“ Views of the river from Riverside House and the river ’ s effect on the surrounding city are at the
heart of the concept .
SPACEINVADER
such depth that by the time we got to space-planning that there couldn ’ t have been any other solution . The final designs were entirely rational , as well as being intuitive and responsive .’
Sustainability and waste reduction were also major aims of the project , whilst the concept also needed to reflect the building ’ s proximity to water and nature - with views , biophilia and outdoor decking all key .
‘ What was great is that SpaceInvader helped us establish the brief . We needed to reflect our brand and ethos , but John and the team helped us to write the brief too , so it was a really interesting process ’, Phil Marsden , Project Manager at Muse Developments commented .
APPOINTMENT AND BRIEF
SpaceInvader had previously worked with Muse on a number of residential projects and the developer had enjoyed the company ’ s process and approach on those collaborations , going on to choose them as the design partners for its new , future-facing Salford scheme . A thorough initial research stage was undertaken by SpaceInvader at the project ’ s outset to establish the brief and key objectives , which included prioritising substance over style , whilst at the same time providing a great-looking shop window and incorporating a new approach to ways of working that would promote collaboration and foster mutual appreciation , awareness and recognition within the Muse team .
‘ We really needed to understand the thinking of the senior team and so interviewed the firm ’ s project managers , office director and central staff ’, John Williams , Founder of SpaceInvader explained . ‘ The process was very open , thorough and also two-way . Muse were as interested in the thinking behind our questions as we were in their answers . The great thing was we ’ d covered everything in
At the time of appointment , the Muse team had set desks and no facility for agile working , though there was plenty of ambition surrounding how best to progress to embody a company developing office space for others that was also itself at the forefront of optimum practice .
‘ The most important bit about working with SpaceInvader was the process in first couple of months – the interviews , the questionnaires and the site visits , during which they really got to know us , our brand and both how we used to work and the changes in working methods we wanted to bring in ’, Phil Marsden added .
DESIGN APPROACH
The intent for the new office was to allow the Muse team to move to an agile way of working , where desks were not allocated to individuals . Desks would be clear at the end of each day , with belongings stored in a locker . The overarching rationale was to provide colleagues with different places to work better suited to their tasks , whilst encouraging improved collaboration . By identifying the differing needs of all colleagues , the team was given options of where to work , knowing also this may change again in the future as the business and the demographic of future employees evolve .
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