Project details:

Client: Ambrey

Sector: Commercial

Service: Design & Build

Duration: 7 Weeks

Location: Southampton

Introduction: 

Ambrey is a shipping security company operating worldwide to help protect their clients' maritime assets. When the management team decided to set up a new operations hub, they chose Harbour House in Southampton. This beautifully restored, Grade II listed building was selected both for its prestigious appearance and strategic maritime location. 

The team at AXIS House was chosen for their expertise, professionalism and acute attention to detail. We were tasked with creating a series of highly functional spaces for Ambrey including tech-enabled desk areas, a crisis management room, and a breakout zone. 

The challenge: creating a 24/7 crisis management facility

Occupying two floors of Southampton's historic Harbour House, Ambrey's new operations hub needed to service their clients' requirements while providing an enriching working environment for the staff. 

With the team operating a round-the-clock crisis management centre, the design came with a unique set of requirements. Specific technical capacities had to be fulfilled along with the provision of facilities to enable staff to thrive in a high-pressure environment. 

As many of the team work night shifts, staff wellbeing was vitally important with this project. The high-tech desk areas had to be functional and engaging, and inviting social areas needed to allow people to refuel and relax. 

Flexibility was also integral to the design. Our Cat B fit-out had to allow for future adaptations in relation to Ambrey's potential business growth. 

The solution: a flexible office designed for rapid response

To meet the varied needs of the staff working at Harbour House, we divided the office into a series of specific zones...

A branded welcome area - indigo blue provides the backdrop for the Ambrey logo lightbox.

An open-plan desk area - sit-stand desks help to keep staff alert while on night shift providing round-the-clock analysis for their clients. An acoustic pod gives privacy when required. 

An emergency room - key staff can gather at the bespoke, oval table to manage crisis situations. A bank of wall-mounted audio-visual screens ensures they are always kept up to date with any relevant data. 

A locker room and breakout area - each staff member has their own designated locker for easy storage of personal items. The comfortable sofas are the perfect spot for a cup of coffee and a chat with colleagues. 

"AXIS House understood what we wanted from the outset. We were impressed with their professionalism, attention to detail, and alignment with our sector. Everyone loves the quirky bits of the design that tie in with our maritime theme." A. Sanders - Business Management Director, Ambrey

Nautical motifs: 

A key part of the brief was to reflect Ambrey's vital activities at sea. Our designers introduced subtle nods to the maritime industry by including the following visual motifs...

- Vertical lengths of nautical rope to create room dividers between the welcome area and the main, operational part of the office. 

- A large-scale map on the wall in Ambrey's brand colours of indigo blue and white. 

- Manifestation depicting a map of the world on the glass dividing the Emergency Room from the rest of the office. 

- Wall-mounted bulkhead lights in the welcome area. 

- A porthole window in the Emergency Room door. 

A neutral palette: 

While the design needed to reflect Ambrey's brand colours of blue, red and white, a neutral palette was chosen because of possible rebrand further down the line. Here's how we created textural layers of colour and interest while respecting the serious nature of the work undertaken...

- The kitchen units in the breakout area were vinyl wrapped in a rich, dark blue. This gave the existing units a new lease of life while incorporating Ambrey's signature blue. 

- The banquette seating in the breakout area was upholstered in blue. 

The back-lit logo on the wall of the welcome area features navy. red and white. 

- The rug in the locker room area has a palette of ocean-inspired blues and whites. 

A highly professional design team: 

"The main reason we chose AXIS House was because of their turnkey service. A this was a new site in a different part of the country, it was really vaulable to have a team who could come in and manage everything for us." E. Bennett, Maritime Operations Officer

The result: an inspiring workplace fit for purpose

Given the high stakes nature of the work the Ambrey team perform, there was a focus on precise functionality with this project. The design needed to enable staff to carry out a variety of high-pressure tasks to the best of their ability, while also having space to step away and unwind when necessary. 

The team at Harbour House tell us that they absolutely love where they work. In fact, the word on the ground is that the Southampton office is now considered to be the best one in the Ambrey portfolio of offices. We helped our client create a series of flexible, purpose-driven workspaces, all within a relatively small footprint.