Taylor & Francis Holistic Hub

Publisher Taylor & Francis has recently refitted the ground floor of 4 Park Square to adapt to flexible working for their staff at Milton Park. The purpose of the refit was to promote collaboration, networking and social engagement within spaces that allowed different size groups to meet and to support flexible working in a sustainable way.

The design team studied work-pattern data within the company and conducted focus groups to ensure that they understood the changing and evolving needs of their colleagues and the company.

The new hub has a range of flexible working and social spaces from one-person booths to large collaborative meeting rooms. Additionally, on the first and second floors there are plenty of traditional hot-desking spaces.

At the heart of the hub is a large open plan kitchen with state-of-the-art coffee machines, café-style seating and cosy booths. The space also doubles as an informal ‘town-hall’ meeting place and the areas have been specifically designed to create a home-from-home setting and encourage productivity.

Comments from employees at Taylor & Francis include, “It’s now a modern work environment where you want to come in and meet people.” Another staff member commented that, “This place feels amazing now, like one of those offices that we always used to be jealous of.”

Sustainability was a key feature within the design. For instance, the building’s acoustic panels are made from wood chippings, a by-product from the timber industry, while the carpets are made from 60% recycled material, reducing waste and the consumption of new materials. Additionally, over 700 pieces of furniture that were no longer needed were donated to groups like CollectEco, an organisation that gives furniture to charities, schools, community groups, NHS trusts and other good causes.

Emmet Dages, Chief Operating Officer at Taylor & Francis said: “We’re delighted with our fresh, modern office and have received so many positive responses from colleagues who are already making good use of the new flexible workspaces. We’re also proud that we’ve been able to make these dramatic improvements in such a sustainable way. Thank you to everyone in the Milton Park team who made this happen.”

The new hub fosters a much greater sense of community within the company, aligning with Milton Park’s own efforts to encourage collaboration and flexibility across different sectors. We’re excited to see how other companies across the Park adapt and grow over the coming years as the Park itself continues to evolve.