RFIB | Case Studies

The brief

RFIB’s new global headquarters located on the twelfth floor of the landmark 30 St Mary Axe building, otherwise known at The Gherkin, is 18,500sqft of offices surrounded by panoramic views and generous light. Designed by work.place.create, the company wanted the new space to transform its workplace strategy to embrace both traditional and new ways of working.

It was important for the new offices to provide an oasis to come back to for the 200 strong team many of which are often travelling all over the world to risky, remote and often poorly serviced locations.

Moving into this slightly smaller space of 18,500sqft gave us a challenge as well as an opportunity - it really made us look at the use of space in the old building and identify areas for improvement. In understanding the company's future growth objectives and evolving work practices, it became apparent that creating a sense of place for staff was important. That is why the new office features assigned desking, rather than hot desking. Each position features desktop power outlets and is either sit-stand, or sit-stand-ready for future modification, enhanced with a generously proportioned pedestal for personal storage.

Cardine Hollowell, Creative Director at work.place.create

Our solution

Work 2.1 Sit-Stand Workstations with E-Series Screens – Selected for the main open-plan offices fitted with on-desk power modules, these workstations are a key feature of agile workspaces, encouraging frequent movement throughout the day with the options to spend time sitting and standing. The E-Series screens became an important feature of the workspace as they were used to reflect the new colour palette of yellows, blues, teals and coral that was chosen to soften the overall space.

800 Series Pedestals – Each workstation was allocated its own 800 Series Pedestal for personal storage. Supplied with locks and on castors, they give users who may be away for long-lengths of time a space to securely store documents and are easily movable if positions changes within the workspace.

800 Series Lateral Filing Cabinets and 800 Series Confidential Waste – Placed at the end of the rows of workstations, the 800 Series units provide a sense of privacy for workers while also maximising space efficiency. The units are a perfect addition to ensure organisation and easy retrieval, and disposal, of files.