Spec Finish

Feature 24 www.thefis.org Having renewed the office lease, the FIS Board agreed to give the office a face-lift. The intention was to do a partial fit-out but its members stepped in to create an office to be proud of. FIS OFFICE FIT OUT F ollowing consultationwith the FIS team, Boardmember, PhilipBrown, MDof Meronden, and FISOperations Director, Jane Knight, drewup plans and the outline budget, working around the current floor plan and leaving the ceilings and partitions in place. However, onceword spread, members came forwardwith offers ofmaterials and help, and plansweremade to replace the ceiling, partition and entrance door too. Shades of grey and FIS purple were chosen as the basis for the colour scheme, to co-ordinate with the grey storage walls; some of which were dismantled and relocated to suit the new layout. A new ceiling and LED lighting were installed, which has added to the visual and acoustic properties of the space with new grey carpeting pulling the scheme together. To encourage the team to take time away from their screens, a breakout area was designed in what was traditionally the ‘post room’. The addition of a mural and scaffold board table and benches created a relaxing space, which is used both for breaks and informal meetings. What was originally an office, has been changed into a meeting room and extended by adding a 45 degree bay front. The biggest impact has been creating a tea-point in the main office (the original kitchen was in what is now a storage cupboard), as well as ‘smart’ new toilets that wouldn’t look out of place in a boutique hotel. Re-use and recycle In a bid to recycle as much as possible, old furniture and discharged storage walls went to charity and what they wouldn’t take was upcycled into boxing and shelving. Where possible, materials were chosen for their environmental credentials and acoustic properties. Jane said: “Other than a lick of paint, the FIS office hadn’t been touched since 1998, so a refurbishment was met with great excitement. Although we only had a small space to work with, and an even smaller budget, we wanted to create zones to allow for a breakout area, open plan workspace andmeeting space. “The office looks so different now and the way it is being used has changed dramatically. It has made a big difference to the whole team. “Members are welcome to use the meeting room subject to availability or just to pop in to say hello.” FIS would like to thank all members who generously donated materials or time, and the labour only subcontractors who made the project happen Ceilings – Saint-Gobain Ecophon, installed by Taylor Hart. Ecophon Master™ Eg is a unique system that conceals the supporting tile edges, creating a distinctive floating appearance. It’s suitable for open-plan offices where good acoustics are a must, making it ideal for the FIS office. www.ecophon.com/uk/ Lighting – Burland Technology Solutions Burland Technology’s Hyperion anti- viral lighting significantly reduces the opportunities for pathogens to spread amongst office staff. These LED ceiling lights harness innovative technology using titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) to clean the air of microbes, toxins and odours, and help reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19. www.burland.com The newmeeting room The updated FIS head office with the tea-point