Industry: I.T and business consulting services
Website: www.cgi.com/en
For almost half a century, CGI has been recognised as one the largest and most illustrious I.T. and business consulting services firms in the world. The Canadian multinational company operate offices in towns and cities all over the world, including in the UK, where over 6,000 industry and technology experts work – delivering end-to-end services and solutions.
“The Employee Innovation Hub concept developed by CGI had seen success elsewhere, and the organisation was keen to develop another of these spaces designed to encourage successful, interactive meetings and boost employee collaboration this time in Solihull. As a long-standing Powell client, CGI UK recognised the quality and precision of Powell’s work and were keen to replicate previous success enjoyed by the organisation:
“Powell are a long-standing key supplier of CGI’s, with whom we have developed a strong relationship with a track record of delivering on key projects based on cost, programme and quality. – Mark Pauley, CGI IT UK Limited, CRE Moves and Projects
Nathan Jones, one of Powell’s veteran Project Mangers spearheaded the Employee Innovation Hub transformation in Solihull.
“All Powell projects start with a transfer of knowledge. Ensuring a comprehensive understanding of what success looks like and establishing the purpose, practicalities needed, and overall feeling outlined for the space is vital to ensuring a positive outcome for our clients. Nathan Jones, Powell Project Manager
Powell began the refurbishment by installing concealed, glass sliding doors into the existing partition. The manifested glass allows natural light to fill the room, creating a bright and inviting space, which best facilitates collaboration and innovation. To reduce ambient and office-noise, super high quality, sound-absorbing acoustic ceiling panels were built into the design. Sympathetic to CGI’s branding and the vision identified from the outset of the project, Powell sourced a number of high-quality furniture and decorations from our suppliers ensuring that all items introduced to the space complimented and enhanced the environment, including the introduction of decorative lighting and A/V systems.
The lighting in Solihull was designed to do more than illuminate the room it was installed to showcase the environment, creating a warm and comfortable setting. Similarly, effective audio/visual features were installed – not only to create a more modern feel to the environment but to turn the space into an engaging and immersive space transforming the functional into the dynamic.
Powell suppliers are the best in the business, so quality furniture both in touch and appearance helped achieve a perfect balance of form and function – the cornerstone of contemporary design.
Nathan continues
for CGI, this space was all about innovation and cooperation, so ensuring the environment nurtured these qualities was absolutely project critical, as was the quality finish applied to the install, as much as the fit-out.
For all clients, work-spaces are, first and foremost, settings which need to facilitate productivity. This means sourcing furnishings which aid collaboration. For the CGI project, we introduced seating with sound-absorbing fabrics and laid them out in a way which enabled and encouraged easy communication.
Commenting on the project success, – Mark Pauley, CGI IT UK Limited said:
“Powell have delivered a fantastic space for CGI in a short timescale and against the background of working through national lockdowns in both Wales and England.
