A contemporary office for a new way of working

An office space ready for the future of work

In response to the Covid crisis, Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, is continuing to invest across its office portfolio with smaller, design-led office spaces. Their team found a perfect site in Bloomsbury, located in a Georgian building that has been renovated it floor by floor. 

"We see a growing demand and requirements for fitted-out office space. The global pandemic resulted in a shift to smaller office space units that feel more bespoke,” explains Josh Robins, Asset Manager at Aviva Investors.

Aviva Investors worked on Bedford Row with property consultancy Bluebook and appointed Clippings as the procurement partner for all FF&E, sourcing furniture for the work areas, the conference room and break-out spaces to create a smart, sophisticated look and feel. 

“There is a demand for more spacious offices, and people need fewer desks,” says Josh. ”It’s important to have these break-out areas as well as desks plus meeting rooms to round things off. This was already happening before the pandemic, but over the last 16 months, that process has accelerated.” 

The benefits of trying something new‍

“For previous projects, we worked only with one D&B Contractor. This time, we chose a different approach by going to Clippings for the furniture”, says Josh. “It was a more creative experience, but, thanks to the online platform, it actually didn’t bring more complexity to the process – which is ultimately the most important thing.”

Leasing agent Isabelle Ewart from Bluebook worked with the Clippings team on the design of the space and the product selection, with Clippings being able to source loose furniture as well as functional office furniture. 

Our procurement managers shortlisted product options for all spaces and saved them to the project on the Clippings platform. Bluebook and Aviva Investors could review the suggested items on the mood board, seeing different options side by side with all product details, including pricing, discounts and lead times, easily accessible. All teams could also access quotes on the platform, making it easier to compare costs. 

“Clippings has a more innovative product”, says Josh. "The platform allows anyone to look at a project, enabling all parties to get involved and collaborate.”

Design expertise on demand

To achieve the desired, contemporary design-led look, the final specification included products from leading Scandinavian brands like Hay, Gubi, Ferm Living and New Works for the meeting room and lounge area. For the workstations, Isabelle chose desks and office chairs from the British brand Workstories. 

With no interior designer involved, Aviva Investors benefitted from Clippings’ design services. Our team created the detailed floor plans, defining the placement of all furniture to achieve an open, friendly feel on the floor. 

Outsourcing all logistics worries

Once all orders were placed, the Aviva Investors and Bluebook teams could check the production and delivery status with the tracker on the platform. 

The project fell in the midst of the pandemic and Brexit, which impacted lead times and importing goods. But Aviva Investors could rely on Clippings to sort out all logistics problems. “ Our Account Manager James was very good at responding quickly and answering things we had to clarify”, says Josh. “Brexit and the pandemic hasn’t helped with procurement."

Clippings collected all deliveries in the companies’ London warehouse. Once the building was ready, all goods were shipped to the site in Bloomsbury. Our project manager Inga oversaw the installation of all products and the snagging process. 

“Your speed of work was very quick. It was a positive experience across the board”, Josh summarises working with Clippings.