ED&F Man

The Client: ED&F Man

ED&F Man chose to relocate part of their London operations to a new 45,000 sq ft office stretching over two floors of modern development. 

ED&F Man is a global leader in the merchant of agricultural commodities. They are leaders in their field and have over 6,000 employees operating in 60 countries. They continue to source, sell and ship agricultural commodities around the globe.

The Brief

The brief for this project was simple in theory: working with architects, Mansfield Monk, we were tasked to create a contemporary office space.

However, in practice, it was a more complex feat: ED&F Man’s new acquisition of office space stretched over part of the fourth and the entire fifth floor.

Architecturally it had to inspire, whilst at the same time adhering to stringent building regulations. A high-quality office environment for clients and personnel alike had to be provided. The interior also needed to be technically and aesthetically sophisticated.

The glass partitions we installed for ED&F Man needed to look elegant, work with base build junctions and also perform effectively. Furthermore, this inspiring project had to be delivered to pinpoint precision with the deadline a mere five months after the start date.

The Solution

In order to meet the client’s requirements and to fulfill the project brief, we supplied and installed three key products:

Firstly, we installed our Revolution 54 system, designed to be both single and double glazed it offers stunning design and excellent sound performance.

Secondly, Edge Symmetry doors in Microflush aluminium frames feature a 30mm standard width stile. The doors can be single or double glazed offering excellent acoustic performance of up to Rw41dB. 

Finally, drywall crosswalls provide high acoustic separation between meeting rooms.

The Delivery

Being part of The Shard complex, this project was subject to rigorous Landlord approval processes.

The construction and detailing of all of the internal designs had to be sympathetic to the base build architecture and comply with pre-existing standards. Moreover, continuity needed to be strong over both floors to bring staff together and encourage interaction.

The base build floor plan was a challenge because the shape of the building was not uniform and included a series of structural elements such as inclined columns. Optima, therefore, had to work with Mansfield Monk to come up with innovative ways of utilising the space.

Optima installed all partitions, including office fronts and high-quality meeting rooms. Acoustic performance combined with stunning design worked synonymously with Mansfield Monk’s vision.

Working With Optima

This was a complex project, with stringent demands. The partitioning had to satisfy the performance criteria and work with the original building structure, yet offer an elegant and sophisticated solution.

The architect, Gaynor Taylor of Mansfield Monk, when reflecting on the project’s success, stated that “Optima were excellent at working with us to develop details, which met all of the necessary criteria.”

She went on to state how all of the build challenges were overcome and confirmed that the client is “exceptionally happy with the end result.”

We are proud to have been a part of such a prestigious installation and one that was a great success.