We’ve had an office refurb!

09/09/2021

The past year has seen a massive change in the way we work and live, with disruption to events, travel, recruitment and new ways of working being introduced across many organisations. With a workforce working from home and the hopes of launching our new hybrid working model, we set about completing our office refurb!

Although we are adapting to what “office life” looks like as we enter our new normal,  we’re thrilled to have spruced up the place for our employees to work comfortably and, of course, productively whenever they choose to return. Read more about that here.

Before

We are lucky enough to have a very large office space full of natural light and a clean aesthetic. However, after spending over a year in our cosy office spaces at home, it was clear we needed a bit of a refresh and so we decided to move away from the  blank white walls and “clinical” feel. Not to mention the echo which is not ideal for virtual calls.


After

As our team worked so well remotely, we took into consideration how everyone actually wanted to work post pandemic. After a staff survey was completed, HR and managers did some planning and came to the decision for us to transition to a hybrid model. This would be driven by remote first, with the option to come into the office as little or as much as you like! 

Of course, for this to be able to work with some people at home and some in the office simultaneously, it was important that we took into consideration how it would actually succeed. 

Decor 

We wanted to take advantage of  the white walls where possible and decided to add office murals to add life and character to the space. We also added a chalkboard wall in the entryway to keep everyone updated and leave notes to each other, as well as collaborating with a biophilic landscaping company to fulfil the vision. My favourite addition has been the office plants… I mean who doesn’t love plants? As well as helping to dampen the sound, this really made the office feel cosy with a modern twist.

Meeting rooms

We only had two meeting rooms before the renovation. Everything else was completely open plan with no designated areas for private meetings, virtual meetings, or quiet working. After over a year working at home and staff consultation we found that many of our employees valued a quiet work space whilst others preferred a more social and collaborative environment. With the change to our hybrid model we knew this would mean having a mix of employees both at home and in the office, all with different working needs. Bearing this in mind we added 6 extra meeting spaces to cater for calls and collaborative working. This consists of a big group meeting room, 2 smaller meeting rooms, an open collaboration booth, and a cozy 121 room. 

Work stations

Aside from the standard banks of desks that we already had, we placed a few sets of high desks which not only look great but are also really comfortable to work at and offers the option of standing working. It brings a different feel of working when you are around a table, rather than a row of desks allowing our technical teams to collaborate more effectively.

The future of Ampersand

By implementing a new way of working with our hybrid policy, we are striving for flexibility within our teams but also hoping to achieve a compatible and collaborative way to bring everyone together. We want to ensure that everyone is equipped with the technology and space to suit  their own way of working and their lifestyle as we know how important this has become…which is why flexibility is one of the benefits we pride ourselves on!

Ampersand is continuing to grow rapidly and we hope our new refurb, hybrid model and flexibility continue to support our growing team. 

We’re really looking forward to things getting back to normal, enjoying office lunches, participating in tech events and being back together as a team. If you think you could see yourself working with us in our lovely new office, why not check out our current software engineering opportunities here