Meet... Matt Brookes
In the latest of our ‘Meet…’ series, we catch up with Matt Brookes, our Design Partner, who's an integral part of our design team and loves long walks with his beloved dog...
What’s your background/experience to date?
Having graduated from university in 2014 studying interior architecture and design, I took a brief role at an architecture firm, but I wanted to explore my interest in interiors further. I was lucky enough to find a growing team at The Workspace Consultants and have been here ever since! I progressed from a junior designer learning the complexities of office interior design to running my first project a few years later, and I'm now a partner within the company and have experience of a number of sectors within office and education design.
What excites you about office design?
The use of space has always excited me, from the way people travel through spaces to how you can design areas for various types of work or relaxation. The process of going from an empty shell to walking around your design has always been the most rewarding part of design and will never age for me. The progression in trends and innovation in furniture, lighting and finishes will always keep things fresh.
What trends are most prominent?
I would say in the post Covid years the flexibility in the way we work has been a huge influence on design. That can be in a reduction/consolidation of space to accommodate the growing number of home workers while still trying to retain a ‘home away from home’ feel that entices staff in to keep the team together, or it can even be down to the furniture and equipment we use in the office. We all now have far more Teams/virtual meetings and the office needs to accommodate that too.
Why should you use a professional office designer?
We have seen hundreds of offices around the country from various sectors and sizes. And with that, we have seen what works and what may not work, and we'll always try to understand your company to help you create an environment that will attract talent, increase productivity and improve staff wellbeing. We'll do all of this while always trying to keep within a sensible budget and we'll even try and save you money. (This can sometimes be challenging for designers!) We'll always listen to your needs, but we may gently guide you towards a better way of doing things.
What specialist software do you use?
I can use various CAD and photo editing softwares but I specialise in Revit which is a 3D CAD software that builds the office from the floor up to the ceilings to allow the client to get a better feel of how the office will look in real life. We understand that not everyone can envisage how a space will look from a 2D plan, and this is a really great way to sell the design to other members of staff and take them along for the ride. Once the layouts have been confirmed I will also apply materials to the model and with Enscape we can render it in real time to walk you around a realistic interior which shows the various finishes, lighting levels and furniture selection as shown in this example. That’s where the fun part of the design really starts!
And what’s your top tip around office design?
Listen to your staff. The use of a workplace survey will give your team the feeling that they're a big part of the company, and since they're the ones who use the space every day they understand what works or doesn’t work from your current office. A space utilisation survey may also show areas of the office that are rarely used or give you a data-driven plan on how many people you need to accommodate for a new move. That also extends to giving your staff an environment that supports them both in their work and their own wellbeing.
Away from work, what are your interests/pastimes?
Apart from the usual things of seeing friends, holidaying and playing some sport, my dog is a big part of my life and he keeps me busy. He’s somehow now nine years old but although he’s slowed down a bit with a few grey hairs, he still keeps me on my toes and out for long walks. Although thankfully he does also love a lazy day on the sofa!
