52 FOCUS
Opinion Carly
Sweeney, director, Universal Design Studio
HYBRID WORKING accelerated design trends that were slowly developing in the background. We’ve seen this shift open up new opportunities to reimagine workplace experiences – not as static environments, but as adaptable and agile ecosystems that genuinely respond to the diverse and changing needs of their users and visitors. Tese include giving more choice and variety to occupiers, such as dedicated areas for privacy and dedicated spaces for collaboration.
We’re seeing this pan out in projects such as the Norton Folgate office development, with a client requirement for more phone booths and focus rooms. Tese were previously nice- to-have but are now seen as essential to successful hybrid working.
With more and more time spent in
meeting rooms, acoustics and lighting are prioritised from the outset to maximise comfort and usability. Tere is also the expectation that technology must be seamless, intuitive and work every time. With digital collaboration tools becoming central to work, offices now need to seamlessly support hybrid meetings and tech-first workflows. Tis requires intentional design, where physical and digital experiences complement and elevate one another.
Clients increasingly understand the value
of working with teams that can create distinct workspaces with character and a point of difference. Norton Folgate, for example, is the antithesis of a generic workplace – it has been crafted specially for that area by drawing on its rich heritage and context. Te result has a sense of authenticity and community, all of which are more important than ever.
Occupants rightfully demand more from their workspace if they’re to be drawn away from the comfort of their homes. Workspaces now sit in a space between domesticity and hospitality, and we aim to deliver an elevated sense of domesticity in every project. Tis means identifying all those minute details and
Project – Norton Folgate, London At office development Norton Folgate, Universal Design Studio drew on the artisan heritage of the project’s location at the intersection of Spitalfields, Shoreditch and the City of London. Te design company created workspaces with a distinctive look and feel in all six buildings in the British Land development, with an emphasis on specifying for longevity and crafting workplaces that feel special to the area. At 15 Norton Folgate, for example, Universal commissioned weaver Lara Pain to create a large curtain to screen off a kitchen area in a nod to the Huguenot silk weavers who previously worked in the area. At the Nicholls and Clarke building, Universal brought in enamel specialist AJ Wells to create tessellating enamel tables. For the 16 Blossom Street building, Universal commissioned Lewis Kemmenoe to create a series of inlaid tables.
considerations that make domestic spaces enjoyable and stimulating, and bringing them into the workplace. Tis creates interiors that are richly layered with storytelling, right down to small, individual elements such as the door handles, the vase and the flowers in the vase. If there’s a book on the shelf, it’s been chosen for a reason.
Below The site-specific art installation in the lobby of the Nicholls & Clarke building
Bottom The design company created workspaces with a distinctive look and feel
Offices now have a wider range and variety of facilities available for well-being that go beyond the traditional gym offering. Te shift reflects a growing understanding that well- being is multi-dimensional, encompassing not just physical health but also mental, emotional and social needs. As a designer this is a great opportunity – in our Te Jellicoe workspace at King’s Cross, for example, we’ve created a meditation space with a crushed lavender wall covering, which gives an unbelievable aroma and a heightened sensorial experience. I don’t know if the pandemic has anything to do with it, but thankfully there’s now more emphasis and focus on longevity and circularity. We always really interrogate the brief and work with as much as possible of what is already there, so that we’re minimising the amount of new materials. We increasingly use vintage and reclaimed furniture. I would love one day to do a whole project using only that.
universaldesignstudio.com
PHOTOS: FELIX SPELLLER PHOTOGRAPHY & JACK ORTON
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