The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, London Office

The most exhilarating office space experience is one that offers both employees and visitors a journey. A journey that brings joy and where the focus is not on need but fulfilment emotionally and in business. The effect must generate a desire to spend time in the office, to contribute, to make connections, to create and share emotions and reinforce the goal to change lives.

Boucle Design studied the Award’s visions which above everything else, help young people find their passion and place in the world. Our design merge’s the requirements of a successful office space with one that can inspire people and make the office space a joyful journey… and a beacon to attract talent.

 

  • Our initial inspiration for the concept was taken from the idea of the Award being global, operating in over 130 countries and territories. Knowing the World, but not just from travelling, which in itself is a journey, leads to Embracing Diversity. Our representation of diversity results in bio-diversity that can be best seen through a selection of materials and surfaces: wood, plants and colourful textures. Furthermore we introduce colourful mosaic in the furniture design that exhibits diversity in every meaning

  • We believe that London spaces must be invigorated by nature, so we have brought that inside the office space. Our suggestions of creative planters, live walls and greenery imitations not only make the journey of each working day joyful and healthy but also addresses the budget restrictions of the Award The brief was not only to bring brightness into the overall workspace and create inspiring environment for staff to work in but also to enhance the break out areas and public facing spaces with vibrancy.

  • For that we bring Joy in the Journey with colour splashes that are a subtle power and genuine tool to positively support a happy state of mind. Our chosen colours most certainly reflect the brand’s palette, but also back up meaningful suggestions of colour theory. Joy drives a positive mood and we linked that to colours that support this:

  • Red: inspires passion and is attention grabbing and boosts productivity!
  • Green: associated with nature, good health and balances out stress and helps work through those long hours
  • Blue: psychologically deep, stress-relieving colour that aids concentration and has a profoundly calming effect on the human mind
  • Yellow: brings out emotions on the “work stage”
  • Purple: combines the stability of blue and the energy of red, but most importantly, is associated with Royalty

Joy is the mood we use as our platform for the refurbished office. We offer a new look to even the main pillar decorating it with colourful boxes each with a word from the DofE’s Ambition where staff can place faux medals in everyday to capture how they feel that day. Our visually-direct interpretation of the journey is implemented in the modern floor covering and wall paint design where dots will connect functional spaces and objects.

Lastly, we want to associate our design with the Awards achievement which has made young people find joy not in finishing the activity but in doing it. As such we want our design to be a joyful work journey for the world’s leading youth achievement Award organization – the DofE in the UK.