News

When I started at Gascoynes back in 2006 there were 9 of us. Over the years we have grown and taken on more staff and it became apparent that we starting to outgrow our offices at 15 Whiting Street.

We searched throughout the town but always struggled to find the right premises for us. We had numerous visits and potentially opportunities but not ever quite fitted what we were after.

We heard of an office being developed at Moseleys Farm Business Centre, after an initial discussion with the landlord we instantly fell in love with the idea of having our own bespoke offices and a space we could continue to grow in. The plans were exactly what we were looking for, a great size and somewhere we could mark with our own identity.

Planning was granted in July 2019 and around the same time we started looking for firms to help us with the fit out. We sat down with a few firms but it was with BlueSpace in Norwich that we were really impressed with and started working on planning the internal fit out. The first work on the site started in late January 2020 with a view to us moving in over the summer.

However, in March the lockdown hit and brought some unscheduled delays.

The lockdown also had a huge impact on how we worked as a business, with our office closed and everyone working from home we had real concerns over whether we were making the right decision. Businesses across the country were talking of never returning to their offices. However we decided that for a young firm to offer the training that we require we would always need a premises that allows us to work as a team and for that reason fully committed to progressing.

Once the lockdown eased building work began and in July the building had really started to take shape. The shell was fully in place and we had started working on the internal designs. As a firm we really wanted our new offices to create a great space to work in and enjoy spending time in. This was a really key aspect for us. BlueSpace helped us design the layout we wanted, removing some of the internal walls to give us a bigger breakout space and kitchen area for our staff to enjoy.

Throughout the summer we had site visits as the building progressed, the windows and internal walls were installed and the external cladding completed. We had regular meetings with BlueSpace to finalise the layout, furniture and designs for every area within the building.

The stairs were installed and splashes of colour started to appear throughout the building, especially on the curved wall which is a real stand out feature within the large open plan office. Chris was so excited it was a struggle to keep him off site! It was in November when the flooring was installed that we really began to appreciate the size of the building and the opportunities it would present us.

In November we received all of the furniture delivered to site and installed which we couldn’t have been happier with. The staff had a visit to site and as a firm we couldn’t wait to finally get our move date booked in once the broadband and utilities were installed on site with the hope we would be in before Christmas.

It was Wednesday 16th December that we finally moved in, having a work lunch in our new boardroom the day before as our Christmas Party and a celebration of finally being able to move in. It took plenty of hard work from the team, and many trips backward and forwards but within the day we managed to get everyone moved in and set up ready to work for a short period and hit the ground running in the new year.

Unfortunately once again the lockdown has thrown a spanner in the works, but we have now been able to return to the office in smaller teams. We’re hopefully that before long we will all be back in the office and to be able to have our grand opening later this year.