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Challenge
Moving away from traditional-style offices, Clyde & Co required a modern, agile and collaborative environment for their 600+ Manchester-based team.
Insight
Instead of working across two buildings, the team now work from one unified workspace with a flexible layout that supports their tasks and needs.
Solution
With more choice and intuitive tech available, employees can decide how and where they connect and communicate from.
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Leading insurance risk and commercial law firm Clyde & Co needed a more agile and collaborative environment for their Manchester team. Moving away from traditional-style offices, they wanted to adopt a more flexible approach to work.
Creating a sense of community
We worked with Clyde & Co throughout the pandemic to design and build a central workspace where their clients, staff and visitors could connect and interact more effectively.
Their team were disseminated across two buildings and fourteen floors which, in some cases, restricted collaboration and a true sense of belonging. Their siloed teams needed an environment that would encourage a greater sense of community.
The new 71,000 sq. ft. workspace in the Two New Bailey building in Manchester is spread across just four floors. Instead of assigning individuals to fixed desks, we created a much more versatile and flexible layout. The new space encourages employees and clients to get together, share ideas and feel connected.
The impact of the pandemic
At the start of the pandemic, we briefly paused to take stock and re-evaluate our initial plans. If anything, it confirmed we were making the right decisions and allowed us to be bolder and braver with our strategy.
Clyde & Co were already planning on becoming a paper-lite organisation, but the pandemic sped up their digital strategy. Technology would help Clyde & Co to accelerate processes, become more sustainable, and allow their team to connect and communicate from anywhere.
Delivering this project throughout the pandemic placed even greater importance on effective communication. We ran sessions with Clyde & Co’s Champions’ Group (volunteers from all levels of the business), who shared ideas around what people needed from the space. We carried out visual design walkthroughs and sent out samples so the team could visualise what we were planning. By taking a ‘one team’ approach, we built a fantastic working synergy from the very start.
Smaller spaces. Bigger ideas.
Without large banks of fixed desks, there’s an opportunity to re-think the footprint of the office and do so much more with the space available.
The new layout encourages the team to work collaboratively. Staff can book a desk within their ‘neighbourhood’ and store their belongings in a locker. All areas of the building are tech-enabled, so employees can take their laptops to the various settings and plug and play.
A digital-first firm
Clyde & Co wanted to embed a new flexible approach to work in Manchester, whereby their staff have more choice in how and where they work. To support this, we implemented intuitive and easy-to-use tech such as room booking systems, AV equipment in meeting rooms and collaboration software that enables people to connect and communicate from anywhere.
Transitioning to a paper-lite organisation, using systems such as digital filing, has allowed the team to become more agile. It’s also helped Clyde & Co save space and become a more environmentally friendly organisation. The Two New Bailey development has achieved Grade A BREEAM ‘Excellent’ specification, which supports their commitment to improving long-term sustainability of its operations. Achieving these credentials means Two New Bailey is within the top 10% of UK non-domestic buildings in regards to its environmental, social and economic sustainability performance.
The results
Every last detail of this new Manchester workspace was carefully considered, from the layout to the final finishes. We used industrial-style features and materials that reflect Salford’s heritage and embody the Clyde & Co brand.
The new office is built with agility and flexibility in mind so the space can adapt and evolve over the years to come.
“We’re incredibly proud to have delivered this project during the pandemic, delivering an environment that supports Clyde & Co’s bold new approach to work. Their new office at Two New Bailey, Manchester, provides the spaces, facilities and tech their people need for a fantastic work experience. It’s an environment that will support them as they continue to grow and develop.”
“Our colleagues will be able to collaborate effectively, have flexibility in work arrangements, and benefit from enhanced technology and tools in an inclusive and sustainable environment.”
Matthew Harrington, Senior Partner, Clyde & Co
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