An agile, growth-driven workspace for XPS Group

A future-facing focus on flexibility

For this project, Penketh Group’s team worked closely with the CBRE Design Collective, who had designed the space in-house. Our job was to bring the design scheme to life by providing furniture pieces to spec, on brief and within budget.

The design, furniture and fit out all worked in synergy to provide the client with the highly flexible and adaptable workspace they were looking for. XPS Group was keen for their new NOMA space to be able to grow as the company evolves, which meant the furniture and configuration of the working environment needed to be equally agile and versatile.

Penketh Group’s team took the client to London so they could get familiarised with the furniture first-hand and experience it up close and in person before it was specified for their workspace. The final specification was a 50/50 divide between fixed furniture and height-adjustable furniture to provide versatility and more choice and control for space users.

Furniture for the space also included bench desking for resident workers in combination with open-plan flexible meeting and breakout spaces. We included the Steelcase Flex range into the scheme to give the added benefit of tables and chairs on wheels that can be easily moved and reconfigured.

We also specified flip-top tables in the dedicated training room, which can be reconfigured for a range of different functions depending on how the space is used. This makes the space more multi-purpose as it can be used as a meeting room, a seminar-style room, with row seating or with breakout group seating.

Collaboration and a sense of community

The driver for the new workplace in Manchester was to relocate XPS Group teams from existing offices around Salford and Manchester into a single destination that would set the tone for a new direction for the business. The aim was to leave tradition and siloed work behind, swapping it for a more collaborative, dynamic workspace with a sense of community and coming together.

We supported this vision by incorporating breakout and meeting spaces that support a variety of postures (e.g. high and low seating) and both digital and analogue work. The on-site workcafe also supports a community spirit and fosters social capital. However, the space also acknowledges an essential need for privacy and focus with several settings designed for concentration, including privacy booths for 1-6 people.

Mix Awards North 2024 Finalists – Project of the Year, Workplace Interiors

We’re pleased to share that XPS Group’s new workspace was nominated as a finalist in the 2024 Mix Awards North—a testament to the success of the space and all of the partners who worked on it.

We’re always proud to be part of the team on projects that are nominated for awards. So, before you go, take a virtual look around Dentons’ Edinburgh offices, which won a Mixology North23 Project of the Year award and has been featured in Dezeen and secured a BREEAM Excellent-rated standard.

Planning a project of your own? Get in touch today to learn more about how our award-winning team can help.