Ward Robinson have recently become NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) partners. They are now part of our collaborative community of businesses who work together to make a lasting social and economic impact in NewcastleGateshead. They were established in 1991 and their team of highly experienced interior designers and project managers are based in Cooper Studios just around the corner from our city centre office. They are currently supporting NGI to reimagine our new office space in the Common Room of the Great North.
We talk to Paul Bevan, Project Director at Ward Robinson about becoming an NGI partner, the future of interior design for offices and the importance of the return to the office for the economy and staff wellbeing.
Tell us more about Ward Robinson and the team…
What were the main drivers for becoming part of a community of organisations who work together to promote NewcastleGateshead on a national and international stage?
I’m relatively new to the area, and had originally intended to use a move here as a stepping stone towards an ultimate move to the Edinburgh region. I quickly settled and fell in love with the region and am now going nowhere! As I’m staying, I want to be part of the team that help mould the city where I work, and my children live and play.
NGI have just moved to brand new offices in the Common Room, an iconic building in Newcastle’s city centre. What do you think makes this building so special?
It’s part of the fabric of what has made Newcastle great and will continue to make Newcastle great – a hub for innovation. To place your hand on a bookcase that Joseph Swan may have been leaning against when he had the first “lightbulb moment”, and stand on the staircase where Stephenson must have discussed his Rocket puts you in a place of wonder and awe.
The Common Room is a historically significant Grade II* listed building full of culture and heritage. Why do you think it is a good choice for a partnership organisation like NGI?
It’s back to the fact that the Common Room is an old building, built for the delivery of new ideas. NGI are carrying that tradition on with vision for the future of our great city.
Ward Robinson are supporting NGI with the design of their new office space. In a post-Covid world, can you tell us more about how new ways of working have been considered within the design?
We have been busy during the lockdown, and particularly busy listening to the changing moods of workforces. The workspace quickly moved away from stark white offices with traditional linear desks to a gentle and soft room at home that re-purposes itself over the course of a day. I truly believe that productivity has increased for many due to this. We listened to the young, dynamic team at NGI who wanted to “come to the office but feel at home”. It’s remarkable that our interiors team managed to fit seven different “work environments” into two rooms – really impressive stuff.
How will the new office space facilitate collaboration?
Collaboration tends to focus on group spaces, but individuals must also be given private areas to allow their own piece of the jigsaw to mature. The design of the NGI office allows for group sessions in a relaxed environment with a coffee, perch bars for smaller collaborative teams and the secluded quiet spaces that allow an individual to further develop their own thoughts. Views over the city have also been considered; it’s difficult not to get excited about the buzz of Newcastle whilst sipping a latte.
The return to the office will be critical to both our local economy and the health and well-being of those who have been working remotely for the past 12 months. Can you give us an insight to how NGI’s new office design will support this?
The design really creates a homely feel within an already beautiful building. I’ve heard the term “resimercial” banded about (laughs)… it’s awful but it does sum up what people want, that homely residential feel in a commercial workspace. If people want to come to work, they will naturally migrate to the city around work. The key to kickstarting the economy is getting people into the city in the first place. You can only achieve that by providing spaces that people want to come to, I think we’ve hit the brief perfectly in this respect.
Your teams work in our vibrant city centre? What makes it a great place for your business and your team?
Ward Robinson’s office, just down from Central Station, puts us in a great space to host the collection of clients and consultants that make up the teams on commercial projects. We have years of experience in the region and walk the city’s streets each and every day so are intrinsically connected to our place.
For our people, a city centre location ensures that when the time comes to shut the office doors of an evening, we have a host of amazing leisure offers to enjoy together as a team. This has proven key to attracting energetic, vibrant people when hiring brilliant new staff.
It would be remiss not to mention proximity to NGI’s office at the Common Room. I’m sure the offer of “popping over for a coffee” extended by the team at NGI will be a regular feature on my calendar!
Finally, describe Newcastle and Gateshead in three words….
Fun, fabulous and forward-looking (can I use a hyphen?!?)
Alive, accessible, and ambitious.
To find out more about Ward Robinson and their work visit https://www.wardrobinson.com/