Overview

LOETB (Laois & Offaly Education and Training Board) recently got a major office fit-out with the help of Stakelum. Stakelum was able to take an empty space and transform it into a classy, modern, collaborative space for students. As Catherine Gavigan, the guidance coordinator for LOETB, says, “the place was a total shell” before Stakelum stepped in.

The company offers educational courses for people of level 1 to level 6, and their goal was to create a new, creative space for their students. As the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of office spaces and learning, Stakelum had to get creative about the purpose and design of the office space. Here is everything that happened before, during, and after the new office design!

Goals For the Project

When the Laois & Offally Training Board first took over the new unit, it was entirely unusable. They had to knock down walls and give it a complete fit-out to make it a presentable and inviting space for people to learn and study. The goals for the project were simple; create an office space with an open floor plan where students can collaborate, research, and learn. Not only was the space meant for students, but LOETB also wanted it to be a space where the general public could sit and do work. The goal was to create a variety of spaces to fulfill different needs, as certain classes may be online, in person, or a mix of both. LOETB wanted to create as many unique areas for silent study as possible but also create meeting rooms and booths for collaborative learning.

Aside from functional goals, there were also many visual goals for the new LOETB office space. They wanted the area to be modern, bright, and colorful. The space has many eccentric colors that are meant to inspire students to be creative. The unique furniture and vibrant colors make the space a cheerful place to come up with new ideas.

The Experience

Catherine Gavigan described the overall experience with Stakelum as pleasant, easy, and efficient. The experience started with the initial consultation, where Conor helped them map out the function of the space. They discussed the purpose of the space, which helped the team identify what furniture would be required. Every piece of furniture was hand-picked specifically for the LOETB office. After the consultation was the follow-up and then the visit to the showroom. Catherine explained that throughout the experience, Conor was incredibly patient and ensured everything was perfect. He went above and beyond and stayed extra hours to make sure the colors were exactly how they were supposed to be. While Catherine was excited and nervous to see everything come in, Conor reassured her, and she was more than pleased with the results. A team of 7 Stakelum installation team members worked efficiently and assembled everything well. The entire process only took 10 weeks from the initial consultation. Their coordination and communication were impeccable and truly made the process as easy as possible.

Final Results

The final results of the project were very impressive, and the office fit-out was considered a complete success. LOETB and the students found the space to be very conducive to studying and thinking creatively. The students also loved that there were various seating arrangements to choose from, including quiet study areas and collaborative spaces. They also loved the color and brightness of the open floor plan as it gave the space a lighter, happier feeling.

Catherine’s favorite part of the new office space is the reception. The reception has a bright, illuminating light that illuminates the entrance and makes it very inviting. The modern and futuristic look of the reception area also helps the office appear sophisticated.

>Although it was a challenging project for Stakelum, the end results were very rewarding, and the entire process was enjoyable. This project set the trend for future post-COVID-19 offices, and the modern furniture, layout, and vibes will likely be modeled after for future projects. Overall, Catherin says she highly recommends Stakelum. She says they exceeded all expectations regarding customer service, attention to detail, and quality of products. Their patience and accommodating nature made them easy to work with. They also seemed to truly care about their work and took the time to fully understand the brief before starting the project.