THE BELFAST firm behind the fit-out of Wembley stadium and Harrods is to invest £2.5 million in a new corporate headquarters.
Portview said it will use its own workforce to both design and build the new structure at Alexander Road in Castlereagh.
Managing director Simon Campbell said the coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing has influenced the design of the new headquarters.
While Covid-19 has inevitably seen many firms embrace social distancing, he said workers should have the choice.
“We need to give employees the freedom to work from home or in the office, depending on which is safest and the most productive for them.
“For some employers, like Portview, lockdown has presented the opportunity to take stock of work priorities and adopt a more holistic approach to workspace design.
“Far rather than causing the ‘death of the commercial office’, the pandemic has prompted us to reimagine a new one – one where employee wellbeing, community and culture is the central focus.”
He described the £2.5m investment as “a leap of faith”. The design includes external terrace and balconies, glazing, rooflights, and indoor plants and foliage. It will also feature a nurse’s office for private consultations, and a large state-of-the-art gym.
“This not only signifies the dawn of a new era for us,” said Mr Campbell. “But also gives our team something to look forward to during a time of uncertainty and displacement.
“It's about empowering our team to collaborate and come up with innovative ideas that will help shape and build the new Portview.”
The managing director added: “Whilst the safest thing for us to do right now is either stay at home, or return to an office with stringent Covid-19 precautions in place, we believe that in time and with the right design sensibility, the office space will make a comeback.
“For offices have a much greater purpose than offering employees a desk and computer screen to work from. It’s a social environment that reminds us that we’re not alone in this experience, for we're surrounded by the same people, working towards the same goals, at the same time, in the same place.
"We can see, hear, feel and sense kinship all around us through face-to-face interaction and the quieter periods of productivity in-between. Offices give us the freedom to share a coffee with our peers and tell them of our plans for the weekend.
"And that's just something virtual communication can't replicate."
