Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

YPO selected Flexiform to assist with the planning and implementation of the filing strategy for the new Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council headquarters. This project was initially a smaller contract to undertake filing surveys across all of the Wakefield Council properties to assess their storage and filing needs. With our in-house storage survey teams, Flexiform were tasked with reducing capacity and developing a strategy for the client to work efficiently in the new headquarters.

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and Cartwright Pickard Architects had a clear concept for the building, to illustrate the historic area through warm colours both internally and externally. The building had to be energy-efficient, modern, and environmentally friendly. Flexiform fulfilled this requirement due to our extensive environmental policy, accreditations, and recycling programme. Our furniture is clean and minimal, yet sturdy and long-lasting for a commercial environment.

Project Data

CLIENT : Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.
LOCATION : Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
PROJECT LEAD : Northern Hub.
PRODUCTS : Pico Back-to-Back Bench Desks, Desk Mounted Screens, Task Seating, Freestor Range (Freestor Office Lockers, Freestor Tambours, Freestor Tambour Wardrobe, Freestor Side Filer, Freestor Combination Unit, Freestor Bespoke Combination Unit, Freestor Bespoke Tambour Configuration with Oversailing Top), Meeting Seating, Jot Tables.
WORKSPACES : Open Plan Offices, Meeting Room, Collaboration Spaces.
COLLABORATION : Cartwright Pickard Architects.
AWARDS : British Council for Offices Best Corporate Workplace in the North, RIBA Regional Award.

“The project was awarded via a competitive tender exercise that included a mock up for the shortlisted bidders and from that we appointed Flexiform to supply furniture and storage systems for circa 900 staff with a project value of around £420,000.

As well as the furniture installation, Flexiform also provided bespoke storage solutions and also undertook a file transfer service from our existing premises. Flexiform performed extremely well in all aspects of the project and continue to provide excellent levels of service with a ‘can do’ attitude. The quality of the products that Flexiform manufacture I’m sure will last us for many years and with trouble free service. We would not hesitate in recommending Flexiform for supply of your office furniture.”
– Helen Pool, Property Change Manager – Wakefield Council

Upon completion of this work, we tendered for the supply of office furniture: desking, storage, and breakout furniture. Flexiform designed and manufactured a number of bespoke solutions to fit the client’s brief. Flexiform undertook the file and personal item transfer from all existing sites to the new building, on a phased move over eight weeks, helping to pack and unpack over 2.5 kilometres of files and belongings. This was achieved seamlessly over weekends, to ensure staff did not lose any operational days.

The Wakefield Metropolitan District Council project has been praised for its cost-effective build and fit-out, without sacrificing materials or quality, both internally and externally, throughout the supply chain – including Flexiform. This has been proven in its many awards, including Best Corporate Workplace in the North from BCO, and a RIBA Regional Award.

The architectural design is complimented throughout the building by Flexiform’s strong, clean and minimalist storage, desking, and seating. Manufactured in white steel, Flexiform desking contributes towards the modern, light and open atmosphere created by the architects, while the maple trimmed white MFC supports the building’s warmer tones.

The furniture gives a great degree of flexibility for different types of work. The scrum pods are made out of an overlapping 25mm thick MFC top and six Freestor Tambour storage units, which provide an excellent range of storage solutions from its variety of components. With overhanging tops and complementing stools, this integral storage solution creates a breakout area – ideal for more social work such as brainstorming, meetings, and laying out large documents or plans.

The desking solutions are flexible, with a variety of layouts, including height-adjustable desks and back-to-back desks, with some workstations having a screen on three sides to create a defined area. The office entire multi-floor refit was completed on time and on budget.