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The scheme sees 210 employees from the firm's two existing sites in Marylebone and St Paul's move into the new landmark, BREEAM Excellent office building in the heart of the City. Developed by Opl's interior design team, the theme for the 32,000 sq ft space was that of a community, complete with village green (team breakout areas) to introduce an element of homeliness and establish a neighbourhood feel.

The client suite, was created using high-end technology solutions and materials for a first class business lounge environment. Features include touch down points for web access, fully equipped refreshments station and storage facilities for business travellers.

Chris Stewart, account director at Opl Group, said: "Ignis is one of the top asset management companies in the UK and for many reasons, its premises weren't reflective of the business or its brand. In addition, the location of the two offices meant that there were inefficiencies relating to time lost by staff travelling to and from client meetings in the City of London. Our brief was to create 'one Ignis' and provide a space that would engage all employees.

The biggest challenge with the project was that the 32,000 sq ft space was actually split over the 3rd and 4th floor of 150 Cheapside. So, to ensure the organisation still felt like one team, we installed an interconnecting staircase allowing employees to flow easily between floors. This design element involved breaking through the existing post-tension floor slab, however, this was completed with minimal disruption to the overall programme or other occupiers of the building."

During the design process, the Opl team consulted with board level with a steering committee made up of representatives from each department within Ignis. This approach allowed employees to have a say in the look and feel of the new office. In addition, a wider group of staff were invited to spend a day in a show suite, created by Opl's furniture division Footprint, to try out a variety of different workstation mock-ups.

Joyce Hardie, Head of Facilities at Ignis Asset Management, said: "Our offices in Marylebone and St Paul's had no brand consistency and the very fact that we had employees on two different sites meant that the team felt very fragmented and disparate. Our new premises are a true reflection of our business and offer visitors a first-class business lounge environment in which to relax and for our staff to conduct meetings. Opl has been our designer, project manager and main contractor and it has been great being able to deal with one company for all our needs. Opl's unique approach allowed our employees to have real input into the design concept, which has proved to be massively motivational for the team. We are absolutely thrilled with the results, we have a truly inspirational workplace, and it is especially impressive as the entire design and build programme took just 15 weeks."

Opl Group specialises in designing, building and furnishing workplaces throughout the UK. The company started trading in 1994 and has become synonymous with creating and delivering inspirational working environments for the likes of BAA, B&Q, Cobbetts, The Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Orange, Transport for London, University of Derby and Virgin.