Design consultancy and furniture specification
The young, fun and vibrant creative company Sunshine Communications moved offices to future proof themselves for further team growth and increase their ability of creative outputs. So what is a better place to move to than Commercial Quay in Leith Edinburgh? Commercial Quay lies at the heart of the popular shore area of Leith and has a mix of cafés, bars and restaurants.
Commercial Quay in Leith Edinburgh
Our design team worked closely with Sunshine Communications to provide office furnishing ideas that meet tight budgets, functionality and aesthetics. A space full of colour and plants, a home away from home.
Design consultancy and furniture specification Sunshine Communications Edinburgh
As you enter into the workspace, you're greeted by a neon pink side profile face - illuminating the essence of Sunshine Communication, a talking head. Social by nature, social by trade – they gain traction with everyone they work with.
The geometric shapes painted in soft pastels add interest to the back wall. The paints used in the scheme are from Craig & Rose, the oldest independent paint manufacture in the UK, a nod to their origins on Leith Walks. The colours echo Sunshine Communications branding without being overpowering to the entirety of the space. As the office is also a working photography studio, we had to consider colour balance.
For the meeting room, we needed to create privacy but also wanted to make a statement. The dichroic film is beautiful, constantly reflecting shifting colours and radiance depending on the perspective of the viewer. Inside we placed a large brass conical base table that balances a glass top to contrast from the pink velvet seats sat below.
And to continue the velvet, we placed two green velvet sofas facing each other as an informal meeting space with plant pots on stands help to separate it from the open workspace as well as adding biophilia.
And of course featuring in their offices: “Sunshine on Leith”, the Scottish musical film directed by Dexter Fletcher featuring songs by The Proclaimers:
Design & text: Design Team.
Interior Photography: Architectural Photographer Edinburgh.
Office Fit Out Perth
If this office fit out project in Perth was intended to be our ‘showcase’ extreme before and after case study then it could easily be thought that these pictures are not real! Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers is the largest independent insurance broker in Scotland and is now part of Marsh Commercial. When Sean O’Reilly first asked us to come in and meet him it is fair to say that the transformation we achieved was not even a figment of his imagination.
Office Fit Out Perth
This was not the first time that Sean had initiated office fit-out works but this was the first time he worked with a company who could look after the entire process from initial office design concept meetings to the final handover and staff move.
Here at Amos Beech we are not simply an office fit-out company, we are much more than that and this project epitomises our approach.
Before starting the design process we interrogated and challenged the business model to establish whether or not their head office building was still a ‘fit’ for them and if it wasn’t, what would be their options. From this we were able to rationally come up with a realistic budget to refurbish the building in a way that didn’t restrict the growth plans for the business going forward.
From here we were able to reshape the space around the current and known future needs of the business and integrate, into the design, subtle branding to bring out the values of Clark Thomson.
Core to the success of this project from a business performance perspective was the opportunity to bring the three teams together onto the same floor. The immediate difference this has made in terms of collaboration and improvements have been noticed.
Freeing up the ground floor has meant that a complete suite of meeting rooms and client interview rooms has been created.
As staff numbers increase, the need for amenities also increases and to meet this additional tea-prep, staff break-out space and toilet upgrades were also completed as part of the project.
To create the ambience that we felt was right for a large open plan office we made sure that the area was flooded with as much natural light and complemented by new LED low energy light fittings.
Completing the look and feel of the interior design, the team also incorporated some large scale images onto the storage wall elevations and also on a large wall in the staff break-out area.
The finished result is a bright airy and inspirational space that everyone is using instinctively which is sound testament to the integrity of the design process and the skills of our excellent team of professionals.
Publication date: November 3rd, 2017
Text: Grant Ker
Images: Photographer Stirling
Interior design, office refurbishment and fit out Glasgow
Over the last 10 years we have been a frequent visitor to Morisons Solicitors in Glasgow (now Blackadders) as we have been on hand to help them with internal office alterations, the inevitable ‘lost keys’ and various other needs since we helped them move to Bothwell Street in 2007.
Blackadders that can trace its roots back to 1773, has an eye for quality and detail and it hadn’t gone unnoticed that the office was looking a little tired.
Interior design, office refurbishment and fit out Glasgow
As you would expect, Blackadders looked at all the options, considered other office locations in Glasgow but ultimately decided to stay and refurbish – a big factor was the number of car parking spaces they have under the building!
So a potential move became a stay and refurbish and fit out along with the associated challenge of keeping a busy team of lawyers functioning in the meantime.
Our Project Team rolled up their sleeves and got down to work. Intelligent interior design was crucial to the success of the project as well as ensuring the final result was every bit as impressive.
The project was carefully designed around three phases which as requested, allowed the business to continue to function. For a couple of weeks, all client meetings were held off site but this was a small inconvenience to worry about.
In the first stage, we emptied the top floor and refurbished it to create a new staff breakout area that offered an oasis of peace and quiet that was attractive to staff. The new space encourages them to leave their desks and office environment for something more uplifting and homely.
The next piece of the puzzle was to move the main office into the meeting suite to allow the necessary upgrades to the air conditioning, data cabling, electrics, lighting as well as redecoration, new storagewall and office furniture upgrades.
Through careful observation and analysis of the way Blackadders work, the interior design team were able to identify some new ways of working that would benefit the team. By introducing quiet work zones, collaboration areas and a new tea point with a Zip instant hot water tap, flexible space and agile working are very much on the agenda.
The budget was not a free for all and so careful management and intelligent re-use of existing desks and supplementing with new from the same range which was still available. Continuity is very important when selecting office furniture ranges for this reason alone. Doing all of this we were able to increase occupancy on the same floor space whilst at the same time liberating space that had previously been lost in storage capacity which was no longer required.
The interior design team were keen to make the space as invigorating as possible and by using the storagewall as their canvas, a vinyl wrap was used to bring the great big outdoors to a lawyers office in the middle of Glasgow. Inspirational stuff indeed.
Completing the project was perhaps the most important part which is the ‘front of house’. Morisons window on Glasgow is the space to which both private and commercial clients are invited and it was crucial that this space presented the correct image.
Again, keeping an eye on the overall budget, we were able to re-use the existing reception desk and chairs. To complement, a new sofa was selected from Lyndon Design and complete redecoration of the space.
