TSK design new hybrid workspace for Flutter Entertainment

Workplace specialists TSK has created a new eight-floor office workspace with ‘the future in mind’ for global gaming giant Flutter Entertainment – known for its portfolio of leading international brands, including Sky Betting & Gaming, Paddy Power, PokerStars and Betfair. Flutter acquired Sky Betting & Gaming in early 2020 and this new space will allow them to achieve ambitious growth plans for the future.

The office space needed to be adaptable and allow people to do their best work, supporting employees’ evolving work activities and empowering them to change their space on demand to suit a particular purpose and activity.

To make the best use of the new office space, a range of settings were shaped for both independent and collaborative work including work benches, quiet pods, sit/stand desks, digitally-enabled meeting spaces and ‘zen zones’ for relaxation. Over 20% of the entire office is dedicated to non-working areas – for socialising, relaxing and reflection – to encourage a ‘one-team dynamic’ and connect people on a deeper level through social activities to build a stronger team culture.

‘The new office is all about choice, not desks. We’re moving away from the fixed work-setting and transitioning into a fully agile environment,’ comments Julie Thomas-Brooks, Lead Designer at TSK. ‘Instead of focusing on desks, we are creating multiple, varied, accessible and innate settings to support Sky Betting & Gaming’s diverse workforce.’

Flutter moved their 2,000+ people across two workspaces into one building to establish unity between different brands and build an office fit for the future. The office space needed to be adaptable and allow people to do their best work, supporting employees’ evolving work activities.

The new environment empowers employees to change their space on demand to suit purpose and activities – not only bringing people together but also liberating them from fixed positions within their environment, promoting collaboration and creativity in an accessible and spontaneous way.

The furniture and fittings are largely mobile to encourage the team’s own space management and set-up, and bi-fold doors and writable walls are available across the site for ad hoc sessions to be organised at a moment’s notice.

The sharp triangular shape of the building presented a challenge for the team, but lent itself to creating consistent spaces within each floor. On working floors, a unique space of collaborative settings and scrum spaces allows for ideation, retreat and teamworking. The rear is exposed less to sunlight throughout the day so is home to meeting, training and focus spaces. The centre space was reserved for social spaces, providing an impressive sense of welcome.

‘We used the nose of the building to create zen zone- geographically this made sense, with great views over the Wellington Place business district,’ TSK adds. ‘The identity of each working floor is influenced by the function it’s required to perform: Forum, Meeting, Presentation, Focus, Lounge and Social. The use of each central area influences the entire floorplate’s look, feel, and flow. Our design team carefully selected colours, materials and fabrics that evoke an emotional connection and stimulate different responses. Every detail was carefully considered and purpose-led…. from the acoustics to the materials and textures used.’

The identity of each floor is influenced by the function it’s required to perform (forum, meetings, presentations, focus, lounge and social). The intended use of each central social area influences the entire floor-plate’s look, feel, and flow.

As an example, the bright and airy café was created using natural materials such as wood and plants to evoke a sense of calm. A south-facing outdoor terrace gives social events its own dedicated natural space, and the gaming space on the eighth floor encourages employees to socialise, relax and have fun: ‘We’re now seeing more staff come back to the office – more than any of their other offices – which is really quite inspiring,’ says Louise Wood, CRE programme manager at Flutter.

Find out more about the process behind the project: tskgroup.co.uk/flutter