A large breakout area adjacent to the central core forms the beating heart of the office. It’s a flexible environment for the team. Every day, colleagues chat over a coffee or a casual meeting. To let off some steam, there are racing simulators and a competitive leaderboard featuring the names of staff and some brave visitors. On race days, it’s somewhere the team who are not trackside can catch the action and toast their wins.
We were asked to embark on a journey with one of the most exciting racing series’ on the planet. No big deal. The pressure to deliver may have been on, but with this came excitement. Thirdway was to get under the bonnet of the leading sustainable motorsport championship, Formula-E, and give them an office to unite their growing team. Buckle up. Let’s take a ride.
Project Details
- Client
- Formula E
- Type
- Cat B
- Size
- 12,000 SQ FT
- Location
- Hammersmith
- Status
- Complete
Max capacity
Successful, sustainable company growth naturally leads to the requirement for more workspace. Such was the case when Formula-E handed over the brief to deliver not only a full refurbishment of their existing Hammersmith HQ but also to additional space acquired within the same building. The challenge? Their team needed to be able to continue to work from the office throughout the fit-out project. Nothing that couldn’t be worked around with some meticulous planning from our project delivery team.
What really gave us design direction was their desire for a more social and connected space for employees. The office needed to reflect their passion for racing and uphold their commitment to sustainability. And when the CEO suggested we style some areas like “Dr Strangelove’s underground lair”, we couldn’t wait to begin.
an environment to thrive in
Creating a space that would allow people to collaborate and connect was key, and so this remained at the forefront of our design teams minds. The floorplan features three distinct wings that form one large working space.
- The ‘C’ suite constitutes senior management offices, which, while separate from the main working areas are situated just behind reception to ensure they remain accessible. - An enormous boardroom can be divided into two with a sliding wall creating more intimate meeting rooms or opened further into a large screening room with theatre-style seating and a large projector screen. - Multiple breakout spaces, touchdown spots, phone booths, small meeting areas and relaxed working zones punctuate traditional desking allowing employees to choose appropriate workspaces according to the task.
Private office space
Boardroom
Hot desk space with meeting booths
Lights, camera, action
Purposefully understated, the lighting throughout the space is specifically task-led. Albeit there are a couple of exceptions, where it illuminates Formula E’s standout trophy and the brand logo within the back-lit Perspex reception desk.
The ‘Dr Strangelove’ colour palette sets the mood using deep greys and purples next to the Formula E blue which brings extra vibrancy.
Beyond any doubt, the focal point of the office is the car that’s suspended from a compound curve wall and hurtles towards the entrance of the office. This car is the heart and soul of the racing series so it’s only natural it becomes the main feature of the team’s headquarters too.
Sustainability is key
Sustainability is why Formula E race. Their commitment to combatting global warming and pioneering the adoption of cleaner technologies is nothing short of infectious. So it comes as no surprise that sustainability played a huge roll in the design.
EGE Carpets, part of the Ecotrust collection, are fabricated from recycled water bottles and used fishing net yarn. The material used for the booths comes from Camira Fabrics, who use natural base fibre fabrics are made from harvested nettles, hemp and recycled coffee sacks.
Incorporating faux leather into the furnishings was key to the client’s sustainability agenda. Bespoke items were outsourced by Tribe such as the boardroom chairs made by a company in Germany. Thirdway’s creative team helped to incorporate the Formula E logo onto the eco-friendly fabric.
A journey that's only just begun
We handed over the baton to Formula E as the journey for them has only just begun, enjoying a new way of working, a renewed sense of community and a workplace they can truly be proud of. The office is a showcase for the company, jam-packed with new technology, highly sustainable and unmistakably theirs. Their rapid expansion plan just got easier as they can offer new employees a truly engaging place to work.
Project Team
Tom Iles
Designer
Luke Griffin
Director of Business Development
let's dance
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