September 08, 2025
Merging the Physical Customer and Employee Experience, Like Poeticgem’s New HQ
The rise of AI puts businesses in a quandary. If your remaining people are doing the high value work, they had better be treated well. But that costs money! Will they want to stay if they are increasingly treated like portable brains, tied to a laptop, slaved to an anonymous cloud? And even further out of sight of customers and clients.
One way around this approach is to ensure the business is hit for human purpose. A design that promotes collaboration, encourages engagement with products and customers. Take the immersive 40,000 square foot brand-led headquarters created for fashion-industry supplier Poeticgem in Watford by design studio Area.
A Workplace Shaped by People, Not Desks or AI
As workplace design and wellbeing priorities have evolved, the headquarters focuses on the areas where employees spend time away from their desks. A standout feature is the new fourth floor breakout space, designed with the feel of a hospitality venue rather than a traditional office, with bar seating, leather booths, and flexible tables for casual meetings and collaboration.
‘Having different areas for our people to step away from their desks has been amazing,’ said Lisa Dormer, Facilities Manager at Poeticgem. ‘In our previous office, people tended to stay within their own departments. Now, we’ve seen teams mixing and collaborating in ways they wouldn’t have before.’
The headquarters also integrates biophilic design elements, including planting and natural wood finishes, to support wellbeing and connect employees with nature. The design naturally supports a range of working styles, offering quiet focus areas as well as collaborative zones, giving employees genuine choice and control over how they work.
Sustainability at the Core
The headquarters has been conceived not only as a place of work but as an immersive brand hub. Visitors are welcomed into a striking reception area before being guided through dedicated showrooms for men’s, women’s, and children’s collections. This layout ensures a tailored experience for buyers, enabling Poeticgem to present its fashion lines with clarity and impact. Check out Area’s full project story for more information.
‘This was a major transformation for us,’ said Anuj Banaik, Managing Director at Poeticgem. ‘Not just in terms of space, but how we work and collaborate. When people spend so much of their time in the office, we want them to feel happy and energised throughout the day, so they can collaborate effectively and give their best in the right environment.’
Sustainability was a central focus throughout the project, reflecting Poeticgem’s long-standing commitment to ethical and responsible production. All products specified met SKA Rating compliance, ensuring minimal environmental impact without compromising on design quality. Recycled and upcycled materials were used extensively.
While Poeticgem’s fashion-industry leanings make it a natural for a more organic space, it can light the way for tech businesses and prove that not all offices need to be chrome and plastic. Plenty of recent office designs show how businesses and landlords can innovate to improve the atmosphere and lure of office work, however much AI there is on your organisation.
