Search wanted its new Manchester office 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 an attractive and 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 that 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 rooms, hundreds of desks and chairs for a call centre, 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 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 was 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 integrated Search logo and a feature wrought iron rear panel. Search liked their new office so much, they made a time-lapse film of the work here