Owers Warwick Architects were appointed by Savills to develop the fit-out design for its new commercial office at Botanic House on Hills Road, Cambridge.
Located on the second floor of the building, the new office provides approximately 660m² (7,100ft²) of net internal area. The move represented a significant reduction in floor area compared with Savills’ previous Cambridge office, requiring a more efficient use of space while maintaining a variety of working environments.
A key part of the project was an extensive staff consultation programme undertaken by OWA during the briefing and design development stages. Workshops and interviews with representatives from different business units informed the workplace strategy, helping to establish requirements for team adjacencies, meeting spaces, collaborative working and staff facilities. The resulting layout was developed directly from this feedback and from analysis of workplace utilisation data.
The completed fit-out accommodates 70 workstations, increasing capacity from the building’s original test fit of 34 desks. Alongside open-plan workspace, the office includes two phone booths, three two-person video call booths, a four-person meeting room, two six-person meeting rooms, an eight-person meeting room and a 20-person boardroom. A range of informal collaboration settings, providing approximately 35-40 additional seats, are distributed throughout the floorplate alongside a central social hub and dining space.
Supporting facilities include a wellness room, print room, preparation room, communications room, lockers and dedicated storage spaces. The design focuses on balancing desk-based work with meeting, social and collaborative environments, creating a workplace that responds to contemporary working patterns while making efficient use of a relatively compact floorplate.
Botanic House from Hills Road looking South
Botanic House from Hills Road looking North
