Penketh Group settles in to Bruntwood’s £8m Neo creation

Bespoke office interiors firm The Penketh Group has opened its new Worklife Showroom in Bruntwood’s £8m Neo – the 12-storey former Bank House – in central Manchester.

The company has transformed the whole of its 4,700sq ft eighth floor at Bruntwood’s digital-led office scheme on Charlotte Street into the city’s first Worklife Showroom.

The different themed areas give visitors a chance to come and explore the latest ideas in workplace design, the newest furniture design trends and technology development for improved collaboration, flexible working and more efficient working. There is also a library area with a wide range of fabrics and finishes.

As well as office furniture and space solutions from the US-based Steelcase, The Penketh Group Neo base will regularly showcase work by manufacturers including BuzziSpace, Frovi, Orangebox and Naughtone.

Mark Penketh, managing director of The Penketh Group, said: “We’re delighted to open Manchester’s first Worklife Showroom and in such an iconic building as Neo with its 360 degree panoramic views.

“The different settings we have put together illustrate all the different types of workspaces that are suited to the way people work today. We show how the right mix of products can have a positive effect on people’s wellbeing, engagement and productivity.

“We are working with a growing number of interior designers, architects and progressive companies in the city and Neo gives us the opportunity to show how we can encourage collaboration and offer more creative ways for companies in the North West to do business.

“We apply our knowledge and insights to give workers an environment where they have spaces to focus, collaborate, rejuvenate, socialise, learn and meet. It enables people to do their best work in spaces designed for the task they are performing.

“Customers love being able to see, try and touch the products for the first time as well as getting ideas on everything from the latest colour schemes and office layout ideas to inspiration on how to bring touches of the home and Scandinavian chic into the workplace.

“We’ve got giant iPod screens which help to bring meetings to life, desks which allow you to sit or stand at them to encourage healthy movement and non-hierarchical meeting room tables. We’ve even got a meeting table that can be transformed into a table tennis table.”

Ardmac carried out the Cat B fit-out work and bespoke joinery for The Penketh Group’s Worklife Showroom.

John Prendergast, regional director for Ardmac, said: “This was an exciting opportunity to partner with a company that shares Ardmac’s vision of building exceptional working environments that achieve the best possible levels of employee productivity and engagement for clients.”

Penketh Group were also selected to supply the furniture to meet Bridge Architects vision and designs for the collaborative co-working space and services offices at Neo.

These contain social zones where people can meet for coffee, nomadic zones where people can quickly unpack and work for an hour, meeting rooms and comfortable lounge seating areas and cubby-hole spaces for short-term focus work.

There are also co-working spaces, a £250,000 digital art space in the lobby and an external roof terrace with outdoor all-weather meeting pods.