Sheffield, UK
Getting one of the rail industry’s biggest names on the right track with its new look delay and repay centre.
FirstGroup needed an innovative new space for its UK rail delay and repay centre to provide its expanding workforce with better areas to work collaboratively and space to unwind.
Our work allowed the national company to welcome almost 100 new members of staff across two new floors – a project that continues to keep the rail company on the right track.
Delivering a versatile space
FirstGroup already had a small presence on one floor of the site but our interior design and fit-out of two brand new levels provided new, dynamic space in which to grow.
Cellular and open plan workspaces now offer the variety FirstGroup required, offering true flexibility.
A brand new café gives a relaxing space to unwind for the call centre teams. It was also designed to act as an extension to the workspace – away from traditional desks – to share ideas and welcome guests, providing a reimagined vision of a call centre.
New spaces include:
- Individual work pods provide a focused space. These areas also double-up for groups of up to four to hold small meetings away from the wider office environment.
- Meeting rooms – including a collaboration space – are at the heart of the building to give the team the space to share ideas away from the hustle and bustle of the call centre. A new prayer room has also been installed utilising materials with acoustic attenuation properties to ensure privacy.
- A café, complete with tiered seating, a breakfast bar and more traditional seating, perfect for presentations to the team in a casual setting. A variety of other seating and feature lighting helps to distinguish the space from the rest of the building.
Stats
Sq ft
9,000
Location
Sheffield, UK
A refreshing new look
With a strong brand comes huge responsibility – and we were up to the challenge.
FirstGroup’s iconic pink and purple branding has been seamlessly integrated into our design, which draws its colour palette together with neutral tones.
Wooden elements including a feature ceiling raft were combined with distressed copper lighting and patterned black and white tiling to create a sophisticated look. This has been balanced with splashes of its recognisable colour scheme.
Bucket chairs, tiered seating, stools and benches have created an adaptable space capable of hosting breakout sessions, presentations and daily use at lunchtime.
Challenges of Covid
FirstGroup’s expansion was transformative but it also came at the most challenging time possible.
With the coronavirus sweeping the nation in 2020, we were tasked with creating a flexible working space suitable to combat the challenges of working during the pandemic. All while also equipping the company with a working environment ready for whatever the future might bring. All this had to be done while dealing with restrictions on working and with an eye on dramatically altering trends.
With this in mind, we:
- Maintained a focus on the years to come by predicting the rise in popularity of hybrid working models and, more importantly, the desire of colleagues to work in a space that prioritises their wellbeing.
- Managed the challenges of social distancing during lockdown by coordinating the trades working on-site.
- Overcame the limitations of material shortages to deliver on budget and on time.
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