Workplace
Adams Street Partners
A brand-new London office for Chicago investment managers Adams Street Partners
1 Floor
10 Week Programme
8,000 Sq Ft
The Challenge
Adams Street partners sought to create a workplace that reflected their core values but was individual to the local working culture.
The Solution
Design a workspace that maximises the views of Hyde Park offering flexibility with various amenities to support different wants of working.
The Result
A workspace that reflects their global brand and supports different work styles and preferences helping with engagement, and performance.
Designing a workspace that epitomised the ethos of the global leader in private markets.
Adams Street Partners is one of the most respected and experienced global private markets investment managers, with a head office in Chicago and teams in more than 30 countries around the world.
When it came to the design and build of their London office at One Great Cumberland Place – a spectacular location next to Marble Arch station and Hyde Park – we worked with Adams Street Partners to create workspace that met their needs.
A collaborative approach
We began working with Adams Street Partners by refining the brief and properly understanding their requirements as the company moved forwards.
We began with an employee survey as well as a series of management interviews, which enabled us to work out exactly what they wanted to achieve and how that could be done. From this a space plan was carefully creates around their needs.
Armed with that information, Senior Designer, Kasia Miroslaw, then set to work on look and feel concepts, engaging in interactive client workshops for a truly collaborative approach.
Core values and culture
We presented the team with three different looks for the space, ultimately selecting a classic grey, white and blue aesthetic that was in keeping with their brand.
A traditional organisation with a clear way of working driven by their Chicago head office, the format of the space sought to reflect those core values whilst also adapting for their London location and local working culture.
Finding the right balance
We wanted to maximise the views of Hyde Park, not only from client meeting rooms but also for employees to enhance their workplace experience and support their wellbeing.
Adams Street Partners needed both private spaces as well as flexible office space, but both needed to benefit from natural lighting. Private management offices were placed down centre of the space optimising the natural light for all team members.
The space included a breakout area and tea point with flexible features so it can be used for ad hoc meetings that don’t need acoustic or visual privacy, as well as downtime. Supporting to create a community within the business and encourage employees to collaborate. The flexibility of this area allows the space within their office to be maximised as it can be used for a variety of purposes.
Coherent communication
The challenges on the project stemmed predominantly from the unknown elements that couldn’t be fully quantified as the building itself was going through a refurbishment that had not yet been completed.
We completed several site visits to communicate coherently with contractor refurbishing the building and work alongside their progress ensuring the project ran smoothly from start to finish and was delivered on time.