When the opportunity arose, due to a growing team at Spaceway, our own office workspace required a redesign to encapsulate our needs. The team jumped at it; we needed a quick and effective solution to make the most out of our workspace. For our first story, Spaceway’s Design Manager, Hayley Harding discusses the reasons behind the office fit-out and the opportunities it has created.
Speaking of the reasons behind the fit-out, Hayley informs us, “with both growth in the number of Spaceway colleagues and the closer integration of our two industrial storage catalogue divisions, we needed to move teams upstairs to allow us to work more effectively as a team. The meeting room was upstairs, but we realised that it would be better placed downstairs looking at the way we work every day.” The Romsey office has a mezzanine installed, and it was a case of using the full workspace to its full potential, both upstairs and downstairs as office space and meeting rooms. For Hayley, she felt that it “made for much better communication” as the team were now “all in one area.” With the original layout, the team would communicate through emails or phone calls, but now they are all on one floor they can discuss projects and client activity openly. They can also see exactly who is at their desks, which makes it easier when answering incoming telephone calls.
Hayley talks about an exciting feature they have installed in the office, again allowing for better communication: “We have this special wall, like a whiteboard. It’s similar to wallpaper which means you can write on it and it’s adaptable to your colour design as well, plus you can apply a clear paint over the top. I find writing on the wall easy because I can see what I’ve got to do for the day and other people can see it too. Contract and Project add to the wall also, so we can see exactly what everyone has going on.”
Something as simple as using the wall space to link up channels of communication is just a fraction of the things that can be achieved with an office fit-out. Clearly passionate about the change, Hayley speaks of her initial role in the project: “I was given the brief by the Directors and I was tasked to create the ideas. I found it really helpful to get staff feedback along the way and it was nice to ask people what they wanted and would feel comfortable having.”
“You’re spending a lot of time in the workspace that you’re changing and you see the daily challenges first-hand. You also want everyone to be happy with what you’ve chosen and it’s a dynamics.”
The fit-out wasn’t just about the meeting and work areas though. Hayley speaks very fondly of Spaceway’s new “breakout” area; a space for staff to recharge on their breaks. Before, the space was being used as a storage area. Now, it’s a place to increase productivity, relaxation and even to show clients what the team is capable of creating.
“We’ve put a vinyl wrap on the wall and have created a really welcoming visual space. There’s a forest and a lake and we’ve implemented relaxing colours to help people to relax. Soon there will be a television and games console to encourage people to get away from their desks, even if only for fifteen minutes to recharge their creative energies.” Research shows that when you come back after a break you are far more productive and it’s important to have time to refocus, stimulate mindfulness and encourage wellbeing. A different environment can help this entirely.
As well as the fit-out creating spaces to relax, Spaceway also improved their meeting areas. One of the downstairs offices was converted into a highly functional meeting room. The meeting room showcases the company’s branding in the form of a ‘live wall’ and incorporates multi-media screens and ‘write-on’ walls, doubling up as a showroom, showcasing options and ideas to clients who visit the Romsey office. The upstairs workspace offers a range of options and features, all of which are of Spaceway’s own design. Speaking of this, Hayley notes “the layout hasn’t been changed significantly and we’ve added in new design features. We wanted to include as many different things that we could offer to our clients. When we have a client in, we can show them around and give them ideas about what we could do in their offices.”
Speaking of the feedback from her own colleagues, Hayley says that it has been really positive. “The team is really pleased there is somewhere to go for lunch and they’ve found the space a lot easier to work in, especially separating the function of the downstairs with the upstairs.” She elaborates on her own feelings: “It was lovely being in charge of it all. I’m really pleased with the outcome and being able to continue attaining Spaceway’s high standards.”
If you’d like to have a chat about how we can enhance or improve your workspace, please call us today on 0800 085 1022.