Case Study: Vehicle Certification Agency, Workplace brief and design

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Transport. They provide robust vehicle testing and certification to internationally recognised standards. They have a central Bristol HQ and other offices nationally.

The challenge.

The interior of their 20,000 sq. ft Bristol HQ was outdated and not suitable for hybrid working which had been introduced since the pandemic. They had recently acquired additional space to accommodate a growing workforce. It included five adjoining buildings, made up of lab, training rooms and office space. The buildings were poorly connected, they had large numbers of unused desks, and they lacked shared spaces.

What we did.

Our workplace strategist and associate workplace designer worked closely with the client’s Head of Estates to evolve the brief and then create concept designs, 3D visuals, and space planning. Our associate workplace designer Mary Daykin worked alongside the build team to ensure the project was delivered with fidelity to the design. Our work included creating:

• space plans over 3 floors

• mood boards

• working drawings

• 3d visuals of key areas

• furniture specification with the aim of achieving high environmental sustainability credentials as well as good cost effectiveness.