Global engineering company settles in to City Place

Chester’s City Place has welcomed leading global engineering, consulting and construction company Black & Veatch into its collaborative new space, thanks to a fast-paced project completion by national fit out and refurbishment specialist Overbury.

Overbury was appointed to undertake an eight-week fit out in City Place, creating a modern new office for Black & Veatch’s Chester-based professionals.

“Forward thinking organisations like Black & Veatch are recognising the strong correlation between a well-designed workplace and a more motivated and satisfied workforce,” said Philip Westwood, director at Overbury Northern.

“Today’s businesses need to create a culture that engages employees. It’s about providing a great workplace experience and environment where people really want to be, not have to be.”

At City Place, the focus of the brief was to enhance communications and encourage collaborative working.

Overbury implemented an ‘activity-based working’ model, creating a variety of settings to support different types of working.

Highlights of the project included a fit out of 7,300sq ft on the third floor to create an open plan office with 82 workstations; four meeting rooms of varying sizes to support the changing requirements of staff and a purpose-built communications and print room, large kitchen at the heart of the office and a staff breakout area for more informal working and spontaneous socialising.

Ronan O’Callaghan at Black & Veatch said: “To ensure consistency and minimise disruption, the project had to be delivered within an eight-week timeframe and to a strict budget, so it was essential that our contracting partner had local knowledge, and specifically experience of working within City Place.

“We appointed Overbury having seen its success in creating workspaces that promote the right business culture – empowering a team to work together and communicate effectively.”

He added: “We’re delighted to have handed over the keys for Black & Veatch’s new office, and we’re confident that the business and its people will see real benefits from the carefully designed workspace and amenities.

“Having recently delivered a project here at Chester’s City Place for another client, Power Solutions we have a strong and experienced team based in Chester, including many highly-skilled local subcontractors.”