What was the brief?
Our project with Make Marks was an exciting opportunity to work with a client with a multitude of vibrant design ideas and a strong artistic vision.
Marks is a well-established branding and graphic design firm, with offices across the world, including three in the UK. A move to a new London office prompted us to meet with Marks, and visit their different potential sites, all of which required a different brief.
We held weekly meetings between our team and our contact at Marks, which included candid discussions about the direction of the project, allowing for a large degree of input from Marks and creating a collaborative working environment that was integral to the success of the project overall; it allowed questions or concerns to be resolved immediately, rather than letting them become recurring problems.
With two floors to work with, the interplay between ground and lower ground floor became an important facet of the project early in the design phase.
Initially, we had decided that the main workspace would be on the lower ground floor, with the teapoint and meeting rooms on the ground floor. However, Marks felt that the employee workstations would actually benefit far more from the increased natural light on the ground floor. This decision characterises the Marks team, where family culture comes first, and the needs of the employee are fundamental to the company’s ethos.
Fortunately, there were ample natural light levels in the lower ground floor to create a beautiful teapoint area. In the teapoint, we used natural and raw finishes with concrete vinyl flooring, creating a neutral ‘Scandi’ look, providing a tonal contrast to the existing furniture, which had a lot of different colours, textures and warmth.
This ‘Scandi’ look became the theme that the designed hinged around; providing a neutral palette that gave an air of sophistication, but that also allowed the existing furniture pieces to take centre-stage.
What were the key challenges?
Branding and graphic design experts Marks-London came to us with a multitude of vibrant design ideas and a strong artistic vision. With multiple offices across the UK, their move to their first London office was big. We visited three different spaces they potentially wanted to occupy, all of which required a different brief.
What materials did you choose and why?
Working closely with Marks, we were able to create a space over two floors that balances the natural, neutral tones, with pops of on-brand colour to blend with their other locations and showcase the talent and skill of their team and work. Ensuring continuity across floors and offices.
Material Used :
Flooring:
Vinyl - Concrete Effect - LooseLay Colorado Stone LLT201 – Karndean
Doors:
Black Laminate door with Aluminum frame RAL 9005
Lighting:
1. Light pendant board room – 25cmx25cm green frosted glass pendant light – black flex
2. Light pendant meeting room - Tine – black and wood pendant light
3. Light pendant booth seating – Orb small glass pendant
Furniture:
1. Booth seating - Plinth base Fabric G110 Black plinth - Platfform
2. Pedestal base table - OAK MFC top BLACK base – Platfform
Wall Finishes:
1. Splashback Walls– White Gloss Tiles Anthracite 114 – LG Floor
2. Display Wall LG Floor - Bamboo Artica TA01001 – Quadrant
Teapoint:
1. Wall Units - Egger H1146 ST10 –Grey BrallineOak – Oak Finish – Howdens
2. Base Units – Slate grey Matt – Howdens
3. Worktop - Egger H1146 ST10 – Grey Bralline Oak – Oak Finish – Howdens
Dulux Paint:
1. 30yy 56/060 - arrow angle paintlight grey - pantone cool grey 2c
2. 28yy 63/746- yellow - pantone 123c
3. 72yy 47/ 743 - green - pantone 389c
4. 31bb 23/340 - blue – pantone
5. 30yy 33/047 - mid grey - pantone cool grey 5 c
6. 17BG 36/333 - teal - 3115 C
