The head office for a new 180-strong team of digital experts who create and test the digital shopping solutions that are a core part of the company’s business strategy.

A consultative charrette process allowed the digital team to feed into what they wanted the new workspace to be. They were keen to change how they worked with the desire for a more flexible approach a key requirement.

Clever planning using BIM allowed a new mezzanine level to be inserted into unused space discovered above an existing basement catering facility. The coffers of the ground floor structure above were utilised to increase net usable space by more than 3,200 sqft, making the existing space more efficient, and providing flexibility for future expansion. New elements of structure and services were exposed and located to maximise the useable mezzanine space.

The new typology featured ‘mixed-use’ spaces for collaborative and independent work including fixed work stations, sofa lounge areas, breakout hubs and quiet booths. A Lab-level ‘Garden Space’ provided a range of flexible activity spaces. Open plan team areas were mixed with quiet ‘scrums’ and a range of meeting facilities, using hot-spots of vibrant colours to highlight destination spaces for groups of varying sizes.

The new mezzanine level ‘Tree House in the Clouds’ featured a series of hexagonal ‘hives’ linked by walkways, providing quieter touch-down spaces for more concentrated working with fixed workspaces alongside a range of informal collaborative workspaces. The two spaces were linked by a central ‘collaborative’ central stair, designed as a ‘multi-use’ feature, providing space including an auditorium area for presentations and group work, as well as areas to sit and socialise.

Existing pavement lights were utilised to the full, with the space under them kept clear to flood the main circulation zones with natural light. Elsewhere artificial lighting was positioned and adjusted to accentuate the various activity zones and enhance the different working environments.

The Digital Lab was the first phase of our wider rationalisation of Sainsbury’s head office using a research-based process to design and deliver bespoke flexible and agile workspaces to reflect new ways of working. The Lab’s non-traditional work settings were rolled out throughout the remaining office floors at Holborn and in other Sainsbury’s Store Support Centres.