Commercial - Office + Café
Blackfriars House
A landmark building in Manchester’s city centre, Blackfriars House underwent major transformations as part of Bruntwood Works’ Pioneer refurbishment ambition.
Brief
Over a 26-week programme, we were appointed to deliver a new flexible workspace on the ground floor, also including a 1920s inspired reading and podcast room, lounge area and coffee shop. The works on the 4th and 6th floors include the creation of new private offices and a communal kitchen area to complement the ground floor scheme.
How we delivered
On site, we identified the key requirements of the client early in the project and opted for a phased delivery to allow certain areas of the building to remain in use by existing customers. Our site team developed a good working relationship with the building management team, providing ongoing updates for planned works and coordination of any works which impacted the existing customers.
Our designers worked with the architect’s plans to develop the colourful and vibrant interior scheme that our client wanted to achieve – regular design workshops and sample sessions with the client team were key to creating a destination workspace.
The result
A plush co-working space on the ground floor which stands out to the market with a professional yet homely feel, with the open plan heading into bean coffee shop.
Clashing colours, bold patterns and a wide mixture of fabrics give the space the eclectic look we were hoping to achieve.
The podcast room is a cosy hideaway and praised by the client’s team as being the perfect spot to relax; the 1920s inspired design acts as a small tribute to the building’s cultural heritage.
Dragonfly have felt like an extension of our team and genuinely did whatever they could to make our day easier and keep our customers happy. I think I’m probably one of the only building managers in history that will actually miss the contractors being onsite!
Janet
Building Manager - Bruntwood Works