Ideas
Projects
Sectors
Services
Project
JN Bentley
A workplace expansion for cohesion, growth and day-one impact
Leeds
17,500
sqft
Office space
Outcomes
Challenge
People
A richer mix of spaces for collaboration, focus and wellbeing.
Insight
Place
A space that supports hybrid rhythm across the organisation.
Solution
Planet
The project respected environmental impact by reusing core infrastructure.
A richer mix of spaces for collaboration, focus and wellbeing.
A space that supports hybrid rhythm across the organisation.
The project respected environmental impact by reusing core infrastructure.
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Continued growth across JN Bentley brought an opportunity to re-imagine its shared Leeds workspace.
JN Bentley, working alongside its design and build companies Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) and JBA Bentley, recognised that their Whitehall Riverside office could evolve to better support a growing, collaborative business. As project activity expanded across the water and engineering sectors, the workplace needed to reflect not just increased capacity, but the way teams work together in the modern era.
The existing 8,500 sq ft office had long provided a strong base for the business. However, as teams grew and ways of working became more dynamic, there was a clear opportunity to enhance the space with a greater variety of settings for meetings, project work and informal collaboration - supporting flexibility while maintaining a strong sense of connection.
Just five minutes from Leeds station, the location remained a key asset. By adapting the workplace, the team set out to create an environment that responds to the rhythm of contemporary, hybrid working - one that supports collaboration, clarity and continued growth, while remaining firmly rooted in a location that works for both people and projects.
Understanding patterns, enabling better decisions
The goal was to define a space that could enable growth while reflecting the shared values and operational diversity of the organisation. Through mapping personas and hybrid work patterns, alongside forecasting daily occupancy for both colleagues and visitors, a clearer picture of real workplace demand emerged.
This insight informed a comprehensive scenario analysis - including the possibility of relocation. Ultimately, the most effective solution lay just two floors above. Expanding into a new 17,500 sq ft space within the same building provided the flexibility needed, while ensuring continuity and minimal disruption.
More space, more clarity, more connection
The new environment doubles capacity while offering much more than square footage. The design supports a wider range of working styles and meeting formats, including acoustically treated informal zones, flexible project areas, tech-enabled meeting rooms, and spaces purpose-built for focus, wellbeing, recovery or prayer.
Importantly, every spatial decision was aligned to operational objectives. Routes through the space are clearer for both colleagues and clients. Informal areas have been integrated to encourage spontaneous collaboration, and each brand now has settings that reflect its identity while supporting shared rhythm.
Sustainability through re-use, and inclusivity by design
Staying within the building allowed for reuse of core infrastructure - significantly reducing environmental impact. Sustainability was embedded not only in material choices, but in the decision to balance growth with responsibility.
The design also placed accessibility, wellbeing and inclusion at its core. Dedicated spaces for first aid, contemplation and quiet work are woven into the experience, while material, lighting and planting choices were carefully curated to foster a calm and engaging environment.
JN Bentley director, Jonny Burton, said:
“TSK understood our objectives from day one. They worked with us closely throughout the project and ultimately delivered a brilliant outcome, with the new space speaking for itself. The transformation is remarkable and it gives our teams based in Yorkshire a home to be proud of and one from where we can really deliver for our clients.”
A future-fit workplace with immediate value
For JN Bentley, MMB and JBA Bentley, the new workplace reflects how they work now - agile, integrated and outcome-focused. It brings colleagues closer together, enhances project delivery, and supports a unified yet flexible culture.
The move has delivered on its key objectives: a smarter use of space, a more coherent experience, and a clearer expression of shared ambition.
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