FOCUS INTERIORS
which makes each user journey unique.
This is very reflective of the IFS brand, the
idea of trust and collaboration: it’s about
bringing people into the IFS family,” says
O’Callaghan-Mills.
That welcoming concept of wellness is
found everywhere. A constant blend of
warmth against exposed industrial features.
For example, the café restaurant zone was
warmed up and given a French brasserie
theme with a mix of so velvet finishes,
warm timbers and a moss wall to one
end. The playful section within the zone
has been designed by a gra iti
artist creating a work of art
embedding the IFS values.
The sense of wellbeing
is reflected in the café.
As well as being 100
per cent subsidised
with all of the
food being made
fresh on site daily
by the caterers
Thomas Franks, it
is an inside outside
space overlooking
the Thames. Kathryn
O’Callaghan-Mills
explains: “We created a
beautiful terrace outside from
the restaurant area which overlooks
the river. It gives everyone a sense of
connectivity with nature – similar to the
planting and building on biophilic design
internally. That sense of wellness is echoed
again in the creation of the gym space
upstairs for sta to use.”
Every element of employee wellbeing is
catered for, literally. Only nutritious food
provided, plenty of natural light, showers,
34 SEPTEMBER 2020
was all done in 10 weeks from June to August
2019.
“We are well aware that there is a lot of
embodied carbon in existing buildings, so
we wanted to avoid a fit out for the sake of
it. Yes, we wanted to deliver on our vision
for the space, but in a manner that did not
impact on the environment.”
Area already had experience of this type
of work, having been involved in some
demanding schemes that won WELL Building
and BREEAM highest accreditation levels for
sustainability.
“We have strong relationships with our
suppliers, so we could reassure IFS that we
were using products and materials from
responsible sources, but wherever we could
we worked with IFS to reuse, repurpose and
recycle existing furniture,” says O’Callaghan-
Mills.
All task chairs were reused, sofas have
been reupholstered, desk electrics were
re-used, lockers have been refurbished and
reused and the meeting room furniture was
recycled. It all adds to the vibe of a dynamic,
agile space that’s fun to work in. What’s more,
whilst the values are apparent, they are
blended in a light touch.
“There is a nod to our company heritage
with the use of oak flooring and detailing in
some areas,” says Carton. “And if you look
closely you can see the herringbone pattern
of our logo picked out in the flooring.”
“It has been a privilege to design for IFS.”
says O’Callaghan-Mills. “So much thought
and care went into every element of the
building. It’s been a pleasure to work with a
client team that has been really invested in
the vision from start to end.”
Only it hasn’t ended. IFS have sites across
the world and the plan, driven by their
Executive Vice President of FM and Chief
Digital and Information o icer, Sal Laher,
is for this to be rolled out globally. Bourne
House in Staines is the template of the art of
the possible.
changing rooms and
bicycle parking facilities
and a location and
connections to transport
hubs that encourages
an active and healthy
lifestyle for everyone
working at IFS or visiting.
“It’s a vision that we have
started to roll out across the
We created a beautiful terrace
outside from the restaurant area
which overlooks the river.
It gives everyone a sense of
connectivity with nature – similar
to the planting and building on
biophilic design internally.”
global estate,” says Carton. “It’s
rooted in what works best for our
people. Not just in terms of their productivity
and engagement, but also their perception
about how we operate and who we are.”
SUSTAINABLE INTERIORS
That means working towards as low a
carbon footprint as possible, which in fit
out terms is not always easy, especially on a
project that had to be quick – the turnaround