Universities Partnership Programme

Morgan Lovell get top university space

As a company that builds and runs halls of residence, Universities Partnership Programme (UPP) wanted a working environment that presented the business as solid, dependable and trustworthy. But they also wanted, according to Rachel Chelton, the office manager, the ‘wow factor’. In other words, the client wanted a corporate environment that wasn’t too, well, corporatey.

So for front of house, the design team chose hard, shiny surfaces, classic dark wood finishes and sophisticated stripes. Whilst in the break out area we were able to have a little fun with semi circular seating in bold brights that complemented the stripe elements used throughout the space. The flexible furniture system we used created an informal workspace for meetings or hot desking which can easily be pushed back to create a large function space.

An open plan office was created to encourage better communication between teams, whilst senior team members have individual glass fronted offices that can easily be removed if the space needs to be enlarged.

One part of the floor was an unusually shaped nook with fantastic views across London. So we created a small break out area that can used for one-to-one meetings or as a quiet space to relax. But we kept the wallpaper loud and completed the home from home look with a retro lampstand.