Far from clinical fit-out

16 November 2011

Scott Brownrigg Interior Design has recently completed the fit-out for clinical research organisation Quintiles’ new European headquarters in Reading.

Consolidating its 500 staff from three Bracknell offices, into the 121,350 sq ft BREEAM ‘Excellent’ building, the workspace can accommodate up to 800 Quintiles staff and supports dynamic working, in both open plan workstations and cellular hot offices. It also provides client and training facilities, staff amenity and welfare spaces. The new fit out, completed in 16 weeks by contractor Overbury, provides ‘an inspirational and sustainable workplace’ for Quintiles, incorporating many specialist facilities such as a business lounge, a 200 seat restaurant with external terrace, client conference and meeting suite, a telepresence videoconferencing room, an executive and boardroom suite and staff training facilities .

The focal point of the building is the full height linear atrium, which runs through the entire building, with the main entrance and reception area at one end, through to the restaurant seating and external terrace which overlooks Longwater Lake at the other end.

Scott Brownrigg Interior Design has added sky boxes to the atrium, which are cantilevered glass and timber clad rooms that create meeting or break out spaces. The sky boxes project out into the atria from various floor levels.

The project team consisted of; Project Managers, Cushman& Wakefield; Main Contractor, Overbury; M&E Consultants, Chapman Bathurst and Cost Consultants, Bingham Anderson.

Andrew Szanto, Senior Director Real Estate for EMEA led the Quintiles Project Team, and played a key role in the briefing and co-ordinating of in-house IT, AV, Catering and Facilities experts in bringing the project to fruition.

Szanto said “Bringing our people together in a special building with such an inspirational interior design has had a very positive impact on staff and our clients. Feedback from staff has been great, use of collaborative spaces is high, and there have been multiple opportunities for new connections to be made across our business lines. We are proud to host both customers and international Quintiles executives here.”

Mike Mortimer Quintiles Chief Administrative Officer and Chairman of its EMEA board said “We had great expectations and a tight timeline for the fit-out to ensure we could move in on our desired date. The entire team responded to the challenge and performed extremely well. We are delighted with the results.”

The building, designed by Scott Brownrigg in 2009, won the BCO Regional Award for Commercial Workplace and the OAS Award for Best Development Outside London in 2010.