The challenge

We needed to create a show stopping office for Socotec’s London HQ. However, there was a slight twist to it: it needed to be split up into two parts – work zones and client facing areas. This meant that we had to create two separate environments: one that aided productivity and focus, and another that offered an inviting atmosphere, whilst simultaneously creating a great first impression on clients. Due to the number of people that would be coming in and out of the HQ, figuring out how to tackle the issue of traffic in the office was at the top of our agenda, alongside the inclusion of a wellness room. Overall, there was a lot to figure out, and we only had 7 weeks to do it in. It was a difficult task, but we never shy away from getting stuck in.

The solution

To make sure that Socotec’s HQ was everything that they could ask for, we took great consideration when researching their brand guidelines. We included a large logo on the wall and brand colours in the furniture to act as a strong and punchy first look for clients when they enter the building. When designing the wellness room, we knew that it needed to be different to everything else due to its multi-purpose nature. It had to have solid walls and doors, unlike the other rooms in the building, to ensure complete and total privacy, as well as green, earthy tones to promote a sense of calmness and peace.

When separating front-of-house and back-of-house, we knew that space was key. We converted the large space on the left-hand side of the building into the client facing area, making sure to include boardrooms, meeting rooms, a large client breakout area, and a client teapoint zone so that clients did not have to venture into the staff areas. Another way we separated the two areas is through the location of the staff teapoint: the wall at the back of the teapoint acted as a clear separation as it created a narrower walkway into the back of house, signalling the change from front to back.