Pure Cremation, Andover

The brief:

The client asked MPL to totally reimagine its Andover headquarters – a two-floor space it already occupied but had become very dated. The desire was to improve the environment for staff, to create enough space for rapid expansion and to futureproof the company’s corporate identity, with investment and third-party activity in mind.

An additional request was to stay operational during the entire project, therefore MPL completed the first floor refurbishment as a stand-alone project, with all staff moving to the ground floor for the duration. The process was then reversed to complete the ground floor refurbishment.

Having reviewed MPL’s extensive commercial refurbishment portfolio, Pure Cremation allowed MPL to lead the design process.

Our approach:

The first physical phase involved the strip out and disposal of the premise’s contents, which included slab walls, floor coverings, doors, ceiling tiles and old partitions. Some of the existing furniture was carefully extracted for sustainable reuse.

Once bare, our team decommissioned the old AC system and installed a Mitsubishi Electric heat recovery system in its place. Detailed technical drawings and space plans were invaluable during this Cat B refit. The first fix saw new lighting, data and power supplies installed, in addition to plumbing for the new hot drinks stations and kitchen appliances.

Choose where & how to work

Referring back to our space plans, phase two concentrated on crafting a revised layout. New walls and Crittall-style partitions fitted with acoustic glass divided the space, allowing for different work styles to happily coexist.

Ground floor

The majority of the ground floor takes the form of a 108-desk call centre. Complementing this is an all-new reception/entrance lobby with bespoke Corian reception counter and kitchenette; a meeting room; a private office; cloakrooms; a media wall, and a staff break out area with kitchen, multi-function seating and collaboration pods.

First floor

An 74-desk, open plan office sits at the heart of the first floor, complemented by a 12-seater boardroom with LCD screen and storage; a banquette area with coffee tables and two pods fitted with power, USB and HDMI connections, a training room with LCD screen and full-height glass whiteboards, and three smaller meeting rooms.

The first floor’s design-led kitchen wouldn’t look out of place in a London warehouse conversion. Included are six different dining table groupings, a ‘waterfall edge’ island with bar stools, integrated appliances, a sink and sleek handle-free cabinets.

Lock up & leave

Some of this project’s biggest visual features are the locker modules. While offering staff a safe place to leave valuables, the lockers also feature built-in, padded seating nooks, a tea point, storage and printer housing. The white lockers also provided the perfect blank canvas for Pure Cremation logo vinyl decals.

Both floors feature several distinct hallmarks that follow contemporary design rules, delivered with an urban twist. Seen throughout are feature pendant lights and a number of decorative wall treatments, including textured wallpaper, wood panelling, brick slip-effect panels, faux living wall details and acoustic wooden slats.

Additional elements

New ceilings with acoustic baffles, where required, were included in the first fix, as were new cloakrooms. A complete redecoration followed, with plank-style LVT flooring and carpet tiles completing the look. Additionally, MPL supplied and fitted an intruder alarm and painted the exterior windows.