Sodexo is a world-leading provider of facilities & property management and catering & food services. They operate in over 60 countries, with a vision to ‘create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all’. We worked with them to define their Central London office into a true exemplar of how work and event environments can successfully adapt to any industry or company.
It was clear from the beginning this would become about changing perceptions of what a workplace can be. Together, we were driven to create an exercise in comprehensively defining the purpose before moving on to the spatial aspects of a tailored solution.
With several objectives and outcomes, and several key stakeholders to seek input from, it was vital we could navigate from the strategy stage to the design & build process with consistency, agreement and alignment.
This had to be a place that was flexible, editable and easily curatable to accommodate diverse activities and events. The distinct modern work modes of focus and collaboration could then be reflected in this space as a result. We installed reconfigurable partitions that can be altered to suit any number of occupants and tailored to a specific activity.
We responded to ideas of connection and communication for face-to-face meetings within the built environment, with additional integrated technology solutions to enable remote collaboration. This ensures an increasingly hybrid form of work pattern for the modern workforce is considered from the outset.
Providing a full service from strategy to design & build, all the way through to furniture choice, was a huge benefit to the delivery and execution of this project. It meant the extensive discovery stage informed the design choices and finishes in a much more joined-up way, which contributed to achieving an impressive three-and-a-half-month timescale.
The client’s high levels of trust and confidence in our abilities allowed us to design with genuine creativity and purpose. The Sodexo brand identity was represented in a muted and evolved way to make it a place that will consistently attract and nurture the talent of their workforce, while acting as a showcase for their services.
There is an air of subtle domesticity reflected in the aesthetic that manages to retain the authority and function of a working space. The bright, fresh, open aspect is married to biophilic design, blending natural light and a soft colour palette.
Innovative Vpod solutions operate as digital concierge services for guest bookings, offering meeting availability and suggesting catering and travel options throughout your stay.
There are several landmark metrics and measurables that point to the transformative nature of the new Sodexo workspace. Reducing their overall space by 50% delivers huge sustainability gains through carbon footprint reduction, and the operational savings follow a similar pattern.
However, the ultimate success of this project came through understanding how to make the transition from practicality to aspiration. It became clear to the client exactly what an operational hub space could become with a shift in mindset and approach. This is something that can now be adopted for any decisions on their existing and future portfolio.
As a showroom of products and services, it demonstrates what Sodexo can achieve for their clients – and enables them to fully imagine their own enterprise prospering in a similar space.