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G R Wright and Son’s are an award winning, family owned flour milling business, established in Ponders End Mills, near Enfield in 1867 by George Reynolds Wright; his great, great grandson, David Wright, is the company’s current chairman.
The company mills a wide range of flour products under the Wright’s brand. Their products are supplied to small bakeries throughout the country as well as to the largest supermarket brands. Their mill produces over 1,000 tonnes of the finest quality flour every week.
The company’s original mill was powered by water from the nearby River Lea, until the electrification of the plant in 1913. The site was further transformed into a modern food factory in 1963, where it has continued production to this day.
Wright’s have recently acquired a new site at The Pinnacles in Harlow, Essex, which is being transformed into a brand-new state of the art new mill. The site also accommodates a large warehouse and three-storey office building, which Oaktree Interiors have refurbished into a modern new headquarters.
Due to the age and condition of the interior, a full strip-out of all areas was initiated, including all of the core facilities to each floor, with stairways, toilets and landings requiring a full refurbishment.
A new heating, cooling and ventilation system was installed throughout, as well as a complete re-wire of all electrical and data infrastructure, new lighting and a new communications room, with links needed between the offices, warehouse and mill. New carpet and vinyl flooring were laid throughout.
The newly formed corridors were created as ‘curved’ walkways, built predominantly from full-height glass and solid doors, enhanced with the installation of bulkheads above, giving a modern and contemporary look. The boardroom / training areas were created with moveable, folding partition walls. The breakout area was created between the open plan office and meeting rooms, providing a natural sound barrier, whist being easily accessible to both staff and visitors.
A timeline of Wright’s company history was included within the design of the modernised, large reception area. New furniture was installed across the entire site.
The project was completed over 16 weeks during the spring and summer of 2020.
The three-storey 21,000 sq. ft. office building, situated adjacent to the site of a new mill, which is being constructed for the company at the same time as the office fit-out project, was vacant for a number of years. All of the internal areas of the building were in a very dilapidated condition and required a full ‘shell and core’ refurbishment.
The re-fit of the ground floor required a complete modernisation of the large reception area, along with the creation of the new canteen, changing and cloakroom facilities for the factory and warehouse staff.
The office areas required a secondary reception area, for welcoming visitors, open plan offices, director’s offices, multi-functional boardroom, training room and meeting rooms, with adjoining tea points and break-out spaces.
The design brief was to create a modern and functional space, incorporating the company’s brand identity and celebrating their 150-year company history.
“Really proud to present our completed office and staff facilities, this has been a labour of love for us to design with the help of Oaktree Interiors. We always wanted a modern office, but at the same time, it was important that we used this space to celebrate our rich and long history. Floor to ceiling murals and a timeline running up the staircase really brings the place to life. The mural of Florrie packing small packs of flour, circa 1950 sits in the staff breakout area. We wanted to make sure the facilities were great for all the staff, make it a place people wanted to come and work, hopefully, we have achieved it!”
