I present to you a project for an Agile Office interior design for an IT company! I’m happy that I had the opportunity to work on this project as a consultant on behalf of the client, Reward Gateway.

The Beginning

Reward Gateway is an IT company founded in 2006 in London. Its mission is to make the world a better place to work and they undoubtedly achieve it. They have offices in London, Birmingham, Boston, Sydney, Melbourne. As of 2014, it opened its largest office in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Due to the success of the office and its rapid expansion, the company had to look for new space that would meet the needs of the teams of more than 200 people.

Stages

Study

The study phase was the longest in this complex project. For nearly 4 years, several different locations have been examined, studied and analyzed. In the end, one of the newest office buildings in Plovdiv – Kamenitsa Park – met all of the company’s requirements! It was selected to become the new home for Reward Gateway’s Plovdiv team.

Defining functional areas and refining the floor plan

Once the location was chosen, we took on the difficult task of identifying all the necessary areas that the company wanted to designate for its employees. The allocation plan had to be refined in great detail.
In addition to the compulsory desks and office chairs, we had to set up standing work areas as well as casual soft seating areas. There people can comfortably sit on upholstered furniture with a laptop in their hands.

The folding partition walls in the conference room help optimize the usage of the space depending on the occasion!

It was also necessary to provide meeting rooms – small for 2-6 people, medium for 10-12 people and one large conference room. Due to frequent video and telephone calls with colleagues from other offices and clients around the globe, we set up individual telephone booths. Their perfect sound insulation makes it possible to hold multiple calls at the same time without the noise interfering with the neighboring booths or the people who work near them.

The privacy which the phone booths provide is very important for open office spaces!

One of the most important elements of an office of this size is the dining area. In addition to having to provide the required number of appliances and seating, we understand that this is the place to socialize while on a break. We wanted to achieve a friendly and comfortable environment. People should be able to sit at the tables and spend a good time with their colleagues over a meal.

The Furniture

We’ve been working on the floor plan for several months until we were fully confident in its functionality. After we were happy with it we proceeded to choose furniture and materials.

As you might guess, Reward Gateway had high demands on them. We have relied on established brands like Herman Miller, Vitra, and Kinnarps! Undoubtedly the investment in quality furniture is a long term investment! It returns both in everyday life through the comfort and functionality which this furniture provides, and in the long run, because of the quality and durability of the materials, they are made of.

And the modern design and atmosphere they create are simply invaluable!

Installation

We’ve been testing furniture, visiting showrooms, and careful selection for several months! It was necessary so we could be absolutely confident with the key decisions and start ordering the furniture and supplies.
The requests followed the installation order and thanks to good planning and supervision, the materials were first laid – ceilings, flooring, insulation, paint, and lighting.

Only then we began arranging the furniture, appliances and finishing work.

Completing this Agile Office interior design project took almost 5 years of hard work by many people, but finally, we have it all set and done!

I am extremely grateful to Reward Gateway for the opportunity and trust they granted to me!

Working on this impressive project has been a priceless experience and an incredible pleasure for me!

Elitsa Dimitrova