Innovative. Stunning. Collaborative.

Fitting out FIS' new Birmingham office at Tricorn House presented more challenges than your typical project: a national lockdown, a radical client culture shift and a 60's floorplate that demanded creative thinking.

Project partners

  • MDA Consultancy

Key features

  • Bespoke reception and waiting area
  • Flexible town hall
  • Touchdown zones
  • Natural colour palette
  • Upgraded panel lighting

Project description

FIS Global is a Fortune 500, leading provider of technology solutions for merchants, banks and capital market firms globally. However, the US- headquartered firm was keen to push the boundaries and shake new life into an otherwise unremarkable space. The outcome is flexible, modern offices that could equally take pride of place in Madison Avenue, New York.

Three floors working together

The project connected space on the first, second and sixth floors of the challenging ‘Tricorn’ building, creating inspirational and collaborative work settings — a distinct departure from the siloed working style of the past.

To facilitate an agile business environment, we created areas for impromptu bar stool meetings, bench tables offering touch-down and break-out points as well as enclosed meeting rooms catering to all group sizes. Banks of desks benefit from natural light and have easy access to individual lockers. A flexible “town hall” space works in tandem with the adjacent bistro and informal tea-points

For quieter work, choosing the library setting, focus rooms or privacy booths conveys a clear “do not disturb” message and phone seats dissipate speech through a quilted ‘halo’.

Boosting biophilia

The FIS' brand pays tribute to natural landscaping and the organic movement which was a stimulating theme to weave through the design. Integrating biophilia into your workplace design has proven benefits for employee wellbeing and productivity; something the team at FIS will benefit from after moving into this naturally-inspired space.

Timber, concrete and stone effect is used in the flooring to divide work and relaxation zones and are laid out to reflect contour lines on a topographical map. The low ceilings were opened up and exposed lighting tracks, pipes and electrical works provide a raw openness to the space.

Furniture brightens up the grey base palette with aqua-blues and muted neutral tones. A host of textured fabrics, pockets of velvet with bronze detailing and lived-in leather armchairs create a homely feel. The lighting provides intimacy through warm copper cages and exposed filament bulbs cast natural soft hues.

The challenges posed by the floorplate, immovable data cabinets and occupied status became secondary hurdles once lockdown was imposed. Our priorities were refocused towards stringent health and safety procedures and bespoke measures to move people and materials on and offsite.

An unforeseen benefit of the intensely challenging COVID circumstances was a six-week gain on the project timetable.

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