7 of the UK's most innovative offices

When you think of an office, a drab room with rows of desks might spring to mind. However, for many modern workplaces, this is far from accurate. Today's most successful and forward-thinking companies are aware that a well designed space can boost motivation, increase productivity and improve their bottom line. A dynamic and inspiring work environment can also help to attract and retain the best talent. So if you’re thinking of remodelling your workplace and need some inspiration, here are seven examples of the UK’s most innovative offices. 1. Zoopla Zoopla, one of the UK’s leading online property firms, has pulled out all the stops with its office design. The company’s fun and creative headquarters in London have been designed to increase motivation among employees while reinforcing the company’s brand. The building has been purposely made to replicate a house with a living room, dining room, greenhouse, library, wine cellar and even a meeting room that looks like a swimming pool. To enhance the home-away-from-home feeling and make employees feel as comfortable as possible, there are plenty of facilities to encourage downtime and recreation, such as a games room with pool tables, arcade games and ping pong. The building also has an on-site gym and free breakfast and snacks are offered to staff every day. 2. AO Online electrical retailer AO has also chosen to have themed rooms as part of its innovative office design. Based in Manchester, the headquarters feature a number of vibrant spaces, including meeting rooms with football and Lego designs. There’s also an array of collaborative spaces where staff can write on the walls to encourage spontaneous meetings and stimulate creativity. To motivate workers to get away from their desks from time to time, there’s an on-site Starbucks coffee shop and an inviting canteen area called the Park, with games such as air hockey and pool tables on offer. There’s also free breakfast and snacks. If staff need to de-stress during working hours, they can book themselves in for appointments at the on-site hair salon or spa and massage parlour. 3. Red Bull Red Bull’s London office has been designed to reflect the firm’s brand values. The layout of the building encourages interaction between colleagues by allowing for free-flowing movement, with lots of multi-functional spaces and a mix of formal and casual meeting areas. Similar to Google’s headquarters, there’s even a gigantic slide that transports staff from one floor to another. The décor is stylish and stimulating, with lots of colourful furnishings, floating staircases, a three-storey video wall, large windows and glass walls that let in plenty of natural light. There are also a number of breakout spaces and recreation areas where workers can recharge and socialise, including a bar, café and roof terrace with panoramic views across the city. 4. Innocent Drinks Dubbed ‘Fruit Towers’, the headquarters of smoothie and drinks company Innocent are made to look like an English garden. The bright and airy building is fitted throughout with synthetic grass, picnic benches and colourful bunting that reflects the business’ fun and frivolous culture. The building’s open plan design has lots of chill-out zones with comfy bean bags where company meetings are often held. When staff need to relax and unwind, there are ping pong and football tables, a gym, a library and shared kitchen areas. There’s also themed meeting spaces and a product testing room where the latest smoothies and drinks are made. Staff are treated to a free breakfast and, of course, unlimited Innocent smoothies. 5. AutoTrader With offices in London and Manchester, AutoTrader has incorporated lots of unusual and playful elements to create an inspiring place to work. Some of the stand-out features include car-themed meeting rooms, a skateboarding pipe and a ski lodge. Several real cars are dotted about the premises, including a converted VW camper van which can be used as a meeting space. There are also lots of breakout rooms where employees can let off steam during the day, including a café with pool tables, video games and a library. Reflecting the digital nature of the company, the workplace includes numerous high-tech facilities, such as touch-screen media walls, ipad room controls and write-on walls so employees can note down their ideas at any time. There are also digital signage and TV displays fitted throughout the office to keep guests and staff informed about the latest company news. 6. Moneypenny Telephone answering company Moneypenny claims that it’s ‘the happiest workplace in the UK’ - and it’s not difficult to see why. Before opening its state-of-the-art offices in Wrexham, the company asked its employees what they wanted their workplace to look like. The ideas generated by the 500 plus workforce were then used to plan and design the building. The result is an office that features a treehouse-style meeting room, its own village pub, an atrium with stadium seating and a sun terrace. There’s also an on-site restaurant offering free breakfast for employees. The office’s surroundings are just as impressive. The building is set in seven acres of beautiful gardens with nature trails, an orchard, a pond and sweeping views - the perfect place for a leisurely lunchtime stroll. 7. Runway East Runway East is a London-based co-working space that houses some of the city’s leading creative and digital start-up firms. Designed in collaboration with the in-house companies, the building is mostly open plan with a mix of private offices and working pods, flexible hot-desking spaces and shared meeting rooms. The building features a putting green where employees can practice their golfing skills, a range of relaxed and formal spaces, a kitchen, an auditorium and an on-site café with a green wall. Thanks to the success of the Runway East offices, the company was able to open a new location in London. If you’re thinking about giving your workplace a makeover to keep up with the latest design trends, why not take the time to browse our website today? At Furniture At Work we offer a wide range of modern, innovative office furniture solutions at competitive prices.

January 23, 2018 | View: 461 | Categories: office furniture