Opus4 Sky Gardens

Project Overview

Designing our own office gave us an exciting opportunity to put everything we believe about great workplace design into practice.

Led by Sarah Rose Haigh, Head of Design, and her team, the 3,200 sq ft Sky Gardens project was a chance to create a workplace that reflects who we are, how we work and the quality of design we deliver for our clients.

Every area has been carefully considered, from the central garden and business lounge to quieter spaces for focused work. Choice, comfort and wellbeing sit at the heart of the design. There are no private offices or fixed desks. Instead, everyone has access to a range of settings and can choose the space that best suits what they are doing.

Our move to Sky Gardens also brought the entire Opus4 team together on one floor, while establishing a central Manchester base where clients can experience our approach to workplace design first-hand.

The location played an important part in shaping the interior. Castlefield’s industrial heritage inspired the metal details, architectural arches and brick-toned colours used throughout, balanced by planting and softer finishes. At the centre sits the circular Sky Gardens feature, creating a welcoming arrival point and an informal place to meet, sit or work.

Wellbeing Built Into the Workplace

Comfort and wellbeing influenced decisions throughout the design, from air quality and acoustics to lighting, planting and the variety of spaces available.

A fresh air system runs throughout the office, while carefully planned acoustic treatments allow collaborative areas and private meeting rooms to sit comfortably alongside each other.

Specialist acoustic advice informed the specification, including treatments between rooms, double glazing and additional wall construction where needed. This provides effective separation between different settings while retaining the open, connected feel of the office.

Programmable feature lighting allows the atmosphere to change throughout the day, while integrated audio adds another layer to the experience.

Planting brings greenery directly into the workplace, providing a softer contrast to the industrial materials and finishes found throughout the interior.

A Working Showcase for Our Clients

Sky Gardens was designed first and foremost as a great place for our team to work. It also gives us the opportunity to show clients what can be achieved within their own workplaces.

Instead of presenting ideas solely through plans, samples and visuals, we can demonstrate them in use. Clients can experience collaborative and quiet settings, see how technology fits naturally into the workspace and understand how lighting, acoustics, planting and material choices can shape the experience of an office.

It means conversations about workplace design can take place in an environment where those ideas are already part of everyday working life.