focus on bracknell
Bracknell: an ambitious business community
Bracknell is undergoing significant regeneration and the anticipated £200 million redevelopment of the town centre is changing the way people look at the area and its surrounds. In June last year Morgan Lovell, an office design and build specialist, moved from its home of 15 years in Wokingham to Maxis 1 in Bracknell
Why Bracknell?
Based in contemporary offices on Western Road with sister company Overbury, Morgan Lovell is part of the Morgan Sindall Group, a £2.4 billion business listed on the London Stock Exchange. Coming up to 40 years in business, Morgan Lovell is one of the UK’s largest design, fit-out and build contractors.
The move has allowed the team to maximise the opportunities that Bracknell offers to those who want to expand their business offering in the Thames Valley, says Colin Allan, Morgan Lovell managing director.
He continues: “The ambition of the business community in Bracknell is to create a commercial hub, which is an exciting opportunity for us. The creation of Station Park between Time Square and the bus station was completed ahead of schedule, and work started on the transformation of Stanley Walk at the beginning of August. These improvements, along with many others, have grown in momentum and we expect to see commercial occupier confidence improve as a result. Just like us, Thames Valley businesses will see real benefit in establishing roots in Bracknell.”
Our relocation journey
“Our new Bracknell office has given us greater access to the Thames Valley and has allowed us to showcase our design capabilities and expertise,” says Allan.
“When it was time to move, an office in the Maxis building was an obvious choice. Moving office is not dissimilar to moving house. It can be stressful and filled with a long list of confusing legalities, but it also presents a wonderful opportunity to reinvent your environment and create a space that is fit for purpose and welcoming.
“Consolidation, lease breaks and bringing teams together under one roof, or simply looking for cheaper rent, are the most common reasons for relocating. For us, we were prompted by the end of our lease. More than anyone, we understand the real value in creating an office space that physically represents the type of business you run, talent you have, and the clients you work with. It holds within it a major competitive advantage too, especially if you do it right, which is why we used the opportunity to create a space that we could show off to clients, peers and neighbours.”
The office has a number of breakout areas for collaborative working to support Morgan Lovell’s project teams that rotate on a regular basis. It also has a spacious kitchen with a foosball table, smaller meeting rooms and pods for individual or quiet working, alongside an open-plan environment with fixed workstations that facilitates knowledge sharing across the wider team.
Tips for moving office
Office relocation has a positive impact on streamlining working practices, improving workplace culture, re-energising staff, and attracting and retaining the best possible talent. But again, like moving home, relocation is not without months of planning, says Allan.
“You will need to have a really good understanding of your business and brand to work out what’s needed from the space. Often senior management think that they understand what the business needs, but not always. The CEO of a FTSE 100 company won’t necessarily know the confidential printing requirements of the finance team or the commute time for each employee.
“It is worth getting staff involved and doing the necessary leg work before making any final design decisions, and doing a bit of investigative work in the first instance can be really useful in developing a workplace strategy. You wouldn’t move into a new home without understanding the new property or how different rooms could be used for different purposes; the same goes for your new office.”
A consultative approach
Morgan Lovell’s journey to Maxis 1 has helped employees understand that one size certainly doesn’t fit all. Every project is as unique as the client.
“I am proud to say that we take a very consultative approach,” continues Allan, “and we need to stay open-minded and flexible. It is critical that we completely understand our customer’s desired design and fit out, as well as the how the process works. That way we stand a better chance of success and delivering what our clients need.”
Your next office
Contact the Morgan Lovell team to discuss your next Thames Valley office.
01344 353800
contactus@morganlovell.com morganlovell.com
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2016
businessmag.co.uk
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