Understanding workplace culture

Before we jump in to the architecture side of things, it’s important to understand what workplace culture is. Crucially, it means something different for each business. However, in the most basic sense it is the foundational beliefs and values that shape how businesses operate. It affects everything, including how employees interact and the vibes in offices.

There are many different types of culture to consider. For example, there may be a highly competitive, results-driven atmosphere. Or, a business could be purpose-driven, with everyone supporting the same mission. Clan or collaborative cultures are fantastic because they focus on connectivity and people working together. Alternatively, the culture may be all about innovation and developing ideas.

The benefits

The main thing to keep in mind is the workplace culture determines how people work on a day to day basis. The commercial architecture adds to this. That is really important because it can affect performance, engagement, wellbeing, loyalty, and more. If you have a positive culture, it will provide numerous benefits. Inversely, a toxic culture can cause big problems.

Easily the biggest benefit of a positive workplace culture is it increases performance and productivity. It ensures engagement, makes people feel valued, and builds stronger relationships. It can also be a game changer for recruitment and retention; if your business builds a reputation as a place where people want to work and can thrive, it will be easier to find and keep hold of talent. Plus, it can lead to growth too.

The impact of good architecture

The design of the workplace itself can have a huge impact on the culture. Everything, from the layout to the lighting, will affect employees. It can influence how they behave and communicate. Additionally, it can affect attitudes, leadership, inclusion, and many other key things.

At the end of the day, the workplace needs to be the perfect vehicle to facilitate the kind of culture you want. If you’re focusing on collaboration, ensure there are spaces where people can get together to share ideas. If the culture is results-driven, give people workstations so they can focus free from distractions. Want workers to feel like a family? Provide spaces for socialising.

Designing outstanding commercial architecture

A great workplace makes people feel good about going to work. More importantly, it allows them to thrive, performing to the best of their ability and achieving their goals. It can benefit the business in numerous, invaluable ways. So, make sure you get it right.

Coffey Architects is a fantastic company to work with if you want to design commercial architecture. We can support clients to ensure you have the perfect buildings to promote your workplace culture. Crucially, we can explore all the key elements, including lighting, layout, noise, materials, and spaces for different needs. In addition, we can look ahead, ensuring the design allows cultural evolution in the future.

So, get in touch and tell us what you have in mind. We have experience with new builds and renovations, including working with tricky older properties.

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Reputation

The most important thing to keep in mind is people have been living on high streets and in town centres for centuries. In fact, it was very common in the past for shop owners to live upstairs above their businesses. Today it is quite rare, and spaces above shops often go to waste or are underutilised as crude storage.

If you think about where people want to live though, there is a convincing case for more commercial to residential conversions. Generally people want to be near amenities like transport links and leisure, as well as established services like GPs. This makes high streets and town centres attractive areas. Redeveloping them can also protect the environment, reducing urban sprawl and avoiding the need to demolish and replace.

The big problem is past projects mean commercial to resi conversions have quite a bad reputation. It’s hard to shake off the idea that a project will create small, unsuitable homes. However, why not learn from these mistakes and use the experience to deliver the kind of homes people want? It could massively improve urban areas, creating a better mix of commercial architecture and housing.

Benefits

One of the best selling points for commercial to residential conversion is the speed. Projects can progress much faster, especially when they avoid the need for demolition and drawn out planning applications. It means new homes could be delivered much faster. This is ideal when you consider there is a housing shortage in many parts of the UK.

In addition, the conversions could cause less disruption for locals. While there will undoubtedly be some, it will be much less than a new build project. Much of the work will be to reconfigure inside properties. Any changes to the exterior will generally be minimal. Overall, it means less mess, less noise, and shorter project timelines.

If that wasn’t all, the projects can preserve heritage commercial architecture. We love conservation in the UK, especially when it comes to landmark buildings that showcase our heritage and give areas their unique character. However, in too many cases when we seek to protect them, buildings are actually allowed to decline. A thoughtful conversion can save the properties, including beautiful features, and return them to use.

The environmental argument is also impossible to ignore. Conversion and redevelopment keeps the embodied carbon locked in the building. At the same time, it reduces the amount of new resources the project needs. Retaining as much of the original property as possible while introducing more insulation, modern heating systems, and sustainable materials is a greener option. Plus, the right design can upgrade the property to meet current building standards.

Ultimately, a high quality commercial to residential conversion can be the best option for all parties. It can give people quality homes in great areas, putting them at the heart of communities. If you retain space on the ground floor, you can also avoid the loss of office, retail, or leisure/hospitality space.

Think about what you can do with commercial architecture

Easily the best thing about commercial buildings is they can have plenty of potential. That is especially true for older Victorian and Edwardian properties. They can have lots of features that would be ideal for homes, including high ceilings.

If you’re planning a project and want some help, don’t hesitate to contact Coffey Architects. We can design to make the most of any property, especially commercial architecture. Crucially, we can deliver incredible mixed use properties that work for everyone. So, contact us today.

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Growth

Roof solar systems have become more popular than ever in the last few years. Demand has grown as installation prices have fallen and increased accessibility. At the same time, high energy prices make it more attractive to have a self-generation system on homes, commercial buildings, and more.

The Future Homes and Buildings Standards also have a big part to play. They encourage us to build better properties, ensuring they are airtight and sustainable. However, they also recommend the use of electrical heating, particularly heat pumps. The increase in electricity demand makes a strong case for installing roof solar systems to mitigate the carbon emissions.

Safety

While there are plenty of convincing reasons to install roof solar systems, it is important to think about the risks. There is undoubtedly an impact on fire safety. That is the case whenever you install new electrical equipment. The risk can be even higher with large complex systems, especially if they include battery storage. So, you need to consider the impact on homes, commercial architecture, and other buildings.

There are a few risks that you definitely need to look at before you commit to a system. Firstly, keep in mind that the most common issue is faults with the DC connections, isolators, and cabling. This can lead to arcing, generating heat. In turn, it could potentially cause ignition. Therefore, you need to ensure the installation is safe and professional. Plus, you must factor in ageing and weathering of components.

Secondly, by their nature, solar systems can generate heat. Studies have shown there can be a local build up beneath arrays. This can worsen the fire risk. So, you need to think about key things like ventilation and how to mitigate the heat.

Another huge potential risk is using battery storage systems. They can be a great add on for solar systems, storing additional energy to use later. However, lithium-ion batteries are a major fire hazard. If a cell fails, it can start an incredibly hot, self-supporting fire. You need to think carefully about this, particularly the placement of batteries. It’s even more important with large commercial architecture; risks are greater with large systems generating more power.

Finally, you must think about the other materials in the roof. The fire risk will be highest if you install solar systems above combustible materials. If a fire happened here, it could spread rapidly and massively increase the loss severity.

The right approach

Ultimately, if you want to maximise safety, you must integrate roof solar systems into the fire strategy. Never look at it as a simple add on. Plus, consider access in case fire fighters ever need to get on the roof to tackle an incident.

Critically, ensure the solar system does not allow fire to bypass the compartmentation. If that happens, it opens the door for a fire to spread. Key things to look at include areas where cabling has to penetrate the roof build-up. Any of them, even tiny holes, should be fire resistant.

Speak to us about commercial architecture

The size of commercial buildings, and fact they typically have large flat roofs, makes them ideal for solar systems. They could generate an impressive amount of energy. You must think about the fire risk though.

If you’re looking to design exceptional commercial architecture, you can rely on Coffey Architects. We’ve got a wealth of experience and boundless creativity. Most importantly, we can ensure buildings tick all of the right boxes in terms of performance and sustainability. So, get in touch today and let’s work together.

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Key details

There are a number of details that will always be important for architecture if you want to maximise health and wellbeing. Natural daylight, thermal comfort, green space, and air quality are all vital. Therefore, you should be designing to ensure you account for all of these elements in everyday spaces.

In addition, it’s more important than ever to ensure environments are inter-connected and versatile. Crucially, people should be able to easily connect to ecological systems. It can enhance physical and psychological health.

Mixed use offices

Shared workspaces are more common than ever before, growing in popularity massively in the last two decades. They provide a fantastic level of flexibility. This means every work day can be different and means the buildings will have a longer lifespan. However, there are challenges here too. You need to think carefully about the commercial architecture or the vibrant workspace could have a negative impact on occupants.

There are a number of things you should think about to ensure mixed use offices are successful. For example, look at versatile furniture like standing desks and the impact furnishings have on interactions. Plus, consider how you can empower people and build a community. Try to limit isolation, except for those specific times when private solo work is absolutely necessary. Make everyday spaces fun too.

Materials

As we said, key details to think about include daylight, thermal comfort, and air quality. The choice of materials affects all of them. Therefore, you need to think carefully about what you choose. Consider the ins and outs of different construction materials and finishes, including things like the level of sensory comfort they provide and any potential toxins.

Always remember there are materials and finishes that can have a positive or negative impact on health and wellbeing. Naturally you need to avoid the latter, especially those that affect air quality.

Speak to us about commercial architecture

Everyday spaces in offices and other workplaces can have a huge impact on health and wellbeing. If you want the impacts to be positive, make sure you are careful with your designs. Focus on ensuring the conditions benefit occupants.

If World Health Day has inspired you to create new commercial architecture or upgrade your current property, you can rely on Coffey Architects. We create incredible designs, ensuring all of the elements are in place. So, get in touch today.

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The biggest challenge

In the last few years, the UK has had some of the hottest periods on record. In fact, the Met Office believes 2025 may have been the warmest year since records began. While that may sound good, it creates serious problems. Overheating is the main one because so many properties are simply not built to withstand such high temperatures. In fact, much of the focus the last few years has been on making them warmer and more air tight to improve energy efficiency.

Hotter days are particularly challenging for healthcare buildings. Firstly, it can increase demand for services as people suffer from heat exhaustion and other problems. Alarmingly, the Health Security Agency claims there were more than 1,300 deaths in 2024 during four periods of hot weather.

Healthcare buildings also have a huge challenge to maintain performance during very hot periods. They tend to be hotter to begin with because of the equipment, plus patient and staff numbers. As they get busier, temperatures rise even more. In the worst cases, there is a chance of failure. Even if things don’t reach that point, it can cause additional problems like higher energy consumption for cooling. It is a major worry with all kinds of commercial architecture.

What to do?

Overheating healthcare buildings can have a huge impact on service delivery, health (of both patients and staff), and longevity. The key thing to keep in mind though is many issues occur because of the accumulation of smaller problems. For example, the wrong glazing plus ineffective ventilation and hot equipment on a really warm day can all lead to serious risks.

The solution is to design healthcare buildings so they operate efficiently at high temperatures. If you make these conditions the norm, you can get fantastic results. It means you don’t need to be reactive and rely on more costly fixes and retrofitting.

There is a lot to think about, but you have a chance to generate huge value if you explore potential problems early. Most importantly, look at the specifications for things like glazing and ventilation systems. It’s easier, and cheaper, to make changes to healthcare buildings and other types of commercial architecture at the design stage. You have more time here to look at costs and downsides.

One thing to consider is the modern tools you can utilise. Thermal simulations are really useful. You can use them to create models to examine how properties will perform at different temperatures. You can then determine how the conditions will affect key things like internal heat levels, the fabric of the property, ventilation needs, and control strategies. The models can inform your design choices and specifications.

Finally, make sure you think about delivery and handover. Remember designs may look fantastic on paper, but the real time operations can be much different. It’s important to think about performance and ensure you stick to the plans. Small changes can have a big impact, such as downgrading glazing. Take the time to measure and verify that everything is working correctly once the building is operational.

Do you need help designing commercial architecture?

Coffey Architects is a great team to work with if you’re trying to design buildings that will perform exceptionally in different conditions. We can consider all of the crucial elements, including the orientation, layout, building envelope, glazing, HVAC systems, and more. We’ll put the work in to look for potential issues. As a result, we can give you the most effective solutions.

We’ve got a wealth of experience with different types of commercial architecture, homes, and more. So, contact us today and let’s talk about your project.

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Devastation

The fire at Hotspur Press was a disaster. Because the building was already in a poor shape, it spread rapidly. Ultimately, over 20 fire engines and more than 100 fire fighters were needed to get it under control. Neighbouring buildings were at risk too due to the wind.

Sadly, the outcome was one of Manchester’s most important historic buildings was “little more than a shell”. Only a small amount of the original structure was still standing. Even that was precarious.

New plans

Developers had been planning a redevelopment of Hotspur Press since 2024. However, there were changes to the plans in the wake of the fire. The latest version now has planning approval from Manchester Council. It will provide a brighter future for the once-beloved piece of commercial architecture.

The new plans will create 595 student bedrooms. The building will include a 36 storey residential tower. There will also be a new public square. Crucially, the remains of the former press will be demolished. It is necessary to allow access to the site and ensure it is safe.

A key detail in the new plans is they aim to replicate the historic building, rebuilding the brick facade back up to the fourth floor. This celebrates the appearance and architecture. Signage will also be remade and placed in the original positions.

While it is incredibly sad to lose the Hotspur Press building, the new development will faithfully recreate key parts. It will breathe new life into the site. The plans got unanimous approval from the council.

Do you have plans for commercial architecture?

The big take-away from the Hotspur Press story is how important it is to save heritage buildings. However, delaying plans can ultimately result in the properties being lost entirely. It puts into perspective the need to make good progress on projects.

If you are planning a project and would like some help, you can rely on us. We have a lot of experience with commercial architecture, including how to retain original features but bring life to the structure. You can work with us to consider all kinds of uses for properties. We can create innovative designs to help you achieve your goals.

So, get in touch and talk to us about your plans. We can also help with key things like planning applications and management to keep projects moving as best as possible.

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Attendance stats

Before the Covid pandemic, a large number of people worked in the office every single day. Remote and hybrid working did exist, but it was rarer. As a result, attendance and occupancy figures were generally 60%-80%. Offices were never completely full due to factors like holidays, illnesses, and operational requirements such as meetings and training.

The Covid pandemic was a massive disruption. Offices suddenly had to close to help control the spread of the virus, protect people, and ease pressure on the NHS. Overnight, occupancy fell off a cliff. It was a slow recovery at first, with WFH and hybrid working becoming the norm. Interestingly though, we then had a wave of people returning to traditional office working.

The ReTurn report shows that office attendances have now stabilised at the start of 2026. We’re no longer seeing a huge decline or a rapid recovery. The figures look at occupancy in nine major cities. They found that levels are the highest since Covid. The average for the UK hit a high of 44.2% in mid February. Bristol was the best city for occupancy, reaching a high of 69.2%. London, the UK’s main commercial hub, had 41.5%.

Modern offices

The stabilisation is great news. However, it does put commercial architecture in the spotlight. People want more from offices today. In fact, there is a bigger focus than ever on ensuring the office experience is supportive and beneficial. If it isn’t, what is the point in even going in to work?

There is a lot to think about with office design. This includes the layout, materials, light, air quality, noise, and functionality. Offices can drive attendance and achieve higher occupancy rates if the designs ensure people will be productive and get the right support. They can also add value with additional amenities.

Notably, the changes have had an impact on businesses. Many large companies are actually committing to larger offices so they can give employees more space and amenities. Some are even having to reverse decisions to downsize. For many employers, the strategy is now office-first working, allowing WFH as long as employees work together in person when it matters the most.

Do you need to update your commercial architecture?

The right working patterns and office designs can have a huge impact on worker satisfaction, performance, recruitment, and retention. So, there is a lot of value in ensuring businesses get it right. Coffey Architects would love to help you. We’re a creative team of award winners, with incredible projects in the commercial, residential, and public sectors. We can design the perfect property to match any brief.

So, get in touch today and speak to us about commercial architecture or other projects. We can help you design an office that make suit employee needs and deliver a fantastic experience.

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Facilitating operations

The main thing to keep in mind here is, while front-of-house spaces may get the most attention, if there are problems in the back-of-house, it can bring everything toppling down. In fact, it could result in serious issues like fire safety, delivery delays, more expensive maintenance, and much more.

There are a number of key things to think about. The most significant include service corridors, storage and utility areas, and service rooms. You need to look at the positioning and accessibility. Are they easy to reach? Are they sufficient for the needs of the building, both now and in the future?

What you need to focus on is how people will use the back-of-house areas in real world conditions. The goal should be to allow everybody to do jobs as efficiently and safely as possible. This will keep the building operating smoothly. Crucially, it will reduce the operating costs. That is a big win for all kinds of commercial architecture, from hotels to office blocks and retail or leisure developments.

The lifecycle

Going back to thinking about the building’s needs now and in the future, it’s a good idea to think of it in terms of the full lifecycle. This is the key to sustainability.

The main objective here should be to design back-of-house areas to achieve long-term economics. For example, ensure accessibility so it is cheaper to maintain services. Invest in high quality, durable finishes, especially for service corridor floors and other surfaces that will take a beating. Where possible, keep layouts as simple as you can; people shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of corridors and rooms to find their way around. In fact, this can be dangerous in huge buildings, raising the chance of people getting lost if they accidentally enter service corridors.

What tools are available?

It’s also important to consider how technology can improve back-of-house spaces in commercial architecture. There are lots of useful tools, including systems for tracking the levels of supplies, monitoring solutions to track equipment performance, and more. Crucially though, if you use them you still need to ensure you design the spaces themselves properly.

Separation adds value

Finally, always remember that front-of-house and back-of-house spaces should be separate. This benefits both sides, reducing the chance of bottlenecks and disruption. For example, keep routes for waste removal and disposal separate from main corridors and entrances. It will help to maximise safety, hygiene, efficiency, and the experience.

Discuss commercial architecture with us

As you can see, it’s just as important to think about back-of-house spaces as it is front-of-house. In fact, in some situations it is even more important. It has a direct impact on maintenance and management, so if you get it right, you can make buildings last longer. Plus, you can also save costs.

If you’re thinking about designing commercial architecture or want to make changes to a current property, we’d love to help. Coffey Architects is an award winning company with a fantastic design ethos; we create light, comfortable buildings that benefit the occupants. So, speak to us today.

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The Wetlands Convention

Significantly, we have been aware of the risk of losing wetlands for decades. The Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971, taking its name from the city in Iran where this took place. Since then there has been adoption in the majority of UN states all around the world. The UK became a member in 1976 and has 176 wetlands sites today.

While there has been lots of progress to preserve wetlands around the world, they are still under threat. In fact, reports say they are declining more rapidly than forests. This risks massive harm to the environment and economies around the world. Crucially, wetland sites are key for biodiversity, including plant and animal life. They are also essential for flood prevention, carbon storage, and more. Plus, they support over a billion jobs, including food production.

How to preserve them?

They are a number of different recommendations for the preservation of wetlands. Most importantly is the need for co-existence. Developments are necessary, including commercial architecture, housing, and infrastructure. So, we should be working to minimise the impact on wetland. In fact, the goal should be to conserve, restore, and ensure ongoing stewardship and management.

At interesting thing here is we have a wealth of traditional knowledge to call on. People have been living sympathetically alongside wetlands for generations in different countries. We can learn from them, exploring what works effectively to maintain the landscapes, waterways, flora and fauna.

As well as calling on traditions, we can apply new research and modern planning strategies to protect wetlands. Crucially, we can look closely at what we need to build and how to design in harmony with the environments. There are even clever ways to approach developments to reclaim wetland sites, allowing development by integrating into the landscapes.

There are also some fantastic opportunities to preserve wetlands and improve our carbon footprint. For example, creating sponge cities with wetland elements can increase the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the air. At the same time, they can manage water more effectively. This can reduce flood risks and increase filtration and purification so we can use resources more effectively.

Discuss your plans for commercial architecture and other developments with us

Coffey Architects has a lot of experience with designing buildings to fit into the environments. This helps to retain the character and heritage, and also ensures conservation of the ecosystems. We can look at all kinds of crucial elements, including water management, biodiversity, noise, pollution, and sustainability.

So, it you have a project in mind, whether it is commercial architecture, housing, or anything else, speak to us. We’re passionate architects and want to create designs that can ensure resilience and benefits for all stakeholders.

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Layers

One of the most important things to think about is the building envelope has several layers. This includes the cladding, structural materials, insulation, cavities, and fixings. It’s essential to think about each of them and the impact on fire safety. If even one can allow a fire to start or spread, or spread smoke, it can put the whole building at risk.

Why do fires start?

Before thinking about designs and choosing materials, it is essential that you understand how a fire can actually start in the first place. In most cases you need three things; heat, fuel, and oxygen. The trio creates the fire triangle. When all of them are present, combustion can occur and self-sustain. A fire will burn until you remove one of the elements.

Interestingly, in modern fire safety the fire triangle has actually become a tetrahedron. It includes a key fourth element; chemical chain reactions. They are a serious factor that can lead to rapid fire propagation. Crucially, a chain reaction can make a fire burn hotter, releasing more combustible gas, and causing a continuous cycle. This is what happens with lithium-ion batteries and is the reason why they are one of the most dangerous types of fire.

What to choose?

The vital thing if you want to make sure a building envelope is fire resistant is to focus on the materials. This is vital for any kind of property, including commercial architecture.

The best decision is to use materials that are non-combustible where possible. This includes the structural materials, fixing, insulation, and other products. Ideally, avoid things like organic material and polymer-based products. They can act as a source of fuel and allow propagation of fire and smoke.

What you should do, especially when designing a building, is consider the material classes. The latest classification is Euro-class EN 13501-1, replacing older, out of date standards. It categorises materials from A to F. Only materials with an A1 or A2 classification are non-combustible. This includes things like rock wool and glass wool insulation.

As well as the classification, look closely at additional suffixes like s1, s2 and d0. They provide further information about what will happen with the materials in real world conditions. Materials with s2 for example produce smoke.

Create commercial architecture with a beautiful building envelope

Coffey Architects is a great team to work with if you want to create wonderful buildings, including offices, homes, mixed use developments, and more. We carefully consider the most important topics, including fire safety, energy efficiency, lighting, and sustainability. A great design can give you all of that while also ensuring the building looks incredible.

So, get in touch with us today if you need help with new builds, retrofitting, or other projects. We can design safe, high quality commercial architecture and more.

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