How

Foto: HP courtesy
Credits: https://www.pesmedia.com/hp-3d-printing-digital-manufacturing-center-of-excellence-barcelona

Case Study: HP – Rethinking R&D Spaces for Innovation and Growth
Sector: Technology / Research & Development
Services: Strategy · Stakeholder Engagement · Workplace Co-Creation

The Challenge
HP’s R&D team was facing a dual challenge. Business growth meant that more space was needed, while the introduction of new technology demanded fresh approaches to prototyping and machine-based work. It wasn’t simply a matter of expanding the footprint – the team also needed to rethink how space was being used and how it could better support innovation.

The key question became: How much space is really needed – and how should it be used to best support the evolving work?

The Approach
Following early conversations with stakeholders, it quickly became evident that the issue wasn’t just about capacity. The current layout and ways of working needed to be re-evaluated to align with product development cycles, evolving workflows, and future growth.

We proposed a broader vision: to understand the entire R&D ecosystem and define how new and existing buildings could integrate seamlessly into HP’s operations.

A programme of engagement was designed, including targeted workshops and focus groups with engineers. We introduced creative methods – including Lego prototyping – to help participants visualise and express their needs, working styles, and ideas for more effective space use.

Together, we co-created new workspace concepts grounded in real insight from those using the space every day.

The Outcome
The engagement approach was seen as a success. The solutions co-developed with the R&D teams were well received and widely supported.

Importantly, the process became a blueprint for future projects. HP’s leadership team adopted this collaborative model as the way forward for shaping R&D spaces – and the same service has since been delivered in other key locations, including Germany.

This project demonstrated how strategic, user-led design can deliver more than just space – it can unlock alignment, innovation, and sustained performance.

Case Study: Co-locating Four Research Entities into a Tier 1 Central London Workplace

Sector: Higher Education
Service: Strategy · Design · Change Management

The Challenge
The brief was to co-locate four distinct university research entities into a high-quality, centrally located London workspace. The project was not only about space optimisation—it was an opportunity to enable greater collaboration between academic teams.

However, each team brought unique ways of working, different levels of readiness for change, and their own expectations for the new space. Creating a unified concept that worked across all these perspectives—and earned genuine buy-in from academics—was a complex challenge.

Insert large image: Diverse team collaboration / stakeholder workshop

Our Approach
We led an empathetic and structured engagement process designed to bring people along on the journey. Our method combined user-centred design with active change management principles:

• We implemented a three-stage milestone plan supported by bi-weekly co-creation workshops.
• Through an iterative design process, we worked with key personas to shape a layout that truly supported their work.
• Communication was continuous, and feedback loops were built in at every step.
• This was not just consultation—it was true co-creation.

Insert large image: Co-design workshop / post-it notes on wall / layout review

The Solution
The outcome was a space concept that responded directly to the real needs of researchers, professional services, and support teams. It reflected their workflows, their values, and their aspirations.

We delivered:

• A fully approved layout and concept design (Stage 2-ready)
• A well-documented brief shaped and endorsed by end users
• A clear path to procurement—either via Design & Build or traditional tender routes

Insert large image: Render or photo of final workplace / floor plan

The Results
The Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) showed:

✅ 90% satisfaction rate with the new space
✅ High levels of adoption and adherence to the co-created solutions
✅ The project was described by stakeholders as “transformative”
✅ The experience is now serving as a replicable model for other faculties across the university

Insert large image: Team using the new space / informal collaboration in progress

What This Demonstrates

This project shows how strategy, design, and change management can be seamlessly integrated to unlock complex space challenges in Higher Education.

When done well, workplace transformation is not just spatial—it’s cultural. It builds alignment, trust, and momentum.

“Sometimes it’s not about where to move—it’s about how the change is done.”

Case Study: LIHE – A New Home for Innovation in Medical Technology

Sector: Higher Education / Innovation
Service: Strategy · Co-Design · Workplace Concept Development

The Challenge
Funding had been awarded to create a new building for a unique institute—LIHE, designed to host pioneering start-ups and SMEs working at the cutting edge of medical technology.

The ambition was to create not just a building, but a vibrant space for collaboration, experimentation, and entrepreneurship.

The key challenge was aligning the varied perspectives of stakeholders—each with their own vision, priorities, and expectations—into a single, cohesive design concept that would support the dynamic needs of early-stage innovators.

The Approach
We led a co-creative, iterative process that enabled stakeholders to move from divergent views to shared clarity. Through structured engagement, we translated multiple layers of input—strategic, operational, and aspirational—into a single, future-focused concept.

Using a three-stage milestone framework, we facilitated design decisions that balanced flexibility with intent. The agreed concept became a clear reference point for layout, finishes, and furniture—setting the direction for detailed design and delivery.

The Outcome
By creating space for dialogue and structure for decision-making, we helped move the project beyond uncertainty and decision paralysis.

The result was a clear and deliverable interior concept that embodies the spirit of innovation at the heart of LIHE. It reflects both the vision for the institute and the practical needs of the future occupiers.

The approach has laid strong foundations for a space that will enable collaboration, support growth, and inspire the next generation of health tech pioneers.

Case Study: LIHE – A Collaborative Space for Health Tech Innovation

Sector: Higher Education / Innovation
Services: Strategy · Co-Design · Workplace Concept Development

The Challenge
With funding secured to create a new home for a groundbreaking institute, the ambition was to bring together pioneering start-ups and SMEs working in the medical technology space.

The new building was intended to be far more than a physical space – it needed to serve as a collaborative hub, nurturing innovation, cross-disciplinary exchange, and the growth of early-stage ventures.

However, the project faced a familiar challenge: uniting a wide range of stakeholders, each with different priorities, expectations, and understandings of what the space should offer. The future occupiers were forming new business models, meaning their workplace requirements were still evolving.

The Approach
We led an iterative, co-creative process that brought clarity to complexity. Through carefully facilitated workshops and structured engagement, we helped transform multiple viewpoints into a single, shared design direction.

Applying a three-stage milestone framework, we guided stakeholders through key decision points—ensuring the final concept reflected both vision and practicality.

The result was a clearly defined workplace concept that informed layout, furniture, and specification decisions—while remaining flexible enough to adapt as the institute grows.

The Outcome
Our approach helped overcome the initial uncertainty and avoid decision paralysis, allowing the project to move forward with confidence.

The final concept captured the essence of what LIHE aspires to be: a space that is agile, collaborative, and future-focused.

By aligning strategy, design, and user needs early in the process, we delivered a solution that truly supports innovation—one that will serve not just as a workplace, but as a platform for growth.

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