Is your office still just a sea of identical desks with a few meeting rooms tucked away in the corners? If so, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful ways to boost productivity, creativity and employee satisfaction.
In our recent episode of the On the Up podcast, we spoke with Becky Turner, workplace psychologist at award-winning interior design firm Claremont. She shared fascinating insights into how thoughtfully designed, purpose-driven spaces can transform workplace performance.
The pandemic dramatically accelerated workplace evolution, propelling many organisations 5 or 10 years in advance in their thinking about office spaces. From this shift emerged what Claremont calls the ‘destination office’ – a workplace people actively choose to visit because it offers meaningful experiences they can’t get at home.
“What is going to entice people into the office, and what do we need to provide in the office to make that meaningful journey worth the commute?” Turner asks.
The answer lies in creating a variety of purpose-driven spaces that cater to different activities and psychological needs:
Each element serves a specific purpose in the workplace ecosystem, with different organisations requiring different proportions of each space based on their unique needs.
Traditional office designs have operated under a faulty premise: that a single environment can support all types of work. As Turner points out:
“Historically, you go to the office, and you’ve got a desk, you’ve got a meeting room, and senior people might have an office, and you go to carry everything out from there. That would probably have a poor correlation with your performance.”
This approach ignores how different tasks require different environments. Just as schools have specialised rooms for science, art and music, workplaces need specialised settings for different activities.
Designing for neurodiversity and inclusion
One of the most powerful aspects of purpose-driven workplace design is its ability to accommodate neurodiversity and create truly inclusive environments.
“It’s about building in inclusivity, making sure that everybody, no matter what you’re bringing to the table in terms of your personality or neurodivergence or physical disability, whatever it might be, is accommodated for,” Turner explains.
For people with ADHD or autism, for example, having quiet focus areas away from the stimulation of open-plan sections can be the difference between productivity and frustration. As Turner emphasises, “There’s no neutral opposition to inclusion. If you’re not including people, they’re excluded.”
Beyond functional considerations, Claremont’s research has identified the emotional impact of workplace design as crucial to its success. Their “workplace oooh!“ concept examines what emotions people want their workplace to evoke.
Through independent research with over 1,000 respondents, they identified six key emotions people seek in their workplace:
These emotional responses often drive decisions about where and how to work more powerfully than practical considerations. “You’re making a decision about where you work based on emotion a lot of the time,” Turner notes.
Perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of purpose-driven design is its ability to enhance creative thinking. Turner references “attention restoration theory” from psychology:
“This is the thought that actually to be really creative and come up with a creative solution, detaching from the problem is a really good way to do it.”
This explains why great ideas often come when walking the dog, taking a shower, or sitting in a pub—environments completely different from traditional work settings. By creating spaces that help people mentally detach from problems, workplaces can foster the conditions for creative breakthroughs.
“Create environments that cater to that,” Turner suggests. “They’re not corporate branded. They might look and feel completely different. They’re not formal. They might not even have a desk.”
Transforming your workplace into a purpose-driven environment doesn’t happen overnight, but the process can be broken down into manageable steps:
At Moneypenny, we don’t just talk about purpose-driven office design—we live it. Our multi-award-winning Wrexham headquarters stands as a testament to everything Becky discussed, embodying the perfect balance between functionality, wellbeing and brand identity.
When we outgrew our previous space, rather than simply expanding, we seized the opportunity to create something truly extraordinary. Our £15 million headquarters, which cost the same as a standard brick ‘box’ office, was designed with one core principle: to create a space our people would love. As our co-founder Ed Reeves put it: “The happier our staff are, the happier our clients are. So, when we made the decision to build a new headquarters, we asked ourselves how we can make sure it will be somewhere they love coming every day? The answer was easy – ask them.”
The result? A stunning 91,000 square-foot building set within 10 acres of landscaped grounds that has transformed how we work. Designed by AEW Architects, our office breaks away from conventional corporate environments and is now known as “the happiest office in the land.”
Our building revolves around a spectacular triple-height atrium that floods the workspace with natural light. The atrium, or The Middle as we like to call it, provides ample breakout, dining and quiet space for our team. Bleachers provide additional seating and lead up to a quiet indoor “garden” space and roof terrace. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure every seat in the house comes with a view, creating a sense of transparency and connection with the surrounding landscape.
The Middle breaks out into landscaped grounds including a pond, wetlands, an orchard and a woodland nature trail for staff, bringing the outside in just as Turner recommends. And when it’s time to unwind, our pub “The Dog & Bone”, provides the perfect setting for socialising and team bonding.
Sustainability was also key to our design. We’ve implemented many ESG features to the building over the years including solar panels, ground-source heat pumps, rainwater flushing toilets and our very own Moneypenny bees!
Future-proofing was built into the design from the start:
The results speak for themselves. Our building has gone on to win several leading industry accolades, including Best Corporate Workplace at the BCO Regional Awards, Highly Commended at the Mixology North Awards for Large Commercial Interiors Projects, and Highly Commended at the RICS Wales Commercial Awards. In 2022, Moneypenny was also a finalist in the BCO Test of Time Awards, recognising it as an exemplar of flexible, future-proofed workplace design.
This is exactly what Turner describes as the “destination office” – a place people actively choose to visit because it offers something meaningful they can’t get elsewhere.
Listen to the full conversation with Becky Turner on Spotify for more workplace design insights, or explore our complete library of On the Up episodes for additional business growth strategies.
And if you’re curious about how Moneypenny’s approach to workplace excellence extends to our services, why not experience it for yourself? Our award-winning team brings the same attention to detail and human-centric thinking to every client interaction. Get in touch today to discover how we can support your business.
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