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Birmingham, UK
Boss Design’s philosophy of ‘workplace habitats’ and furnituresolutions has helped the Energy Systems Catapult scoop aregional BCO Award for Midlands and Central England inthe ‘Fit out of Workplace’ category for its new offices locatedin Birmingham. The Energy Systems Catapult is part of anetwork of elite technology and innovation centres set up byInnovate UK.In conjunction with leading Birmingham architecturaland interior designers, Monteith Scott, Boss Design roseto the challenge of helping create a contemporary andnon-corporate environment based on a series of habitatsspecifically designed to adapt and flex as the organisationgrows and matures.
The BCO judges agreed that the ‘workspace lab’ for theCatapult is a collaborative and creative space that bothencourages collaboration with the wider industry, and providesa centre for debates, conferences and cultivation of ideas.They also noted that the careful use of ‘earth tone’ coloursfound in the city and crisp detailed timber surfaces bringsa warm, calm environment that ripples out from the centralwelcome space.At the heart of the space is the ‘Welcome habitat’ – atransparent reception. Within this dynamic, shared space, BossDesign supplied a range of furniture to meet the demands of avariety of transient and customer-facing roles. Luxurious softseating from the Marnie and Albany collections help bring aboutique hotel feel to the area, along with timber framed Agenttables, chairs and stools. For added vibrancy and energy, boldfabrics were used on the upholstery throughout.
As a knowledge-based business that works continuouslywith many outside agencies, collaboration and meetingspace was paramount for the Catapult. To accommodatesuch meetings, a ‘Collaborative habitat’ featuring BossDesign’s Entente private meeting booths features as analternative to formal built rooms.‘Home habitats’ are also vital for when people need toconcentrate, make phone calls or conduct confidentialinteractions. Boss Design’s best-selling high-backed Peeksingle person work booths fulfil this requirement, providingcomfortable and informal work areas. As well as creatingprivate headspaces in open plan areas, Peek can begrouped together to enhance collaborative working.
Commenting on this challenging project, Alison Monteith, Director ofMonteith Scott, said: “This is deliberately a non-corporate environmentthat is designed to anticipate multiple uses, whilst expressing theethos of the business and “walking the talk” through the provision ofappropriate technologies.”She added: “Boss Design was the perfect choice as its furnituresolutions met our high expectations of quality, aesthetics, ergonomicsand environmental sustainability. Continued communication andsupport from the Boss Design sales team also made for an extremelysmooth specification process, and we are delighted with the finishedresult,” concluded Alison
Phil Whitfield, Property Project Manager at the Energy SystemsCatapult also commented: “Having visited Boss Design’smanufacturing facility, it was nice to see traditional handcraftedskills still being nurtured and utilised. Their approach tosustainability was very important in our decision making process, aswell as being able to work with a local business.”Stressing the importance of creating habitats in the workplace,Oliver Ronald, Sales Director at Boss Design said: “Office workersneed to be able to continually switch between various modesof working throughout the day. By introducing habitats to theworkplace, the choice of office furniture will not only serve tosupport these modes of working, it will foster individual andcorporate wellbeing. When applied successfully, some workplacessuch as the Catapult don’t even look or feel like an office at all.”
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