Costa Coffee move into new designer office

Building its very own specialist facility, Costa Coffee invested £38 million into the roastery to grow its coffee production to 45,000 tonnes a year (four times the amount produced at its old site in Lambeth, London). Part of this masterplan project has been the creation of a 16,860 sq ft office across three floors – a place to collaborate, create and reflect for employees and visitors. The overall 85,000 sq ft facility also incorporates a training academy for baristas, new product development area, a state-of-the-art specialist laboratory and three 18-metre high roasters that have been imported from Germany.

“An exceptional place to roast, blend and prepare coffee was a non-negotiable,” says senior designer at Morgan Lovell Nathan Watson, “but so was an inspiring office. We were appointed early in the project so that we could really understand the requirements of Costa’s workforce. The production area is undoubtedly the showpiece of the new roastery so we wanted to make sure that the office exceeded expectations too. With rapid growth in the UK and internationally driving up demand for Costa’s famous coffee, it was essential to ensure that the new office offered the best possible environment for its people – an exciting opportunity for us.

“The designs we developed make coffee the hero of the office, there’s no doubt where you are when you arrive. We wanted the space to communicate the history and legacy of the brand, reflecting its humble beginnings in Lambeth, and to provide a hub that fosters a happy, productive workforce.”

Morgan Lovell delivered this through a combination of design tactics including bespoke graphics and using historic items throughout, such as displaying the first ever coffee bean scoop used by the Costa brothers. There is also a historical timeline that tracks the company’s journey in the business lounge, and in the main staff breakout area Morgan Lovell has mimicked the recognisable brick arches from the Costa roastery in Lambeth creating a unique setting for informal seating.

The design also incorporates a number of modern technologies and unique aspects to highlight the coffee experience. Nathan continues: “It’s this attention to detail that makes the office stand out. It not only reflects the brand and its history, but also meets the needs of individual users helping to enhance everyday operations and boost efficiencies.”

Colin Allan, managing director at Morgan Lovell adds: “Delivering Costa’s new office space has been a great experience. Costa Coffee is one of the best known brands in the UK and this office is an important part of helping the business thrive, collaborate and innovate. We hope that the team will enjoy its new home for many years to come.”

Giorgio Fioravanti, Production Director at Costa comments: “As well as enabling us to quadruple our coffee roasting capacity, building this new facility also gave us a great opportunity to create a best-in-class working environment for our team members. We’re proud to have created a modern office environment for our staff that feels fresh but still has historic gravitas, embracing our heritage and traditions. This new space provides a brilliant platform for the business’ national and global expansion to meet consumer demand.”

The roastery is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating for the building (to the latest 2015 standards), and elements of Morgan Lovell’s internal fit out will contribute to the final stage assessment. These include achieving stringent indoor air quality benchmarks, the responsible sourcing of materials and timber, installing water-efficient equipment and using LED lighting.

Find out more details and view the full gallery in our project case study.