Anthony Armitage, General Counsel at Thirdway, discusses their new office in the heart of London’s historic Clerkenwell which is the ultimate expression of their ethos. The project was delivered entirely in-house.
The headquarters exemplifies the very best in creative design and build. The enjoyment experienced by those who visit and work here speaks to its beauty and appeal. The outcome is all the more remarkable when reflecting on the journey it took to get here. Looking around it is easy to forget what stood before. A vacant, deteriorating building has been transformed into a state-of-the-art office with homelike softness and ambiance giving people real agency, stimulation and purpose.
The scheme at 224 St John Street was about far more than creating a great workplace. Every decision, detail and finish was carefully considered. Behind it sits an enormous amount of collaboration, craftsmanship and dedication from people who genuinely care about what they do.
The new space we have built is the perfect illustration of design and build delivered to the highest professional standards. Spanning five floors, it unites expertise in creative, technical, sustainability, delivery and legal specialists to create a headquarters that captures a single design intent: A Home for the Office. The result is world class.
From base build to user experience
A true testament to the ‘third-way’ of doing things, the scheme showcases the strength of the wider Thirdway Group, bringing together creative, technical, sustainability and delivery expertise to realise a headquarters that embodies its design philosophy; a place which speaks to creation and confidence, without compromise. From architects and interior designers to furniture consultants, technical service managers, commercial managers, project managers, site managers and many others, every individual played a part in bringing the remarkable vision to life.
We took possession of the former factory and warehouse building in an unoccupied and empty state, giving us the opportunity to repurpose the entire space sustainably, and to create a new statement façade in respectful recognition of the building’s heritage.
Designing from scratch in this way gave us the flexibility and freedom to focus on user experience from the beginning. A new central staircase provides a fluid connection between floors, leading to inspired space planning on each floor to encourage movement, interaction and reflection. Recognising fresh air, outside space and analogue activities can drive our productivity, the build incorporates a stunning new roof terrace and a fully equipped gym at the rear of the ground floor, complemented by high-quality changing facilities. Their proximity creates a seamless user journey, making it easy for employees to incorporate wellness into their working day while reinforcing Thirdway’s people-first approach.]#
Contractual foundation
Underpinning the project was the legal team’s calm co-ordination, common sense and wisdom to inspire confidence and help facilitate constructive dialogue and collaborative behaviour in the formation and operation of the building contract. From the outset, the legal team led on the contractual aspects, without needing external legal support. From our integrated position at the heart of the business, we were uniquely placed to co-ordinate activities during the pre-contract and delivery stages. We took control of the building contract to ensure that the employer followed the guidance from the contract-producing body that amendments to the standard form should be avoided as far as possible. This required expert negotiation and influence as the employer and the funder were both advised by big law firms that advocated for amendments to be made. Through our highly skilled discussion we persuaded those parties to follow the guidance with these dramatic results
- No delay getting into contract
- Efficient operation of the contract
- Minimised cost
- Saved time
- Parties had clear oversight of contract terms
- Balanced risk fairly
It cannot be overstated how important it is for the parties to the contract to understand how it operates. Lawyers should understand that amendments to standard forms can undermine the fundamental purposes of the contract to govern behaviour and encourage collaborative working. The parties to all types of building contracts should ask ‘what is the point of the standard form?’ to initiate a constructive new dialogue with their lawyers on how to add real value to the contracting process.
Someday all projects will be done this way.
