Nationwide interior design and fit-out business Claremont has been shortlisted for two North West Property Awards.
The annual awards, organised by North West Business Insider, celebrate the region’s outstanding construction firms, developers, architectural practices, consultancies, developments, deals, and personalities.
Warrington-headquartered Claremont is shortlisted for Consultancy Team of the Year in recognition of its dedicated in-house workplace consultancy team. It also has two entries shortlisted in the Workplace Fit-out category for Firesprite in Liverpool and AQA in Manchester.
Over the last 18 months, Claremont’s workplace consultancy team has helped organisations such as Manchester Metropolitan, Firesprite, and Places for People to understand their real workplace needs before embarking on office moves or fit-out projects. Using proprietary tools, Claremont is able to identify organisations’ spatial requirements and show how to embrace diversity and inclusion, consolidate space, make real estate cost savings and deliver cost-neutral workplace fit-outs.
The Workplace Fit-out category has two of Claremont’s most significant projects of 2023 vying for the win. Last year, Claremont completed a significant design-and-build project for games developer Firesprite, a subsidiary of entertainment giant Sony. The 26-week project turned the former headquarters of Bibby Line Group at 105 Duke Street in Liverpool into a destination office focused on high-tech collaboration, community, and hybrid working. Claremont’s design team managed intricate floorplans, accessibility concerns, distinctive architectural elements, diverse spaces, and heritage limitations to create an exceptional 43,000 sq. ft workspace that honours the building’s heritage and is future-proofed.
2023 also saw the completion of a complex design-and-build project for independent education charity AQA in Manchester. The project transformed a building that hadn’t been refurbished for over 60 years, stripping it back to its shell before replacing all services, plant equipment, and windows. The result is a dynamic, flexible, and biophilic workspace that can accommodate AQA’s changing seasonal headcount, support hybrid working, encourage face-to-face collaboration, and help attract and retain top talent.
The design boasts an impressive array of features. It can accommodate 550 people thanks to 300 dedicated desks, 240 hot desks, 45 well-appointed meeting rooms, and ten inviting breakout spaces spread over 98,000 sq. ft. The project is also a celebration of sustainability, reusing existing desks, chairs and the on-site catering kitchens, designing out waste, and incorporating 120 meters of biophilic planting.
Richard Merrick, the head of marketing at Claremont, said: “AQA and Firesprite are two of Claremont’s biggest and boldest office interior design and fit-out projects yet, so making the awards shortlist is fantastic recognition of our team’s hard work, enthusiasm and expertise.
“Both were complex projects that required real design sensitivity about making older buildings meet modern needs while maintaining their heritage. In both instances, we solved these challenges by working closely with our clients, reimagining layouts, optimising space utilisation and workflow efficiency and creating interiors that celebrate the individuality of these businesses and locations.”
Claremont has also been shortlisted for another North West Business Insider award, as relationship manager Ellie Smith is up for Business Development Professional of the Year at The North West Young Professionals Awards.
Claremont is one of the UK’s leading office interior design, fit-out, furniture and technology companies and delivers workplaces that motivate and inspire. Delivering projects across the UK from its offices in Warrington and Bristol, Claremont offers a full range of commercial and office interior solutions, including workplace analysis and consultancy, office space planning and interior design, fit-out, refurbishment, office relocation, furniture supply and installation as well as the integration of audio visual, multimedia and wireless technologies.
Claremont became an Employee Ownership Trust in December 2020.
