dMFK and Inevidesk: A case study
dMFK office photography by Kilian O’Sullivan www.kilianosullivan.com
Back in Summer 2022 we were approached by the architectural firm dMFK, who had heard great things about our hosted virtual desktop service from another practice. Their situation was twofold: they were moving office and wanted that new space to be as flexible as possible; and they had an array of ageing server and workstation hardware.
The plans for the new office were ambitious. In the post-pandemic era, it was to be an exemplar of how a space can both encourage people back to the office and provide an unbeatable collaborative environment. As dMFK are well known workplace architects it would also be a showroom of their product, deploying the same design care for their team as they do for their clients.
Being able to fit out the office without the need for a server room or bulky workstations under desks was immediately appealing from a space and aesthetic perspective. But combining this with an upgrade in performance, the ability to work from any desk at any time and supporting remote working when necessary, sealed the deal. The fact that it also made the move logistics easier was just the cherry on top.
I visited dMFK’s new office in November, a few weeks after the team moved in. Based on the ground floor of a corner building at the junction of Charlotte Street and Chitty Street, dMFK’s product and process is highly visible to the passing Fitzrovia traffic through full height glazing. A large meeting table, always in use, with a background of bespoke joinery, large inset presentation screen and strategically placed models and plants makes a lovely daylight drenched connection to the street. Beside this, in a pleasing contrast, well populated desks stretch back into the office in a more private, warmly lit area. From the street, it looks fantastic.
dMFK office interior photography by Kilian O’Sullivan www.kilianosullivan.com
However, entering the space is when you experience the moment of real impact. There is an immediate acoustic cushioning, which shuts out external noise but also softens sounds of computer use and conversations between the dMFK team. Ambient music plays in the background. Curtains line one wall. There is no clutter. There is an incredible attention to comfort. It doesn’t feel like other offices. And the coffee is good too.
Julian de Metz, Director, gave me a tour, pointing out the acoustically treated ceiling, the video call booths, the way in which they have been able to maximise capacity without the desk areas feeling at all cramped.
“Inevidesk is key to the way in which we experience our new office,’’ he explained. “Every day people sit in different places as they’re no longer fixed to a specific desk. This freedom has created so much more interaction amongst the team as they move around to accommodate projects, social exchange and just reflect on what’s happening on that specific day. For example, when the train strikes were on, we only had a handful of people in, but they all gathered together in one area to be close to each other, which was wonderful to see. And, of course, with Inevidesk, those working from home still had excellent levels of performance. It just works well for any scenario.
“Just look at how clean and tidy this is,’’ said Julian as we reviewed a desk. Twin monitors, a small form ‘thin’ client and barely any sign of wires, with the underside of the desk completely free of workstation bulk and cable nesting. ”This allows us to fit more people into the space comfortably, but also reduces dust and hardware damage and those types of things. It’s just a nicer experience for everyone.
“I am also much happier not having expensive IT equipment in the office. It takes up valuable space and comes with all kinds of concerns around security and performance. Knowing that you guys maintain everything in a datacentre is, frankly, a big weight off our shoulders. It’s secure, in a proper environment and is way more resilient than we could ever manage ourselves.
“To be honest, I was initially a little sceptical as it's such a different arrangement to the way we have managed things over the last twenty years, but I’m amazed by how easy it was to transition and the tangible difference adopting Inevidesk has made to our business.
“Bringing the team back together after the pandemic was really the main driver in the design of our office and the technology of Inevidesk complements this so well, underpinning our operations and enabling us to work in exactly the way we want.’’
dMFK’s new office is undoubtedly impressive. The consideration given to its design and to those who will be working there demonstrates an incredibly positive response to the last few years. They make a strong case for the continued importance of the office for creative working; marrying location, design and technology to do so.
We’re glad to be a part of the story.