Allowing time for the landlord to prepare the building meant there was a three-year pause before we could start to build. We used the time to gain deeper insight into the company and how people work, finding solutions to the challenges.
Our attention to detail and desire to understand the business helped us create a strategic design and formulate a model of working that would later become the benchmark for our long-standing partnership (winning two subsequent Grant Thornton projects in Manchester and London).
As well as creating a workplace that meets the functional needs of the company, our design supports the people who use it every day. For Grant Thornton, the wellbeing of its people was a priority. We took the time to find meaningful ways to form connections, using biophilic design and shared breakout spaces.
By defining what success looked like for this project, we were able to bring their vision to life. For Grant Thornton, it was about having a workplace that supported existing staff, and attracted new talent and clients. We achieved this together by designing and building a workplace in the centre of Sheffield that’s future focused, with a nod to the heritage of the building and the business.
When we find something that works, we stick with it – and then find ways to make it work even better. Although every project for Grant Thornton had its own requirements and challenges, we identified common threads, too. In particular, the need to create a choice of places for people to work in their own way. While designs vary between offices, activity-based working has now become the constant – introducing a model of working that supports the company’s growth.