Mazars new Edinburgh office achieves the BREEAM excellent standard
Mazars, the international audit, tax and advisory firm, has moved to a flagship Edinburgh city-centre location after 15 years at its previous office. When Mazars took space in Capital One, Edinburgh, they knew they had to create an interior that reflected their talent recruitment ethos. Amos Beech worked with them and the design team from Workplace Creations in London, to deliver an end product that allows their staff to collaborate with each other and their clients. It fosters innovation and creativity.
A modern and dynamic way of working
Mazars have embraced the hybrid working model and the office is designed to complement this, featuring spaces that reflect a modern and dynamic way of thinking. This in turn helps them to attract and retain the very best staff, encouraging them to reveal their best and progress rapidly within the business. Mazars work with a diverse range of clients across a variety of sectors and different types of missions and the space is designed to welcome them and provide an atmosphere conducive to positive outcomes.
The new office has exceptional sustainability standards
Sustainability was an integral part of the design process. Material & product selections were carefully considered to ensure minimal environmental impact. Where possible upcycled and recycled products were specified without impacting quality to meet the SKA & BREEAM assessments that were key aspects to the project deliverables.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is used to specify and measure the sustainability performance of buildings, ensuring that projects meet sustainability goals and continue to perform optimally over time.
As the team responsible for the build element, this was a complex operation from a QS and procurement perspective as well as throughout the physical delivery period.
Amos Beech were included in engagements with the client sustainability team which was a key factor in the success of the project. Their recommendations and support meant that achieving the ‘excellent’ rating was possible as the client procurement team were constantly challenging and looking for areas to cost engineer vital elements out of scope.
Every material used onsite by the Amos Beech team had to be logged using BREEAM data sheets. These were then issued to the contracted BREEAM regulator
Size: 12,000sqft
Duration: 12 weeks
BREEAM Rating: Excellent
Office interior design, fit out and refurbishment for MRI real estate software in Newcastle
When MRI Software (previously Orchard Information Services) took the decision to move their offices from the Technopole to the Central Square in Newcastle, they turned to Amos Beech again for workplace consultancy regarding the interior design and office fit out of their new location.
Office fit-out and refurbishment for MRI in Newcastle upon Tyne
Any refurbishment and office fit out project in Newcastle has 4 steps:
1. Research
This is partly done by the client and partly done by the interior design team. Together, we have to answer a few questions.
What works for the office space and what doesn’t (based on the company’s needs and on those of the employees)? What are the space limitations (those perfect office chairs may be too big for some areas)? What is your long-term growth plan (scalability is very important)? How is technology helping or hampering the refurbishment and fit out?
2. Budgeting
Of course, office refurbishment costs per square metre vary a lot depending on what the client wants. The costs can be tweaked a lot, but there are some areas that are set in stone. The right Newcastle refurbishment company can help you identify the areas and item that leave wiggle room and get you the best costs without sacrificing the outcome.
The best results in terms of both outcome and budgets happen when you work closely together with your office refurbishment and fit-out specialists. They are part of your team and you have to trust them enough to know that your best outcome is their best outcome. Be honest about your budget and about your needs.
3. Project Plan
As soon as the details are agreed upon, the client receives the office fit out and refurbishment project plan. This document contains an outline of what the office will look like as soon as the work is completed.
Office refurbishment and fit out Newcastle for MRI
For the client, this is one of the last stages in which they can ask for changes without seriously affecting the final office refurbishment cost. In our project with MRI, the project plan was the result of close collaboration, so we had minimal changes to make after the client review.
4. Building, Installations and Review
After the office refurbishment and fit-out specialists work their magic and everything is in place, the client is ready to move in. But this doesn’t mean that the work is done for the designers and technicians.
We always ask our clients to review the changes and tell us how they feel in their newly refurbished office. This way, it’s easy to deal with minor creases early on.
The entire process is, of course, more complicated. But these are the stages where the client is most involved.
Furniture and technology
Integral to this was their desire to move their existing workstations which had been supplied by Amos Beech previously and complement them with a bench desk system that would manage the large volume of data and electrical cabling that their development teams needed.
Using Samuel Bruce TeamTable as a starting point and developing a specific product that met the needs of MRI Newcastle was all in a days work for the product design team. By utilising the unit construction of the system a solution was developed that allows all sides of the bench to be worked from without intrusion from legs, support rails or cable management.
All data and power is perfectly integrated beneath the desk and an on desk grommet offering power and USB charging points make it extremely easy for staff to stay connected without the usual tangle of cables.
Interior design, office fit out and refurbishment Newcastle Upon Tyne
The scheme isn’t just about desks and task chairs – in todays ‘smart office’ break-out spaces and meeting booths all form an integral part of a ‘knowledge business’ and MRI Newcastle has plenty. Collaboration spaces are fully fitted with power and data points, staff can choose where they work and who they are working with. Flexibility and communication along with a relaxed homely feel to the office interiors makes this space in Newcastle so much more than a workplace. Maybe even a home from home – although the staff might never admit that too readily to their partners who wish they would spend more time at home!
Publication date: March 21st 2016
Text: Roy James
Interior photography: Jill Tate
Amos Beech: working with businesses in Newcastle Upon Tyne on a wide range of office fit out and refurbishment projects:
A practical and efficient workspace for Close Brothers Asset Management
Close Brothers Asset Management decided to downsize post-covid and secured a top floor office space on St Vincent Street.
The space had been partially refurbished to a rudimentary Cat A level and required a complete fit-out.
Industrial look of exposed air conditioning ductwork
Circular Office Furniture
As part of their CSR policy, re-using as much furniture as possible from their previous office was requested. Amos Beech provided removal and storage services to allow this to happen as their move and occupancy of the new space was a few months apart.
Working with the Building Consultancy Team at CBRE and the concept design that had been commissioned, Amos Beech developed the design element to the point where it could be executed.
The fusion of a high quality feel, alongside the quasi-industrial look of exposed air conditioning ductwork makes for an incredibly light and airy space. Prior to the build, you needed some imagination to picture it ending up like it has!
From Cat A level to a complete fit-out
A significant part of the project was alterations and additions to the HVAC (Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning) system. To ensure that all areas of the new layout were adequately ventilated, the installed system was carefully removed and re-instated along with additional equipment to service the desired layout.
A high security access control system was installed along with a CCTV system to ensure staff safety within the building.
Although the meeting room furniture has been re-used, its high quality belies the fact in as much as it looks extremely smart and compliments the space perfectly. This in itself, confirms why spending more on quality furniture actually saves you money in the long term and reduces carbon footprint. We wish everyone made this sort of intelligent investment.
The use of colour and biophilia throughout the space provide a feeling of calm and purpose which together with the intelligent acoustic treatments of walls and ceiling makes an extremely practical and efficient workspace.
Given that the office is significantly smaller than their previous one, the feedback from staff is very positive and they are delighted to have an office that they can come back to:
Published: 22 February 2023
Design, Build, Text & Photography: The Amos Beech Team