No matter how comfortable or convenient working from home is, there's still something special about a stylish and well-designed office space where colleagues can get together.
From inspiring modern architecture; clever repurposing of the old; wacky and wild interiors; to sustainable triumphs, SoGlos showcases 13 of Gloucestershire's most inspiring workplaces.
Spirax Sarco
This project for one of the county’s biggest private employers, global engineering success story Spirax Sarco, was only unveiled in January 2023.
Gloucester architect, Roberts Limbrick, was brought in to work out just how to make the aging Cheltenham headquarters of the £1,300-million-plus turnover business into a modern building, fit for purpose for decades more to come. Keeping the best of the old and delivering all the benefits of the new, the resulting development is an environmentally friendly, sustainable and stylish office that the company is rightly proud of.
Green Gourmet
In 2022, the innovative Five Valley's food firm, Green Gourmet, was certified as a Great Place to Work in the UK’s Best Workplaces awards, being singled out especially for wellbeing. A lot of that is down to its culture, of course, but its office space is well worth mentioning, too.
The former restaurant within an old malt house at Salmon Springs near Stroud sees staff convene regularly around a bespoke shared wooden long-table. There are also glass-fronted break out and meeting rooms lining one wall, pods for those who need to really focus, a kitchen to test and prepare its food products for customers, tasting tables and it has even kept the old restaurant bar intact and functioning, as the centrepiece of the space.
Gloucestershire County Council
Gloucestershire County Council was faced with a challenge when looking to repurpose its existing buildings to make them greener, but with the help of Quattro Design Architects, it has done just that, transforming its tired and inefficient 1960’s Shire Hall headquarters in Gloucester into facilities fit for the future, while also benefitting from reduced maintenance and running costs.
Re-clad with new environmentally friendly credentials, the project has won multiple awards, including the top honours at the Constructing Excellence South West awards, with Shire Hall being crowned Building Project of the Year.
Dunkertons Park
While it's not technically an office space, the ever-evolving Charlton Kings site where Dunkertons Cider replanted itself after uprooting from its Herefordshire home to embark on a brave new era under the watchful eye of the co-founders' son Julian, is both inspiring and impressive.
Dunkertons Park is home to not only the cidery, where it runs regular tours, tastings and events, there's also a popular farm shop and a selection of permanent street food stalls. Part of the space, which was worked on by Cheltenham-based RRA Architects, is also the business’s offices - and the super stylish shop front and offices of multi-million-pound fashion brand, Holland Cooper, too.
The University of Gloucestershire Business School
Another multi-purpose building, the University of
Gloucestershire’s Business School is also home to The Growth Hub; GFirst LEP; Start and Grow Enterprise; and numerous other businesses which use it as a workspace.
Anyone approach can't help but be struck by the impressive ‘glass box’ protruding from the upper floor across the courtyard, or the multi-purpose atrium with its stunning cut-away centre, all the brainchild of London architect, Austin Smith Lord, which was behind the project.
Hub8
One of the most talked about spaces in Gloucestershire, Hub8's newest location at Gloucestershire College’s Cheltenham campus is fittingly positioned above the impressive computer suite.
Providing a workspace and meeting venue for the county's growing cluster of cyber businesses, if you're looking to meet the who's who of the cyber industry in Gloucestershire, this is the place to do it. Hub8 also has its original workspace at The Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham, which is equally as impressive, with another location on the cards, too.
Habitat First Group
Habitat First Group creates private,
vacation home communities like the one at Cotswold lakes’ Lower Mill Estate, which blends award-winning architecture and ecology for nature-loving customer.
Its offices, created by Reading-based creative design agency Butterscotch Design, boast a striking interior that accentuates the stunning oak beams and natural Cotswold stonework, with modern steel touches and a glass staircase leading to a bespoke oak beam chandelier. There’s even vintage industrial office furniture to finish off the look.
Core to Cloud
Core to Cloud’s offices could be one of the best protected in Gloucestershire, being located inside an 11th century castle in Cirencester.
The firm won Growth Business of the Year at the SoGlos Gloucestershire Business Awards 2022, just weeks after it revealed its refit of the 11,000-square-foot space, transforming the historic castle into one of the county’s funkiest offices, complete with a ‘Star Wars-style screening room’. The fortress position is fitting, too, as the company works to protect firms nationwide from cyber attacks.
SLG Brands
Giving Core to Cloud some close competition for most colourful interior, SLG's Cheltenham home is thought of by many as county's original cool office space, with walls adorned with wild colours and neon signs, hammocks hung from ceilings and staff members - or even the boss - whizzing around on skateboards!
The branding specialist is an expert in delivering reach for clients through social media, with an excellent eye for aesthetics - as well as being a two-time SGGBA winner for both Best Place to Work in 2021 and Team of the Year in 2022.
FigFlex
While it may not have a cinema room or skateboard highway, this former Bank of England building overlooking Gloucester Docks is every bit as grand - and secure - as you'd expect.
Southgate House is run by FigFlex and specialises in offering flexible workspaces for companies big and small, for a day; a week; a meeting; or for longer, with the impressive building providing an excellent talking point.
Ecclesiastical
For a firm specialising in insurance that has close associations with the church, you could be forgiven for presuming its offices would lean towards the conservative in both design and décor. While Benefact House doesn't have the riotous interior of SLG’s Cheltenham headquarters, its home on Gloucester Business Park was purpose-built and delivers on style, right down to its ergonomic interior, complete with kitchen and canteen.
Designed by BDG Architects and built by Kier Construction, it adheres to BREEAM and FitWel standards - and not many buildings can also claim to have been blessed by the Dean of Gloucester!
Hazlewoods
Gloucestershire accountants, Hazlewoods, has a head office to remember. With a gorgeous tree-lined drive, the attractive country pile hidden off the B4634 through Staverton also features stylish extensions that house its growing team of more than 480 staff and 120-plus apprentices.
The firm acquired and then refurbished Staverton Court, a former private health club, in 1980 and it was officially opened in 1988 by Michael Grylls MP - the father of reality star, Bear Grylls, no less!
Robert Hitchins
On the subject of grand offices in country piles, it would be remiss not to mention the home of landowner, developer, property manager and family firm, Robert Hitchins.
Its head office in Boddington Manor is quite simply stunning. Preferring privacy, it doesn't like sharing pictures of the stunning Grade II-listed 19th century manor house, which stands on the site of a much older, pre-English civil war manor house, but the building boasts an original orangery, beautifully kept gardens and a quite extraordinary business very much deserving of a spot on this list.
