Between helter-skelters, innovative interior design, unique collaboration space and roulette tables, South Yorkshire offices have it all. Sliding into this issue, the unLTD team were welcomed through the keyhole at a number of quirky offices in the region as they explored different ways of working.
Wizu, Sheffield
An award-winning, disruptive operator with a specific focus on the North, 32 Eyre Street is a prominent city-centre landmark that has been completely re-developed to provide a beautifully designed flexible workspace.
The interior design is bright and modern, offering a mix of uniquely designed private offices, co-working spaces and meeting rooms. There’s also a state-of-the-art fitness suite on the ground floor.
unLTD’s Rachel Measures spoke to Katie Sanders, Wizu’s marketing manager. She said: “We have seen an uplift in co-working and flexibility. More people have gone freelance or grown tired of working from home which can be lonely.
“We have seen more companies come into the flex workspace from traditional leases that can tie them in for ten years or more. They are taking a more ‘hub and spoke’ approach to their real estate strategy, operating much more efficiently from a flexible workspace where they can grow and contract more easily.
“Wizu is a thriving community of like-minded businesses. Our spaces boost productivity and help people have those water-cooler moments. We deliberately refer to people as ‘members’, not ‘tenants’ because we’re about hospitality, not buildings.”
Find out more about Wizu at www.wizuworkspace.com/eyre-street
Electric Works, Sheffield
A welcoming, professional environment for fast-growing creative, digital, technology and media companies, Electric Works provides flexible office spaces for any business, with a range of office space, meeting rooms, a co-working lounge and even a three-storey helter-skelter!
The idea behind the helter-skelter was based on how fairgrounds have always functioned as a community on several levels. The sense of release that unifies individuals survives over centuries, and this jouissance is pervasive and powerful. You can read about it in a book called Disordered Haste: An Introduction to the Helter-Skelter Office Electric Works.
Find out more about Electric Works at www.electric-works.net/
Navartis Offices, Doncaster
Project-focused technical recruitment specialists, Narvartis, have particularly quirky offices – and if you need proof, I offer two words – ROULETTE and TABLE.
unLTD spoke to marketing manager Dan Stargatt all about their workspace.
He said: “In our office, everyone sits together no matter the level of seniority, which helps create a supportive environment and a collaborative way of working. A positive, vibrant and functioning office space gives our employees an environment to thrive. Recruitment is a fast-paced, personable and lively industry, so having the right ‘buzz’ in the office is paramount.
“We have a roulette table because we play weekly games for prizes, fun, and team bonding. People sit with their teams, so this time allows everyone to interact. It also helps that we’ll have a Friday beer or prosecco in hand!
“Our team talk about how working in an open space helps them feel motivated, as they are surrounded by like-minded, successful people who will always be there to support each other and through this, they achieve the best results for our customers.”
BMC 01, Barnsley
DMC is more than just a workspace. DMC brings style with co-working spaces, meeting and conference rooms, a Maker Lab and a roof terrace.
Matthew Snowden, communications and marketing manager at DMC, said: “DMC 01 is where we began. A home for anyone with a digital and creative business idea to start and scale their company and a collaboration space for companies wanting to do more with technology in their own business.
“Across the road from DMC 01, our expansion into DMC 02 provides much-needed growth space for larger companies who are scaling up. We’re powered by Barnsley Council, putting people at the centre of our creative world.
“We provide real support to the businesses and individuals that make this space their own. Like you, we’re entrepreneurs, as well as nice people that want to make great things happen.”
Find out more about DMC at www.barnsleydmc.co.uk/.
District Four Design
Doncaster-based District Four Design are strategists, storytellers, thinkers, creators and relationship-builders who are hardworking, trustworthy, detail-driven and passionate about the power of branding.
Managing director Kyle Donnachie told us all about designing workspaces in 2022.
He said: “We always look at a project from a brand perspective when designing a space. We ask our clients, ‘what is the first impression you want a visitor to have of your company?’ and ‘how do you want your employees to feel when they step through the door?’. Strengthening your brand message through interior design reinforces what your business is all about and shows people your values and why you are different.
Learn more about District Four Design at www.districtfour.co.uk/.
