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Thrive Homes are an independent housing association which owns and manages more than 4,000 rented and leasehold properties across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Their current headquarters is located at Westside, Hemel Hempstead, which offers a range of support services for their tenants.
Thrive is a very apt name, considering the company operates within some of the fastest-growing areas in the country. In recent years, population and business growth has risen significantly within the South East, which has allowed Thrive to well, thrive. By 2019, Thrive expect to offer a further 150 affordable homes for rent, sale or on a shared ownership basis. Due to their growth, the company are looking to expand their headquarters to cater for an expanded workforce; requiring a new office design in Hemel Hempstead.
Due to the increased number of properties that they own and manage, Thrive required an increase in head-office staff, to help with the management of the business.
As they had out grown their existing offices in Croxley Green Business Park, they decided to look for more accommodation in Hertfordshire to allow for future expansion and to allow the company to adopt a more flexible working environment.
Thrive required space that offered plenty of formal and informal meeting areas, for both internal and client meetings. Modern collaboration areas also were an important requirement.
Oaktree was asked to come up with a vibrant and contemporary design, which was considered important in showing that the company was a great place to work and would help attract the best candidates for new positions in the future.
Having received an initial layout proposal from the client, the Oaktree design team made some layout revisions, ensuring that the space worked for accommodating visiting clients and the office support teams.
Once on-site, our team prepared the site by removing parts of the ceiling, allowing for the work to commence on the air conditioning and lighting to fit with the new layout. A mix of glass and solid partitions were installed, which allowed our electrical teams to commence the data and electrical installations.
We created an open plan office area, with dedicated and hot desk private offices, a welcoming reception area, a formal boardroom, client meeting areas close to the reception area, client waiting areas and a tea-point area. Oaktree also designed and built a large staff breakout space, which could be used for future functions and presentations and could accommodate all employees when required.
During the build, final design finishes were agreed upon, in line with Thrive Home’s new corporate branding. Decoration and furniture were the final stages in our fit-out process for this project.
