Overbury Offices – Manchester

SpaceInvader has completed the commission to design Overbury’s new Manchester, UK offices. The client, part of Morgan Sindall Group PLC, is renowned for excellent customer service and commitment to quality. For SpaceInvader, also Manchester-based, it was clear this would be a client business truly open to conceptual design ideas, with a requirement for exceptionally high standards. The success of the final outcome is a testament to the collaborative design and delivery partnership between the two companies.

The concept, responding to Overbury’s strong business values, was based on the idea of ‘connection’ and was made up of four strands:

connecting to Manchester and reflecting the city’s culture and identity

connecting the Overbury team through a culture of collaboration, enabled by technology

connecting to nature, relating to sustainable design, a feeling of serenity and the promotion of staff wellbeing, as well as incorporating the inspiring shape of Overbury’s well-known nautilus shell brand identity

connecting using contrast through layers, textures and structures that would bind the scheme together, with dark and light tones adding drama and interest.

The strongest embodiment of the latter can be seen immediately on entry to the 13th floor offices, where the welcome area ceiling has been designed with a dark-sprayed, cut-out area in the shape of a nautilus shell, whose spiralling lines which mimic the shape of the beautiful shell are designed in solid metal, inset with lights and acoustic baffles. At its centre is a circle in a metallic finish – Hompal by Formica. The lighting feature provides instant drama and sets the scene for a space brimming with organic curves and rounded edges. The city of Manchester, meanwhile, is all around, with the offices offering an incredible view over the centre from full-height windows that border the space.

When it came to space-planning, the move allowed for a shift in terms of working culture, with a variety of settings possible thanks to the additional space available. This included a touchdown area, where team members, so often out on site, can drop into at a moment’s notice to catch up on admin and meetings, as well as lots of booth areas and nooks where people could take calls, as well as rooms for people to be part of online meetings.

Additionally, the space plan needed to incorporate: a good social space for client and team events and entertainment; a prayer and First Aid room; a returning-parent room; a quiet and enclosed library space; a wellness-focused decompression area; two 6-person training rooms and lockers for staff use. The main board room was to have sliding doors that could open when needed into the creative design studio space, where materials and samples for current projects could be laid out and displayed.

As well as the interior design, SpaceInvader was commissioned to create the project’s wayfinding designs, designing signage and glazing manifestation concepts based on organic shapes that integrated perfectly with the interiors scheme.