Domestic & General
Brief
We were appointed to supply & install a varied selection of products to populate Domestic & General’s (D&G) prestigious HQ building in the centre of Wimbledon. The furniture had to meet the aspirations of D&G as set out by the Lead Designer, but also be procured under a restricted budget. The project resulted in an award-winning high-end design, beautifully furnished by us using a wide range of manufacturers that met aesthetic desires and cost restrictions.
Location: London, South
Design: Wagstaff
Sector: Corporate
Scope: Design & Fit-Out, Furniture Consultancy & Move Management
Supply and deliver
Having been selected by way of competitive tender under the CBRE Framework, our independence proved key in being able to provide the exact specification, but value-engineered where necessary to keep in line with the client’s budget. Working closely with both CBRE and the Lead Designer, we were always able to source alternative products that proved more cost-effective, but at no detriment to the overall design integrity. By scrutinising the specifications for every item from over 20 different manufacturers, we achieved a further saving of nearly 25% compared to the original specification requirement.
Added value
A good example of this is was the ‘Thinking Quietly’ desks, we managed to negotiate better rates due to the volume required, achieving a 30% cost saving against the original designer’s specified range and the lead designer actually preferred this product!
A fast-track mock-up of desks was installed on-site for CBRE/Client ICT Contractors to determine how best to run specific cabling through the system.
Once the specifications had been fully determined, we conducted product viewing with the Key Stakeholders from both CBRE & Domestic & General to establish a final schedule for sign-off. Feedback from the Clients resulted in ‘tweaks’ to the specification. As this process was during the Pandemic, it wasn’t easy for appraisals to be concluded in person, so we arranged for sample task chairs to be sent to home addresses for staff to trial whilst working from home.
The project was supposed to be dovetailed into the Main Contractor’s refurbishment works. These works were severely delayed due to material shortages during the Pandemic. Consequently, deliveries had to be postponed sometimes at the eleventh hour. When this was not possible, our teams would have to accommodate the goods taken in and protected on site ready for installation.
Having a dedicated Project Manager helped to mitigate this by pre-empting situations with continuous liaison between Site Managers and our Supply chain. Our flexible workforce also allowed us to re-arrange labour without further cost impact to CBRE
Close communication and collaboration proved crucial to the success of this project. Failure to appreciate everybody’s role and remit could have had disastrous effects with regard to the program.
The hard work from all parties paid off in the end as the project won the Silver award at the 2021 London Design Awards.
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