to tell shine through and dictate the

>> 66 | Mix 204 July 2020

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HOSPITALITY The Hart Hotel

palette,’ says Steven. Predominantly contemporary in style, with copper mirror detailing and simplistic modern furnishings, the guestrooms are warm and inviting, with subtle design details throughout – such as saddle-stitched leather strapping and copper rendered marmorino textures. Copper leafed bedside mirrors are embossed with woven lace etchings in a nod to the Huguenot history of nearby Spitalfields.

‘One of the challenges to overcome was the range of different room types, devised by the project architect before we were appointed to the project,’ says Steven.

‘The hotel has 126 rooms and 39 different room types – so it almost became a residential project, with each room having different footprints, ceiling heights general details and styling. We had to find the balance of conveying the approved design aesthetic consistently to many different physical incarnations.’

opposite TAVLA Bar this page One of 126 rooms

Hart Shoreditch is also home to two unique meeting spaces, which have been designed to emulate the look and feel of 18th century Huguenot townhouses, synonymous with East London and its silk weaving past.

This is East London – but not as we know it. •

Mix 204 July 2020 | 69

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HOSPITALITY Hyphenated Hospitality

HYPHENATED HOSPITALITY IS THE NEW NORMAL Aparthotels and other hybrid forms of hospitality will dominate the postpandemic leisure sector. But in what form, where, and what do they want from design? David Thame talks to the Czech expert who has the answers.

A

lthough the UK hospitality sector was nuked by the coronavirus pandemic, one sub-sector seems to have survived the blast. Indeed, is thriving.

Lockdown still had weeks to run when Adagio announced it will expand its Liverpool aparthotel.

It already occupies the first, third, fourth and fifth floors of the former Lewis’ department store. More meeting rooms, a reconfiguration of floorspace and a ground floor presence are envisaged.

Meanwhile, in London, Glasgow and Manchester, one of the largest and swankiest aparthotel operators, Native, has proclaimed itself COVIDready. Their mix of coworking, beds and coffee in a controlled environment is going to be a postpandemic winner, they reckon. That’s because aparthotels are almost the ideal social-distancing property; well maintained and clean as a whistle, but private and secure.

Today, the aparthotel is the flagship concept of an ever-expanding breed of leisure offers that mix the ingredients of hospitality in every possible permutation. What they have in common is the presence of a hyphen. Aparthotels and studenthotels and hospitality hubs, fun hostels and posh-hostels (get used to the word ‘poshtels’). It is a challenge to make sense of a poised-for-growth menagerie of leisure property mongrels.

So meet the guru of hypthenated hospitality, Bořivoj Vokřínek. As leader of European Strategic Advisory & Hospitality Research at global property consultants, Cushman & Wakefield, nobody has a keener eye for what will flourish and what will flounder. Dividing his time between London and Prague after tours of duty in Shanghai and Sydney, and education in Australia and Switzerland, his perspective is uniquely suited to spotting trends long before they reach the UK. The key to understanding the hyphenated hospitality sector, according to Bořivoj, is to grasp why it appeals to investors. The answer boils down to the familiar issue of residual value.

‘Banks and investors like aparthotels and things like them because the concept is now proven by the coronavirus pandemic to be resilient to major disruption in a way that hotels are not, but also because they see aparthotels not so much as hospitality investments, but residential property investments,’ Borivoj explains.

‘They think it will be easier to convert an aparthotel suite into a flat, and sell it, than to convert a small 1525 sq m hotel room with no kitchen. So they see longterm value even if the building was not an aparthotel.

‘In the meantime, they get the upside income of the tourist sector and short-term stays, and the long-term returns of residential.’

With ample funding available, a weird and wonderful collection of concepts is flourishing. The common factor is boundary-crossing and limited floorspace, meaning design has to be super-thoughtful.

>> 72 | Mix 204 July 2020

HOSPITALITY Hyphenated Hospitality

above Native, Ducie Street

Mix 204 July 2020 | 73

HOSPITALITY Hyphenated Hospitality

below Native, Ducie Street

DATA DUMP The serviced apartment sector, which includes aparthotels, totals 25,000 units in the UK and Ireland, so currently represents just 3% of the total hospitality accommodation in the UK. This is a significantly lower level than in many international markets, suggesting room for growth. For instance, it is 9% in the US.

What should we look out for?

POSHTELS

STUDENT HOTELS

The posh boutique hotel meets hostel concept is moving in from the fringe as private equity begins to take an investor interest. Often spaces are hybrid, with bunk-bedded dormitories mixing with private double rooms. ‘The cheap image of the hostel has gone,’ says Borivoj, who suggests Jo & Joe and Generator Hostels as brands to watch.

Jo & Joe have two outlets in France but plan expansion into London, Glasgow, Rome, Budapest and Rio de Janeiro.

Generator is in London, Dublin, and 11 other European cities, along with Miami and Washington DC.

Purpose-built student accommodation crossed with hotels or hostels. Pioneer brand, The Student Hotel, has 14 bases around (mostly) northern Europe. Like hostels and community living, the USP is a room in a ‘buzzing hub’. As well as bedrooms for long-term residents, and rooms for short-stay visits, they are coworking, meeting and events spaces.

Around 6,000 new units are scheduled to open over the next two years – making up around 13% of the UK’s total active hospitality pipeline.

Brands to watch include Staycity (15 locations and the fastest growing development pipeline), IHG’s Staybridge Suites (1,000 suites in eight UK locations), Accor’s Adagio (500 units, four locations) and Marriott’s Residence Inn brand (four locations in the UK).

13%

GLAMPING Much mocked, but high-end camping is a thing – and it’s not going away.

9%

MICRO APARTMENTS COMMUNITY LIVING Forget the idea of the aparthotel as just for visitors. The idea in this sub-sector is that both locals and visitors find something to use in community hubs.

Selina, a Latin American operation, is expanding into Spain and Portugal offering space for ‘a digital nomad, a travel-addict, an adventurous backpacker’. In Paris, MOB Hotel is offering a cool music bar, a garden full of happenings and an organic restaurant. ‘Mob blurs the line between local users and visitors, incomers and regulars, and is trying to diversify into a hub for a community. You could stay there, or you could go there to collect a parcel or to work with a coffee or to get a haircut,’ says Borivoj.

74 | Mix 204 July 2020

Part co-living, part-hostel, communal dining areas replace private kitchens so shared space is important to the concept. Operators include Stow-Away in London.

CORPORATE HOUSING/THE COMPANY FLAT Don’t forget the evolutionary ancestor of the aparthotel. Hybrid hospitality operator, Edyn, has pioneered smaller, design-led apartments, down from the 40 sq m of the first decade of the century to 30 sq m. The result is beds suspended from the ceiling, or folded away to make desks. ‘The design is challenging, because the first thing you see is not the bed, like a hotel room, but the creation of something more social that looks at first like a study or sitting room,’ says Borivoj.

3%

United Kingdom & Ireland

United States

Source: Lambert Smith Hampton

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75

HOSPITALITY Hyphenated Hospitality

ARE APARTHOTELS PANDEMIC-PROOF? Serviced apartments have not been immune to the COVID-19 crisis but have shown what researchers call ‘a degree of relative out-performance compared to other hotel sectors’.

And they say this difference could become more pronounced once recovery starts to emerge.

Analysis conducted by Savills shows that serviced apartments had already started to outperform hotels before COVID-19. London serviced apartment RevPAR (revenue per available room) grew by an average of 3.9% a year between 2014 and the end of 2019, increasing to an average of 5.2% a year over the last three years. In contrast, London hotel RevPAR growth has lagged behind with an average annual growth of 2.0% over the last five years, and a three year average of 3.3%.

The data will encourage investors to fund new aparthotels in those cities that are underprovided.

Savills’ European Hotels Director, Richard Dawes, explains: ‘Serviced apartments are still relatively under-represented in key European markets, which not only points to further development opportunities, but also a potential mid-term structural shift in pricing outlook as the relative resilience of serviced apartments during this time is shining a light on the sector, which could result in further interest from new buyers, supporting pricing over the medium to longer-term.’

A wealth of options. But can they all survive? If there is a threat to the aparthotel and hyphenated hospitality sector, it comes from the fairly simple mathematics of land values and labour costs, says Bořivoj – and it goes like this.

Aparthotels use a lot more space per room than hotels, making the cost per room higher. But hotels need a lot more staff, making them more expensive per room to run.

So if the income per room is roughly the same in both formats, the better bet is to build an aparthotel.

However, if hotels begin to control their labour costs and aparthotels are not a premium product with a higher income, then investors would be better off building a hotel because you get more rooms on the site, and hence more income.

‘If that happens it will become more challenging for aparthotels,’ says Bořivoj. Operators at the budget end will be particularly vulnerable.

Hyphenated hospitality still has a long way to go.

Operators are exploring dual branding (putting a hostel, or aparthotel, in the same building as a hotel) and looking at rapid expansion. The pandemic hasn’t killed this part of the hospitality industry. Rather, with its emphasis on privacy and personal control, it promises to make it even stronger. w

above MOB Hotel

76 | Mix 204 July 2020

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The communal kitchen, opposite the library area photography Gu Shi Yin

80

LIVING Student Housing

LEEDS BY EXAMPLE London and Scottish Student Housing enlisted award-winning interiors and architecture practice 74 to create slick and detailed student living in the heart of Leeds. With a focus on quality materials and a distinct nod to the hospitality sector, this isn’t anything like the student accommodation we remember…

7

4 has completed the stand-out student amenities project within the new-build Symons House student accommodation block in Leeds. This is 74’s second scheme for LSSH, following an earlier project, Crown House in Sheffield.

Symons House, designed by Leeds-based architectural practice, Cunniff Design, takes the form of a reverse L-shape building, with seven storeys located on its lower horizontal plane and twenty-one on the vertical upright section. Both the building’s ground and lower ground storeys, where the amenities spaces are located, stand out by being indented from the main building above and also by featuring glazed walls. ‘74 worked closely with Cunniff Design on the scheme and had a really positive working relationship with them, as they were also implementing architects on another student scheme, Knight House, where 74 created both the architectural design and the full interior design,’ says David Holt, 74’s founder.

The interior design treatment for the amenity spaces took initial inspiration from the building’s architecture, where the materials palette references a recognisable local residential vernacular, with a broadly 1930s feel, including brushed brick with a pale-yellow tone and bronzed anodised aluminium window frames. The latter detail directly inspired, for example, the use of bronzed metal framework within the interior.

‘The building’s unusual angled glazed box base was also important in that we made sure to make the most of views in and through the amenity in our designs,’ explains David. ‘At one end of the building, the ground floor only can be seen, whilst, as the street slopes down, passers-by can also see into the lower ground floor gym space at the far end.’

The full suite of amenity spaces includes a reception lobby, back of house space, study lounge,

meeting rooms, library, communal kitchen, toilets, cinema room, gaming lounge and gym, as well as an 8th floor private dining room.

The design of the amenity spaces represents a step change away from the bright and cheerful approach that is so prevalent in the sector, where spaces are often saturated with primary colours. The brief for this scheme for London and Scottish Student Housing was to create a sophisticated and high-spec design with grown-up colours, great detailing and a pronounced hotel/hospitality influence.

‘Our client, Darren Simmons at LSSH, really wanted to push what was possible in this sector,’ comments David. ‘Darren is very design aware and focused, right down to the very smallest details and was looking for a much more sophisticated product than is the norm in this sector, where the look is often more in line with ‘budget traveller’ chic, featuring lots of graphics and bright, primary colours. Here, the aspiration was to be much more sophisticated, pulling influences from the hospitality sector, with a high-end residential feel too in those areas, where a domestic vernacular was more appropriate.

‘Responding to the brief to create a sophisticated and grown-up scheme, our material treatment included bronze finish, Crittal-style doors and glazing, referring directly to the external metalwork, plus a double dado rail treatment that further ties into the door and window levels. Large, rectangular lighting rafts in bronze-painted timber continue the metallic allusions. The colour palette features neutral colours throughout, with subtle, darker highlight areas in browns, greys, deep blues and olive greens. Flooring throughout is in Amtico herringbone timber, with highlight areas in black and white chequerboard tiling or elegant carpet insets by Newhay. Planting is also incorporated throughout,

>> Mix 204 July 2020 | 81

LIVING Student Housing

BELOW Bathrooms opposite study room One of four private study rooms

though in an unregimented way to ensure the space has a relaxing and non-corporate feel.

‘The quality of the finishes was particularly important on this scheme in order to hit the client’s sophisticated aspirations. Given the floorto-ceiling glazing, lighting design was particularly important too, both in the decorative lighting we chose or designed to highlight individual spaces, punctuate the journey and draw the external eye in, but also through variety of lighting levels, which create more intimate zones for relaxation and study.’

Entry into Symons House is up a series of ground level steps, into a spacious lobby area, with an underlit reception desk directly ahead. The reverse-U-shaped desk itself is a standalone bespoke design, with a marble laminate top, a concealed shelf for staff use and leather-look external binding, and studded vertical lines inspired by case goods and the golden era of travel. Wall panelling is in a stained dark brown and was created by the amenity’s fit-out contractor and joinery specialists, Medlock, who manufactured all the bespoke timber elements throughout the project.

In the centre of the reception area ceiling is a large rectangular lighting raft in bronze-painted timber with a concealed LED strip. The raft feature is repeated four times within the project and can also be seen in the study lounge and games lounge, as well as in the communal kitchen, where it features a unique, fabric panel wrapped design.

Turning right at reception takes users into the study lounge and the first two of a total of four study/meeting rooms. The study lounge features notably domestic references, including a brick slip fireplace with a real lit fire at its centre. The space offers two long study tables, which were designed by 74 and bespoke-made by Medlock.

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LIVING Student Housing

above Central social table

As you continue through, there is a long, relaxed library area with loose furniture and bespoke bookshelf furniture, also designed by 74 and made by Medlock, featuring laminate inside shelves and solid timber ends, and angled ‘roof ’ sections, which once again underline a domestic feel in a playful way. The roof sections can also hold an open book.

Opposite the library space are two real standout facilities.

First of all, a communal kitchen, bespoke-created for the scheme by kitchen specialists, Gemini, includes a breakfast bar with a marble laminate top and elegant Cheshire High Stools from Telegraph Furniture. A rectangular ceiling raft over the breakfast bar features inset-LED lighting, as well as four pendant lights in an elegant circular loop design.

The second standout space is the scheme’s cinema room, which features the same, super-high-spec modular deep seating as used in Everyman Cinemas for a genuinely plush, relaxed feel.

‘It may sound a strange choice, but the washrooms are amazingly high-spec for a student scheme, so we really like how they’ve turned out, with black-tiled walls and statement mirrors.

The kitchen’s pretty spectacular and wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end show home,’ says David, ‘whilst the cinema is really something too, featuring super-high-spec modular deep seating for a really plush, relaxed feel.’

Client London and Scottish Student Housing Architect Cunniff Design Interior Designer 74 Furniture Provider Telegraph Contract Furniture Furniture Suppliers Medlock, Gemini Flooring Suppliers Amtico, Newhay Surfaces Suppliers Newmor Storage Suppliers Safety Letterbox Company Other Suppliers Indigo Art, Enigma Lighting, Mullan, Orac, Muuto

>>

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LIVING Student Housing

ABOVE 8th floor private dining

The final space on the ground floor is also the largest single, continuous space – a gaming lounge with pool and table tennis tables. It is arranged around a central dry bar with fridges and a high-seating bench, plus a timber and glazing screen reaching from the bar to the ceiling raft above to punctuate the space at its mid-point, with feature lighting – in the shape of the Fossa chandelier by Mullan – to either side.

Two sections of the inner wall of the games lounge feature banquette seating with blue velvet seat backs set against timber wall panelling, with interspersed Orac wall lights. Other seating areas opposite include two sets of high-bar seating along the glazed external wall, split by a central series of bespoke, conjoined lower-backed armchairs, designed for the project by 74, with continuous linking top sections and marblelaminate inset tables with angled-in legs.

‘We feel the high-end and sophisticated approach to the design is a real game-changer in this marketplace,’ says David. ‘The flexibility and smooth flow of spaces with very different

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potential usages was at the heart of the project, making provision for everything, from relaxation and entertainment to group social activity, as well as quiet solo reflection and single and group study. Student mental wellbeing and encouraging students out of their rooms to meet, mingle and collide was really important – especially, for example, in the games area, kitchen and cinema, as well as in the private dining room on the 8th floor.’

A final element of 74’s amenity space design is that aforementioned private dining room on the 8th floor, which looks out over a roof terrace, designed by landscape architects, re-form, who were also responsible for the ground floor external terrace space. The impressive space features a built-in kitchen and island by Gemini, as well an eight-person black laminate-topped table, with pendant lights overhead by Muuto.

This certainly isn’t how we remember student dining – or student living, for that matter. w

MAKING SPACES INTO QUIETER PLACES www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/alluradecibel

creating better environments

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LIVING Modular Housing

HOUSEBUILDING IN A HURRY Build-to-rent developers and the public sector are providing powerful new clients for modular construction. It could be a game-changer.

David Thame reports.

above Urban Splash Brick House

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M

odular housing has been the Next Big Thing in housebuilding since most of us were children. For decades, modular has been promoted as the efficient, quick and quality-controlled route to mass house building. And for decades it has failed to live up to expectations.

Yet today, the modular sector’s cheerleaders have their tails firmly up. The burgeoning build-torent sector and increasing public sector interest in modular commercial buildings are combining to give modular methods the boost they have long needed.

Could now be the moment for modular housing?

Spoiler alert: the answer is no – not yet.

But there is real evidence that the niche that modular construction methods occupy is widening in a way that will produce opportunities. The big takeaway is that, as a source of new work for the interiors business, modular is worth watching in a way that would have been eccentric only a few years ago.

So how come? What has changed?

Simon Bayliss is Managing Director of HTA Design, the consultancy behind the world’s tallest modular project, the 44-storey 101 George Street,

Croydon. Along with a second tower of 38-storeys, the scheme will provide 546 new homes, and is all but entirely constructed off-site.

The 430,000 sq ft project is a mighty and conspicuous test of the modular method, says Simon, and one that reveals the new market dynamics.

That’s because the Henderson Park/Greystar development consists of build-to-rent apartments.

‘The Croydon site is very tight, so modular made sense. It means you have 60-70% fewer people on site to manage. But the appeal here is to BTR developers.

Quite simply, modular is quicker, and if the scheme is built in half the time, then that is more time to earn rental income from the apartments we’ve built.

‘At the same time as they have more time to earn rental income, they also have less building defects to manage for tenants. So that is another saving.

These are the reasons that BTR developers are going heavily into modular construction because, even if it is 10-15% more expensive than conventional, you get a better product and you get it quicker.’

Craig Taylor, Associate Director at Lungfish Architects, points out that speed of construction has

above Modular building interiors, now being promoted by the West Midlands Combined Authority

another happy consequence for BTR developers; it helps them draw down their finance.

Craig has completed over 80 modular builds over the last 12 months – the most in the UK – and, in common with many in the sector, is seeing BTR drive business.

‘The issue is speed of construction,’ he says. ‘On sites where timescales are tight, modular is ideal, so developers use it when the project has implications such as it is reliant on drawing down funding, and there are key construction milestones for realising that funding. Modular construction is fantastic for that because it should guarantee the programme.

‘The time saving of modular construction has financial implications. And yes, BTR developers can realise their rental income more quickly.

‘Modular is great from the programme point of view, because you can get units out quickly, and for repeatability because you can roll them out time and again.’

On top of the obvious financial appeal to BTR developers, modular also appeals to another set of housebuilders in a hurry: local authorities and housing associations. Manchester City Council has ambitions to substantially expand its housebuilding – and modular will be the leading route. In September 2019 that ambition took a concrete step forward with a plan for 75 new

above Townhouse modern methods of construction

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LIVING Modular Housing

affordable homes on a site in the north of the city at Newton Heath. A new council-sponsored development company, launched in May 2020, will build 500 new homes a year.

Birmingham City Council is also heading in the same direction. The West Midlands Combined Authority has gone a step further by looking at supply chain management and investment, part of a wider push for Advanced Manufacture in Construction (AMC), the latest fancy name for modular methods.

The WMCA believes AMC can help the West Midlands bounce back more quickly from the coronavirus pandemic. The need to build more homes faster is a key priority for the region’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery plans. Led by Mark Farmer, the Government’s champion for modern methods of construction in homebuilding, the expert group will lead bespoke training courses commissioned to equip local people with the AMC skills needed to build the new-style homes.

Meanwhile, Urban Splash – who is developing modular housing at Birmingham’s Port Loop site – will deliver 10,000 modular homes in partnership with the WMCA over the next 11 years.

Graham Edward, Managing Director of Edward Architecture, says these kinds of initiatives are already providing new workflows in the modular sector.

below Greenford Quay Interior

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‘We’ve recently completed apartments in Shrewsbury and bungalows in Brighouse, both for housing associations, and I genuinely think modular is getting more traction, but in very select circles,’ Graham says.

‘I don’t think the main open market housebuilders have done more than talk about it, but local authorities and housing associations are far more likely to consider modular. I think the open market housebuilders still see it as too expensive.’

These are serious initiatives and will undoubtedly make a difference to modular’s profile (and housing start numbers). Yet too much shouldn’t be expected.

Relying on local authorities and housing associations will not get modular moving fast enough, or at the kind of scale that will make the factory-built system work at maximum efficiency.

The most recent Ministry of Housing figures show that local authorities were responsible for just 470 housing starts in the last quarter for which data is available (October-December 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic). Housing associations produced 5,200 in the same period. The private sector started 28,400 units in the quarter, and it is here that real growth and volume is to be found.

Data is hard to come by, but the often quoted figure (from a document published by law firm Pinsent Mason) is that roughly 15,000 of the UK’s 200,000 a year housing starts are modular.

living | july 2020

top down George Street Interior Corner House by Urban Splash

If modular output doubled, it would still be a niche business.

That said, serious money is moving into the sector with an eye to the short-term opportunities and the long-term structural change that will push modular from niche to mainstream.

Yorkshire-based modular housing company, ilke Homes, is one of the businesses on which many hopes are pinned because they could, potentially, become the kind of Tier 1 contractor the modular sector needs. ilke has opened new offices in London, Birmingham and Bristol thanks to near-200% annual growth of the company’s pipeline. ilke aims to deliver 5,000 homes a year by 2025, and already has a pipeline of around 3,200 units.

If a turnkey contractor such as ilke can develop momentum, and in the process allow customers to purchase complete developments sourced and delivered by ilke Homes, one of the big obstacles to growth in the sector will be diminished.

Legal & General are also pushing into the modular sector. Legal & General Modular Homes has gained planning consent to deliver 154 homes, using modular

>>

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LIVING Modular Housing

below Brick House Interiors by Urban Splash

construction, at an eight acre site at Portholme Road, Selby in North Yorkshire. From its factory not far away in Sherburn-in-Elmet, Legal & General Modular Homes has ambitions to build its annual housing delivery to 3,000 modular homes a year by 2024. The delivery pipeline continues to grow, with 350 homes added to the pipeline so far this year.

Selby is the first scheme where Legal & General Modular Homes will deliver a full development proposition from buying land, developing the product, achieving planning consent, and through to delivery: so that is another potential Tier 1 contractor in the making.

Surveying the changing modular sector, HTA’s Simon Bayliss sees reasons for soundly-based hope.

‘The last five years have been game-changing,’ he says. ‘We’ve got people like Legal & General and ilke in the market, and a lot more people talking about it. It’s not an explosion, no, but pledges from organisations like Homes England mean more modular construction is on the way. Things really have changed.’w

5 TOP TIPS FOR MODULAR INTERIORS Get into the grid

Don’t worry about the loors

Everything in modular construction is about the grid: fail to grasp what it means, and things will not go well.

‘To be brutally honest, the designer has to think differently,’ says Craig Taylor of Lungfish Architects. ‘You are working to a grid, and understanding how it works is what matters. That shouldn’t be allowed to limit how the interior is designed but it is a challenge and that means upfront engagement with the contractor and client.’

Grasping what the grid means will mean avoiding schoolboy errors like placing doors over the joints between modular units.

Bouncy, insubstantial-feeling floors have long plagued modular construction, but that doesn’t need to be a problem any more.

Think carefully about materials, says Edward Architecture’s Graham Edwards. Craig Taylor adds that concrete floors could be an option, and are now becoming popular. Nobody ever said a concrete floor felt flimsy.

Get involved early and get the timing right

ABOVE Mansion House Cutaways, Urban Splash

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‘You should talk about interiors far quicker than you would on a normal project,’ says Craig. ‘It really helps to understand how the manufacturer joins the modules, because everyone has a different approach.’

HTA’s Simon Bayliss agrees.

‘The key is quality control, and unlike normal housebuilding, which is transactional, this is about longer-term partnerships.

As you work with the contractors so you refine designs, and each time you improve both the spaces and the finishes.’

Be accurate ‘You have to be 100% accurate from the start,’ says Graham.

Modular construction does not tolerate tinkering. To make life easier, make sure that utilities on site are well organised in advance; nothing can screw up an interior like finding the electricity or water connected at the wrong point – or not connected at all.

Don’t feel bad ‘Yes, modular can get it badly wrong time and time again, but if you have the right systems it is easier to get it right,’ says Simon.

‘And don’t ever underestimate how bad traditional construction can be when you are making comparisons.’

Let’s make great spaces Spaces where everyone does their best work.

Spaces that centre our mental & physical wellbeing.

Spaces we can’t wait to return to.

KI seating, tables, workstations and storage can be configured to suit a variety of work settings, helping you create the spaces people love to work in.

Visit our new website to find inspiration for your next project.

KI Europe HQ & Showroom New Fetter Place, 8-10 New Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1AZ | T: 020 7404 7441 E: workplace@kieurope.com | W: www.kieurope.com

91

Mix Interiors Sponsored by: QUALITY SINCE 1948

A

s regular readers will be aware, each year we celebrate the rising stars of the architectural and interior design community with our Mix 30 under 30. The talented, creative individuals on this year’s list are proof that, even in these

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turbulent times, the future of commercial interiors looks as exciting and inventive as ever.

Thanks to our 2020 sponsors – Allermuir, Allgood and Hunters – for their invaluable support. We look forward to hosting a special gathering for our Class of 2020

later in the year at Allermuir’s Clerkenwell showroom.

We will, of course, be picking a fresh batch of exceptional under30s for 2021 – so head over to the Mix Interiors website to get in early and nominate a colleague. Entries close 31st March 2021.

Mix Interiors

IRENE ACEVEDO INTERIOR DESIGNER

STEFANIA ALTIMARE SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER

ANNA BAKER INTERIOR DESIGNER

Irene brings a calm, imaginative approach to all of her creative endeavour. From the complications of designing a newsroom for a top media organisation to designing multiple culturally themed work settings for a travel company, she is always up for the challenge.

Her sense of teamwork, positive nature and ability to deliver under pressure are refreshing and invaluable to our interior design team.

She has recently secured the role of creative lead for a high profile project. It reflects the strength of this young and talented individual.

She has all the qualities to become a future leading figure within our industry.

Design was not Irene’s first choice of career.

As a child she wanted to be a doctor, like her grandfather – and specifically a cardiothoracic surgeon. She knew she wanted to help people somehow.

It wasn’t until her last year of High School when she started to be really interested in design and architecture; realising it was something she liked. Also, she understood it was a different way of helping people, by creating and shaping the environments they live, work and entertain in.

Stefania is a highly motivated, creative and innovative designer. She possesses an amazing ‘can do’ attitude that makes her an absolute pleasure to work with. Her infectious smile and charisma can always be felt in any environment she’s in.

When Stef first came to Morgan Lovell, it was apparent the skills she brought with her were a good foundation to build on and she hasn’t slowed down on her willingness to learn new skills and keep abreast of new ways of working in the workplace sector. Stef has been involved in several major projects at Morgan Lovell and special mention has to go to the relocation project of the Body Shop headquarters from Croydon to London Bridge. The Body Shop wanted solutions that were forward thinking and highly sustainable. The design needed to offer a higher grade of workplace from the Croydon office as well as being highly effective for the end user. The feedback from The Body Shop was that Stef came up with elements of design that truly reflected their values and staff were now incredibly proud of where they worked.

Stef is a keen health enthusiast and plays volleyball twice a week, as well as participating in regular gym and jogging sessions.

Since joining ID:SR in 2016, Anna has become an integral part of the design team, both professionally and personally. Combining innovative design with meticulous detail, Anna has proven to be adaptable, working across all sectors in the studio, including workplace, residential, education and heritage projects.

Regardless of the project, Anna always promotes creativity, never resorting to a fixed style (apart from her love of biophilia), but pushes the boundaries and keeps ahead of emerging trends. This inspires others within the team, who recognise her genuine passion for design and strong work ethic, which means she is often the go-to person for junior members of the team.

Anna has also built up trusting relationships with clients through her dedicated approach and quality work, while remaining approachable with her unwavering relaxed nature.

Anna has progressed within the practice to lead her own projects, and has been instrumental in securing repeat work with clients. One such project is Oakhurst Grange, a continuing care retirement village where the interiors sympathetically respond to residents’ requirements, placing people and their experience at the heart of the design.

Anna in a nutshell: plants, travel, food and gin.

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30 UNDER 30 Class of 2020

ANNA BALINT INTERIOR DESIGNER

JOE BOSSON PART II ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT

LUCY BROWN SENIOR CREATIVE DESIGNER

Anna is a passionate designer and a visionary with a keen eye for detail. Her multicultural upbringing allows her to convert trends into insights to strategically inform her designs.

With a strong expertise in workplace interiors, Anna’s ability to understand what is truly important on a project allows her to create spaces that are elegant and memorable. Her creativity and fervid curiosity allow her to always be involved in internal Gensler communityfocused activities, in turn elevating the quality of our work and helping us share our thought leadership. Her multi-disciplinary design approach and her passion for all things design related, provide her designs with a strong sense of elegance and flexibility. Anna’s unfaltering determination to follow through on the many high-profile projects she’s worked on – from Sidley Austin’s 94,000 sq ft office relocation in London to a Tel Aviv relocation project for a confidential technology client – has inspired many at Gensler and beyond.

Anna is a talented photographer and wonderful at hand sketching. She has an Instagram page – Les Femmes Fatiguees – dedicated to her drawings, which is based on stories about women. Anna has a business with her mum designing scarves, called Balint&Balint.

Creative, practical, highly technical and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, Joe is a real rising star. He started at Spacelab in one of his university summers, and we keenly had him back every year. When Joe graduated last summer, having won the RIBA prize for excellence for his diploma, he came on board permanently and has been spreading his magic across projects ever since. These range from large-scale residential and mixed-use schemes to, most recently, a high-end restaurant at Goodwood Racecourse. He’s a true team player and his friendly personality exudes partnership and creative ambition. With a desire to constantly learn, Joe seeks to find creative opportunity in every challenge and can often be found helping out colleagues to put their extraordinary ideas into the world.

Outside of architecture, Joe ranks eating, bicycle maintenance and carrot cake as his top key skills. We almost failed to mention he is also a sporting superstar, representing team GB in the European Triathlon Championships.

He qualified for this year's World Triathlon Series, which was due to be held in Edmonton, Canada, this summer.

Lucy is a passionate designer with a focus on creating memorable spaces and experiences.

Joining AECOM in 2019 as Senior Creative Designer, Lucy has quickly become an integral part of the design team, working with a number of key clients. Lucy’s workplace experience extends across Europe, the Middle East and Australia, having most recently worked on a project for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. From creating strong, narrative driven concepts to delivering detailed, custom design outcomes, Lucy is dedicated to achieving the best possible results for both the project and client. At studio level, Lucy is a collaborative team member who greatly enjoys sharing knowledge and mentoring junior team members.

Lucy is a proud Australian and occasional baker – organising a successful cake sale fundraiser earlier in 2020 to support the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.

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Mix Interiors

CAITLIN CADMAN INTERIOR DESIGNER

GEORGE CHRISTODOULOU ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT

POLLY CLARK INTERIOR DESIGNER

glancy nicholls a r c h i t e c t s

Caitlin joined HLM Architects in her year out, whilst studying for her degree. Her personality, creative ability, enthusiasm and attention to detail quickly shone through. After graduating from Sheffield Hallam University in 2018 with a First-Class Honours degree in Interior Design, she joined the interiors team full time.

She has worked in healthcare – developing the interior design scheme for a prestigious, specialist rehabilitation centre in Abu Dhabi – commercial and more recently, has focused on the hospitality sector, working with clients such as the Intercontinental Hotel Group and Marriott, through a range of design processes, from concept to on site delivery.

Caitlin’s creative design approach, balanced with attention to detail and pragmatic problem solving, quickly wins over clients, consultants and contractors alike.

Caitlin has been dancing for as long as she can remember and joined a Sheffield dance company six years ago. She trains regularly with a group of passionate, like-minded dancers to prepare for upcoming showcases and competitions. Past performances include music videos, summer festivals and charity events.

George joined Glancy Nicholls Architects in February 2017 after completing his Masters in Architecture at the University of Huddersfield.

During his studies, George’s thesis was commended and shortlisted for the Peter Stead Award for Sustainability.

George is a talented designer, with broad experience working and assisting with the management of projects with significant values and complexity through the concept and planning stages. George is currently a key designer on the recently announced 28-storey Essex Street Tower in Birmingham City Centre and will be heavily involved in its journey through to construction.

George also has experience of operating tanks during time spent serving in the Cypriot Military.

Polly has been the quintessential quiet achiever in our team. What has been key to her rapid progress as a designer is entrenched in her ability to apply herself to all aspects of the project. Her passion for design is infectious.

Basha-Franklin specifically seeks out good designers that have the aptitude to thrive across all aspects of our projects. She is keen to be immersed and learn at all opportunities – an ambitious mentee.

Polly has very strong aesthetic prowess along with a sharp attention to detail. She has cemented her position to source unique, sustainable, beautiful and intriguing materials and products. Her astute editing skills progress the design evolution of projects, bringing exciting and innovative proposals to the design process.

Polly is very calm under pressure. Her personable communication style and ease of design articulation promises that she will be a fantastic client liaison and project designer.

Polly has shown resilience and adaptability during COVID-19. She has been working on a City fringe ground floor refurbishment for Brookfield Properties and an exclusive refurbishment in St James Square.

Unfortunately, Polly had big plans with a trip to Morocco and Glastonbury this year, which are now on ice.

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30 UNDER 30 Class of 2020

GEORGINA DALLAS DESIGNER

CLARE DEBNEY SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER

SAMANTHA FEENEY INTERIOR DESIGNER

Georgina joined the Tetris interior design team on a permanent basis in June 2017 after completing her degree and several summer internships, gaining valuable practical experience. Since then she has had a significant impact on our success, both in terms of project design and client relationships.

Georgina is skilled at communicating wellarticulated ideas with clients at every level, from C-suite down, and punches well above her years, evidenced by her ability to be completely at ease delivering prime projects for hardened professionals and leading first time clients through the process.

With an eye for innovative and ingenious design that stands the test of time rather than responding to short-term trends, the Tetris senior team actively seek out Georgina for their projects. Add to this her warm and kind personality, and Georgina has become a valuable member of the design team for both colleagues and clients. She is one to watch now and in the future.

Georgina is a cheese connoisseur. She balances this with a keen interest in playing tennis and has recently taken up running.

Clare has a deep love for interior design that shines through every task she undertakes on projects. She has extensive experience of both the Australian and London markets, which allows her to effortlessly deliver her creative solutions to our clients. Clare has experience of working in residential, education and workplace sectors, enabling her to draw on her knowledge to further deepen and add value to her existing projects. She shows strength and aptitude in design and crosses between those sectors with ease.

Clare has a thirst for learning and endeavours to take away positive lessons from her experiences, building on them to enable a tighter and more cohesive response to challenges. She is able to guide clients through design challenges with ease, helping them understand the value of solutions and building on their confidence in her ability. She is empathetic towards her team and ensures that learning, creativity and growth are at the centre of her projects.

Hailing from Australia, Clare has a love of good food and regularly eats out at new restaurants – she is always a go-to person for recommendations!

Sam is an immensely talented and imaginative designer who is respected by her peers, clients and the professional world. Her contribution over the last 18 months has seen her progress within Area’s London design team; she is running high profile projects with fantastic feedback from clients.

It’s not often that you come across someone who can deliver the quality design output she does at her age. This speaks volumes for her talent and work ethic. On top of that, she is a pleasure to work with and comes to work every day with a calming aura and a positive ‘cando’ attitude. Sam is also part of our Women in Fourfront initiative. Through this programme we’ve seen her grow personally in confidence and self-belief.

Sam is our go-to for the latest gig or cool band – she’s a fountain of knowledge of London and who to see and where. She’s also a big art lover – her eye is drawn to art that’s bold, out of the ordinary, and stands out from a crowd...which sums her up quite well.

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Mix Interiors

AYDAN GASIMLI SENIOR ASSOCIATE

QUERALT GOÑI INTERIOR DESIGNER

CORA GRANIER INTERIOR DESIGNER

As one of the youngest Senior Associates at an AJ100 practice, Aydan’s talent and career dedication is exercised through work on a number of high profile and diverse international projects. Aydan’s rich depth of knowledge and love of history means her approach to design is rooted in centuries rather than decades. Her passion, enthusiasm, creativity, attention to detail and communication skills are the driving forces behind the success of the projects that she is part of. She has developed strong relationships with key clients and project managers.

Having begun her career in Dubai, Aydan worked on a diverse range of projects across hospitality, F&B, residential and workplace before moving to London to join Aedas, where she was promoted to Associate in recognition of her work as part of the core team delivering a series of outstanding interior architecture projects across a wide commercial scope.

In 2019, Aydan joined Buckley Gray Yeoman’s growing interior design team where she is leading multiple teams to deliver exciting and innovative projects, as well as winning new work.

Aydan brings style and flare to our studio, with a penchant for tartan and bold colours.

She travels widely for work and leisure, and perfects her dance moves at weekly Tango classes.

Queralt is a creative and highly talented interior designer, based in London, with a visionary eye for the design process, using the latest tools and software. After completing her degree in her native Barcelona, an exchange year at UAL Chelsea College of Art & Design, and some time in a prestigious D&B practice in London, Queralt joined HOK’s London studio five years ago. She has since worked on multiple workplace projects in the UK and abroad, excelling across many disciplines, including healthcare, residential and retail. Her work ethic and her ability to always find time to support her colleagues has made her an essential part of the interiors team. Queralt has successfully led the design in many global account projects, developing key relationships with her clients through translating their ideas and aspirations into creative and simple solutions. Queralt is also highly respected by the leadership at HOK’s London studio and has been nominated for her well-rounded disposition and ability to work as a team player.

Queralt is an avid traveller – she loves visiting friends and family abroad – as well as making the most of London’s cultural offerings, attending gigs, galleries, theatres and ballet shows.

Cora brings her background in architecture to the design team and has proved herself to be an extremely talented interior designer with enormous flair and creativity. She has worked across various sectors including retail, food and beverage, leisure, residential and workplace.

On every project she has produced outstanding work, and delighted BDP and her clients, both nationally and internationally. She brings creativity and best practice from her work in the UK, France, Singapore, Portugal, Australia, Russia and Canada. Clients include PwC, INGKA, Land Securities, Intu and British Land.

During her time at BDP, she has honed her expertise in developing initial sketch ideas and concepts and turning these into great spaces for people to live, work and shop, receiving enthusiastic feedback from her directors, including: ‘fabulous design sense’, ‘very professional’, ‘great with people’, ‘always a positive attitude’ and ‘managed some crazy deadlines’.

Cora has varied interests outside of work – it’s impossible to pick one thing. She loves all things related to Japan, haute couture, Liberty and trying out new and interesting restaurants.

Mix 204 July 2020 | 97

30 UNDER 30 Class of 2020

SOFIE HAYE PROJECT DESIGNER

CATHERINE HESTON INTERMEDIATE INTERIOR DESIGNER

ALEXANDRA HILL DESIGN LEAD

Sofie hails from Perth, Australia and moved to London in February 2019. With extensive experience originally working in residential interior design and more recently, commercial interior design, Sofie has an exceptional eye for detail. Sofie’s strong personality and fun-loving character brings a lot of positivity to the office.

Combined with her passion and hard work ethic she has quickly become a highly valued member of the Modus family. However, it is Sofie’s drive and ambition to deliver a unique solution to all her clients that really sets her apart. Having picked up two jobs – Alpha FX and Embassy of Indonesia – in her first few days, Sofie embraced the challenges and developed strong relationships with her clients, building a level of trust that enabled her to take charge and deliver each job with great success. Sofie continues to push creative boundaries and has won pitches that were technically challenging. No matter the situation, Sofie is always pragmatic in her approach, looking for opportunities and solutions that will deliver great value and exceptional results for her clients.

In her downtime, Sofie’s either at a yoga retreat or exploring new areas around London.

Kitty studied Interior Architecture at the University of Westminster and joined our team in 2017. She has worked with technology, media and product clients on workplaces ranging in scale from 1,000 sq m to 25,000 sq m. She spent a year designing workplace interiors for a media company with multiple brands and was fully immersed in all aspects of a fast moving and challenging project. The spaces she designed for them are full of fun and surprise and she was passionate about the careful design and specification of furniture and finishes. More recently, she designed the showroom space for a specialist business that produces microphones – the designs for each element are fluid and artfully composed, with seamless detailing and the integration of the company’s history. Kitty is a people person, and everyone is drawn to her calm and steady approach – she is unflappable!

She has a creative soul and a wonderful sense of humour.

Kitty has a twin and has spent part of her life in Hong Kong. The pop-up bamboo theatre structures in the city are what sparked her interest in design and the built environment.

Alex knew she wanted to be an interior designer from an early age, opting for creative GCSEs before studying interior design at college and university, teaching herself Vectorworks, CAD and the full Adobe suite along the way.

At 23, following a short stint at another D&B company, Alex took a Junior Designer position at ThirdWay and five years later is excited to be Design Lead. Alex heads up projects for the likes of G2 Travel – where she undertook both Cat A & Cat B designs to turn seven separate units into a stunning, single 12,000 sq ft demise – and Mindspace, a 35,000 sq ft coworking space in Hammersmith, which is due to be completed this summer.

Alex says: ‘I am very driven and very competitive. I take my responsibilities seriously and always try to come up with great designs that my clients will love. No client is ever the same so no project should be.’

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Mix Interiors

AGATA KACZOROWSKA DESIGNER

LAURA KORIAKINAITE DESIGNER

JOSIE LEES SENIOR DESIGNER

Agata joined the MMoser London studio in summer 2019 after completing her degree in Interior Design at London Metropolitan University.

She has consistently demonstrated creativity, dedication and huge amounts of talent on all aspects of the design process, from developing concepts to construction drawings.

It has been a huge pleasure to see Agata thrive and become an integral part of our design team.

There is no doubt that Agata has a great career ahead of her – and one we are all excited to see.

When Agata is not working, she loves creating new vegan treats – which she often shares with the studio – and cuddling her dog, Vincent, or perfecting her most recent venture, zero waste soap production.

Laura is part of the 20% – the specialist set that sits quietly working away in the back, never making a sound, never shouting about her achievements, just getting on with it…and when you look closely, you see that her work ethic is indestructible, her attention to detail is impeccable and her willingness to help others is seamless and without fuss. And she doesn’t even know how amazing she is.

Since she has joined our team, Laura has worked on everyone’s project in some way, shape and form and alongside all our demands, she has managed to fit in her very own project, for Japanese game developer, Square Enix, 24,152 sq ft of which she designed and did the whole technical pack for.

We couldn’t be prouder to have her on our team. If she doesn’t want to brag, we will do so on her behalf. She is a rock star and nope, you can’t have her!

Laura loves travelling. Discovering new places, learning new cultures and gathering new experiences have always excited her.

As a senior designer, Josie leads and oversees design projects alongside associates and project directors. Josie’s day-to-day is spent creating concepts, mood boards, visuals and plans, while she is also involved with clients and monitoring on-site progress.

Her big passion is sustainability and she pushes this on every project she is part of, from material selection to the way we work. For her, doing the right thing is important and she believes we should challenge the industry to improve our collective impact on the planet.

Josie started part-time with MCM while she completed her BA (Hons) in Architecture at Ravensbourne. After working elsewhere following graduation for two years, she came onboard full-time in 2016.

Josie is methodical, positive and a little bit obsessive about research (in a good way). She is also design mad.

Josie has worked with Expedia on multiple projects all over Europe. She has also worked on Channel 4’s offices in London, Bristol, Glasgow and Leeds.

Josie is a passionate cyclist, both on the road and on the track at the velodrome.

Mix 204 July 2020 | 99

30 UNDER 30 Class of 2020

KAT MCMAHON SENIOR WORKPLACE CONSULTANT & INTERIOR DESIGNER

MICHELE MERCADO DESIGNER

TOM MUNSON SENIOR DESIGNER

Originally from Sydney, Australia, Kat is an experienced designer and workplace strategist focused on delivering creative and clever design that enhances connection and collaboration in workplace environments. Her love of workplace design was harnessed whilst working for one of Australia’s most forward-thinking design firms, Davenport Campbell, where she worked on a diverse range of projects, for some of Australia’s largest companies.

Kat moved to London almost three years ago, joining tp bennett’s specialist workplace team.

She is integral to the team, delivering workplace strategy across banking, law, technology and media sectors, applying an inventive and original approach to ensure spaces have a positive and meaningful impact Kat is confident and proactive. She is innovative and has brought fresh ideas to the way in which we present graphically and physically. Kat builds great relationships with clients, which is credit to her easy-going nature and great sense of humour.

Kat is a coffee-loving Aussie from Sydney who always has a smile on her face. She enjoys travelling the world, with Iceland and coastal walks in her hometown amongst her favourites.

With a flair for creativity, Michele developed an interest in design and interiors early on in her education. Within her first year with us as a Junior Designer, Michele took the initiative to learn most of the programmes within the Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk platform in her spare time. Without any formal training, we were amazed at her ability to pick up new software and the speed at which she does it.

Learning about all aspects of a project, Michele worked with different design team members to gain knowledge in concept development, technical design and BIM technology and she is now learning more about 3D rendering and animation. She is constantly pushing herself to learn new things and gain new skills as she continues to establish a strong base for her career moving forward. Following her initial year with us, Michele became a permanent member of staff and continues to amaze us every day as a core designer.

She is a bright young star who is an absolute joy to work with.

Travelling and photography are Michele’s passions and she has started her own Instagram page. She also loves skateboarding.

Tom is a multi-talented and dedicated designer who works across an array of different areas – from consultation and concept development through to practical assembly, implementation and completion. He joined DesignLSM in 2017 and instantly made an impression with his fresh and pragmatic approach to projects, which led to his promotion to Senior Designer last year. Clients love his honesty and strong ability to truly understand their objectives and how to translate them into an engaging yet functional design. He exemplifies the studio’s design philosophy and motivates, inspires and encourages the studio by sharing his knowledge and new ideas of how we can push the boundaries of our designs. Tom has most recently completed Sam’s Riverside – an exciting new restaurant destination on Hammersmith Bridge and is working with D&D London on their new restaurant in Bristol, alongside an extensive refurbishment of a historical hotel for Warner Leisure Group Tom is an avid supporter of Watford Football Club and has a pet tortoise called Doris.

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Mix Interiors

SOPHIE NEWCOMBE SENIOR DESIGN MANAGER

ABBIE TUCKER INTERIOR DESIGNER

RUBY TUESDAY FIELDHOUSE INTERIOR DESIGNER

Sophie's background is within architectural design and project management. She started her career in New Zealand, following the Christchurch earthquake, and became passionate about technical detailing and design within unusual constraints. Sophie has spent a number of years designing high-end residential spaces before moving into commercial, always striking a balance between design and delivery.

A valued member of the ISG team; her keen eye for detail and knowledge of delivering high quality interior spaces has been invaluable during our winning work process. Sophie always tries to find something interesting and innovative for our clients and works hard to de-risk projects using good design and scope allocation.

Sophie has a reputation within our business for providing a great customer experience; she is very client focused and is dedicated to understanding the needs of individuals and helping project teams deliver these. She is passionate about delivering quality and commitment to safeguarding the design intent.

Sophie is also committed to her peers, taking the time to help her colleagues and mentor others.

Sophie loves the outdoors and spends her weekends rock climbing, mountaineering and running the occasional marathon.

Abbie is a delight to work with and we have enjoyed watching her abilities grow and flourish.

Abbie is truly a rising star and has the creative talent, grit and determination to go far. Her thorough translation of briefs and natural ability to nurture client relationships means that, despite her young age, she is already a key player in our team.

Since joining SpaceInvader two years ago, she’s had a positive impact and has very quickly become an integral, reliable member of the studio. She is a very diligent individual who is passionate about design and about delivering the right solution for our clients by pushing the brief to design fresh and innovative proposals without ego.

Abbie is a key, sought after member of our projects and is now heading up her own projects as well, including an innovative Cat B HQ , which includes specialist lab space – watch this space!

One of Abbie’s main passions is singing – and all things music related. She has brought this passion into her working life by performing at the Overbury charity music night in Manchester for the past two years.

Ruby wrote to Squire & Partners for a work placement three summers ago and, during the few months that she was with us, demonstrated her natural flair for design and a strong work ethic. As soon as Ruby graduated from The Cass we snapped her up, and in the short time since then she has worked on numerous projects at concept and design stage, showing initiative when it comes to research and dedication to delivering the task at hand.

Most recently and significantly, Ruby has worked on the design of coworking spaces for x+why at People’s Mission Hall in Whitechapel.

Ruby was an integral part of the team in developing the concept, look and feel of the building, design of layouts and joinery details.

The project provided a steep learning curve, with Ruby gaining the trust of the client and liaising well with contractors and consultants.

She is now leading the team for x+why’s third building.

Ruby is reliable and dedicated, with a flair for design and an easy-going nature.

In her spare time, you’ll find Ruby either sourcing beautiful fabrics to re-upholster old furniture or shaking up South London’s best Margaritas!

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30 UNDER 30 Class of 2020

JENNIFER WALTON INTERIOR DESIGNER

AMELIA WILSON DESIGN MANAGER

LUCY WOOD INTERIOR DESIGNER

Jennie is an incredibly creative interior designer with specialist experience in the hospitality sector, both in the UK and internationally. She has worked as part of the DMA interiors team with brands including IHG group, Hilton, Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin. Jennie is currently working on four private rental scheme amenity spaces with Grainger Plc, the soon to open Mövenpick Hotel Villa Pamphili Rome, boutique Malmaison hotel in York and Marriott Autograph resort hotel in Abastumani, Georgia.

Recent openings include The Clayton Hotel, City of London, which was shortlisted for an SBID international design award in 2019 for hotel bedrooms and suites, and Aquam Bibe within Hotel du Vin Avon Gorge, which was shortlisted at the AHEAD awards 2019 for event spaces.

Jennie is calm under pressure, reliable and studious, forward thinking, a problem solver and very talented designer who is well on her way to becoming a leader in the team.

Jennie has recently become a dedicated runner, completing the Vitality London Half Marathon at the start of March.

Amelia is a breath of fresh air and brings abundant amounts of energy, not only to Mace Interiors but the fit-out industry in general.

Her infectious personality gets the best out of colleagues, consultants and clients.

Amelia is instrumental not only for project delivery, but also winning work during the tendering stage. She has a natural ability to pick apart the design, make it buildable and become a reality for designers and clients.

Her focus and drive is all directed towards clients. Amelia really listens and understands the client’s cornerstone to the project. A prime example of this was when a client bought her a gift at the end of the job as a thank you because Amelia went over and above her role.

Amelia is a travelholic and enjoys a good G&T in her spare time. Exploring new places and culture is one of her biggest hobbies.

Amelia is also a keen sports fan – most of all cricket and is currently taking up golf. Being New Zealand born, Amelia often rubs the All Blacks rugby team in our British faces!

Kicking off her design career as an intern in 2014, Lucy re-joined the HLW team in 2017 as a graduate. Since then she has flourished and grown into one of our leading senior designers.

Travelling between the London, New York and LA offices, Lucy has built up her experience on a wide range of big-name clients, including YouTube, Google, Sanofi and Facebook. She relishes a challenge, builds a strong rapport with all her clients and team members, has strong communication skills and continues to grow and evolve on every project she works on. Lucy’s strengths lie in her desire to apply her strong creative thinking abilities to a design solution that best responds to her clients’ vision and needs, always with a friendly manner and always with a smile.

An avid Globetrotter who aspires to continue her travel further and more abundantly, wherever Lucy finds herself in the world you’ll find her tracking down iconic and noteworthy places of worship, exploring them, walking around them and sketching them. In slight contrast, should there be a power station nearby, she’ll be there checking out its architecture too!

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savilerowprojects.com

Savile Row Projects

Shhhh...

NORMALLY WE LIKE TO KEEP THINGS QUIET, BUT...

We’re delighted to share the news that our very own Acoustic Studio has been short-listed for the Mixology Workplace Interiors Project Of The Year Visit our Studio to learn how you can create exquisite privacy for every budget Acoustic Studio 108-114 Golden Lane London EC1Y 0TG enquiries@savilerowprojects.com 020 3701 8008

EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORS OF STRAHLE ROOM AND ACOUSTIC SYSTEMS

THE LUXURY OF SILENCE

Although sadly we weren't able to get together as an industry and celebrate the finest projects, products and people of the past 12 months, we certainly weren’t going to allow all the hard work of so many go to waste.

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S

o, we've decided to present the finalists that our esteemed judging panel deemed worthy of being considered for a prestigious Mixology Award.

We were also extremely keen to show off the sheer brilliance of those who did send us their entries – undoubtedly the highest standard we have ever received.

Unfortunately, you’re all going to have to wait until Mixology21 next June to discover who and what has made our ultimate shortlist and, of course, who our big winners are.

You can ask all you like, but our lips are sealed until then.

▲ Clockwise from top left Hotel Interiors: Conran and Partners - Crowne Plaza Over 5,000 to 15,000 sq ft: Incube Space - London Connectory Over 70,000 sq ft: MCM - Hyperion Insurance Group Public Sector Interiors: NBBJ - American International College

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

FLOORING PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

ALTRO

Wood Adhesive-Free (1)

FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS

KARNDEAN DESIGNFLOORING

Allura (4)

Heritage Collection (7)

AMTICO

Signature Collection (2)

INTERFACE

MILLIKEN

NY+LON Streets (5)

Change Agent (8)

EGE CARPETS

Reform: A New Wave (3)

IVC

TARKETT

Art Fields (6)

Inspiration (9)

LIGHTING, TECHNOLOGY & ACCESSORIES PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

14SIX8

LUCTRA

SWARM (10)

VITAWORK HCL (14)

ALLSFÄR

OE ELECTRICS

Eclipse Acoustic Lighting (11)

ARC-H Wireless Charger (15)

DURABLE

LOOOK INDUSTRIES

Monitor Mount (12)

Neuron Activiation Pod (N.A.P) (16)

LIQUI CONTRACTS

UNIBOX

Brixham Pendant (13)

Faber Lux (17)

Mix 204 July 2020 | 105

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

1

STORAGE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

2

BISLEY

Buddy (9) HOTBOX STORAGE

Eco Friendly Hotbox (10) INTARC DESIGN

HEX (11) KI

800 Series Modular Shelving (12) TECNO

Linea (13) WILLIAM HANDS

Vantage Sideboard Collection (14) YOUR WORKSPACE

LOOSE FURNITURE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

14SIX8

FLUID (1) ALLSFÄR

Diffuse Acoustic Furniture (2) CONNECTION

Peacework (3) FREM GROUP

Oasis Soft Mobile Booth (4) GRANORTE

The MOON Coffee Table (5) LAMMHULTS

Teius (6) LIQUI CONTRACTS

Jasper Bar Stool (7) OFFECCT

Osaka Collection (8)

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Simplicity Smart Lockers (15)

8

9

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

SURFACES PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

ALLSFÄR

ŐRA V (16) CAMIRA

PANAZ

ecoTwill (19) SOUNDTECT

STORK COMPOSITES

STORK (22)

ULTRAFABRICS

Oceanic (17)

Freestyle Timba (20)

Ultraleather | Volar Bio (23)

IMPACT ACOUSTIC

SPECIALIST GLASS

VISKA ACOUSTICS

ARCHISONIC (18)

18

19

Magnetic Glass (21)

20

Tessellate Tile (24)

21

22

TASK FURNITURE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

VS & DESIGN BALLENDAT

STAKKI (25)

26

28

HAIKEN

Stage (26) INTARC DESIGN

WORX (27) KI

Grafton (28)

29

30

THINKING WORKS

Screenliner (29) WIESNER-HAGER

yuno office (30)

Mix 204 July 2020 | 107

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

BAR & LEISURE INTERIORS PROJECT OF THE YEAR

BOXX CREATIVE

HART MILLER DESIGN

The Hunter's Moon (1)

Mullion Cove Spa (7)

CONCORDE BGW GROUP

SCOTT BROWNRIGG

The Last Crumb (2)

Hard Rock Hotel London (8)

DESIGNLSM

TANER'S SONS DESIGN STUDIO

Gaucho Charlotte St (3)

Baraka Restaurant | Bar (9)

DMFK ARCHITECTS

Happy Face Pizza & Supermax Bar (4) FAULKNERBROWNS ARCHITECTS

Market Hall West End (5) FUSION BY DESIGN

Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery (6)

HOTEL INTERIORS PROJECT OF THE YEAR

CONCORDE BGW GROUP

PORTVIEW

Broad Street Townhouse, Bath (10)

Lincoln House, Rosewood London (14)

CONRAN AND PARTNERS

RPW DESIGN

Crowne Plaza, Paris (11)

The Malta Marriott Hotel & Spa (15)

CONRAN AND PARTNERS

Hotel Maximilian, Prague (12) DESIGNLSM

100 Queen's Gate Hotel, Kensington (13)

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RPW DESIGN

The Mayfair Collection, InterContinental London (16)

ARC-H

Through Surface Charger

2020 HONOREE

No cutting, just fit, and start charging!

• • • • •

10W of Charging Power No machining to install Firmware Upgradeable For surfaces 13 - 25mm thick Compatible with both Samsung 10W and Apple 7.5W charging modes

Call Now: 01924 367255

LONDON SHOWROOM: 1a BRISET ST, EC1M 5NR * www.oeelectrics.co.uk

Stage Task Chair

www.haiken.com

sales@haiken.com

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

LIVING INTERIORS PROJECT OF THE YEAR

DEXTER MOREN ASSOCIATES

TIGG + COLL ARCHITECTS

WOODS BAGOT

Chapter Spitalfields (2)

The Lansdowne (3)

Brook Place Apartments (1)

Offering leather solutions, plus antibacterial and antifungal faux leathers for seating

PUBLIC SECTOR INTERIORS PROJECT OF THE YEAR

CPMG ARCHITECTS

University of Liverpool International College (4) JOHN EVANS DESIGN

JW.org Temple Farm Development (5) MF DESIGN STUDIO

Office of Rail & Road (6) NBBJ

American International University (7)

Automotive

Aviation

Healthcare

Hospitality

Marine

Residential

Workspace

Yarwood has you covered. www.yarwoodleather.com

+44 (0) 113 252 1014 sales@yarwoodleather.com

@yarwoodleather

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

WORKPLACE INTERIORS SUB 5,000 SQ FT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

5

BERNARD INTERIORS

The Church (1) DESIGN OFFICE CONSULTANCY

3 Lowers Thames Street (2) INGLETON WOOD

London HQ (3) MDC GROUP

Jamaica National Bank (4) NOCHINTZ

Merchant Exchange (5) SAVILE ROW PROJECTS

Acoustic Studio (6) TP BENNETT

Autex Showroom & Workspace (7)

WORKPLACE INTERIORS OVER 5,000 TO 15,000 SQ FT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

BUCKLEY GRAY YEOMAN

INCUBE SPACE

M MOSER ASSOCIATES

London Connectory (11)

Finablr, Silicon Roundabout, London (14)

Elsley House (8) CONRAN AND PARTNERS

INTERFACE & OVERBURY

UNISPACE

The Greenhouse (12)

Rolls-Royce, London (15)

IOR

WYLDE IA & MONTROC CONSULTING

200 Gray's Inn Road (9) HÛT

Berners Street (10)

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Livingbridge - 100 Wood Street (13)

Innocent - Fruit Towers (16)

Tessellate tile

Tessellate tile is an environment-freindly, recycled and recylable material manufactured in the UK with plastic waste.

Viska Acoustic products meet contemporary expectations of architects and designers with a canny combination of form and function. They can be combined to create remarkable structural patterns that rejuvenate residential, industrial and public spaces.

Designed in house, Tessellate Tiles’s are available in 17 color sets and a range of beautiful patterns. Designers and architects can personalize any installation with endless creative possibilities.

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

WORKPLACE INTERIORS OVER 15,000 TO 30,000 SQ FT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

AREA

MODUS WORKSPACE

IFS (1)

Alpha FX (6)

BDG ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

The Body Shop (7)

MORGAN LOVELL

7

Greensill (2) NBBJ

BARK (8)

CITYSPACE MANAGEMENT

25 Ropemaker Street (3)

SQUIRE & PARTNERS

HLW

x+why, People's Mission Hall (9)

Indeed (4) JDA ARCHITECTS & STUDIO HENDERSON

Delamere Health (5)

13

WORKPLACE INTERIORS OVER 30,000 TO 70,000 SQ FT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

14

15

AIS

MODUS WORKSPACE

London Research Hub (10)

Studio 19 for SLG Brands (15)

AWW

OKTRA

Parmenion (11)

Product Madness (16)

GENSLER

UNISPACE

Gensler European Headquarters (12)

Philip Morris International, London (17)

LOM ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

The Living Rooms (13)

TÉTRIS DESIGN & BUILD

Fora | Shoreditch (18)

16

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17

18

LORENC DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Eagle House (14)

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

WORKPLACE INTERIORS OVER 70,000 SQ FT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

BDP

HLW

PELDON ROSE

PwC Birmingham (18)

Sanofi (22)

Trade Desk (26)

DESIGN NORTH

ID:SR SHEPPARD ROBSON

Arm Headquarters (27)

The Catalyst (19)

SCOTT BROWNRIGG

Ashurst (23) DMFK ARCHITECTS

SCOTT BROWNRIGG

One Canada Square (20)

ID:SR SHEPPARD ROBSON

HERMANTES STUDIO & GROUP

BBC Central Square (24)

LINK GROUP Project Lapwing (21)

MCM ARCHITECTURE

Reckitt Benckiser Science & Innovation Centre (28) TP BENNETT

Spotify London (29)

Hyperion Insurance Group (25)

FURNITURE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

HUNTS OFFICE (30)

UHS INTERNATIONAL (33)

PROTOCOL FURNITURE (31)

UMBRELLA FURNITURE (34)

TRIBE (32)

WORKBENCH (35)

Mix 204 July 2020 | 115

PREVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

DESIGN FIRM OF THE YEAR

5

6

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR ACTIU (9) ALDWORTH JAMES & BOND (10) AMTICO (11) EGGER (UK) (12) NAUGHTONE (13) ORANGEBOX (14) SPECIALIST JOINERY GROUP (15) TMJ INTERIORS (16)

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DESIGNLSM (1)

PELDON ROSE (5)

HLW INTERNATIONAL (2)

SCOTT BROWNRIGG (6)

ID:SR SHEPPARD ROBSON (3)

THIRDWAY (7)

OKTRA (4)

TP BENNETT (8)

REVIEW Mixology 2020 Finalists

Thank you to our sponsors It goes without saying that Mixology relies greatly upon the support of our magnificent sponsors.

In these times in particular, their support is humbling and allows us to continue to recognise all that is wonderful about our sector.

Mix 204 July 2020 | 117

SELECTIONS

Karndean Designflooring introduces new limestone hues Celebrating the understated colour tones found in natural limestone, Karndean Designflooring is introducing five new stone designs to its modern Korlok collection. Designed to offer quicker installation times and enhanced acoustic benefits, it enables architects and interior designers to specify a wood and stone rigid core design in the same space when looking to support wayfinding. The new stone palette includes a range of silvery and warm mid-greys, muted and soft neutrals and honey colours. www. karndean.com/explorekorlok

A floor for today’s home in every way Granorte’s Trendcollection makes the beauty, sustainability and performance of cork flooring accessible to today’s homeowner. From traditional cork tiles right through to printed designs using the latest solid rigid core technology, it’s a formidable collection that brings cork right up to date. Nowhere is this better captured than in DESIGNTrend, a floor that combines the latest technology with cork’s natural, sustainable and renewable status. Through direct digital print and a textured WEARTOP finish, DESIGNTrend brings the look and feel of wood with the ease of LVT, without cutting down trees or containing any plastic. www.granorte.co.uk

Introducing the Hatton chair by KI KI’s Hatton chair is created using a 100% recyclable, one-piece injectionmoulded polypropylene/glass fibre blend. Easy to clean, its built-in UV protection makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor use. It’s stackable to eight high on the floor, or 18 high on its transport dolly. Its subtly curved backrest features an integrated handle. Hatton is available in eight colours, is certified to BS EN 16139, Level 1 and is made in the UK.

The first choice in carpet tiles The new First collection from modulyss is redefining just what a valueorientated carpet tile can mean to commercial projects. A favourite among fit-out and design and build projects, the original First carpet tile collection from modulyss became a benchmark for value-orientated carpet tiles. Now, the second generation of First is ready to redefine value in a series of five coordinated designs that bring performance and sustainability.

www.kieurope.com

www.modulyss.com

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Free Biophilic Design Toolkit Easily add plants, green/moss walls and other biophilic elements to your interior design schemes using Inleaf’s free Biophilic Design Toolkit. Includes accurate AutoCAD blocks, precedent images and product info sheets. Go to inleaf.co.uk/toolkit/ to access.

inleaf.co.uk/toolkit/

THE FINAL WORD

LUCKY MAN I am definitely one of the lucky ones during this pandemic, considers Criteo’s Mike Walley

In all seriousness, there is an art to working f rom home and surviving. We’re having to teach the majority of our company how to do it and not go mad, get divorced or thrown out of a flat share.

Mike Walley is Criteo’s Head of Workplace Experience EMEA

120 | Mix 204 July 2020

I

have a role that can be done from home, I have space in which to do it and, as I live in the country, I can get outside and self-isolate in the middle of a field whenever I feel the walls closing in a little. There is nothing in the office that I absolutely need to do my job and so I can easily think of myself working from home long into the future. Except... I really miss the commute.

The big downside to working in my spare room, and I’m not alone in finding this, is the startlingly swift transition from work to home life. One moment I am deep in (video) conversation with colleagues, discussing a long running project and then, as the call finishes, I am plunged back into family life within seconds. Now don’t take this the wrong way. I love my family and love being with them, but when my head is full of budgets, contracts, numbers and images, I need a moment or two to decompress the brain before I try and re-engage it with life outside Zoom.

I was heading downstairs after a particularly difficult day, lost in thought, when I tripped over one dog, who was hiding at the top of the stairs, and nearly trod on the other (chihuahua) who was hurtling up the stairs to see what the noise was about. This added stress, on already jangly nerves, probably accounted for me shouting at one dog and being rude about the other one (daughter’s chihuahua) and then having to fight a rear-guard action as the entire family blamed me for disrupting what had been a quiet afternoon. I went back to my office. It was safer.

It can be as bad in the morning – just the other way around. Wandering into the first video call of the day less that 15 minutes since I first opened my eyes to the daylight is not to be recommended.

I am still too unfocused and can be easily, and comprehensively, distracted by as little as a wood pigeon wandering across the lawn. The camera to the video system is in line with the window, so it looks like I am paying attention, but I can be miles

away. If asked to comment on something that I have not been following, I usually freeze in position for 15 seconds while everyone shouts ‘Hello!’ – then jerk back to life, claiming that the Zoom connection was ‘dodgy’ and could they repeat what had been said.

Although, last time I tried that I was halfway through my imitation of a frozen screen image when that bloody chihuahua walked into shot, looked at me like I was mad, then ambled out. Busted.

What I really need is that gentle hour on the train in the morning with a latte and the newspaper to read, occasionally replying to emails to make my European colleagues think I am in the office already, and then that lovely brisk walk to Holborn. On arrival, I am caffeinated, exercised and awake and all the little niggling thoughts have been lined up into a to do list. Perfect.

On the way home, a stroll back to the station, possibly a swift half in the Railway Arms, followed by a snoozy, dozy ride home. The train terminates at my stop, so no danger of overshooting. Lovely.

In all seriousness, there is an art to working from home and surviving. We have had people burn out in a month because it was easier to keep working than to stop. We’re having to teach the majority of our company how to do it and not go mad, get divorced or thrown out of a flat share. This is something that all those companies, currently eyeing the opportunities to keep a portion of the workforce at home, should remember. You cannot assume everyone knows how to survive in the harsh environment of the home office.

I have now taken to making a coffee in a travel mug and going for a walk in the morning before heading up to my office (spare room). In the evening, I will read the news and check on the global events of the day, before descending into the welcoming arms of the family.

It’s my remote commute. I miss the snooze but…w

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