A lesson in co-working office layouts

As an office design company with experience of designing agile and flexible workplaces, MPL Interiors relished the chance to flex its commercial design muscles in order to divide up a single open-plan floor into a variety of smaller co-working offices, meeting rooms and break-out areas.

MPL Interiors was approached by Yoooserv, a local business who had secured the ground floor of the prestigious Dakota Building in Weybridge. We were asked to create a high-end, co-working space suitable for a number of long-term tenants and short-term hot deskers. Due to incoming tenants, we were asked to pull forward the completion date and we were able to get sign off on this commercial office refurbishment in just 8 weeks instead of the quoted 10-12.

CLIENT:	Yoooserv, Weybridge
COMPLETION:	8,500 square feet
SECTOR:	Commercial Interior Design Projects

The brief

MPL was asked to re-plan the office interior design; specify, order and install all office furniture and storage elements; create a number of offices and workspaces using glass partitions and soundproofed walls, and oversee the restructure of data, power, light and air conditioning provisions.

Our approach

MPL started this project by being given a draft set of prior plans that didn’t quite fit the brief. It was clear that the previously prescribed capacity of 100 workers could easily be surpassed without losing comfort. We were able to space plan to house 175 workers – pleasing the client who could use the extra capacity to its financial advantage.

Safe and sound

When planning the space, we took into account the size of the confirmed incoming tenants, future tenant requirements and the flow of natural light so staff wellbeing was maintained. An essential part of our office interior design was soundproofing. The decorative wood slat wall panels have an acoustic backing to cut down on noise pollution and all partition walls are double boarded with sound insulation in between – an upgraded feature on the standard. We also included key fob access to all rooms and offices, and provided secure storage lockers for those working within the space.

Making every element modular

Working styles and tenants change, so MPL created a workplace that is completely modular. The partition walls can be re-positioned to create different sized offices in the future, and the data and power supplies are Electrak,so they can be easily reconfigured in line with changing layouts. We also chose modular office desks - items that work as stand-alone pieces or grouped together for collaborative environments.

The communal hub

One of the benefits of co-working is the ability to explore opportunities with other businesses in an organic environment. MPL created a very convivial communal space with an open plan kitchen at its heart. Two dishwashers and four fridges make light work of lunches and events, while a Zip Water tap negates the need for a kettle, dispensing boiling water as well as the chilled, filtered kind.

An island unit with pendant lights and bars stools has quickly become a place for workers to gravitate and there are break-out areas with soft seating and table clusters. Other highlights include a geometric feature wall with concrete 3D relief tiles and a three-screen media strip that can be programmed as a work of art or branded with digital collateral if the hub hosts an event.

The hub is also home to two pod installations. Each has bench seating, a central table with charging points, 360˚teal-coloured upholstery and a Samsung ‘The Frame’ screen, which can be linked to a laptop or set to appear as a piece of art when in standby mode.

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