IAAPS started out as a small, applied automotive propulsion research team based at the University of Bath. Today their team is globally recognised for their expertise and industry-focused R&I and they work inclusively and flexibly with their partners to co-create solutions and insight. IAAPS take real world problems from industry and apply the best academic minds with access to state-of-the-art facilities to solve those challenges. IAAPS remains part of the University of Bath and when the time came to upgrade the office facilities, IAAPS worked in collaboration with Dams Furniture who have become a recognised supplier of furniture to universities and student accommodation projects across the UK.
Dams were asked to provide office desks, seating and storage in the main office, with a large open space that was to become a modern collaborative working space, with worktables for agile teamwork, soft seating areas for informal gatherings, meeting booths and acoustic hubs for teams to meet in private, and a kitchen/canteen area for people to socialise and grab a bite to eat.
With its strong lines and elegant form, TR10 desks are built for demanding work places and the 120 degree desks are a popular choice for a wide range of projects. Together with Tegan fabric operator chairs with enhanced ergonomic features, and steel lockers to store belongings securely, these were the perfect choice for the new hot desking policy for the main office at IAAPS.
Worktables offer companies one way to reconfigure their workspaces with a focus on collaborative spaces and our Fuze tables with grey oak tops and solid oak wooden legs were selected. Figaro lounge chairs and Oslo sofas add colour and interest to any space by creating a relaxed and unique, fully coordinated look perfect for social spaces. Being able to concentrate is something everybody needs from time-to-time, especially in open spaces, and this is where the Encore 4 person meeting booths and Silen acoustic hubs come in to create different zones for different types of work – individual work or team work – with each having a different acoustic requirement. And to finish off, Slab poseur tables with colourful Roscoe stools give a fresh look to the kitchen area.
Over the course of the project budgets fluctuated due to a combination of disruption to supply chains, increased freight costs and the higher prices of components and materials, however any changes in the specification were managed by the Dams team to ensure that the end result matched the client’s ambitions.
The furniture was selected for its alternative style to traditional office furniture, with subtle, bold colours and interesting design shapes. The IAAPS approach is experimentally intensive, analytically demanding and highly collaborative, and by stepping back from problems to explore the challenges with new, modern agile work spaces, they can continue to deliver quality insights and solutions to their partners.