Testimonials
 

Driving Standards Agency

The Driving Standards Agency is extremely proud of the new office space that has been designed by grant thorp. The office is a modern, environmentally-sound, comfortable and professional space where we can deliver excellent customer service and communicate effectively with one another.

The superb facilities are helping us to achieve and maintain a high level of professionalism for internal and external customers. The working areas, meeting rooms and the stunning atrium have contributed to the creation of an environment of cohesion and cooperation, by encouraging communication, transparency and trust.

The Driving Standards Agency is working towards targets, shared across Government, ranging from the environment to climate change, from sustainable communities to protecting our natural resources. grant thorp understood our commitment to the environment, and by careful planning, helped us to have sustainability at the centre of the office.

We are all looking forward to making full use of the new facilities. Already the day-to-day users of the office are positive about their experience of working here:

“The building is certainly the best I've worked in during my career.”

“I love it! There has been so much attention to detail. We could not wish for a better place to work.”

We are all excited about showing our visitors and guests the stunning range of facilities that have been incorporated into the office. The feedback from our visitors has been very complimentary, and they are impressed with the level of detail within the design. Our staff from all around the country are eager to visit the new office, and even retired colleagues have been in touch asking to be given the guided tour!

We would like to thank grant thorp for designing a space that is already helping us achieve the best, respect people, make a difference and look outwards.
   
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West Bromwich Building Society – Principal Office

The West Bromwich Building Society is extremely pleased to be associated grant thorp on a number of high profile projects.
 

The design input from grant thorp has brought a breath of fresh air to a tired 1970's building in the centre of West Bromwich. The concept, interior design and execution of our new Contact Centre housing some 143 workstations has provided the infrastructure to move our award winning business forward. The Call Centre was short listed for an Award for Best Call Centre Environment.
 

grant thorp have also ably assisted the Society in transforming a traditional Board Room into a hi tech multifunction meeting facility, utilising a third of the original space with similar capacity.
 

grant thorp have not only introduced good modern design but have been able to couple this with excellent space utilisation at an affordable price.
 

David V Carrott FRICS, Corporate Facilities Manager

West Bromwich Building Society – Contact Centre

“The new Contact Centre has been a hit with every one involved. From the moment you walk out of the lift you are in a transformed environment – vibrant, inspirational and welcoming. It has very quickly become a successful part of the Society’s major business transformation. The staff love their new facilities and the Directors have started using the breakout space to begin their meetings before moving to the project room in preference to the boardroom upstairs. The next phase is eagerly awaited.”
 

David Poulton Project Genesis Manager
   
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Whittingham Riddell Accountants

Phil Lane, Managing Principal said, "We moved here from converted town houses which had become time consuming and really an impediment to our development. Everyone has settled in very quickly which is testimony to the design team’s work. The use of space is both efficient from the business perspective but also allows everyone in the open plan to feel that they are working in oceans of space. We are very pleased to have worked closely with grant thorp who took the time to understand our business needs and have delivered an environment that we are all very proud of. Everyone wants to show visitors around to see what we have here and all are very complimentary of our workspace.
 

We were all expecting a serious amount of downtime with moving a long established business. However with careful planning with grant thorp we were able to understand our filing needs and used the run up to moving to thin where possible and to embark upon a less paper approach. This did of course make the storage requirement a little harder to accurately assess but we are pleased that we got it right for the move. Everything went where it should have and we have since incorporated our Ellesmere office staff in the new office without any problems. Downtime has in fact been less than expected and hopefully disruption caused to clients will be negligible.

The cafe/breakout area has been a major success. Moving out of town was a concern to staff who were used to walking into town for their lunch break. grant thorp designed for us a space with comfy sofas and modern tables and chairs. This area is well used both at lunchtime and at other times in the day as voice and data facilities have been incorporated to give complete flexibility.
 

The firm’s Principals were used to having offices of their own. We have now moved the majority into open plan and this has been widely accepted. Principals have been given work areas that allow some privacy and sound reduction but have a wide access to dedicated meeting rooms which greatly improve their efficient working practices. Inevitably, people dislike change and the loss of a dedicated office was a potential minefield. However the design of space was sympathetic to Principals’ needs so problems just didn't arise.
 

A lot of time was devoted to the lighting in the building. I was concerned at the proposed use of suspended lights over work areas moving from a building with old fly trap suspended light units. Following visits to other sites and continual reassurance from grant thorp, the decision to go with this sort of lighting was made. The choice of light units has given a stunning outcome, both aesthetically and from a functional perspective.
 

Everywhere looks so nice and it is a pleasure to come to work. Many thanks to grant thorp for making it happen."
   
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Estates Gazette, Reed Business Information

“The refurbishment has changed a cramped, cluttered, outdated office space into a modern working environment. The old problems encountered whenever you needed a meeting room at short notice are gone and it’s nice to work at a media company that now looks and feels like a media company.” Ben Sole, marketing sales manager.
 

“There’s more discussion and ideas sharing...and we can move projects forward faster. Environment and culture make a big difference when we recruit new people and this is one of the best I’ve worked in.” Lawrence Mitchell, group marketing director.
 

‘The EG group is a business transformed; having been cocooned in the labyrinth of corridors and cubby holes that was Wardour Street, it has emerged bright, shining and energised in Procter Street. Everybody is now in a working environment that is conducive to feeling good about the job they do. The design, layout and space all contribute to that feeling and staff reactions have been uniformly positive’’ R. Brighouse, Publisher.
 

’The new office is crisp, clean and professional. It is a workspace to be proud of’ Features Editor.
 

’Fabulous – we like it a lot’ Editor.
   
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Lee Crowder Solicitors

“The most noticeable advantage for us as a team of lawyers has been how much better it is to pass information around the office. It is so much easier to get a feel for what’s going on. Problems are picked up on, and it becomes obvious if someone is under pressure or has too much work. With the old system of cellular offices people hid their stress behind closed doors which is ultimately unproductive. The spaces work for fee earners and administrative staff alike, even though it looked a bit tight on the plan initially. We have even managed a small expansion this year which would have been impossible with fixed partitioned offices.
 

The clean, smart colour scheme has been hugely successful and turned a dull temporary space into a bright enviable office.’’ Kevin Nagle, Partner in charge of Property Department.
   
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Chartridge Conference Centres

Cocktail bar at The Priory, Hitchin

The initial concept boards showed a bright colorful cocktail bar with various appealing details such as the blend of carpet and timber flooring meeting with a gentle eye catching curve.
 

grant thorp achieved a stunning room which has been well received by clients and staff alike. The wall and ceiling lights show off the entire room suggesting a sense of space that overstates the actual size of the bar area.
 

The selection of furniture blends well with a 13th century property without looking out of place.
 

It will be easily maintained in to the future as normal wear and tear of a cocktail bar takes place over time.
 

Coffee lounge at Chartridge Conference Centre, Chesham

Our criteria was to carry out any refurbishment during normal business hours therefore requiring a simple theme. grant thorp totally understood our requirements and produced a contemporary design easily delivered by the contractor without any undue inconvenience to clients.
 

Design suggestions went further than I had originally wanted to go – but after seeing previous proposed designs successfully delivered at our other centres by grant thorp it was agreed to follow the design without change and hold faith with the vision of the designer.
 

Barry Wilson, Chartridge Conference Centres
   
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Groundwork (UK) Birmingham

"The difference in working conditions compared to our previous building is tremendous. The new open plan working arrangements allow staff much more interaction with each other, improving the communication between teams and departments.
 

The new meeting rooms on the ground floor have made a big difference to the organisation, and with the folding wall, have given us extra flexibility.
 

The Atrium area is being well used by staff to relax at lunchtime as well as being used for informal small meetings on a regular basis.
 

Overall, Groundwork is delighted with it's new premises at Lockside“

Richard Denton Groundwork (UK) Birmingham
   
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