Enso Energy | Cirencester

Enso Energy are renewable energy developers with a passion for sustainability. Their mission is to save UK farmlands, minimising impact, and increasing biodiversity.

As a leader in the transformation of the UK’s power system, they strive to create an adaptable and modern workspace that facilitates an accessible approach to hybrid and in-office working. Kerr Office Group were approached by Enso Energy to reinvigorate their Cirencester workplace, in line with their sustainability ethos.

The Brief

Enso Energy is a mid-size company of around 20 employees but wanted a growth space for up to 30. Though many employees don’t come into the office full-time, giving each employee their own desk space was critical. 

Space was key, so we carefully designed the workspace to ensure that desks weren’t sitting back-to-back and were not within the main traffic routes within the office.  

The two focus areas for our design team were the breakout area, and the client-facing space.  

Creating an office hub

The breakout spaces needed to act as a central point for colleague refreshment and time out, as well as serving as a gathering place for whole company meetings and socialising.  We dedicated a large chunk of the floor plan to this space, ensuring it could deliver on all needs as the heart of the office. 

We recommended multiple types of seating for different activities; incorporating a large, long table to encourage community and social interactions as desired, something that had noticeably lacked in their previous space. 

To ensure accessibility for all, the main tea point is DDA compliant with a dropped worktop height and a void under the sink for wheelchair users. 

Welcoming clients and guests

Enso Energy didn’t require a formal reception space, so instead, we built an informal meet and greet space with screens that would enable the projection of specific welcomes to clients. This runs alongside a small waiting area and tea point to serve visitors. 

For client meetings, we designed a large 14-person boardroom and the executive suite. The boardroom has high-quality finishes and furniture, including one large table with a scratch-resistant top to elevate the finish of the entire space. The executive suite incorporates desk space for the directors, as well as a small table for more informal meetings. 

Home away from home

The design vision creates a home away from home when people come to the office. It incorporates the comforting elements of soft seating, a tea point with microwaves, zip-boiling water taps, soft and textured fabrics, and many timber-effect finishes. Alongside this, the comfort of each employee having a personal desk, with the additional benefits of spaces to use flexibly for informal meetings, group collaboration spaces, quiet working spaces, and standing workspaces are great facilities that colleagues are unlikely to have access to at home. 

With sustainability being a key part of Enso Energy’s company ethos, we considered this at each stage of the design and finishing. From flooring to upholstery fabrics to furniture, each material was chosen based on its sustainability credentials and carbon footprint.

We ensured that the carpets used in the project had over 60% of recycled content, as well as 100% of the supplier electricity purchases being made through renewable energy companies. 

To discuss your workspace design needs and how to ensure it serves your business, your people, and the planet, contact us for an informal chat.