Fora at 22 Berners Street

Premium serviced office providers, Fora, tasked Oktra with the design of a dynamic, inspiring and collaborative space at 22 Berners Street, in line with Fora’s goal to help members unlock the very best of their work. The comprehensive eight storey Cat A & B fit out of this 50,000 sq ft space was completed over three phases totalling 18 weeks, as Oktra met the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and was completed on the 14th of August 2020. After a rigorous workshopping process, Oktra chose to retain the existing warehouse-style building fabric and incorporate the occasional design surprise. With all timber FSC-certified, this project also achieved a Bronze Considerate Constructors Scheme 2020 National Site Award. Each room in this coworking offering features bold elements of craft and carefully curated materials such as the steam-treated limed oak main stair handrail, Bolon’s sustainable flooring, and Diespeker’s stunning bespoke terrazzo floor. With its built-in flexibility, this working environment integrates the domestic into daily working life, prioritising occupant wellbeing in its plentiful biophilia, daylight, air quality and acoustic considerations. Fora’s new workspace offers the signature feel of their coworking spaces, while also crafting an unmistakable identity. A variety of specialised workspaces consider what members really need to be productive, with innovative decoupled services to allow for cellularisation or open-plan working, which will help enable COVID-conscious work strategy solutions. This is a radically vibrant workspace, offering occupants the choice of work environments and opportunities for community-building that will underpin the workplace of the future.