The National Trust
After an operational review, The National Trust approached Optrys to reinvigorate its regional office at Westley Bottom Farm. Optrys transformed the space from a cramped and tired-looking office to a bright, functional and modern environment.
From start to finish, working with Optrys was both an enjoyable and professional process. They had a very clear idea about our aspirations and style. Selection, design, layout and installation were all handled with the same high standard of care and precision.
Crafting a new environment
The three departments making up the regional office had been housed in two separate buildings, four miles apart. Cramped and tired-looking, the cellular office layout in these sites did not fit with the ‘modern’ ways of working advocated in a recent operational review. At their new premises, a barn conversion at Westley Bottom Farm, the Trust was looking for a bright, modern environment that reflected the image and ethos of the National Trust, and provided the right conditions for effective working between the three teams, brought together under the same roof for the first time.
Working closely with Richard Hill, the Trust’s Projects Manager, Optrys produced a solution that addressed all of these concerns. The result of this close relationship was an office space that met the staff’s needs from day one.
New working practices
Moving away from the outdated model of working at the original sites, teams are now grouped together in small clusters of desks, facilitating collaborative working. Individual privacy and workspaces are created by the use of low-level dividing panels between desks, which include desk management accessories such as shelves and trays, creating extra storage flexibility for each member of staff. Between these ‘team clusters’, more formal storage and filing systems provide unobtrusive divisions of space, and have enabled the Trust to establish a standardised filing system throughout the office.
Flexible space
Collaborative working is assisted further by the provision of different styles of breakout spaces: staff are encouraged to exploit informal meeting points, situated near their workstations; small, private meeting spaces allow for more discreet meetings; and a large meeting room, with flip-top tables and stackable seating, provides a fully-flexible space for everyone.