A Launchpad for High Flyers
Runway East is a co-working community built for high-growth startups, and a business with serious ambitions of its own. When they came to us, they had a growing portfolio of London locations, rising customer expectations, and a flexible workspace market becoming increasingly crowded with operators all starting to look the same. They needed more than a refresh. They needed a design DNA, something distinctive enough to own, flexible enough to evolve, and strong enough to carry the brand across every new location they opened.
When a client says they want to create strong communities of happy teams, it's exactly the type of brief we love. We couldn't wait to get cracking.
Developing the Interior Brand
As part of an overall rebrand, Runway East wanted to work with people who understood how brand and space could move in the same direction. With an expanding portfolio and the rise of customer expectations in the flexible workspace sector they needed to evolve their offer and carve their own niche in an increasingly crowded market.
Starting with the development of two fantastic flagship sites in London, the brief was to create a bold new design direction, and realise it across two very different buildings.
Our process was kicked off with a workshop followed by open dialogue and idea sharing to build an understanding of what their brand is all about and how it could translate into their spaces.
It was important not to create a cookie-cutter house style that can be rolled out across different sites, but rather define a DNA that can convey a feeling that is recognisable, ownable and can adapt and evolve. The Runway East vibe is bold, playful and youthful, which made the process of exploring ideas together a lot of fun.
“With so many ‘trend-driven’ flexible office developments all starting to look the same, we always aim to do things differently. At Runway East we believe that developing spaces with their own unique personality helps to bring people together and form strong communities.
Sheila Bird Studio have been fantastic to work with, their bold creative vision has given us distinctive workplaces full of character that our customers love and enjoy spending time in.”
Natasha Guerra, CEO Runway East
Purpose and Personality
Communal spaces are the lifeblood of the Runway East culture and flow throughout each of the buildings, therefore it was important to give these spaces their own unique character and purpose to promote movement and interaction between each floor.
The ground floor communal spaces were designed around a central kitchen, always the hub of activity, a concept we called The Long Island Lounge. The idea is rooted in a multi functional kitchen island that extends and changes in height. You can sit at it, sit on it, have a meeting at it, plant it- it's the spine of the space. Other areas flowed out from here, places for quiet reflection and focus which we named Karma Corner and The Refuge.
Social spaces at ground floor connect through to a vibrant outdoor yard area where teams can gather.
A Story in Technicolor
An overall colour story colour was developed for each building which could flex up and down in different areas to create zones with their own distinct personalities and and uses. Different spaces that could encourage play, conversation, contemplation and focus at different times of the day.
The tonal palette is muted rather than primary to create warm, inviting spaces that people feel at home that don't over-power or over-stimulate. Equally, the material palette was designed to be tactile and textural with velvets, patterned fabrics, corduroy, Zelig tiles and Foresso finishes.
Art Attack!
On both London Bridge and Shoreditch sites we also collaborated with artists to develop unique murals, wallpapers and window vinyls that aligned with the design direction.
It was fantastic to collaborate with two very different but complimentary artists, Jo Hicks on Shoreditch and Jazz Stan on London Bridge, to create graphics with energy and vibrancy that align with the brand personality.
Private Zones and Secret Rooms
The little nooks in the space offered great opportunities to create private, one person spaces for focussed working and calls. As with the communal spaces, they come in a variety of characters to keep things interesting. Some with large windows and flooded with light, others darker and more intimate. There is a dedicated library on the ground floor so we made one of the private booths nearby secret, hidden behind a large door disguised as a bookcase.
Devil in the Details
In addition to custom vinyls and wall coverings we designed brand led signage throughout the buildings incorporating lightboxes and ply joinery for floor levels and meeting rooms.
We also helped curate a full dressing pack including additional art prints and furnishing accessories that capture the spirit of the brand.
The Impact
The London work was never just about London. The brief was to define a design DNA that could travel, and it has. Since the flagship sites opened, Runway East has used the identity we developed together as the foundation for every new location: Bristol, Birmingham, Bath, and beyond. Each one distinct, each one unmistakably Runway East.
In a market where flexible workspace operators are fighting hard to differentiate, having a coherent interior brand, one that feels alive rather than templated, has become one of Runway East's most valuable assets. Members don't just choose a desk. They choose a place that has a personality worth being part of.
That's the power of design.
