Project Description

Our office design and fit out for Three UK in Green Park, Reading embraced the company’s core values of connectivity, diversity, inclusivity, belonging and wellbeing. The resulting space personifies their view of the world as a 'continuous canvas of connected moments, experiences, people and opportunities'. Three UK’s new HQ in Reading coincided with a significant period of change. The company's brand was undergoing a 'coming of age', the project would merge two offices and bring together 1,800 people over 117,000 sqft of brand new office space and it was the first step towards a truly inclusive workplace for the future. Our design paid close attention to the emerging company rebrand, requiring us to incorporate the shift in Three UK’s customer demographic throughout the look and feel. It was also a top priority that people could navigate their days in the office in a ‘home from home’ environment, effortlessly supported by smart technology. Three UK needed to provide adaptive workspaces that would grow with the needs of their people – as they would only emerge with time. Also high on the list of requirements was an energising desire to design an office that would wow visitors and staff alike. Inherent in Three UK’s ethos is the deep desire to ensure that every single person in their organisation feels valued. It was therefore very important that the design and fit out of their workplace recognised and accommodated the day-to-day challenges that many individuals face. We incorporated Braille signage for way-finding on stairs and on different floors. Handrails convey the level you're on and a Braille directory is available as you enter each floor. Every meeting room has Braille panels and zip tags for booking. All ten tea points are DDA compliant and incorporate 3D icons to help disabled and partially sighted individuals identify the location of the amenities. There are custom controls for those affected by intense lighting and we included gender neutral toilets and showers and audio visual systems which consider neuro-diverse needs. A barrier-free physical and mental experience was critical for visitors and staff to get the most from the building. This translated into a wide spectrum of areas to satisfy every need. The living quarter for personal wellbeing offers a Sanctuary, a chill room, yoga studio and showers with gender neutral facilities. In addition, the play quarter has neon lighting, games and a high energy character; a library, phone pods and booths for quieter requirements; meeting rooms to suit every occasion; and a social quarter for personal connection, collaboration and ad-hoc encounters over food and drinks. We designed each neighbourhood to flow into another - core purposes blending into secondary uses. Our choice of natural materials, emotive textures and tactile fabrics make an important contribution to the strong sense of wellbeing, visual impact and branded character of each area in Three UK’s new HQ. There's a strong sense of identity on the ground floor with the striking 'illusion chandelier' which incorporates their logo and the illuminated tunnel invites people towards the visitor suites. However as you ascend the floors, there is a more subtle branding palette which serves to ensure people can relax and work without continual corporate messaging. The environmental impact and sustainability agenda were instrumental to the design. This began when Three Workspace selected a building with BREEAM Excellent, WELL Platinum and an 'A' EPC rating. Beyond that, we adopted strong circular economy principles, avoiding waste, choosing to reuse furniture that complemented the scheme and making environmentally-led product and material choices. The drive towards sustainability came from the heart of the project and complemented the overall objective to enhance every person's experience.