Office space with a difference at Manchester Technopark

Server hosting provider invests £150k on unique office environment

Article posted: 03 Jan 2012

Independent server hosting provider, Melbourne has completed a major relocation to new office space at Manchester Technopark after investing over £150,000 in a head office with a difference.

It is now in residence at Lovell House where it is occupyinf over 6,000 sq ft of office space – more than double the size of its previous facilities at Turing House.

Billed as the ‘Melbourne Home’, the new office turns traditional ideas of workplace design on its head. Speaking of the new HQ, managing director Daniel Keighron-Foster said: “At Melbourne our most important asset is our team. That’s why we wanted to create a space that would reflect the ethos of the company – a family-run business that puts its staff at the heart of everything we do. For us, creativity and productivity go hand in hand. If people are inspired by their working environments they are more likely to perform to the best of their ability. Grey and boring is not what we’re about and this new space completely reflects our personality.”

Modelled around different areas of the home, the new work space has a kitchen housed in a potting shed, a grassed picnic area for lunches and informal meetings, an art deco dining room, a library and a retro quiet space. There will be an industrial hub for the 24/7 support team, while for moments of true creativity, visitors can climb into Narnia (via the Melbourne wardrobe, of course).

Heather Wright is co-founding director of Advance Performance – a corporate and personal development company, which specialises in behavioural change. She said: "It sounds simple, but being happy at work is an easy way to boost motivation. Psychological research shows time and again that people are far more productive when their office building and environment create a positive atmosphere."

As well as accommodating future expansion, the move has freed up an additional 1,200 sq ft of rack space at its old head office, providing a significant boost to the company’s server hosting capacity. Plans are also in place to transform part of Turing House, its original HQ, into an internal and external training facility.

The company, which already has 25 employees, plans to increase staff numbers by 15% over the next 12 months to service in excess of 3,000 local, national and international clients in the IT and creative sectors, including PZ Cussons, Bench and JJB Sports.

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Posted by Jules