New offices, car park and site facilities for McCann Erickson World Wide Group, the largest marketing communications group in the world.

The project forms part of a master plan undertaken by the Practice for the agency to rationalise its outdated facilities and provide a redesigned site, best suited to McCann Erickson’s current and future organisational requirements, within a Listed country estate. In response to the brief a 2000m² elliptical two storey office, detached from the Main Hall was created, which has in turn allowed nearly a third of the original Hall facades to be restored.

The oval shape follows the profile of the adjacent woodland and its continuance exposes not only the Main Hall but also offers views of the inner courtyard for the approaching visitor. To allow communication between the buildings light weight steel bridges have been designed. Interaction between the surrounding trees and the office has been achieved with a perimeter timber decked steel balcony/brise-soleil with full height glazing to the floor plates.

The elliptical form continues throughout the building defining the office areas, furniture arrangements and circulation routes. A central elliptical core offers both vertical circulation and services. This concentric form further defines a multi-purpose storage wall and private offices which open into the general office areas. Glazed partitioning separates private offices whilst maintaining the feeling of openness throughout the building.