Transforming Your Workspace

An office refurbishment can completely transform an unworkable space into a functional, welcoming environment where employees actually enjoy coming to work every day. A well-planned refurb helps meet the needs of both your business and your team, supporting how people work and collaborate. This could be as simple as updating tired furniture, or as ambitious as a full redesign that reimagines the layout, flow, and overall feel of your office.

Does Your Office Need a Refurbishment?

Not sure if it’s time for a change? Asking the right questions can help you decide. Is your team feeling cramped or uncomfortable in the current layout? Or perhaps the opposite — do you have too much unused space that no longer serves a purpose? Maybe your office no longer reflects your brand, or it fails to motivate productive, engaged employees. If you’re moving to a new location, or your workspace feels stale and lifeless, these are all strong indicators that a refurbishment could make a real difference.

The Impact on People and Perception

Whether you opt for a full refurbishment or simply refresh the furniture, the biggest impact will be seen in employee productivity. Smart layouts and modern furniture create an environment where people can focus, feel motivated, and perform at their best. When employees feel valued and supported, morale improves and engagement naturally grows. On top of that, a modern, professional office space helps impress clients and visitors, leaving a strong, lasting impression that reflects positively on your business.

To get started with an upgrade of your space:

Book a consultation with our team to discuss your requirements in detail. We’ll measure up the space, assess your needs and pride detailed designs, quotes, mood boards, and ideas. Contact us on 01772 696222 or email us at enquiries@glendaleuk.com and we will get back to you promptly.

Creating an effective office isn’t just about how it looks. It’s about designing a space that supports your team and meets their needs. When employees feel comfortable, valued, and supported, performance naturally improves. Below are five key office design concepts that help create a workspace that is both practical and inspiring.

1. Activity-Based Workspaces 

The layout of your office plays a big role in how teams interact and complete tasks. Open-plan designs are popular because they encourage communication and collaboration, but they can also be noisy and distracting. A hybrid, activity-based layout offers flexibility by combining collaborative spaces with quieter areas or acoustic pods. This allows employees to choose where they work best, depending on the task, helping them stay focused and productive throughout the day.

2. Ergonomic Furniture 

If employees are uncomfortable at their desks, it becomes difficult to stay focused. Poor posture and back pain can quickly impact wellbeing, productivity, and job satisfaction. Investing in ergonomic furniture shows your team that you value their health. Features such as height-adjustable desks allow employees to switch between sitting and standing, improving comfort, energy levels, and overall performance.

3. Colour Psychology 

Colour has a powerful influence on mood and behaviour, making it an important consideration in workplace design. Cool tones like blues and greens promote calmness and concentration, making them ideal for focused work areas and meeting rooms. Warmer colours such as oranges and yellows add energy and positivity, which works well in creative or collaborative spaces. The key is finding the right balance and avoiding spaces that feel dull or overwhelming.

4. Visual Inspiration 

Your workplace reflects your brand and values. Incorporating visual elements such as brand messaging, past achievements, or motivational graphics helps create a sense of purpose and pride. These touches can inspire employees, reinforce company culture, and leave a lasting impression on visitors.

5. Internal Green Spaces 

Bringing nature into the workplace is one of the most effective ways to create a calming and inspiring environment. Plants, living walls, and access to natural light can reduce stress, improve mood, and boost creativity. Natural light also helps increase energy levels and concentration, making it an essential element in any well-designed office

Flexible Working: 

Flexible working in schools provides teachers with the adaptability they need to thrive in a busy and ever-changing environment. With a range of areas available throughout the school, staff can choose spaces that suit their style of teaching or the task at hand. This flexibility not only appeals to different strengths but also allows teachers to work more closely with their classes when needed, or to collaborate with colleagues in shared spaces. By offering multiple working areas, schools create an environment that encourages creativity, teamwork, and ultimately improves overall staff wellbeing.

Wellbeing:

Wellbeing plays an equally vital role in creating a positive school environment, supporting both the physical and mental health of staff. Thoughtfully designed staffrooms offer a place to escape the classroom, whether it’s to catch up on work, enjoy a quiet coffee, or hold meetings in a comfortable setting. These spaces can be vibrant and social or calm and professional, depending on what teachers need at the moment, with acoustic solutions providing the privacy required for focused conversations. Combined with natural lighting and inviting design, such areas not only enhance productivity but also help foster stronger social connections and better mental wellbeing.

To get started with an upgrade of your space:

Book a consultation with our team to discuss your requirements in detail. We’ll measure up the space, assess your needs and pride detailed designs, quotes, mood boards, and ideas.

You’ve probably heard all the buzz about ‘pods’, ‘booths’, and ‘Zoom rooms’ — but what do they actually do, and do you need one in your school? You’re in the right place if you want to find out!

Booths and pods are a clever, cost-effective way to create defined spaces — or ‘rooms within rooms’ — without building walls. They help you make the most of your existing space by creating zones for different types of work, without the mess, cost, or hassle of construction.

Schools are busy places, and the types of work that go on every day are incredibly varied:

• Private phone calls, focused individual work, study, reading

• Small group discussions, teacher meetings, collaborative projects, one-to-one support

• Brainstorming sessions, meetings, staff training

That’s where AcoustiPod comes in.

If a space is filled with standard classroom tables and chairs, it’s tricky to support all those different activities. Our pods and booths are designed to create flexible zones that allow teachers and students to achieve what they need to get done!

The AcoustiPod Range

Piccolo
A compact single-person booth — ideal in a staffroom for taking a quick phone call or a quick moment of quiet. Excellent acoustic performance for privacy.

Medio
A mid-sized booth for up to four people. Perfect for small group work, collaboration, or one-to-ones. Comfortable and sound-insulated.

Grande
Spacious and versatile. A great fit for student group projects, teacher meetings or any kind of collaborative session.

Extra Grande
A full ‘room within a room’ — without needing building regs or messy construction. Ideal for large team meetings, workshops, or breakout zones. It’s furniture, not fit-out.

Grande Hut
A booth with a pitched roof for four people. Inviting, creative and perfect for groupwork or informal study sessions.

Individuale
A high-sided acoustic chair with built-in shelving — designed for quiet individual work, reading, or focused research.

Novero Collab
A collaborative booth with high sides to reduce distractions and visual interruptions. Great for student collaboration or one-to-ones and catch ups

Novero F2F
Train-style bench seating — designed for face-to-face meetings, group tasks or study work. Comfortable and reconfigurable.

Think you might need one now? Get in touch and we’d love to provide you with more details and a quote!
enquiries@glendaleuk.com
01772 696222

Creating inspiring and engaging learning environments helps foster student curiosity and productivity by offering organized spaces with flexible seating and functional designs. Incorporating features like bespoke storage, teaching walls, and comfortable furniture encourages creativity and collaboration. Below tells you exactly why each school needs to make sure that they have learning spaces that help enhance student engagement:

Inspirational Environments:

Creating an inspiring learning environment will allow you to foster curious minds of your students. By designing ‘wow’ learning spaces that capture their imagination, you can make their eager to come to school each day. This can be achieved through including bespoke storage units that help keep the space organised and free from clutter, allowing for better focus and productivity. Adding popular teaching walls will help encourage creativity and collaboration which helps to engage your students in the learning process. Additionally, investing in full fit outs with reliable and comfortable furniture, will ensure that the spaces it not only functionable but also helps engage your students. At Glendale we can offer you the tools  you will need to get your learning environments to a place like this where students want to come to school and want to learn.

Learning Spaces: 

A well-designed learning environment should cater for both individual and collaborative working, offering a variety of seating options to suit both of these working styles. Whether it’s booths for focused study, high tables for group discussion, quite library corners or individual spaces for solo work. Students should have the choice of whether they want to sit based on their work that they are currently doing. This flexibility will lead to more engagement and helps your students work more effectively. At Glendale, our expert interior designers will listen to you and help you choose the best layout for you space allowing for you to get the best out of your space.

Positive Learning Environment: 

Creating enjoyable learning spaces that are visually pleasing can make a world of difference in student engagement. Here at Glendale we tailor learning environments to meet every learning need, whether this is for quite study, group collaboration, or hands-on activities. These thoughtfully designed space not only support various learning styles, but also make students want to come to school each day to learn. With the right balance of aesthetics and functionality, we can craft environments that enhance both academic performance and overall well-being.

To get started with an upgrade of your space: 

Book a consultation with our team to discuss your requirements in detail. We’ll measure up the space, assess your needs and pride detailed designs, quotes, mood boards, and ideas.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

We all need a break, whether we’re working on a tough project at work or revising for exams. Breakout spaces are a much needed escape from the desk and deadlines. They allow people to recharge, reducing stress and promoting a positive mindset. When people feel good they’re more engaged and motivated – that’s it.

Igniting Creativity and Collaboration

Sometimes the best ideas come when we’re not sat at a desk. Breakout spaces create an environment where creativity can thrive. Whether it’s a chat over coffee or an impromptu brainstorming session these areas encourage interaction and idea sharing. In schools this might mean students working on group projects. In offices it’s about cross departmental discussions that lead to innovation.

Flexibility

Breakout spaces are like Swiss Army knives for interiors – they do multiple jobs. Need a quiet spot to focus? It’s there. Looking for a space to hold an informal meeting? Done. Just want to take a few minutes to unwind? No problem. The flexibility of these spaces makes them a valuable asset in both education and business.

Getting Moving

Sitting in one place all day isn’t great for the body or the mind. Breakout spaces encourage movement whether it’s walking to a quiet nook to read or heading to a comfy sofa for a quick chat. Movement increases blood flow, sharpens focus and improves productivity.

Reducing Noise and Distractions

In open plan offices or busy school environments finding a quiet moment can be hard. Breakout spaces are an oasis where people can retreat to focus away from the noise and activity. This balance of quiet and activity helps to maintain a productive environment for everyone.

How to Design a Breakout Space

A breakout area should reflect the needs of its users. In schools this might mean soft seating and group tables for teamwork. In offices a mix of cosy corners and open spaces to suit different working styles. Add some greenery, lots of natural light and maybe some fun design elements to create a welcoming energising space.

A Good Investment

Breakout spaces aren’t just nice to have – they’re a game changer. By giving people the freedom to step away, connect and reset these areas improve wellbeing, creativity and productivity. Whether you’re in business or education a breakout space is an investment in success.

To get started with your new Breakout Space:

Book a consultation with our team to discuss your requirements in detail. We’ll measure up the space, assess your needs and provide detailed designs, quotes, mood boards, and ideas.

A Teaching Wall, sometime known as a Storage Wall or Learning Wall, is a bespoke storage unit, designed to minimise the need for multiple storage units and shelves, therefore optimising space in the classroom. These custom built walls combine storage, display, whiteboards or interactive screens into one effective layout, creating a central focus point in the room as well as an effective, space-efficient storage option.

These Storage walls have seen an increase in popularity and are the first choice in most modern classrooms around the country. Being a customised product, the Teaching Wall can answer a multitude of individual requirements, however, there are three main effects, from which all clients benefit. These include, spatial optimisation, improved organisation and focus and increased safety/privacy.

Why get a bespoke teacher wall? 

A teacher wall can save up to 30% floorspace in your classroom. This space can be used to improve social distancing between students and allow for more flexibility in classroom layout. By bringing all storage to the front of the class, you can free-up the other 3 walls and save on access space. Our designers are experienced at utilising space effectively in order to create minimalist and practical classrooms which cater to your needs.

For any Teacher striving to stay organised, the Teaching Wall is definitely worth a consideration. The wall is designed to store your commodities in the most practical and space efficient way possible. Teaching Wall can be designed with trays, filing, lockable drawers, pull out teacher desks and many other useful storage options which are all integrated into one fitted unit for a sleek and minimalistic result. The benefit to storing your necessary items in a wall is that it minimises distraction in the classroom, which in turn increases student’s attention span, which maximises potential for learning.

Lastly, the Teaching Wall can be built with locking doors, allowing for storage of hazardous equipment or private items. In addition, device charging units and cables can be stored inside the unit, which minimises wire trip hazards and the need for multiple charging points around the classroom. Locked doors and strategically placed items can mean more private or personal items can be stored appropriately

Teaching Wall Features can include:

• Lockable doors / Sliding Whiteboard doors
• Matching Static or pull-out teacher desk
• Device charging units
• Multiple colour and wood grain options
• Integrated Whiteboards and Screen
• Shelving and filing trays
• Student trays storage
• Sink unit

Are you interested in optimising space and creating a clutter-free classroom?

Check out our teaching walls here.

Planning permission is generally needed for alterations that affect the external appearance of the school, e.g. high fences and gates, canopies or extensions.

Internal alterations do not usually need planning permission, but they may need building regulation approval if they fall into one of these 3 categories:

1. Removal of a load bearing wall and installation of a beam or lintel
2. Internal alterations to walls or doors that form a means of escape in case of fire example: walls around staircases and protected routes used as part of the means of escape.
3. Alterations to below ground drainage

Anything that involves a load bearing wall may also need the services of a structural engineer to calculate the beam or lintol size.  A competent refurbishment partner will be able to advise on the procedure for getting building regulation approval using  either the local authority or an approved inspector. A building inspector may insist on other works being carried out to make sure that the whole project meets building regulations.

The Science Lab is a place where students gain hands-on learning experiences that allow them to explore and understand scientific concepts through experimentation and observation, helping to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. It creates an environment that encourages creativity and a passion for learning, inspiring the next generation of scientists and innovators.

Carrying out a science lab refurb can be a daunting task – luckily, we’ve got your back. Whether you’re starting from scratch or renovating an existing lab with a teacher wall, our expert team will help you from initial ideas and designs to project management and full completion.

For now, here’s a few tips on how to design the perfect science lab:

Tip #1: Determine the Lab’s Purpose

What is the lab going to be used for? How many will be using it?
Answering these questions will help you to choose the appropriate layout and accompanying furniture to ensure safe and efficient use. You need to consider the space allocated for research, teaching, practical experiments, and individual learning.

Tip #2: Prioritize safety with necessary furniture and clear emergency exists

Are you making safety a priority?

The answer should be yes, given the nature of the environment. Choose furniture that prioritizes safety, such as lab benches with chemical-resistant tops like Trespa, and storage cabinets for chemicals and flammable materials. Ensure the layout of the room keeps all emergency exits clear.

Tip #3: Choose durable and functional furniture that fits the lab’s space

Wondering what furniture is best?
Furniture should be durable and functional in a science lab. Examples would include adjustable height lab-benches and ergonomic chairs to prevent strain and injury. Consider the space you have available to ensure the furniture fits neatly and accommodates the specific needs of the users. Choose a flooring that is easy to wipe and keep clean, such as vinyl.

Tip #4: Create a flexible layout to accommodate future changes and expansions

Don’t forget to think ahead.
Plan for future changes in the lab by creating a flexible layout with modular furniture that can be reconfigured and expanded as needed. Leave extra space around furniture for easy modification.

Contact us to discuss your Science Lab projects and we can get you free designs and a quotation.

Why does the design of your Food Technology Room matter?

Food Technology Rooms are a space where students develop as individuals as they gain practical experience in cooking and food prep, expand their nutritional education,  develop teamworking and collaboration skills, and develop life skills for the future which could help prepare for their careers. It is therefore an area that deserves the ultimate attention to detail when it comes to planning and design – not forgetting that it’s an area exposed to varied range of hazards and risks that mustn’t be overlooked!

Layout Considerations

The layout you choose for your Food Tech Room is going to depend on what the room gets used for – usually it is a fair mix of practical and theory work. The generic space layout will have to be taken into consideration, it is important to assess what areas are necessities in your room, common ‘zones’ include a teaching wall, a store room, preparation space, presentation, demonstration area, research space and a space for photography. All these elements can influence the overall layout of the room you decide upon, the 3 most common layouts are: Peninsular, Island, and Perimeter, each having its own advantages and disadvantages.

A Peninsular layout tends to be the most common, it creates a series of bays, normally with two hob/sink units arranged facing across the peninsula. This layout maximises the use of the floor and perimeter space most effectively, allowing for large groups of students to be taught at once. The peninsular arrangement also gives generous worktop space, making it easier to meet the cooker and sink ratios. The peninsular workstations break the room down into smaller kitchen spaces, making it easier for a teacher to manage a large group of students as they work in smaller, more focused groups. Peninsular workstations can also be used for theory lessons as high chairs can be pushed up to the tables for students to sit around. One disadvantage is that having cookers an appliances in the centre of the room could involve extra expense or risk compared with keeping services on the perimeter. In addition, sightlines from the student cooking area to the demo area or whiteboard can be poor if the demonstration area is at right angles to the peninsular.

The Perimeter layout is another common Food Tech room layout as it allows for maximum flexibility between practical and theory teaching. This layout works great for schools that want to maximise the free area for flexible teaching. Kitchen workstations are lined around the perimeter of the room, while the main floor space is used for teaching and studying the theoretical aspect of the subject. In addition, Perimeter layouts mean that there are no back-to-back circulation issues and can help pupil concentration. However, the perimeter layout can mean there is a lower ratio of cookers and sinks to students, as the kitchen workspace is fairly limited. Another disadvantage to the Perimeter layout is that students often have their back to the demonstration are or whiteboard.

The Island layout consists of freestanding worksurfaces around the room, services will generally need to be run through the floor to cookers and sinks in the islands, although gas and electric services could also run overhead. This layout is a lot less common, however there are advantages worth considering. One plus point is that the teacher can easily circulate between the cooking stations which encourages good interactive learning and a good atmosphere. There is also potential for a ‘wow’ factor as the room can look like a MasterChef layout. However, although Island Layouts can look great, most of the space is taken up with the fixed benching arrangement, so there is not much flexibility. In addition, if the space isn’t carefully planned, there can be a lot of traffic and congestion in the middle of the room which can increase chances of accidents, especially where there are cookers situated centrally.

Plastic is so widespread in our lives that we can hardly imagine life without it. From the bottles we drink from, grocery bags we use and to the straws we throw away – our lives revolve around its use. Is it clear that if we don’t take action, by reducing, reusing and recycling, the damage we inflict will be devastating.

‘Experts predict that by 2048 the amount of plastic in the seas will weigh more than the number of fish*’

For these reasons, we have introduced a new fabric to our collection, bought to us by Camira, one of the worlds leading fabric manufacturers – we introduce, Oceanic.

Oceanic, is our first SEAQUAL fabric, a fabric woven from plastic taken from both land and sea. it is an expertly crafted fabric, created entirely from post-consumer recycled plastic, from debris floating discarded in our seas, used to make SEAQUAL Yarn. Each metre of Oceanic is woven from yarn made from 26 plastic bottles. With an intricate diagonal two-tone weave, this visual detail adds texture and detail which is a complementary addition to your mood board. This contemporary fabric is a 100% recycled waste polyester with a purpose.

Oceanic comes in a colour palette of 16 shades, providing a versatile selection that echo’s the shades visible on nature’s shoreline.

*Source: The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics (2018) Ellen Macarthur Foundation