The recently transformed Overbury office, located on the 13th floor of Chancery Place, Manchester, offers a vibrant and sustainable workspace with a strong focus on collaboration and innovation. SpaceInvader and Light Forms collaborated to create an inspiring, high-performance environment that reflects Overbury’s design vision and its connection with nature.
The design brief centred around a future-forward and functional office that meets the diverse needs of the team while also implementing organic features. This intuitive workspace is home to private focus rooms, informal meeting rooms, and a wellness retreat, promoting flexibility and sociability.
A standout feature of the new design is the sculptural ceiling, inspired by Overbury’s nautilus shell brand identity. This bold element not only enhances the office’s aesthetic appeal but also serves an acoustic function, improving sound quality throughout the space.
The bespoke lighting for the unique nautilus shell design was developed by the Light Forms team, who crafted a custom, made-to-measure solution using their Lightplane and Serpentine luminaires. A series of shorter lengths were used to form the spokes radiating from the centre, allowing each segment to fit seamlessly into the curvature of the ceiling.
In the meeting rooms, it was essential that the lighting profiles were made to the millimeter so that they ran exactly from one wall to the other. In the main corridors, the Serpentine fixture was made to measure and custom-curved to follow the natural flow of the space.
Sustainability was a key consideration throughout the project, reflected in the use of organic shapes and biophilic elements, low-carbon materials, recycled finishes, and a variety of energy-efficient lighting solutions.
The carefully considered design enhances staff well-being and comfort, fostering a collaborative atmosphere while promoting creativity and productivity within a flexible, dynamic environment. The result is a seamless blend of creative technology and natural forms.
Paul Shoosmith, Director at Light Forms, said, “This project was a unique and exciting challenge to work on, and has proven that creating custom lighting doesn’t need to be expensive. We are proud to offer affordable made to measure solutions which can fit the unique needs of any project. Overbury’s new Manchester office design has benefitted staff, clients and the brand by providing an environment that embodies the company’s ethos of unbeatable quality and innovation.”
Project credits:
Client & Main Contractor – Overbury
Interior Designer – SpaceInvader
Electrical Contractor – E&ES Electrical Contractors
Lighting Manufacturer – Light Forms
Photographs – SG Photography Ltd.
