FOCUS INTERIORS
NATURAL DESIGN Removing the barriers between its people by replacing walls with planting to create
natural breaks, was a key part of the attractive interior design for the new offi ces of the
software developer IFS to encourage wellbeing and collaboration
Every major organisation likes to
argue that its values underpin what
it does – but not many can legitimately
claim that this drives a decision to move
its o ices from High Wycombe to Staines.
Most businesses make a choice to uproot
only when the lease runs out or they have
outgrown their existing space. But then,
how many occupiers are like the privately
owned, global developer and provider of
enterprise so ware, Industrial Financial
Systems?
Nicola Carton, Director and Global Head of
Facilities Management at IFS, explains.
“What we needed was somewhere that
was more connected in all sorts of ways.
32 SEPTEMBER 2020
Somewhere where we could showcase our
brand. Somewhere we could showcase to our
customers. Somewhere we could be close to the
airport, motorways and city. Somewhere where
it would be easier to attract top talent.”
The IFS values are agile, collaborative and
trustworthy. In theory, one flows from another
and the space at High Wycombe did not allow
that to happen. The teams were split across
two floors in a multi-tenanted building that
prevented any sense of flexibility and movement,
let alone proper collaboration. If you’re not
collaborating – working as a team in an open
manner – it doesn’t foster trust. But that agility is
also about being able to visit shops; the flexibility
to do dry cleaning, choosing to visit bars and
restaurants easily, safely and without the need
for a car a er work. The High Wycombe o ice
situated at the edge of a business park didn’t
allow for that.
“We’re now a 10 minute walk along the
Thames path to Staines. Two supermarkets are
within minutes and there’s a selection of bars,
restaurants and hotels for anyone visiting from
out of the UK and we’re closer to transport
hubs too,” says Carton. “The whole location is
healthier and more connected in an emotional
and physical way too.”
That last point, relating to wellbeing, is critical.
It might not be listed as a core value, but a
golden thread throughout the IFS culture is the
sense of wellbeing. For it to be an agile business,