Inchcape
Two floors on St James’s Square, refurbished one at a time in seven weeks while Inchcape’s team carried on working.
Size
11,100 sq ft
Location
London, SW1
Project Type
Office Refurbishment
Industry
Logistics & Industrial
Challenge
Having renewed their lease at St James’s Square for a further two years, Inchcape saw an opportunity to make the office work better for their people, with a more welcoming entrance, improved acoustics, additional meeting rooms and space to come together.
Process
We took the client through our 4D process, with a full design package and a phased refurbishment. The main floor was rebuilt while everyone worked from the floor above.
Outcome
A modern, on-brand office built around a shared tea point and collaboration space, delivered in seven weeks without Inchcape leaving the building.
Two more years at St James’s Square
Inchcape is the world’s leading independent automotive distributor, working in more than 40 markets with over 60 manufacturer partners. Their London office occupies the second floor of 22a St James’s Square and part of the third.
Having renewed their lease for another two years, they wanted to make more of their existing office. Through Define, the first stage of our 4D process, we worked with Inchcape to understand what needed to change.
The priorities were a more welcoming entrance, better acoustics, additional meeting rooms and more private space. They also wanted somewhere people could gather, eat together and catch up during the day.
A brief that evolved
Inchcape’s business model was changing while we were working with them, and the brief evolved with it.
Each time their needs changed, we revisited the design. We kept the conversation going and gave them time to make the right decisions for their business. When they were ready to go ahead, we moved quickly to get on site.
A middle to the office
Our design covered everything from space planning to detailed technical drawings. The biggest change was at the centre of the second floor, where a new tea point and collaboration space gave the office somewhere to come together.
A timber-fronted tea point and breakfast bar sit alongside banquette seating and tables for lunch, informal meetings or a quick catch-up. It’s a shared space that makes it easier to spend time with colleagues throughout the day.
Around it, we added meeting rooms and enclosed pods for calls and private conversations, with acoustic solutions built into the design from the beginning. There are rooms for conversations that need a door, and pods for calls that don’t require a whole room.
The entrance now has its own seating and private phone booths, creating a more welcoming arrival. Inchcape’s brand carries through the office in the colours, wall graphics and finishes.
The Experience
Working around the team
Inchcape needed to keep working in the building throughout the refurbishment. Everyone moved into their third-floor space while we refurbished the second. Once they were back downstairs, we completed the smaller works on the floor above.
The seven-week refurbishment programme covered partitioning, joinery, flooring, lighting, power and data, HVAC, fire safety and furniture. Phasing the work around the team allowed Inchcape to stay in the building while we transformed their main office.
They now have a workplace that supports both focused work and time together, making more of their next two years at St James’s Square. We’ll continue to look after the space through Zencare™, our ongoing aftercare programme.
Want your office to be somewhere people work together? Talk to us, or start with our planning tools.
