Thames Water

AWW has designed a new home for Thames Water in Swindon, marking an important new chapter for the organisation following more than 20 years at its previous location.

As Thames Water’s main call handling centre, the office supports up to 1,500 staff, including people who have been with the business for more than 30 years. The move was therefore about much more than relocating to a new building. It was an opportunity to create a workplace that reflected how the organisation works today, while retaining the culture, connections and sense of belonging built up over many years.

With hybrid working reducing the need for traditional desk-based space, a comprehensive workplace specialist analysis formed the basis of the brief. This established occupancy requirements and the right balance of work settings, meeting spaces and shared facilities, allowing the new workplace to make much more effective use of its footprint.

From the outset, the ambition was to create a workplace that worked hard operationally but felt welcoming, inclusive and distinctly Thames Water.

Strong stakeholder engagement was central to the design process. AWW worked closely with teams across the organisation to understand how people use the workplace, what they valued about their existing home and what they needed from the new one. The result is an environment designed around choice. Across two floors, 450 work settings sit alongside more than 30 meeting rooms, flexible training spaces, a town hall environment and a commercial kitchen and cafeteria. Together, these provide a variety of places to focus, meet, learn, collaborate and socialise throughout the working day.

Technology is integrated into the experience through smart lockers, desk and room booking systems and digital signage, helping the workplace respond intuitively to a more flexible pattern of occupation.

AWW Interiors developed a series of clear and flexible space planning options before establishing the overall design concept, material palette and finishes. 3D modelling and visualisations helped the stakeholder team understand and shape the proposals as the design evolved.

Particular attention was given to the areas where people spend the greatest amount of time. Work settings are positioned to maximise access to natural light, while planting, spatial zoning and carefully considered dividers create a balance between openness, collaboration and focused work.

Acoustics were a key part of this approach. Working alongside specialist consultants, acoustic solutions were integrated across open plan workspaces, meeting rooms and cellular spaces to manage noise, reduce distraction and create more comfortable environments for both focused and collaborative work. Colour and materiality bring warmth and identity to the workplace. Thames Water’s brand is woven through the interiors rather than applied as an overlay, with colour used to aid wayfinding, define spaces and create moments of character. Smaller rooms are colour-drenched, while a calmer palette and avoidance of overly busy patterns supports a more inclusive environment.

Central teapoints, breakout spaces and the commercial cafeteria create natural opportunities for teams to come together away from their desks. Flexible training rooms can adapt for different group sizes and activities, while the town hall space gives Thames Water a place for larger gatherings and shared moments.

Wellbeing and inclusivity are embedded throughout the floorplates. Dedicated wellness and welfare rooms sit alongside first aid and prayer facilities, providing private spaces that support a wide range of individual needs. The design also considers neurodiversity and accessibility through quieter reset spaces, adjustable lighting, clear wayfinding, acoustic comfort and a calm approach to colour and pattern. Part M compliant teapoints, accessible workstations distributed throughout the office, visual contrast between finishes, an accessible reception desk and WC facilities help ensure choice is available to everyone rather than confined to one part of the workplace.

There is also an important connection to Thames Water’s previous home. The memorial garden at the former office held particular meaning for employees, so its story has been carried into the new workplace through a mixed-media mural within the restaurant — retaining a piece of the organisation’s history as it begins its next chapter.
 

The workplace has been designed not only around how Thames Water works now, but how it may need to work in the future.

One floor has a shorter lease period, so rather than relying on permanent built interventions, AWW developed a lighter-touch, furniture-led approach. Meeting pods and adaptable furniture provide privacy and functionality while responding to the lease and demise strategy, allowing the space to be changed or removed with significantly less intervention. Existing elements were also retained wherever practical. The Cat A ceiling and services are utilised across open plan areas, while existing task chairs have been reused or refurbished. Sustainable materials, including Polygood recycled plastic solid surfaces, further support an approach centred on reducing waste and making considered use of existing resources.

The result is a workplace that balances operational efficiency with a much more human experience — creating a flexible new home for Thames Water that supports its people, strengthens its culture and has the adaptability to continue evolving with them.