A space to inspire  

International management consulting firm Oliver Wyman wanted to provide its workforce with a warm, welcoming space to encourage collaborative working and innovative thinking. Vantage Spaces worked with workspace design and build experts TSK Group to blend in biophilic design throughout the two floors of space.

Pared-down elegance

The reception area has a subtle Scandinavian colour palette and modern structural lighting. In keeping with this pared-down elegance, large floor-standing specimen plants have been placed judiciously, and the stars of the show are a pair of large fig trees with beautiful braided stems. Planted into bespoke joinery, they almost seem to be part of the fabric of the building.

Calm and tranquil planted spaces

In the library area, planting has been used to create a relaxing space for periods of concentrated focus. Cosy booths designed for solo working face built-in planting, creating a pleasant leafy horizon and the perception of privacy in an open plan space.

Generous sweeps of planting

A breakout area features three bespoke ‘EnviroWall’ planted walls, placed back-to-back to give an impactful long sweep of colour. For practicality we used replica planting here, which blends in seamlessly with the surrounding living plants. Elsewhere, another bespoke EnviroWall features one of our preserved nature designs. This project is an excellent example of how to perfectly combine living plants with replica and preserved planting.

Lighting and planting inharmony

Beautiful lighting is a given throughout this space – the central atrium features glass orbs suspended at various heights, floating like glowing jellyfish. High quality replica trailing plants have been hung amongst them in similarly shaped vessels, enhancing the striking effect. As you descend the stairs, a seating area can be glimpsed through the lights and plants. An area of lush planting pops against the natural tones of leather seating and the black accents of the steel stairs – what would otherwise be dead space at the foot of the stairwell has been cleverly turned into an inviting place to catch up with colleagues.

A space for everyone

The resulting space is a warm and relaxed environment, full of home comforts and offering a mix of workspace typologies for co-working, breakout activities and hot desking. Throughout the scheme, planting is used generously in sweeps of leafy colour, allowing the Oliver Wyman workforce to benefit from the full impact of biophilic design. All planting is provided under our rental agreement, and therefore benefits from our ongoing maintenance package as standard – we’re going to really enjoy going back and seeing people use these beautiful spaces!

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