AstraZeneca
A sympathetic workplace design creation - an office which is home-away-from-home
Location
London, UK
designed by
Ekho Studio

In the heart of one of London's most rapidly developing districts, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company renowned for its own fast paced developments, has extended its commercial head office workspace. AstraZeneca UK, respected worldwide for their role during the Covid19 pandemic, are continuing to push the boundaries and drive collaborative work in science and biopharmaceuticals. Working with Ekho Studio, their new workspace design is a soft and secure place for quality employee experience, steering away from a hard corporate feel and replacing this with a restrained but flexible environment which is people centric.

The welcoming entrance ensures that, from the first step, employees and customers alike, can feel comfortable, through an understated color scheme and soft contors. The curved walls and reception desk enhance this feel which is especially suited to the post covid back-to-work era, where many companies are endeavouring to recreate the comforts of the home in an office environment. 

The theme is maintained in an irregular arched opening, which can be closed off by pulling the curtain across, to give greater privacy and create spaces for private meetings or focused networking sessions. The strip lighting elevates the archway, highlighting its fluid shape and creative atmosphere, paving the way for insightful conversation and synergism without the constraints forged by a traditional corporate feel. 

Employee experience is further elevated by an efficient personal storage system. Working with The Furniture Practice, Spacestor provided their HotLocker system as an extension of the brand, as well as being fully customizable and free standing. The shades of pink and burgundy chosen maintain the integral color palette of the space and make this storage solution aesthetic, as well as seamlessly functional.

Further zone definition can be created in the larger spaces to give scope for varying styles of work. The burgundy bi-fold doors enable a flexibility not normally achieved in the meeting room setting, and paired with natural woods, the space feels even less like a meeting room and more like a place for honest communication and impromptu catch-ups. A sympathetic workplace design creation - an office which is home-away-from-home.