A new office for Scottish Renewables in Glasgow
The history of renewable energy in Scotland is celebrated in a new office for industry body, Scottish Renewables. Representing around 320 members, all involved in green energy technologies, the trade body has moved to new premises on St. Vincent Place in Glagow.
Powered entirely by renewable electricity and heated with an air source heat pump the building is the oldest in Glasgow and made of red sandstone. It used to be the offices of the Glasgow Evening Citizen from 1889.
Office refurbishment on St. Vincent Place in Glasgow
Scottish Renewables occupied a top floor office suite close to the heart of Glasgow within easy walking distance of both central train stations. Whilst the location was convenient, the building was lacking in owner investment and when the lease came up for renewal they decided that a move to new premises would be preferable to staying where they were.
The Amos Beech Workplace Strategy Team were engaged early on in the process to look at their space requirements and review potential new space to identify what building would give them the best blend of location, space and cost of fit-out.
High level budget figures were provided for each location that made the shortlist and these numbers were highly beneficial to the board, allowing them to make an informed decision.
The final decision to move to St. Vincent Place was made and the Amos Beech Design & Build team went into action.
Meeting rooms and pods have been installed for exclusive member use and are named after Scottish renewable energy firsts, while a giant specially commissioned timeline of the industry has been created for the kitchen.
Working with the client team and the high level budget, a new interior was designed to a fixed price that has exceeded expectations. A tight timeframe had to be adhered to as there was a fixed date that Scottish Renewables had to be out of their old offices. By the time the legals had been concluded, the build time on site was only 7 weeks. The Amos Beech Construction Team rose to the challenge and delivered a habitable office on time and in budget.
A key consideration for Scottish Renewables, was to create a destination space that attracted the team back into the office and since the new space has opened, there has been a significant increase in both staff and member organisations visiting the space throughout the week.
The use of calming neutral finishes with splashes of colour, biophilia and acoustic panels creates an oasis of calm and a welcoming interior that has met with universal appreciation from all of the staff.
Scottish Renewables is an NGO that represents the industry and lobbies government on behalf of its member organisations. Members are able to visit the space and take advantage of the members lounge where they can work and meet when visiting Glasgow.
An events space and a selection of meeting rooms complete the experience for staff and members organisations.
Extra acoustic wall covering for the general office area
After having worked in the new space for about a year, the Scottish Renewables team felt that the acoustics of the general office area could be improved. We have therefore installed AllSfär Öra V acoustic wall panels. With this we have create visually striking walls whilst reducing reverberation:
Published: 9 June 2023
Design, Build, Text & Photography: The Amos Beech Team
Client testimonial
Cat A+ office refurbishment of Prospect House
Workwell Properties engaged the Amos Beech team to help them deliver a Cat A+ refurbishment of their Prospect House building in Hamilton.
In need of significant upgrades to the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems as well as refurbishment of landlord areas such as toilets and public areas, the Amos Beech team came up with a phased approach to delivering the works and allows for clients to take space without the full refurbishment costs being needed prior to a revenue stream coming in to help fund it.
Research proved that rather than large open floorplates, smaller units on each floorplate were more desirable to tenants and Amos Beech provided design and build services which included ceilings, partitions, lighting and flooring to facilitate this.
The main entrance was significantly upgraded to provide a welcoming environment. This has been fully furnished to a Cat A+ standard and provides a co-working space as well as reception and waiting area.
Its great to see a building coming back to life after a few years of emptiness!
Published: 2 June 2023
An upgrade for an iconic space for IWC Media in Glasgow
IWC Media form part of the Banijay collective and alongside their London base, occupy two floors within St Georges Studios, Glasgow. An iconic space, but in need of an upgrade. Working closely with Footprint Interiors, Amos Beech design and build team used all their skills to intelligently transform the space and create an inspirational destination for staff.
The former Glasgow city bakery now accommodates approximately 25,000 sq.ft of office space.
Post pandemic, IWC as a company is growing and bucking the trend of how offices are being used, they also wanted to increase the headcount in the office too. As a creative hub business, interaction is an important factor and having people present within the office, essential.
Carefully designing the space to fit the budget – investment was made specifically to facilities with a significant toilet upgrade along with a new, open plan communal kitchen. The kitchen flows into a large collaboration area, the openness of which maximises natural light at this end of the office.
Sustainability is always at the forefront of Amos Beech design and in this case included upcycling of existing open storage in the library space. Introducing biophilia helps to create a softer atmosphere and greenery within grid storage throughout, divides the space without building walls. A variety of breakout furniture including meeting booths, high and low tables, and soft seating supplement the formal workspace and allow a more hybrid approach to working within the space.
A new reception and welcome area were formed and by the clever use of colour and paint, the look was upgraded to a new level at a minimum spend. Visitors are now greeted at a bespoke timber slatted reception desk complete with a lounge seating area. Comfortable “resimercial” furniture also doubles up as an informal meeting area.
Energy savings have also been made with all lights upgraded to new ‘daylight’ LED panels which significantly reduce energy consumption and contribute to the wellbeing of staff by providing a better quality of light. This in conjunction with plants, a choice of breakout spaces and better facilities make for a much improved and inspirational space for creative people.
Published: 3 May 2023
Design, Build, Text & Photography: The Amos Beech Team