SpaceInvader unveils social hub for one of the UK’s greenest office blocks

Photography: Pip Rustage

Reflecting the ongoing uptick in sustainable, flexible and mixed-use workplaces, Manchester interior design studio SpaceInvader has brought its dynamic energy to one of the country’s most environmentally friendly office buildings. The £36 million, 115,000 sq ft development was first conceived by The English Cities Fund (ECF), a partnership between Muse developers, Legal & General and Homes England, and aims to attract businesses who are equally ‘serious about protecting the planet’. The building, known as Eden, is based in New Bailey and forms a key part of the mixed-use regeneration plan underway in Manchester’s Salford Central – its recognisable façade of live green plants inspiring the key interior design concept, ‘flourish’.

Against this backdrop of urban renewal and fresh ideas, SpaceInvader has created flexible social spaces and modern amenities across Eden’s ground floor and mezzanine, open to both building tenants and the local public. The 12-storey building was conceived by architecture firm Make as a LETI Pioneer project, meaning it champions net zero operational carbon and occupant wellbeing above all else. SpaceInvader therefore aimed to uphold these ambitious sustainability standards throughout the interiors, opting for reclaimed, low VOC and carbon-conscious materials wherever possible (such as exclusively FSC-certified wood) as well as catering to the needs of today’s evolving workforce.

“We started by thinking about carbon reduction and embodying that approach through the creation of a central sculptural piece on the ground floor,” explains SpaceInvader’s founder and director John Williams. “The sculptural piece, created together with lighting specialists Light Forms, was inspired by close-up photos of carbon rods and consists of recycled tubes and suspended rods with a bespoke-designed LED fitting.”

Underneath this striking light sculpture sits a series of amenity spaces, which SpaceInvader carefully selected to create one cohesive offering. Here, both employees and visitors can work, collaborate or hold informal meetings in the coworking area and adjoining event space, or enjoy a coffee break at the buzzy onsite café, operated by local coffee company Spice & Grind. On the first-floor mezzanine is The Canopy, a quiet, covered zone which sits alongside a bookable eight-person meeting space – this raised platform (accessed by a curved white staircase) is made of the same Junckers recycled gym flooring used throughout the rest of the scheme.

Each space is furnished with plenty of indoor planting to bring elements of the external façade in. Within The Canopy, SpaceInvader opted for troughs and plants known for climbing, which will create a green wall over time by wrapping around the balustrade of the mezzanine platform. Cycle facilities and showers were also introduced to the scheme to encourage both a greener commute and a more active lifestyle, while those seeking a dedicated workout space can make use of Eden’s new, full-size wellness studio. This adaptable space can also be booked as a presentation space, featuring a joinery unit that stores yoga mats and stools out of sight.