An Official Capacity. 28 : in.sight. Coca-Cola Hellenic in Athens, Greece (Stirixis Group)

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1 28 : in.sight Coca-Cola Hellenic in Athens, Greece (Stirixis Group) An Official Capacity Designing interiors for commercial clients brings its own specific trials and rewards! We speak to Alexander Athanassoulas, President and CEO of Stirixis Group, Richard Wilkinson, co-owner and Director of Wilkinson Beven Design Limited, and James Brindley of HSSP Architects about their experiences When designing office space for a business, what problems are specific to this brief that are generally not experienced in residential projects? James: Residential projects for private clients ooze personality which often makes a brief easier, this can be difficult with a corporate client where brand identity is key. The businesses with strong branding often need to maintain a strong identity throughout their buildings. It can be difficult to maintain a good balance of branding without turning the space into a logo with doors!

2 in.sight : 29 Technical and contractual issues as well as demanding timelines and operating hours will also vary from residential projects. Richard: When designing office spaces it can be common to deal with a group of people, who will often have very different agendas depending on their roles, which is very different to dealing with an individual, or a couple, as is usually the case with a residential project so you re not dealing with someone s personal taste. Frequently, you re attempting to create something quite specific but needing to satisfy a much broader criteria of requirements. Alexander: Their elements are mostly common yet expressed and prioritized in a different way. Among them are functionality, need for motivating environments which promote creativity and collaboration, clear communication of values and positioning, health and safety issues, five-senses holistic experience design, ease and cost of maintenance, and change management for existing users. Execution time and ROI maximization is however critical in office space design. Alexander Athanassoulas

3 30 : in.sight Mayfair offices (Wilkinson Beven Design) What is your favourite element about designing interiors for corporate or business clients? Richard: It s always very satisfying to create a commercial space that energises and enthuses a business and its staff and it should always be a commercial success in terms of increased productivity, profits and potential property value! Alexander: There is not one element that stands out. At Stirixis, we love creating attractive and functional environments, but it is aligning all the details in order to optimize results that always gets us excited in a project. And of course the great look on the faces of users and project owners once the project is delivered. James: Years ago larger companies would use their office environments to express size or power with huge wooden desks and solid wood floors. Today the focus has changed, although there is still a desire for the more senior managers to have a private office with meeting facilities (and the best view!) the general office space can be an opportunity to stretch the traditional ideas of a workplace. In the last decade we have begun to realise that the key to a productive business is good management along with a happy productive office environment. So have some fun, build a climbing wall and a slide in the entrance lobby, install a putting green between the desks and why not a hot tub and bar on the roof! What can be the most difficult element of corporate interior design? Alexander: I believe the most difficult part is finding the right balance between branding and other design elements. People work long hours and you have to be able to blend first level communication with other office elements in a very efficient and effective, yet subtle, way. At the same time, the values one seeks to communicate should be experienced through all design elements in order to walk the talk.

4 32 : in.sight Richard Wilkinson James: Often the biggest difficulties to overcome are the requirements of the individuals. We spend as much time asleep as we do at work so people understandably become attached to their workstation. Whether it be a window with a view or a column that gives them an added piece of privacy people can be very reluctant to go with the flow. Identity is also a huge factor for us to consider when designing office spaces. There will often be a desire to create a clean environment with runs of seamless desks, wireless systems and under-desk storage configurations. We must ensure that we also create zones where there is relief from this environment. Breakout areas may seem a little clichéd but they present areas where a member of staff can pick up a laptop and continue to work in a different environment, or with a different set of people. These places should be unique and are a great opportunity to see how daring the client is! Richard: As an interior designer I have always found that when there is a team in place that might include a client representative, a main contractor, a project manager and a QS, then there will always be a painful stage a process whereby the designer has to win the confidence of the team to demonstrate that he or she is working with the client s best interests in mind that the design is correct for the project and precisely what the client requires. Which corporate project have you had most enjoyment, or job satisfaction, from? James: The most enjoyable project thus far is the conversion of a Grade II listed building into a wedding and conference facility - Rufford Mill, Nottinghamshire. A beautiful building and a client who was willing to embrace a brave design. The Mill has

5 34 : in.sight since become the most popular wedding venue in Nottinghamshire adding testament to the project s success. Richard: We have designed two offices for the same client both very different buildings, of very different periods and styles and in both instances we were successful in meeting the client s requirements for high-end finishes, contemporary styling and flexibility. On the second occasion and right in the middle of the financial crisis we transformed a drab, worn out office in a Grade II listed building into an open-plan environment that our client part occupied and sub-let other floors. The rental values they achieved were the highest, pro-rata, for a Mayfair office property during that financial year! Alexander: Every project is challenging in its own way as we try to consistently surpass ourselves by developing the optimal concept each time. I d say that, after the Coca-Cola Hellenic offices in Athens, the latest project of the headquarters of Coca-Cola Hellenic AG in Switzerland is a great example of our work in concept design, architecture, interior design, branding and construction management. A project in a league of its own Rufford Mill, Nottinghamshire (HSSP) James Brindley