Investec Asset management
From our initial involvement in an uplift project in 2016 at Investec AM's Basinghall Street London office, our support continued through to the delivery of a ‘roll out programme’ across 4 countries, including a regeneration and re-stack project of the existing London office. The project resolved in 2019 with the creation of a 60 page workspace brand book, cementing and codifying the learning and experience. A brand book that would set out a detailed implementation guide, a 'how to’, if you like, for Investec AM offices globally.
Delivering a series of new offices throughout Europe, whilst trying to regenerate and re-inspire the 450 person London office, led to a multi faceted design and branding approach. As a young, rapidly growing global organisation, Investec AM’s expanding presence across multiple markets required a cohesive approach to interpret the workspace brand consistently. They needed a skilled, flexible partner that had a wealth of experience to support this roll out programme. Not just to shape, design and procure the fit out of the new offices, but also to support project management and delivery.
London
Starting with a pilot project in London working with the Investec AM Global Head of Workplace, Tahera Hammond, the projects began with a desire to test and introduce new, agile work settings within the existing London office. Re-stacking the existing workspace with sit/stand desks alongside the introduction of collaborative work settings of various sizes and formats.
MILAN
The next project, began mid 2017, involved a carefully administered CAT B fit out within a listed, characterful multi tenanted building in central Milan. The challenge, to implement the Investec AM brand sensitively but visibly within a semi domestic workspace. The choice of furniture, location and format of signage, with a non invasive introduction of new free standing and architectural lighting, choice of fabrics and rugs, even the curation of artwork and choice of coffee machine reflected the Italian local flavour to balance Investec AM’s cool financial brand.
LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg and Frankfurt quickly followed during 2018. The chosen location for the Luxembourg office, a signature building, Pole Nord, has a complex external and interior architecture, it faces two of the city’s main boulevards and the Pont Adolphe, connecting downtown and uptown Luxembourg, the views, as a result, are dramatic.
The floor plan at Pole Nord presented itself to be ‘divided’ in two, so that on exiting the lift, employees would go the right hand side of the floor and clients and external visitors to the left, providing access to a video conference facility and boardroom for the global Investec AM group along with a South facing external terrace. Mirroring the brand choices used in Milan, whilst remaining sensitive to the local aesthetic, the furniture, design, and finishes evolved, continuing the use of classic Italian products from Molteni, Moroso and Flos, mixed with stylish, well engineered meeting room furniture from Brunner and Arper.
FRANKFURT
The Frankfurt office, delivered as the brand manual was being finalised, became a more streamlined solution. Frankfurt is the financial centre for the German economy. The brief for the new workspace was for a client facing office as Milan. The workspace design, aligned to both the Milan and Luxembourg offices, featured a well appointed client lounge, new bespoke tea point, workspace and comms room/store. The design used the same mix of mid cost, high quality furniture suppliers, such as Molteni & C, Brunner and Moroso. Understanding and constructing a compliant environment was an unusually complex achievement, as Germany has very specific statutory requirements for space use, fire regulations and overall spatial planning.
Guernsey
The final office, in Guernsey, was delivered with even greater efficiency and simplicity, as the now complete brand manual informed the majority of configuration, finishes, furniture choices, fabrics and lighting.
RESULTS
Investec AM has now completely unity with each location, yet each workspace has it’s own individual, local differences based on unique cultural reference points - reflective of the architecture of the occupied building.
The most important factor, they all ‘feel like’ an Investec AM office, almost without you even realising they are part of the same group. Perhaps the biggest success of all.