Network Rail - Crewe Programme Office

Squaredot transforms a leisure centre into a dynamic, adaptable and future-proof Programme Office designed for all who use it.

As part of an on-going project with Network Rail spanning over 20 years, Squaredot were approached to carry out a uniquely complex renovation; converting a leisure centre in Crewe into a contemporary, modern office space to be utilised as the Network Rail Programme Office. Squaredot provided feasibility planning options for the building, with a proposal including infilling two ground floor swimming pools and reducing the large double height atriums above the pools and in the centre of the building, allowing for an additional 680m2 of space on the first floor.

Converting a leisure centre into a dynamic, comfortable and modern office space is challenging enough, but the Network Rail team also requested a workplace that people enjoyed going to; a facility that had a purpose and was a place of destination for the team. It was agreed, based on learning’s from Network Rail and other businesses, that a multitude of settings that don’t revolve around desks were required. This developed into a tiered auditorium with capacity for 140 people, a large library, and various spaces dedicated to collaboration, one-2-one’s, or independent working. These mixed-size spaces included phone booths, video-calling rooms, breakout booths and other features to encourage discussion, collaboration and team working, as well as allowing for non-meeting discussions. This stimulates ad-hoc conversation rather than more static meetings, facilitating casual communications and “Coffee machine moments”.

The Programme Offices are utilised by more than just office staff however, and as such were required to be multi-purpose and resistant to the wear-and-tear that comes from being used by field agents and on-site construction staff. Showers, changing rooms and washrooms were built surrounding a central communal break area. A further challenge was considering the future utilisation rate of the space, and how likely it is to remain at that level. Worker profiles were used to map out a typical day in the life of the Crewe office and come to educated conclusions of the day-to-day comings and goings of staff. It was determined that “Demand Management” would be key , for example room and desk booking systems that control the use of space and offer the ability to monitor how spaces are used for future evolvement. The Crewe Programme Office space has been designed to be put to good use by all who use it, and the new workplace platform is dynamic, adaptable, and importantly future-proof.