BRUNTWOOD - LEEDS TECH INCUBATOR

Creating a co-working space for digital start-up businesses in Leeds

Project profile

The Tech Incubator was designed to provide a dedicated space for digital businesses in the city. Delivered in partnership with Leeds City Council, the hub offers a focal point for the regions’ digital talent and provides a base for early-stage businesses as well as more evolved ventures looking to expand.

The community of digital entrepreneurs are able to access a truly supportive environment with high-quality business growth support and an extensive network of funding partners.

Key to Bruntwood’s vision becoming a reality was early engagement with the IE design team, who used the Steelcase design principles for encouraging innovation and its insights on start-up enterprise culture to open up the dialogue and quickly align the spatial requirements with the business needs.

IE provided concept designs that accommodated fluctuating headcount figures and a mix of fixed and agile working settings. The design focused on the zoning of the space to align the types of behaviours and movement between zones, while also offering future flexibility.

During a short design development process, the plans and furniture specification were quickly agreed and delivered on budget and on time.

The results

Due to the central columns and bulkhead for mechanical services, meeting rooms of varying sizes were first positioned across the office. We allowed for open areas that included touchdown / team spaces and a visual connection across the floor-plate. Two additional, single person, focus rooms were added to support concentration work.

Dedicated workstations for fixed workers were utilised to the rear-half of the floor plate. The middle zone consisted of two co-working zones, a dedicated multi-purpose seminar / co working area and touchdown benching at two different heights.

A workcafe and business lounge formed the two front zones, all offering places to work, meet and socialise.

“IE quickly established the design principles required to deliver a vibrant community focused work space capable of easy adaptation of some key areas to address a variety of uses and activities.”

Craig Burrow, Director of Leeds,
Bruntwood