Overbury delivers new Birmingham office for The Alzheimer’s Society

Overbury’s design of this space has been influenced by people affected by dementia, as well as academics from the University of Stirling, who were consulted as part of specially convened focus groups. 

Design features to facilitate neurodiversity in the workplace include the use of paint colours, chosen from a palette specifically for people affected by dementia, and furniture selected for comfort and accessibility. Patterns for carpets and fabrics within the office have been specially selected to be dementia-friendly. Overbury will create social spaces to welcome visitors, whilst central focal points within the office space will allow service users to navigate easily.

Michele Clifton, Office Design Account Manager at Overbury’s Birmingham-based team, said: ‘We’re excited to deliver this brand new space on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society, which will transform the lives of people affected by dementia. Dementia is a subject many at Overbury are passionate about and lots of research went into ensuring our design supports neurodiversity, reflecting the views of leading academics and dementia sufferers, and responding to identified needs.

‘The Alzheimer’s Society wants to recruit the best people for the new roles in this facility, so we designed a workplace that is not only functional but attractive to their current and future staff.

‘Consistency, comfort, and wellness were key points we considered during the design process as we seek to create a facility that is not only inviting, but also boosts the wellbeing of all users. We’ve incorporated communal breakout and refreshment areas, which have been carefully designed to have a warm, homely feel, which is really important for office workers.’

Alzheimer’s Society is the only UK charity that campaigns for change, funds research to find a cure and supports people living with dementia today.