BDG Architecture + Design

Design and architecture consultants BDG are genuine experts in office environments. They spend every day working with their clients to design and create stimulating spaces that will allow employees to thrive and be happy. So, when they got the chance to create a new office environment for themselves after moving their London HQ, we truly got to witness the masters at work.

The new studio can be found in the stunning Sea Containers development of London’s creative Southbank hub, featuring an uninterrupted view of the River Thames through a floor-to-ceiling window. Moving in, they had a rare opportunity to not only develop a space that reflected the company’s own aesthetic - authentic, honest, simple, beautifully composed - but also to showcase for clients the benefits of their unique and innovative approach to office environments.

“It seems only fitting that our studio, in a landmark London building, was complemented by a storage system that has long been a landmark in office environments for organisations that appreciate the longevity and quality of good design.”

Colin Macgadie, Creative Director BDG architecture + design

This meant creating a truly agile working environment, with unassigned desks, a variety of different working areas and furniture that can be moved and reconfigured quickly. The most striking element of the new design is a bold yellow piece of USM Haller furniture that runs the length of the studio’s centre. A perfect stylistic counterpoint to the studio’s raw concrete surfaces and a playful reflection of the steel flooring, the piece serves a number of functions for the studio. Lockers for employees occupy one side; shelving for documents relating to the studio’s current projects fills the other. The piece’s countertop serves as a perfect “bar” for guests during presentations, forums and events, as well as being a great place for employees to meet informally, while the unit itself subtly sections off the main working area from the rest of the studio.

Other USM Haller pieces throughout the offices bring a stylistic unity to the diverse working spaces on offer: a standalone drawer unit in subtle grey provides ample storage for a more private office area, while a large media unit finished in pure white is perfectly fitted for the office’s television and provides it with an elegant frame.