CLIENT FILE 107
almost a gut feeling as to who is a good match. We rarely do competitions, but if we’re working with a new designer, we might ask them to do a concept. We’ve worked with a roster of really good designers and architects over the years, including Universal Design Studio and dMFK. Recently, we’ve started working with Daytrip – it’s such a good fit, both design and personality-wise. We’re working with them on an interior in Shoreditch of a timber building designed by Waugh Tistleton Architects.
For Douglas House, you worked with Swedish-based Note Design Group. How did this collaboration come about? Note had worked with Te Office Group prior to me joining. After working with them on Summit House in Holborn, we were keen to collaborate again and had been waiting for the right building. We commissioned them for Douglas House because they really know how to work respectfully with an old building. Tey challenge us – we push them and they push us, and that’s a lovely mix. And they’re great to work with.
‘What I enjoy the most is working with some of the most talented designers in the world. I pinch myself that I get to do that – I learn so much from them’
What were the main challenges of the project? What look and feel were you after and how did you work with the designers to achieve this? We had a client early on – BP – that wanted to take the whole space, which includes a cafe, gym and meditation area. Te main challenge was the building architecture, and in particular getting as much natural light in as possible. Tere were also a lot of technical things to get right such as lifts and services. Sustainability and wellness were big priorities throughout – we restored and reused the original timber flooring and incorporated a sedum roof, roof terrace and openable windows for ventilation. As well as the meditation space, there’s a parents’ room. In terms of aesthetics, Note called the design ‘a gentle punch to the senses’, and it certainly is. Although the colours are bold, they are all found in the natural world, and the long wavy glass wall running the length of the space on the ground floor feels soft and natural. It’s definitely exceeded expectations. Every week we get feedback from the client, and it’s so positive every time.
Te design for Douglas House incorporates several artworks. What is your approach to incorporating art within your workplaces? One of the greatest joys for me as a client is commissioning art. At Douglas House we commissioned all the art ourselves – we have an in-house curator and also work with an external curator. It was a real opportunity to work with local and up and coming artists and the work became a talking point in the space – it extends the design concept. We also have a lot of functional art such as vases and bowls.
What have you enjoyed most, and least, about being a design client?
What I enjoy the most is working with some of the most talented designers in the world. I pinch myself that I get to do that – I learn so much from them. What I like the least are the tough decisions you have to make as the client because of budgets and timings.
Now that Douglas House is open, do you have any more new locations in the pipeline? And if so, what are these and who is designing them?
Top The entrance of the Soap Buildings at Borough Yards, a project The Ofice Group is working on with David Thulstrup
Left The Soap Buildings, due to open soon, will offer flexible workspace with both private and coworking areas
We have six or seven new buildings about to go on site and a lot of refurbishments. We’re working with David Tulstrup at the Soap Buildings at Borough Yards and that will probably be our most adventurous building. Tere’s the timber building in Shoreditch and a couple in Germany. In Berlin we’re working with Norm Architects on Linden Palais – it’s quite an old building and their style is perfect for that – and with Universal Design Studio, who we’ve worked with a lot, at Pressehaus at Alexanderplatz. UDS are also working with us on 210 Euston Road in London.
Nasim Köerting is head of design at flexible workspace provider Te Office Group, which has more than 50 buildings in the UK and Germany
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