Exeter Archives - Business Interiors https://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/portfolio-category/exeter/ Office design, workplace consultancy and fit-out. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 10:31:44 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cropped-Business-interiors-office-design-refurbishment-architecture-32x32.jpg Exeter Archives - Business Interiors https://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/portfolio-category/exeter/ 32 32 30334503 South West Communications https://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/portfolio_page/south-west-communications/ Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:58:09 +0000 https://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/?post_type=portfolio_page&p=7188 A tired reception, canteen and data centre turned into spaces that tell visitors exactly what kind of technology company this is.

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]]> A tired reception, canteen and data centre turned into spaces that tell visitors exactly what kind of technology company this is.

Client

South West Communications

Location

Exeter, Devon

Sector

IT and communications

Scope

Design and build: reception, staff canteen and data centre

The brief

South West Communications, one of the leading IT firms in the West Country, asked us to refresh its ageing reception, staff canteen and data centre.

The canteen

We suggested taking the false ceiling out completely. The extra height gives a greater sense of space, and the exposed, painted services give the room a more modern, industrial feel.

The kitchen splashback shows the Premiership-winning Exeter Chiefs; South West Communications was the club’s main sponsor.

Staff canteen with a wall-sized photograph of a mountain lake, an orange bench along the back wall, lounge chairs and white sculptural pendant lights under a dark, exposed ceiling
A wall-sized photograph of Lake Banff, a personal favourite of the chairman’s from his bike travels in Canada, works like a window to another world.
Tall bar table with white stools in front of the long orange bench and the mountain-lake photograph
A long bench on the back wall makes the most of the space and the seating.
Long canteen table under a large white pendant light, with windows onto the road
The feature lights look good inside and can be seen, invitingly, from the road.

Reception and stairs

In reception and the data centre, aluminium panels now cover the old Artex walls, matching the outside of the building. Warm walnut on the floor balances the metal and matches the treads and handrails of the new stainless steel and glass stairs to the mezzanine.

Reception with a white desk, aluminium wall panels and frosted blue glass carrying the swcomms logo
The aluminium panelling gives reception a look reminiscent of an Apple store.
Stainless steel and glass staircase with walnut treads and handrail, seen from below, with square LED ceiling panels above
Above the stairs, a blanket of LED panels gives the impression of a large skylight in a space that used to be dark.
A man walking down the glass and stainless steel stairs, holding the walnut handrail
The new stairs to the mezzanine.

The data centre

Black glass hints at the high security of the data centre behind it, and the doors from reception and the data centre are hidden in the panelling.

Boardroom table with mesh chairs in front of a dark glass wall printed with a world map, with server racks visible behind
The boardroom looks onto the data centre through glass printed with a world map.
Aisle between rows of server cabinets in the data centre
Inside the data centre.

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]]> 7188 Michelmores https://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/portfolio_page/exeter-office-interiors-refurbishment-space-planning-michelmores-solicitors/ Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:12:30 +0000 http:///www.businessinteriors.co.uk/?post_type=portfolio_page&p=665 The Exeter headquarters of a leading South West law firm: nearly 300 people over three floors and more than 30,000 sq ft of office space.

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]]> The Exeter headquarters of a leading South West law firm: nearly 300 people over three floors and more than 30,000 sq ft of office space.

Client

Michelmores

Location

Exeter, Devon

Sector

Law

Scope

Office interiors and move management

The brief

Michelmores, a leading law firm headquartered in Exeter with further offices in London and Bristol, has nearly 300 people working over three floors and more than 30,000 sq ft. With the business expanding and changing quickly, the Exeter office needed attention, and the firm asked us to help.

One weekend

Working with Michelmores’ facilities team, we planned a major internal churn, all out of hours over a single weekend to avoid costly downtime. Crates for personal belongings and IT arrived the week before, and everything was packed safely so every desk could move to its new position.

Long open-plan office floor with rows of desks, storage and windows along one side, a man walking along the far aisle
The open-plan floors, ready for work on Monday.

Power and data outlets, carpet and walls were relocated to match the new layout, and more than 180 storage cabinets were moved, contents and all.

A man carrying a blue moving crate past stacks of crates
Crates went out the week before, and everything moved over one weekend.
Cluster of desks with storage beside tall windows and a glass-walled meeting room
Desks, storage and meeting rooms in their new positions.

The result

By Monday the office was ready for work again, and members of our team stayed on hand to help with any fine tuning.

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]]> 665 Devon Wildlife Trust https://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/portfolio_page/sustainable-office-design-exeter-devon-wildlife-trust/ Thu, 25 Jun 2015 21:41:51 +0000 http:///www.businessinteriors.co.uk/?post_type=portfolio_page&p=758 A fire-damaged, listed mill in the heart of Exeter, brought back to life as the headquarters of a wildlife charity.

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]]> A fire-damaged, listed mill in the heart of Exeter, brought back to life as the headquarters of a wildlife charity.

Client

Devon Wildlife Trust

Location

Cricklepitt Mill, Exeter

Sector

Charity

Scope

Interior design and fit-out

The brief

Devon Wildlife Trust bought a fire-damaged, listed mill in the heart of Exeter. Not many offices have a leat running through them, with stream habitats opened up and landscaped with ponds and wet areas, and few double as a fully working mill.

Working with a listed building

As a listed heritage building, Cricklepitt Mill was a unique challenge for a headquarters project, and a fascinating backdrop for a place to work. With the mill’s machinery restored, the main milling room doubles as a breakout area and library.

Open-plan office inside the mill, with desks under a high ceiling
The main water wheel and the stream are visible from most of the office.

The mill has high ceilings and exposed beams, and the air conditioning units were left exposed as a modern feature that complements the building’s heritage, much like the ultra-modern extension.

High ceiling with exposed timber roof trusses
Exposed beams and high ceilings.
Meeting room seen through glass doors
A meeting room behind glass doors.

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