Institution of Engineering & Technology - Michael Faraday House Refurbishment
Stevenage, Hertfordshire

The IET have occupied Michael Faraday House in Stevenage since 1989, employing at present circa 450 staff. The building’s infrastructure and services were at the end of their useful life and upgrade works were required: this prompted the IET to carry out a strategic assessment of their accommodation requirements. Over 20 months several options were explored and a way forward, based on a scaled down project, was agreed.

The proposals for the refurbishment of Michael Faraday House were aimed at providing a new and stimulating workplace environment served by current day technologies. These were to support and facilitate a move toward more agile ways of working and a paperless office, that would together lead to a more efficient and effective use of the site. A full refurbishment design was progressed which included transformational interventions such as the introduction of a high-level atrium roof, hanging staircase and relocation of the staff restaurant to the ground floor.

Enclosing the courtyard created a usable atrium space that provides:

• An attractive and uplifting sense of arrival, place and identity
• A heart around which life of the building revolves - a village green, where people meet
• Extension of the menu of spaces and provision of an alternative workplace environment for staff and visitors
• A flexible, multifunctional space for staff café, informal meetings, town hall, events, interactive exhibitions.

Covering the courtyard was an opportunity that generated a unique type of space for collaboration, interaction and events. It turned an unused space into a lively environment acting as a flexible breakout point that has become the heart of the building.

The new ground floor arrangement introduced a sense of a journey, by arriving at reception and welcoming staff and visitors in the new open plan atrium space: from there, spaces such as the wellbeing multipurpose room, used for events such as yoga classes, and the staff café & restaurant are visible and easily accessed. The new staircase provides quick and direct access to the refresh & collaboration hub on the first floor, from where staff can reach their workspace.

The refurbishment of Michael Faraday House was carried out in phases, with the building remaining occupied and without the requirement for a major decant away from the site.