Arts Council England Furniture Installation

Continuing our long-standing relationship with Arts Council England, we have recently completed the installation of their new offices within The Hive, Manchester. Like many organisations after Covid-19, Arts Council England (ACE) found fewer staff members coming regularly into the office. This change allowed them to slightly downsize their office space, whilst creating a more appropriate working environment for their current needs. ACE’s Senior Facilities Manager, Gill Royle, had a clear goal in mind with the new office; to create a homely environment to entice staff back into the office, whilst incorporating more meeting spaces, fully accessible areas, a well-being room, quiet working areas and a variety of more flexible work areas.

The initial design was created by Manchester property construction firm RLB, however, Flexiform was involved at an early stage to recommend workplace furniture that would fulfil Gill’s vision. Our in-house interior design and space design team overlaid RLB’s original designs with a variety of agile and hybrid working furniture options, creating 3D walkthroughs to help Gill immerse herself in the space and make any changes she wished.

Project Data

CLIENT : Arts Council England
LOCATION : Manchester
PROJECT LEAD : Rob Waterhouse
PRODUCTS : Office pods, DDA office meeting pods, Jot-Up sit stand desks, lounge chairs, occasional tables, bespoke office lockers, modular solo work booths, task chairs, monitor arms, electrics, meeting chairs, work chairs, Miss Collaborative chairs.
WORKSPACES : Solo Working, Breakout Furniture, Informal and Formal Meeting Spaces, Wellbeing Room.
SERVICES : Space Design, Walkthrough, Office Furniture Specification, Furniture Manufacturer, Supply and Installation, Relocation & Move Management.
DESIGN : RLB & Flexiform

Office Pods

Within Arts Council England’s office, we installed numerous telephone pods, 1-2-1 and group meeting pods, and solo work pods to give a wide range of private acoustic workspaces. The single office pods all included power modules for device charging, PIR lighting, acoustic side panels and ventilation, with various designs from integral seats with small worktops (above), two larger pods with full-size desks and wooden work chairs, and, fully accessible office pods with power-assisted doors and height adjustable tables that could be with an ergonomic task chair or wheelchair. These wide ranges of designs support short-stay phone calls up to long-stay meetings and solo working as well as meeting the needs of a diverse team.

To support private group meetings, we installed 1-2-1 office pods with integral seating and a central table, two larger 4-person pods with fixed and flip top tables, executive meeting chairs, monitor brackets, power and lighting. In addition to the pods, a private boardroom was fitted with modular flip top tables, stacking chairs, acoustic baffles and wall-mounted baffles. These set-ups give staff plenty of space for collaborating and meeting up in formal and informal settings.

Flexible Agile Office Furniture

As Gill’s goal was to provide flexible meeting spaces, it was important to accommodate larger and smaller groups. We installed a range of office meeting booths and work tables for flexible collaboration spaces. These were specified in a variety of fabrics and patterns for a striking finish. For private discussions, breakout and relaxing spaces, we installed a range of lounge chairs with coffee and side tables in hidden nooks throughout the office and the wellbeing room. These were finished with rugs, office plants and decorative items to add a domestic relaxed feel.

The staff were also provided modular solo work booths with task chairs for hot desking and quiet working. With Jot-Up electric sit stand desks, complete with monitor arms, on desk power and task chairs, staff also have the option to tailor their desks to their needs, providing a fully ergonomic workspace for all day use.

Office Furniture Relocation

Alongside new office furniture, some existing Jot-Up height adjustable desks, office booths and meeting furniture from their previous offices were moved to their new space. With furniture that didn’t quite suit the new workspace, we relocated them to their Leeds office, helping to share resources and extend the lifespan of the furniture. Our on-site installation team managed to alter some existing furniture by creating cut-outs for in-desk power charging, making it much more suitable for agile working and preventing the furniture from being wasted or disposed of, helping to meet ACE’s sustainability targets for the space.

Flexiform and Arts Council England are thrilled with the office fit out, with a striking creative workspace for staff and visitors. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Arts Council England’s UK offices.