Mintel Office, UK – Initial Project

Utilising brick slips in your office spaces

When the worlds leading market intelligence agency Mintel decided to design their new office facility on pilgrim street in London their mandate was simple ” impress”.

Mintel are the worlds leading market intelligence agency with offices in London, shanghai, Chicago, Sydney, New York and Tokyo to name but a few.

The company was founded way back in 1972 and they really are the giants of the market intelligence world.

Experts in market research, market analysis, product intelligence and competitive intelligence, they are renowned for their detailed work and ability to do the very best work in their fields.

Initial Project

Based on pilgrim street London a highly commercial area, only a stones throw from the world famous St Pauls Cathedral and an equal distance from the London stock exchange, Mintel decided to make a splash.

The design of the office was based on the use of heavy forms, bold statements and by showcasing old and new materials with old and new technologies.

There was to be no expense spared in the construction of the suite.

A whole host of materials and ideas were presented to the design team pre design, including the use of reclaimed wood, hard and soft furnishings, Traditional looking brick slip walls, and large scale artworks.

Brick slips being one of the key elements that was agreed by the team pre design stage.

Design

Mintel wanted to inspire its employees much in the same vein as Google and Facebook.

Brickslips.co.uk were recommended to the designers during the first design stage, the range of products available and quality which was available to the client sealed the deal from an early stage.

The design from the offset was courageous, bold and fun.

The designers detailed the use of our Olde Watermill Brick slips. They were to be used as the dominant wall covering in the primary areas where the external walls are shown to be exposed.

The walls were designed to be detailed with a fabulous array of custom artwork including some courageous portraits of the founders of Mintel.

A truly mesmerizing portrait of Steve Jobs was to dominate one of the key meeting rooms, and set against a vibrant purple backdrop adjacent to a contrasting wall which would be clad with our Olde Watermill brick slips.

An important element to the design would be the industrial looking ceiling.

The ceiling would retain the buildings core function to facilitate its occupants well being. Huge powder coated air-conditioning system would dominate above Mintel’s employees heads, along side ducting and lighting trusses that would house an intricate network of cables and LED lighting.

The lighting of the offices was important especially in providing a bright ambience and enabling the brick slips vibrant colours and textures to be highlighted.

In the vein of adding more realism to the installation the brick slips would be pointed with historic natural white pointing mortar and brushed to give an aged and worn appearance.

Product Background

The designers of Mintel’s new office suite decided to use the Olde Watermill Brick slips. The watermill brick slips are a special blended product that we produce here at brickslips.co.uk our evolution of this superb product is an inspirational story in itself.

Watermills were in use in Greece as early as the 3rd century BC, but it was the Romans who invented the mill as we know it today and eventually began building them up an down the UK making use of the intricate network of waterways at their disposal. The Romans were long gone before our English descendants decided to improve and rebuild the mills that were previously built by their roman predecessors. Traditionally using local clay the bricks, the bricks would be tightly bonded and would show signs of water weathering and salt dispersal, the water weathering would come from the large vertical wheel which would be mounted on a thick horizontal shaft.

The Olde Watermill bricks that were supplied for the Mintel offices harbour all the aesthetics of traditional mill brickwork, the detail within the colours and the blended brickwork allow any wall they are mounted on to provide an idyllic backdrop. Using the Olde watermill brick slips and the Olde Watermill corner slips, Mintel’s designers were able to blend the traditional aesthetics of these iconic buildings and give its employees a glimpse into a working past that is long forgotten.

Areas of installation

The brick slips were installed in key areas of the build.

• In the main call centre the brick slips were used on the inside of the external wall, allowing the slips to creep around the window reveal gives the installation a realistic feel. Contrasting timber flooring, modern seating and effective lighting all help to give the room a relaxed and expansive feel.
• The main reception again showcases how effective the Olde Watermill brick slips can be when used on the inside of an external wall. Subtle and un demanding they create a great contrast against Mintel’s custom manufactured reception desk.
• In the large meeting room, the brick slips are used again on the inside of the external wall and really do play second fiddle to a fantastic Muriel to the late Steve jobs.
• The lecture and conference suite has a stunning backdrop of the Olde watermill brick slips. Powerful and subtle all in one.

Result

It really is hard to imaging theses striking offices without the use of brick slips. Where modern meets industrial and old traditional meets new technological. All would agree that the intricate detail and the relaxing aura that these offices omit in person and on screen is largely due to Mintel’s strife and exacting perfection.

Using the very best products that brickslips.co.uk has to offer their integration of slips, corners and accessories within the project have left us in awe of what our products really mean to the people that select them.

The worlds leading market intelligence agency have succeeded in imagining, designing and building a world class office suite.

This superb case study of Mintel’s London offices is a fantastic showcase of how good the Olde Watermill Brick slips can look.

(Larger images are available to the right side of this page)

Project Details

• Client: Mintel
• Location: London, UK
• Product(s): Olde Watermill Brick Slips
• Project Date: 2016
• Type: Office, Commercial