Well Pharmacy

Following its 2014 acquisition by the Bestway Group, Well Pharmacy was seeking to establish a fresh brand identity to set itself apart from its previous incarnation as The Co-operative Pharmacy.

Merchant’s Warehouse, a Grade II listed, former goods warehouse on the Bridgewater Canal had been rescued from dereliction in 1995. Recognising the potential in the building, Bluesky Design was appointed to transform this blank canvas into an exciting and dynamic workspace that would also preserve the building’s rich heritage and unique character.

Furniture & finishes were carefully selected to reflect Well’s new brand identity. The original timber beam ceilings were kept exposed, and minimal work was carried out on the building structure in order to retain a sense of its original spirit.

Project Gallery

Project Details

Accommodation:

280 people

Scope of works:

Refurbished Grade II Listed warehouse building

Size:

25,000 sq.ft

Location:

Castlefield Manchester

Project Timescale:

12 months

A bright and welcoming reception area leads to a shared meeting suite and incorporates a central lounge area, touchdown space and informal meeting spots. The rear of the ground floor has been transformed into a communal space for staff dining, complete with soft seating, feature wallpaper and wall lights to create a relaxed environment conducive to inter-team exchange and collaboration.

The upper two floors of the building have been designed to provide exceptional open-plan office space for the company’s 280 office-based staff. The project was managed by JLL Manchester and fit-out was completed by ADT Workplace.

Client quote

We are already feeling a positive impact on productivity – teams now sit together and the introduction of plenty of informal break-out spaces means that there is always somewhere to have a discussion without the need for a formal meeting room. Staff also have laptops, and the hot-desks and docking points allow people to move to work-settings that best support the job in hand.

The personal and departmental storage facilities are a must for supporting our end-of-day clear desk policy and are positioned throughout the building to allow easy access to the appropriate colleagues. As a Pharmacy business we’re proud to be experts in our field and our new office gives us an excellent showcase to move forward with our new brand.

Tim Davies – Chief Operating Officer, +Well Pharmacy