With a history spanning 4 decades in Cardiff under their belt, Curtins has moved its growing team into brand-new premium office premises in the city centre. They have been custom designed to provide great, flexible working spaces suitable for the varying needs of the innovation-driven engineering team.
Central to the design has been ensuring a comfortable and inspiring environment that encourages collaboration. Curtins’ new office dedicates only a proportion to computer desk space, and unlike traditional desk-per-square-meter models, most of this open-plan office is given over to flexible collaboration areas, breakout booths for focused time and virtual meetings, 1-2-1 spaces and a welcoming area for visitors to stay and work.
Sustainable and recycled materials have been used throughout the design to minimise the environmental impact, while soft furnishings, plants and natural tones create warm and inviting spaces for Curtins’ team and visitors alike. The sense of a home-work space is delightfully akin to Curtins’ founding in the back room of Bill Curtin’s home in Liverpool in 1960.
The organic growth to 14 professional offices across the UK and Ireland (including the addition of Cardiff’s base in 1985) is a positive development from Curtins’ back-bedroom roots. The consultancy now has offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Cambridge, Douglas, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kendal, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Nottingham.
As all offices are able to deliver Curtins’ seven areas of specialisms, clients can contact the office in Cardiff for civil and structural engineering, transport planning, environmental, infrastructure, geotechnical, conservation & heritage and principal designer services.
It continues to be an exciting time for the team in Wales. The Cardiff team is working on prestigious projects including Pentre Awel for Bouygues Construction, the Pathology unit at Morriston hospital for Kier, a state-of-the-art Satellite Radiotherapy Unit at Nevill Hospital, a new special school at Ysgol Cedewain for children with additional needs, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn y Forwyn Primary School for Wynne Construction, Canolfan Lleu for Faithful+Gould and the Cardiff University Healthcare Relocation Project with AECOM.
Director in Cardiff, Dean Saxton comments, “The last couple of years has seen a significant shift in how employees work and use the office. We recognise this at Curtins and set up our Future Workplaces group to take a fresh look at how we can reimagine our workspace to respond to our evolving needs.
“I’m proud to say that as part of this work, our new home in Cardiff has been designed as Curtins’ pilot future office space, and we look forward to seeing what works well and future adaption.
“The key requirement for our office move was to provide a multi-functional space that supports dynamic and hybrid working. With the mantra, working better together, we wanted to provide a work environment that fosters organic collaboration with improved opportunities for mentoring and teaching.
“By utilising effective zoning, we’ve created a space that not only improves interactions and promotes team bonding, but also offers individual areas for enhanced focus and flow.
“To reflect our carbon journey, sustainability was at the heart of the design, as well as to promote healthy working and wellbeing, providing an office that we can all be proud of.
“Our new home is testament to our success and I’m excited that we continue to work on some of Wales’ most prestigious building projects. We look forward to welcoming our clients and peers into our new home over the coming weeks and months.”
The new office is located in Atlantic House, Tyndall Street, Cardiff, CF10 4AZ.
