Hermes Office, Leeds

Throughout the design evolution for Hermes, there was a constant strive to incorporate unique and effective materials to ensure that the level of innovation throughout the workspace matched the ever-changing market they work in and place the emphasis on employee wellbeing. To highlight the Hermes parcel journey, standard LED linear lights were re-imagined to create custom miniature models. Ensuring high employee satisfaction, integrated storage solutions were pushed to their limits by using every inch of wall space available to maximize flexibility throughout the office. Walls consisted of shelving units, a pull out file store, cloak space lockers, archive store, recycling, refuse and confidential waste, along with tea points, meeting points and quiet work areas! Both visually impressive and very hygienic – non porous Corian wash troughs were installed in all washrooms to accentuate the modern and contemporary design. Throughout the office, perimeter columns were clad with wall talker to ensure that every inch of the space was maximized and custom ‘goal post design’ write on screens were used for team collaboration, tinted Perspex were used to optimize the light and visibility throughout each wing. The very necessary emergency lighting by the stairways were adapted by using non-traditional lighting which blended well with the rest of the contemporary design and to enhance the visual impact upon entry of the building. PET felt screens with custom design were incorporated on workstations which not only offered acoustic benefits but additionally promoted Hermes as a brand and contributed to the aesthetic.

Prioritizing employee wellbeing was a main aim when designing and including fully inclusive concepts so that employees enjoyed their experience at Hermes. The washrooms highlight this as they all have the same finish – male, female and accessible WC’s included. A beautiful shower was also installed in the same finish which whilst having a homey feel, tempts many to walk or cycle to work. Working closely with the Hermes HR team made sure that each individual had everything they needed to carry out their job as seamlessly as they could, this was done for the director and management to cleaners and visiting delivery people. Each wing has a tea point, AV areas to connect with teammates working remotely, private meeting areas, quiet spaces, collaborative spaces, storage, lockers and cloak space. The second floor is home to a large staff canteen with a commercial kitchen and a fantastic menu that’s displayed on a one display screen. Efforts were made to ensure the journey through the space had capabilities of offering impromptu meetings. The Hermes DNA and brand drove and influenced the design to offer a clear vision of Hermes and its internal culture to any interviewees. Visual interest encouraged daily exercise as staff and visitors would hopefully choose to take the stairs as opposed to the lift, to enjoy the miniature scenes with the 3 pendant lights, although the design was integrated into the lifts, to allow anyone opting to take this route, to enjoy the same experience.

Most importantly, a conscious effort was made to improve the long-term sustainability of the office. With easily-accessed recycle points integrated within each of the six wings of the space, everyone in the office naturally feels compelled to recycle. Within each tea station, boiling taps were installed to avoid water wastage. With its carbon neutral journey, Interface carpets were used throughout the design and LVT flooring, made with sustainable practices and its well-known durability. Avoiding landfill and repurposing was a priority for many existing materials throughout the building, which was made possible with a good clean! Such was the case for the ceilings all over the building, and some of the existing furniture. LED lights were used throughout the design, and in all cases replaced neon lights yet still were highly effective. In order to maximise interaction with the natural world, biophilia was blended into the furniture as part of the overall design. Made from responsibly farmed New Zealand lambswool, Camira blazer fabric was also incorporated where possible. Porcelain timber-look tiles were used, which require less maintenance but are longer lasting which in turn means having a lesser impact on the environment. Corian wash troughs – a low VOC product- contributed to an overall minimal impact on air quality.

With creativity at the core of Hermes’s interactions, it was crucial for this to be radiated in the design to allow for maximum originality and inspiration. The use of a subtle, yet dramatic lighting feature symbolises the Hermes ecosystem as a whole, and the average journey of a parcel. Home technology is demonstrated throughout the client meeting area and vibrant collaborative stand-up meeting rooms reflect the very strands of Hermes DNA as to ‘think inside the box’. There are open audio-visual meeting and collaborative spaces for both staff and visitors, which successfully promote the Hermes local store parcel drop off points. A large 5000x2200mm display screen was installed in the reception area to have an impressive visual impact, which is accentuated by contemporary, custom joinery, brand colours and blended with a faux green wall. Aimed to reflect the clients DNA, custom LED neon-style signage with the words ‘DO’ ‘DARE’ ‘STRIVE’ ‘BE’ are placed near the stairway. A custom Corian reception desk with an integrated laptop store and heating is enjoyed by the staff, with additional custom reception seating with parcel drop off and print in store facilities. Having a switch manifestation in the director’s office, allows for privacy when it’s needed.