Refurbishing an Office Headquarters in Falkirk

PROJECTS » MELONSPLACE HEADQUARTERS

REFURBISHING AN OFFICE HEADQUARTERS IN FALKIRK WITH BIOPHILIC DESIGN

As experts in commercial planting, it felt only natural to reimagine our headquarters in Falkirk to reflect some of the recent changes to our expanding business.

Our office is located in a historic farm building that continues to honour its heritage with traditional hayloft doors and a sandstone frontage. Based within the beautiful countryside in Maddiston, Melonsplace Headquarters offers a dynamic workspace where both innovation and nature thrive together. With our central greenhouse hub and head office in one place we wanted to create a space where our staff in both departments felt united.

Following a recent refurbishment to the office and communal areas this year, we developed a new planting scheme to bring fresh life to this unique environment. The aim was to inspire visiting designers and industry professionals while supporting the wellbeing, creativity, and productivity of our own team.

CREATING A HUMAN-CENTRIC ENVIRONMENT

Participation-led design was central to the office refurbishment with staff feedback regularly gathered to identify areas for improvement.

Supporting the development of environments where people can do their best work is at the heart of what we do, so it was vital that the office reflected these values.

A LASTING LEGACY IN WORKPLACE WELLBEING

For over thirty years, Benholm Group has collaborated with some of the most respected architects, designers and commercial managers in the UK, to bring bespoke planting schemes to life within thoughtfully curated spaces.

While our headquarters has always had a planting scheme and championed biophilic design, we recognised an opportunity to evolve the space and align it more closely with our expertise and continued growth.

Part of this reconfiguration was making wellbeing a key priority, which underpins every aspect of our workspace, shaping both its usability and its aesthetic character.

PLANS FOR THE REFURBISHMENT SCHEME:

The fit-out combined:

An extension to the kitchen area
A reconfigured, open-plan office area
Breakout pods and eating areas
Quiet booths and focused work settings
Planting features
A living wall system

PLANTS FOR A CORPORATE OFFICE SPACE

The planting scheme needed to showcase the scope and variety of our work and be a real destination for designers to view inspiration.

We wanted to create a real living office environment by incorporating the following:

10 modules wide living wall fitted with 360 plants
Some varieties of plants incorporated include Asplenium, Syngonium, Philodendron, Scindapsus, Tradescantia
Moss wall reception area
Globular trailing planters finished with Scottish stone
Two moss wall frames on sparse areas of wall
One trough planter
Hanging grids with trailing planters
Artificial plants in kitchen area to divide eating and cooking areas

FLEXIBLE SPACES FOR STAFF TO WORK, RELAX AND ENJOY

The new office space has been designed to reflect the needs of our diverse workforce. Integrated planting helps define and highlight key zones across the workspace.

A series of strategically positioned booths create hybrid working zones, offering staff the flexibility to work from a range of different settings across the office.

The Business and Marketing teams are located beneath a striking grid lighting feature, establishing a strong visual identity for the area. While the Sales department is positioned in a different area and divided by a trough planter which acts as a natural divider. Similarly, a grid lighting feature has also been incorporated to highlight this zone along with globular trailing planters.

CO-ORDINATING AN INSTALLATION ON A LIVE SITE

The installation was carried out on a live site while office staff continued working in the upstairs areas. Planting was installed after the furniture to prevent any damage and prior to the cleaning team completing their final work.

SUPPORTING THE FUTURE GROWTH AND DIRECTION OF BENHOLM GROUP

Through a new office scheme and integrated planting, we have now created a healthier and more engaging workplace that will support staff wellbeing, improve retention, productivity and deliver a return on investment.

The space also provides flexibility to increase capacity and act as a client-facing environment where visitors can experience our products in a real working setting, helping to inspire interest and raise the profile of Benholm. We have truly created an environment that reflects exactly what we aim to deliver for our clients: inviting, inclusive spaces that inspire people every day.

PLANTING SUMMARY:

The planting scheme brings life and energy into the workspace and creates a vibrant yet calming environment that enhances the overall atmosphere. Planting is a central theme within our headquarters in Falkirk, reinforcing our brand identity and reflecting our commitment to biophilic design and workplace wellbeing.

At the reception area, a vibrant living wall creates an immediate focal point for those entering the building for the first time, welcoming both guests and staff into the space.

A dedicated seating area beneath the large, leafy living wall, allows visitors to experience the environment, while the moss reception desk subtly highlights our brand logo and acts as an acoustic softener. Grey, rugged natural rock elements fixed to the main reception desk introduce an earthy quality that helps tie the overall design together, creating a look that feels considered.

Quirky moss artwork adorns the walls of the office to introduce colour, a sensory touch, and to add points of interest and intrigue.

Diverse plant species which have been carefully selected due to their leaf density, ability to absorb light and VOC, have been integrated across the workspace to add layers of texture and divide additional seating booth areas.

Our carefully considered biophilic approach supports staff wellbeing, focus and productivity, while the greenery defines different areas of the office without compromising the open and fresh feel of the space. The result is an environment that is both inspiring for employees and memorable for all of our visiting clients.

ONGOING MAINTENANCE:

To make such a cohesive and well-considered planting scheme work, maintenance is key.

Every two weeks, our maintenance technicians carry out regular checks within our office to protect plant health.

The service includes:

Watering and feeding plants based on their needs
Checking soil and water
Pruning plants that are overgrowing or changing colour
Cleaning and polishing of foliage with expert solution to maintain presentation
Replacing any planting where necessary
On-site quality control checks carried out to ensure standards were upheld

THE OUTCOME:

Benholm Group Headquarters now stands as the epitome of biophilic design and workplace wellbeing – a true nod to our company principles.

Now, standing as an enlarged, vibrant and open-plan space, our office serves both our clients and our employees and further reflects our commitment to green design.

LET’S COLLABORATE:

If you’d like a workplace planting and maintenance strategy that aligns with your fit-out programme and long-term wellbeing goals, Benholm can support you from early design development through to installation and ongoing maintenance.

To start a conversation, call us on 01324 861300 or email sales@benholm.com