Ideas
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Services
Challenge
Transform a historic building into a flexible and modern workplace, to provide an immersive and vibrant experience for Interflora’s employees and customers.
Insight
From strategy and design, to fit-out and activation, we worked collaboratively to ensure Interflora’s office worked harder for the organisation and its people.
Solution
An inspiring and multi-functional environment that accommodates various jobs, work styles and personalities while connecting a hybrid workforce.
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Interflora wanted to transform its Sleaford headquarters into a vibrant and collaborative workplace that would attract and retain top talent.
Through our consultation and subsequent design and fit-out services, we delivered an office that lives up to the manifesto that drives them – to create beautiful moments for special people.
Transforming a wilted space into a flourishing workplace
Interflora’s Sleaford headquarters wasn’t reflecting the brand or its people. The traditional layout, with rows of fixed desks and cellular offices, meant departments could have felt somewhat siloed, and the lack of natural light often made for a dark environment.
Having occupied the building since the 1970s, Interflora was looking for radical change. They wanted an immersive workplace experience for their employees and customers that reflected their culture and brand. Before the design and fit-out phase, we were commissioned to work on an in-depth consultancy piece, to help define what meaningful change looked like for Interflora and how it could transform their future of work.
Creating a workplace where office blooms
Planting the seeds of success
We established early on that this was fundamentally a people project. Despite the overall challenges regarding space and size, it would be people’s behaviours and their acceptance of the workplace that would define its success.
By gathering data and information through surveys, interviews and site visits, we got to understand Interflora’s brand essence, long-term business strategy and how its future office could better support employees’ well-being, work activities and processes.
Historically, the space had to accommodate hundreds of staff taking telephone orders and communicating with customers and suppliers in a more traditional way. However, the organisation has undergone a digital transformation, transitioning into predominantly e-commerce. This has changed the relationship between Interflora and its customers, and the connection between departments.
Our discovery phase helped determine the different roles, tasks and work patterns of Interflora’s employees. The workplace is occupied by several departments, including sales, marketing, technology and e-commerce, as well as a number of support functions. The new office had to not only consider the diverse needs across the workforce but also represent the entire organisation, including Interflora’s other brand, Flying Flowers.
Getting a whole bunch of people on the same page
Throughout the consultancy period, we held vision workshops to share data and insights, and align the leadership team. Before moving to the design and fit-out stage, we also needed approval from Interflora’s parent company. Outlining the cost and the benefits of turning three floors into two helped gain board approval.
Together, we agreed on headline objectives, which meant putting sustainability, productivity, well-being and employee/visitor experience at the forefront of design.
A future-proof workspace with room to grow
Interflora now has an incredible hub that inspires its entire brand while nurturing the health and well-being of the people working there. It supports hybrid working and moments that matter – socialising, collaborating and celebrations.
The unified and cohesive aesthetic incorporates both Interflora’s and Flying Flowers’ colour palettes. By opening up the front of the building, people walking through the heart of Sleaford can, for the first time, see Interflora and get a feel of the energy and vibrancy inside.
Interflora’s new full flower show suite means the team can hold workshops with their florists and display products, offering an impressive and welcoming visitor experience. The ground floor, with its amphitheatre, library, retreat areas and multi-functional spaces, operates as a social heart for collaboration, relaxation, meetings and learning.
“TSK listened, advised and worked hard to improve and hone the design along the way and we’re so happy with the final result!
We absolutely love working in our newly remodelled home and are extremely proud to showcase it to our customers, suppliers and partners – even the people of Sleaford that pass by the windows now get to see the energy coming from the new Interflora House.”
Sian Fell, Director of Human Resources and Facilities at Interflora
The first floor has flexible desks, breakout areas and a well-being room. The spine in the centre of the floor plate is designed to support innovation and connection. By implementing better workplace technology throughout, employees can now connect to anyone, anywhere.
Creating a more sustainable, resilient and flexible office for the future was a key consideration for this project. The new design means Interflora now occupies two-thirds of the space it had previously, which has helped reduce its carbon footprint. The building has also been assessed for greater energy efficiency, resulting in the installation of a brand-new air cooling and heating system.
This will be a landmark space in Sleaford town centre for a long time to come. As it develops and influences the surrounding environment, it will help attract and retain talent for Interflora and support its continued workplace evolution.
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