Legal & General Offices – London
Oktra refurbished Legal & General’s London and Hove offices to create dynamic, collaborative workspaces, focusing on employee well-being, sustainability, and flexibility through interactive design and integration of feedback.
In response to evolving workplace needs post-COVID, Oktra undertook the refurbishment of two buildings in London and Hove for Legal & General. The spaces, spanning eight floors in total, had grown dated and inefficient prompting the client to rejuvenate their working environment to enhance talent retention and encourage a return to the office. Oktra worked alongside Legal & General to develop a change management scheme that would bring their workspace up to standard and make it fit for the future of the workplace.
Legal & General looked to create a more dynamic and collaborative workspace that would meet the needs of a diverse workforce. Oktra introduced central teapoints on each floor to form key social hubs, supplemented by various collaborative areas featuring varied furniture settings to enhance connectivity among teams. This would interrupt the office layout in order to move away from traditional desking towards a more flexible and interactive environment, embodying the company’s dynamic approach to modern working environments.
Oktra’s design approach involved a hands-on collaboration with the client’s teams, allowing them to integrate their feedback into the design process. By understanding the specific needs and challenges of each department, they could tailor each floor to suit their various functions, looking at privacy needs to AV integration, ensuring every space was optimised for its particular use. To allow flexibility in space use and for changing team needs in future, Oktra avoided the use of built partitions around the exterior and used furniture solutions instead of fixed partitions to create certain areas, such as a private office space.
Sustainability was a cornerstone of the project, with strict adherence to using locally sourced and recycled materials. Legal & General’s dedicated team ensured that all products met high sustainability standards, from the worktop materials to the furniture. Additionally, items removed during the refurbishment were donated to local schools and organisations, further emphasising Oktra’s joint commitment to community and environmental responsibility throughout the refurbishment process.
Working alongside the Legal & General’s future workplace strategy, the redesign of the two office spaces focused significantly on employee health, wellbeing, and accessibility. Features like prayer and wellness rooms, as well as quiet zones with customisable lighting to support neurodiversity and signage incorporating Braille to enhance accessibility, reflect the client’s commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment. The Hove office also features a central café area which received a significant upgrade, transforming it into a vibrant space with a large AV wall for company updates, providing a welcoming social area that will support employee wellbeing.
The office spaces were imbued with the Legal & General’s branding in subtle yet impactful ways. Oktra’s design embraced a theme of bringing the outdoors inside, utilising natural materials like concrete and plantings, complemented by a neutral colour scheme with muted tones of their brand colours in the furniture finishes and artwork to create a refreshing atmosphere. Their iconic umbrella logo was creatively adapted across various elements and embossed on meeting room glazing to showcase their brand in a dynamic way.
The refurbishment of Legal & General’s London and Hove offices not only revitalised their workspace but also sets a new standard in design that supports their modern work dynamics, employee wellbeing, and environmental responsibility.
Design: Oktra
Photography: Oliver Pohlmann
