Waverley Gate

What began as a restricted layout was eventually transformed into a people-focused operational hub, supporting 276 flexible workstations in a 25,000 ft2 area.

As Leigh Fyffe, Royal London’s Head of Workplace Strategy and Estates, said after the project’s completion: “It was a first-class performance by Form, both in terms of their communication with us as the client, through to their involvement with the extended team in design meetings. 

“When we found issues on-site, Form were an integral part of the solution in terms of keeping the project running, adjusting their designs quickly and making sure that the main contractor had all the information that they needed to progress the challenging programme."

The brief centred around bringing teams together from different locations into a single environment that could support efficient operational work without feeling overcrowded. 

The base layout had already been established, and instead of wholesale spatial change, the design focus shifted toward finishes, lighting, atmosphere and user experience.

As the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, Royal London has a very strong identity, so brand continuity was seen as key to the interior concept. Taking design cues from the company’s Haymarket office in Edinburgh – which was also designed by Form – the new space would feel instantly familiar to staff. 

“There’s the same feeling, the same palette and the same materials across both offices,” says Manu Sanz, Associate Interior Designer with Form. “This is reflected in the slotted timber panels within the arrival areas and the reception desk, which were carefully designed to match the Haymarket aesthetic and adapted to suit the new footprint.”

The arrival area sets the tone for the whole floor with new acoustic and plaster ceilings framing the space. This is paired with a mix of linear and recessed lighting to create warmth and visual structure. 

Real plants were used to soften the edges of solid structures and combined with artificial greenery climbing mesh features. 

Beyond the reception area, the open-plan office was designed with a light touch. Existing ceilings were retained, while all lighting was upgraded to more efficient LED fittings. 

One of the most impactful design elements became the light wells on the north side of the building. Originally, these brought in little usable daylight and left parts of the floor flat and underlit. 

Form introduced circadian-rhythm lighting programmed to track the pattern of natural daylight throughout the working day. This transformed what was once a challenging area into a subtle but valuable wellbeing feature.

The social heart of the floor is the large tea point, with new kitchen units, bespoke banquette seating and a recessed display area for trophies and team achievements. 

Movable furniture in the central zone can be rearranged or cleared entirely for internal events and a multi-purpose relaxation area provides soft seating, games and a retractable projector screen. 

Alongside the open plan and social spaces, the floorplate now accommodates three training rooms, a new boardroom, four acoustically upgraded meeting rooms, plus dedicated wellbeing, IT and health-and-safety rooms. Form repurposed as much of the existing office structures as possible to minimise waste.

Like many refurbishment projects, the main challenges came not from the design itself, but from what was hidden out of sight. 

During the course of the build, it became clear there was a lack of base building information, and the previous fit out was to a poor standard. Form worked alongside the contractors as the issues were addressed while the fit-out continued. 

Despite the challenges, the finished space exceeded the client’s expectations and the office was fully occupied within weeks of completion, demonstrating that successful, thoughtful design doesn’t always require radical transformation.