How we transformed Michelin’s office into a multi-discipline workspace

Officially completed in June, the Lyreco Interiors team took on the challenge of transforming Michelin’s new UK head office, after it was confirmed earlier this year that they were relocating to the IC2 building at the Keele University Science and Innovation Park. The brief: “Make IC2 act as a working hub”.

As we peeled back the layers of what Michelin wanted to achieve, we discovered the core principles that became the focus of the project:

1. 1. Creating a collaborative workspace that can bring teams together from across the business.
2. 2. Comfort, function, style, and sustainability were of paramount importance.
3. 3. Create a space that represents the next step in the Michelin journey.

Why Michelin Chose Lyreco

With the brief and core workspace fundamentals at the forefront of our minds, we began work on interior concepts shaped to the Michelin vision. Here’s how Michlen appreciated the Lyreco approach:

“Lyreco approached the challenge by proposing interesting and innovative solutions in order to meet quite a complex brief. The best example of this would be the opening up of the central kitchen space, to foster an open and collaborative working space, particularly considering the existing layouts of the building, which was quite insular and very separate,” said Carl.

“Incorporating the use of used furniture and existing furniture as well, which added another layer of complexity because we didn’t want it to be a carbon copy of what we had,” said Lucy, “It needed to feel new and refreshed, but also we were asking for our existing furnitures to be used where possible as well – everything that we could take with us and wanted to take with us, we did, which had a massive impact on the sustainability element of the project and this was really appreciated by the team.”

As part of the process, we invited the Michelin team to our head office in Telford so they could get a feel for how open spaces can contribute to a collaborative and more productive working environment, including a tour of our Products & Services department, which features a central kitchen space that would later become a key feature for the Michelin offices.

“[You took] us away from what we expect an office space to look like or be set up like, and helped us to envisage this is how people come together and work most effectively, even if it’s not what you’d guess at first.” Lucy followed on, “Seeing that actually in place at Lyreco’s office helped us to get there.”

As with any interiors project, timelines are pivotal – and the Michelin project was no different, as we were up against a hard deadline to complete the new office ahead of vacating the previous building.

“Time lines were critical,” said Lucy, “We had this ambition to smoothly leave one building and enter another. And for the project team working on it in order to do that, there was so many things that had to come together in time, and Lyreco was always flexible and often worked with us very closely to make sure that wherever we were, we could have that movement to make things fit. And we did end up moving in exactly when we planned and on time“

“There was always the expertise there to handle anything that came up throughout the project – we had constant touchpoints,” said Lucy. “And we didn’t feel any pain at all along the way, despite there being multiple sorts of contractors involved. It was all handled really smoothly by the person managing the project. And the additional follow-ups as well afterwards, we really appreciated the aftercare and the added bits.”

“When it came to things like Windows radiators, all the glamorous topics – that we needed absolutely to get right for the building to be suitable and comfortable for our team – the Lyreco team were really quick to recognise this on got the right people on board very quickly to find out what the issue was and solve it, and kept in constant communication with me to make sure that the right decisions were made in a timely manner. It was their experience in a lot of cases that helped them to recognise a problem before it became a problem.”

“I didn’t get any headaches, which for a project like this is unheard of,” was, perhaps, the most telling feedback from Carl on working with the Lyreco Interiors team, “It’s a pleasant environment. It’s a nice place to work. There’s familiarity, but it is a very different space.”

“Some direct quotes from people that cropped up most commonly were, it feels light and airy, feels instantly like they’ve settled in and they’re at home,” continued Lucy, “The collaboration point comes out strongly as well and having the opportunity in that central space to often pass colleagues, and it it feels like a Michelin office without feeling too heavily branded and I think people appreciate that because we’re all proud of the brands. We all want to know that we’re in a Michelin office, but it’s not overly done. It’s tastefully done.”