Fit for purpose

In terms of the office and studio space, LXA carried out the interior cat A/cat B fit-out itself, commissioning a feature wall in the raised floor boardroom that was installed by a polished plaster professional. The three LXA letters have been subtly placed throughout the interior of the studio to reinforce the brand.

All the office occupants have fixed desks, though there is a nod to flexible working with a workbench running alongside the window. But the greatest element is the view – all the teams, including branding, hospitality, design, construction and project management, can gaze out at the river. This gives the workplace a clean, unfussy appearance.

“When you’re in our workspace, the view will always be the focus of attention,” says Design Director Dave Rooney. “We acknowledged that and elevated our meeting and client room so you can always have a view of the river and St Paul’s, while the lighting scheme is designed to direct one’s view to the unique Thameside setting.

“We try to avoid the vagaries of fashion and ensure that the things we do are all done for a reason, which is why it’s a relatively conservative, grown-up scheme. If you want activity and buzz, you get that from the boxing and the café. The workplace provides a calm professional environment for clients and staff.”

Adds Rees: “The café and the gym are open to the public, so people having a coffee will often ask about the gym. And to visit our office you walk past the gym, where you might see people working out or spot prizefighters in training. People come in and they love it.”

DESIGN DISCIPLINE
Given the multidisciplinary nature of the firm, what kind of tips would they give to FMs when choosing a new look, and how can they ensure a new space reflects an organisation’s particular personality and culture? “Interior design can be a misunderstood discipline,” says Rooney. “Yes, it can be about looks, but it should also be about ‘how does it work?’ Design is engineering made beautiful.

“You’ve almost got to park all the nice stuff and just get to the bones of, how many people have you got? What do you want them to do? Where do you want them to do it? What are the mechanics required? This principle is the same with an office, a restaurant, anything – it’s the mechanics that need to come first, the planning and the organising. From this DNA one can develop schemes that work as well as they look.

“The reason why there are certain things happening in our new offices is as a direct response to the space, from the direction of the lighting to the view. This is why you’ve got to look at every situation, every client, every project on its own merits, and that’s how you design it so you are answering the building and you are answering your client.”

Rees advises against following trends, arguing that a successful project is a result of the consultants getting under the client’s skin, understanding what they are all about as a brand and what their occupants want. “Whether it’s blue, pink, copper or brass doesn’t matter, because once you’ve fleshed out the concept then those answers will come to you. But if you start applying ‘it’s going to be pink’ before you know what you’ll do with the space, then that is interior decoration – a different thing altogether – and that is not about making things work or making things last.”

He believes that the firm’s greatest strength is its multidisciplinary team. “Most project managers just project manage, most interior designers just do ID, but we can offer a lot of services from under one roof.” In effect, his consultancy can help bridge that important gap between design and operation.