COVER STORY
BANISHING BORING OFFICES
Award-winning workplace design and build experts Interaction are practicing what they preach with the transformation of their new state-of-the-art HQ - a former distillery building in the centre of Bath .
The firm has transformed the Grade II listed building in Edgar Mews into a flexible new workspace for up to 70 staff , making it one of the largest new developments in the area .
Designed sympathetically to reflect the building ’ s heritage , Interaction ’ s new HQ - The Quarter - spans four floors and merges indoor and outdoor spaces with an atrium , roof terrace , huge windows , and plenty of office greenery and natural light .
The fourth floor has been added by Interaction to include the rooftop terrace , as well as a kitchen and bar . There are a variety of workspaces for both focussed and collaborative working , including booth and bench seating .
Other features include a wellbeing room , a podcast room , and active travel facilities including bike storage spaces and showers to encourage employees to walk , run and cycle to work .
The historic building , which was built sometime before 1810 , has been developed according to the WELL building sustainability guidelines , applying principles of high energy efficiency .
Georgia Salter Randall , Lead Designer on the project , said , “ Designing the office has been a real journey for me , especially as I first saw the building on a tour when I was a student ! Throughout the process it was important to create a space that echoes the building ’ s history and heritage whilst reflecting Interaction ’ s values . Staying authentic to the building and to ourselves was vital . Creating spaces that allow people to thrive is the ethos of what we do at Interaction and being able to design a space for ourselves that lets us do just that has been a real privilege .
“ The design process was a really enjoyable experience that focused on detailed elements to honour the building ’ s history and create a vibrant first impression to really show what we ’ re all about . Due to its age we had to do a lot of structural and invisible work to make the space useable , with everything designed to the millimetre . Installing mechanicals in a building that pre-dates the electric motor has been interesting !
“ It ’ s not every day you get to design for yourselves as the client and I ’ ve enjoyed every minute of it .
“ My favourite space is … well , that keeps changing , which is a good sign !”
The move to new headquarters follows a record year for Interaction and a string of major design project wins . They include the design and fit-out of Osborne Clarke ’ s new flagship workplace in Bristol ’ s Halo building , one of the UK ’ s greenest office developments .
Interaction ’ s Managing Director , Dieter Wood , said , “ We have a proud tradition of taking neglected historic spaces and turning them into market-leading workplaces .
“ So we ’ re hugely excited to be moving into our historic new Bath home which has been empty for so many years . It was important to retain some of the building ’ s rich history and heritage , whilst creating a thoroughly modern workplace that fosters culture , creativity and flexibility .
“ The result is a vibrant and dynamic new home where our talented team of workplace designers and strategists can thrive as we embark on our next exciting phase of growth .”
Interaction has been creating workplaces for ambitious organisations since 1992 . A privatelyowned company , Interaction is on a UK-wide mission to banish boring offices .
Interaction ’ s core services include workplace strategy and consulting , workplace design , office fit-out , and furniture consultancy .
Key recent projects include workspaces for Osborne Clarke , Amdaris , Immersive Labs , Xledger , GKN Aerospace ’ s Global Technology Centre and FemTech business Elvie , although Interaction may be most widely known for the design and build of money . co . uk ’ s incredible castle ( along with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen ).
In Bath Interaction is known for high-profile transformation projects such as TCN Newark Works , Fidelius , Lovehoney , Rocketmakers and The Social Shepherd .
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