From the initial spark of inspiration to the remarkable outcomes achieved, discover how our journey unfolded and the lessons we learned along the way.
Welcome to our inspiring story of Red Thread’s transformative journey to 55 Hartland Street. In this blog, we’ll take you on a captivating ride through our pursuit of purposeful and innovative workspaces. From the decision to embark on this transformation to the remarkable outcomes achieved, join us as we explore the exciting world of workplace design.
STEP 1: WHY WE MOVED
At the heart of our journey lies the desire to create a workspace that aligns with our values and fosters employee well-being, collaboration, and adaptability. But before we delve into the transformation itself, let’s step back and look at what sparked this exciting endeavor. With our lease at 300 East River Drive coming to an end, we saw an opportunity to create a workspace that truly caters to our team’s needs and enhances their work experience.
We’re all about empowering our people and giving them the freedom to work in a way that suits their preferences. That’s why we’ve embraced a hybrid work model that offers greater autonomy in how and where our employees work. Our focus is on creating great work experiences, whether at home or in the office, by providing the necessary technology, equipment, individual, and collaborative workspaces.
Hybrid work has become a significant part of our work culture, and we believe it’s here to stay. We recognize that circumstances may change, and as they do, we’re committed to adapting and refining our approach.
STEP 2: PROJECT GOALS
As we set out on this exciting adventure, our project goals and corporate objectives served as guiding beacons, leading us towards a future-oriented workplace that aligns with our vision and values.
These included:
- Adopting hybrid work – Embrace the best of both worlds with our hybrid work model, fostering collaboration and innovation while providing the autonomy employees crave.
- Optimizing our space – Seek a new environment that functions more efficiently and aligns with our evolving workplace, leaving behind the limitations of our old space.
- Attracting and retaining talent – Offer superior work experiences where our team can focus on their tasks, connect with colleagues, and collaborate seamlessly.
- Showcasing our integrated capabilities – Demonstrate our expertise in integrating furniture, audiovisual solutions, and architectural systems to create a functional and visually appealing space.
STEP 3: DISCOVERY
We value the input of our team in shaping our workspace to reflect our culture, engaging them through surveys, workshops, and collaborative sessions to understand their work dynamics and the challenges of hybrid work. Throughout this journey, we invited our employees to join us, recognizing that it’s a continuous experiment in hybrid work.
STEP 4: IMPLEMENTATION
Our teams collaborated closely with our project partners to create a seamlessly integrated design for our space, incorporating furniture, technology, and architectural solutions. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we successfully managed various aspects of the project, including schedules and supply chain issues.
The space itself is divided into four distinct neighborhoods, each carefully designed to promote collaboration, accommodate diverse work styles, and foster a sense of community, ultimately enhancing employee engagement and well-being.
Within each neighborhood, you’ll find a range of spaces that cater to different needs, from collaborative areas for group discussions to quiet zones for focused work, as well as social spaces for informal interactions and networking. Through thoughtful design elements such as color palettes, textures, lighting, and furniture choices, we ensure that each space communicates its intended use to people.
Our flexible infrastructure utilizes demountable wall systems, allowing us to easily create open or enclosed areas and adapt our spaces as we gain insights into how we work. This adaptability ensures that our environment remains responsive to the evolving needs of our team.
STEP 5: RESULTS
Our new office is more than just a workplace; it’s a welcoming environment that supports the evolving needs of our organization and employees. We believe in fostering engagement by offering dynamic settings that provide people with choice and control over their workspaces. When visitors step into our office, they are inspired by our thoughtfully designed space, showcasing a seamless integration of architectural products, furniture, and technology. It’s a demonstration of our commitment to creating a visually appealing and functional workspace.
One of the unique aspects of our office is that our people don’t have designated workstations. Instead, they have the freedom to choose where they work based on the task at hand. This flexibility enhances cross-team collaboration as colleagues can easily sit next to each other to collaborate and share ideas.
Our transformative journey not only reflects our own culture but also strengthens our connection to the greater Hartford Community. It’s more than just a place to work for eight hours; it’s a place where you can truly live while you’re working. We have created an environment that goes beyond the traditional office setting, encouraging a sense of belonging and making work an enjoyable experience.
