Our engagement within the Ashford office fit out project began with a site survey. We assessed the space and discussed the client’s requirements. They were very clear that this was to be the flagship workspace within the Tony Gee Group that represented a hybrid and collaborative environment that was welcoming and enjoyable to work within.
Although there was significant space to work with, the floorplan had to be carefully manipulated to fit the following criteria:
- 44 workstations.
- Storage facilities.
- Waiting area for guests with no reception desk.
- Breakout space for collaboration and hybrid workers.
- Flexible meeting room with moving partitions.
- Large kitchen for informal company meetings, everyday use and entertainment, with seating for 20+ people.
- Small meeting room.
For the office design, the brief was to incorporate the Tony Gee brand hues, but not extensively use the logo and branding. As a progressive business with a clear environmental message, they wanted to incorporate biophilic design features and natural finishes.
As part of the tender process, we delivered a range of designs that met the brief. These included 3D renders and 2D floor plans, which you can view in the images below.
While we created multiple zones within the office space, we wanted to maintain the open plan feel and deliver a seamless flow. To do this we used a range of partitions, lighting, different floor finishes and furniture.
The main colour pallet of the design was accents of the Tony Gee brand hues, natural wood, and dark green, which draws in the biophilic design that was hugely important to the client.
You will note, that we used subtle accents of green in the carpet weave, on the entrance wall, the LED lights and within the kitchen design.
As for the brand’s red, we bring your attention to the bespoke artwork along one wall of the main office and the red soft furnishes. This was an effective means of subtly drawing in the Tony Gee brand hues without it being overpowering.
When welcoming guests to a workplace, you need a professional and welcoming entrance. In this scenario, we believed it was important that the main workspace was separated from the entrance. This meant the staff would not always be on show and visitors were not intimidated by entering the large open plan space.
To maintain a seamless flow, we chose not to enclose the waiting area. Instead, we placed a partition wall adjacent to the entrance to shield the workforce. This was clad with Scandinavian-style wooden slatswith integrated lighting and a moss wall. The clad wall was finished with a small acrylic raised Tony Gee logo.
We zoned the area with comfort seating and suspended acoustic fabric screens that featured a die cut pattern.
Beyond the Scandi-clad partition entrance is an open plan and light space that Tony Gee staff can work independently or collaboratively. We’ve installed a collection of furniture to support a full-time and hybrid workforce.
Moving on to the main open plan office, the brief required enough workstations for 44 staff, plus hybrid and collaborative spaces. For the available space, we had to specify smaller desks to avoid overcrowding the area with unnecessary large furniture. By maximising the floor space, we had room for two booths, which are ideal for Tony Gee’s hybrid workforce.
As well as the main office furnishings – desks and booths – we provided metal framed shelving to accommodate planting, which would be supplied by a biophilic design specialist.
At the point of photographing the project, the client was undecided on the chairs, as it is such a personal and important decision. Choosing the correct office chair is essential to good back health and posture, so it is not a decision to be taken lightly.
When designing the lighting for a large open place office space, you need to consider the desired ambience.
For this Ashford office fit out, the space came equipped with LED lights within the suspended ceiling. These are ideal for evenly lighting the main office area. In addition to LED lights, we installed suspended linear lights and downlighters on the pillars between the windows. This combination of space and soft lighting complement one another and provide flexibility.
Sufficient storage is essential in any busy office, so we inbuilt a range of cupboards and open shelving where the staff could easily access stationery and files. For personal belongings and confidential documents, we separately installed lockers, which were finished in red and grey to complement the colour palette.
Inconspicuously, tucked away at the Tony Gee office is a large open plan kitchen with enough seating for 22 people and plenty of floor space.
The kitchen was a core area for Tony Gee, who wanted somewhere for everyday use and an informal space for large meetings, company social events and celebrations.
To depict this as the social zone, we used a palette of calming colours. The simple pop of dark green behind the white kitchen units, with LED lighting, do a great job of delivering a warm and welcoming vibe.
We adore the green bell pendants, which not only bring additional accents of the dark green but are also made of sustainable acoustic fabric. So, they not only look fantastic, but reduce noise reverberations too.
Offsetting the green are the mustard yellow seats and natural wooden floor, which bring in elements of nature and complement the office’s biophilia.
Flexibility was key to designing the meeting rooms at Tony Gee in Ashford. They wanted a large meeting room that could be easily divided into two smaller spaces. Our solution was to install a partition folding wall in the centre. This partition wall has acoustic properties, and the bi-fold doors are effortless to manoeuvre.
The crittall glazed partitions with their dark frames house the meeting spaces and further enhance the styling of this flagship office fit out. Furthermore, the glazing allows an abundance of natural light from the full height windows to flood through the meeting rooms and into the kitchen.
An additional, smaller meeting room is located next to the entrance, which is ideal for visitor meetings and to avoid disturbing the wider team.
