Ben Johnson Interiors were first introduced to Search Consultancy in 2010 when they were relocating in Leeds to Park Row House. Following the success of the Leeds project, Search Consultancy appointed Ben Johnson Interiors as their national design and build contractor, supporting them to upgrade and maintain their properties across the UK, from Glasgow to Brighton.

Ben Johnson was asked to assist with the design, fit-out and furnish of the new Search Manchester office relocation. The Manchester office was to be a highly impressive, a true flagship site in recognition of its status as a major player in the UK recruitment market. In keeping with the chosen buildings contemporary industrial ‘feel’, the business needed to balance the aesthetics with an effective working environment. Exposed ceilings can cause acoustic problems. Likewise, concrete vinyl flooring, while easier to clean than carpets, can also cause noise issues. A further challenge was the building’s perimeter air-conditioning and power system which had to be accessible at all times. There had to be flexibility within the design to accommodate this, and the power system had to be modified to provide heating and cooling to each room.

With numerous meeting and interview rooms, circa 120 open plan workstations, a large flexible training room and a self-contained breakout area on both floors, Search was keen to include spaces that offered relaxed, impromptu meeting areas. As a departure from Search’s previous workplaces, Ben Johnson Interiors took the clients’ facilities teams to the top London showrooms to help them decide on the latest styles in office furniture. To solve potential acoustic issues with the flooring, we suggested using Flutex which is a carpet/vinyl hybrid, offering a concrete finish look without compromising on the softer, acoustic properties of carpet and the resilience of vinyl. High specification, acoustic glass partitioning between areas were installed to minimise noise, introduce natural light and convey an open, transparent feel to the interior. Staff lockers were introduced to facilitate a shift to a more agile, flexible culture. The perimeter air-conditioning system was modified to allow appropriate heating and cooling to each of the individual meeting rooms. To add a further ‘wow’ factor to this new workplace we installed an eye-catching, white reception desk complete with an integrated Search logo and a feature wrought iron rear panel.

The finished project

The Manchester office refurbishment was a real game changer for Search, a higher end design, offering more agile working styles to help the business attract and retain top talent.

Search liked their new office so much, they made a time-lapse film of the work here.