Gardiner & Theobold

When Gardiner & Theobald (G&T) sought our assistance in relocating their global HQ, they had been in Bedford Square for over a hundred years expanding from a single Georgian townhouse to occupy a terrace of 14 properties.

We advised moving to an efficient open-plan space at 10 South Crescent, WC1, relocating 320 of the London team into a fluid environment accommodating the 1000-strong organisation. Co-locating London employees into one building was an opportunity to support the business through operational and cultural change, centralise support amenities, and increase flexibility and social space for inter-departmental interaction.

We assessed G&T requirements with a variety of qualititive and quantitive tools, drawing up a strategic design brief, which prescribed space usage and directed interior design development.

G&T wanted to project a contemporary, professional and corporate image, so the interior design of the client journey from entrance to exit was crucial. A double-height white lacquered reception wall, with 3m high G&T logo recessed and lit from the inside edge, gave an elegant street presence for the firm’s brand. To reflect the firm’s egalitarian ethos the managing partner had the only cellular office, other employees were located in the open-plan environment.