As we bid farewell to 2023, we look back on an extremely exciting year we’ve had here at Layrd Design. In this blog post we celebrate some of our highlights over the past year including award wins and, team growth and abroad trips.
Projects
This year has witnessed a significant increase in our project portfolio, in all commercial sectors. Additionally, we revisited several clients who expanded their spaces, including notable names like Riverlane, Cambridge United Football Club, and CRE, entrusting our team to design these larger environments.
A notable highlight was our successful pitch for Ipswich Town Football Club earlier this year, marking a significant achievement as our design was chosen by the client. We successfully executed the interior design and fit-out for their Hall of Fame hospitality lounge and the West Stand area of the club.
Our presence in the workplace sector flourished with projects such as Guyatt House, SS Motors, Thalidomide, and our own Layrd studio. Furthering our footprint in the hospitality industry, we delivered captivating schemes at The Yard food court and The Swan bar and restaurant. In Manchester, we proudly completed the construction of Rush242, a cutting-edge CrossFit gym. Anticipating the commencement of numerous exciting projects in early 2024, we look forward to continuing our innovative design endeavours.
Awards
We had a very successful year with award ceremonies!
In March our Founder, Will, was awarded Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the FSB East of England awards. This was an amazing achievement, the whole team enjoyed celebrating Will’s success.
Later in the year, in September, we were nominated for three SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards. We were over the moon to be finalists in the Business of the Year and Property Industry Business of the Year categories, our Sketch & Social group was also nominated finalist for the Networking Group of the Year!
Finally in November, our project Douce had a huge amount of success and recognition. We were awarded the best retail design in the UK in the prestigious SBID International Design Awards. The following week, at the International Property Awards we were awarded a Five Star award in the category of Leisure Interior for Cambridgeshire with Douce. Our project was then re-judged, prior to the UK Property Awards Event and was scored as the Best in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the awards evening. The success and recognition this project has received is outstanding and we’re extremely proud!
Additionally, to these award ceremonies Will entered the British Council for Offices NextGen Ideas Project. This competition was to present your boldest, most innovative, and creative ideas for the future workspace. Will ended up being named one of the 6 finalists in this competition and went on to create a TedTalk on his concept for The Destination Workplace.
Events
2023 has been a busy year for events and exhibitions. In June, we successfully hosted our Cambridge Future Spaces event at the West Hub. This event, conceived in 2022, aimed to engage a broader audience within the region. As we reflect on this achievement, we are already in the early stages of planning our 2024 event, building on the success of the first and anticipating even greater participation and impact.
Mark your calendars for September 2024 as the third Future Spaces event returns to Jesus College, Cambridge. Prepare for an immersive day of thought-provoking discussions, enriching networking opportunities with industry leaders, and interactive workshops that will shape the future of our built commercial environment. Delve into captivating keynote presentations from renowned experts, exploring the latest trends and innovations that are transforming the way we design, build, and inhabit spaces. Engage in stimulating conversations with fellow industry professionals, expanding your network and forging connections that will fuel collaborations and future endeavours.
Sketch & Social has grown vastly with many people attending each meet up, it’s become an extremely well-known event for creatives held in Cambridge.
We attended various exhibitions to promote Layrd throughout the year. In June, we were at Elevate for the first time. This was a great opportunity for us make a statement in the gym sector and showcase our innovative case studies. Later in the year, we were the Co.mmunity sponsors at the Norfolk B2B event and also exhibited at the CambsB2B event.
The team also got involved in charity events this year. We took part in the Cambridge United Football Club’s ‘United for Cambridge Sleep Out’ and volunteered to sleep outside in the stands in support of the homeless, it was a chilly experience in February but as a team we raised over £1000. We also ran the Chariots of Fire relay race in March in support of Arthur Rank Hospice, we were proud to be part of this event and support the local charity.
Team
We were fortunate enough to go on our first abroad trip as a team this year. We were invited by Forma5 to visit their factory facilities in Seville, Spain. This was an amazing opportunity to discover the manufactures inspiration for their furniture products throughout the city, see the factory and overall team bonding.
In addition to our trip to Seville, we were also very lucky to be invited on a trip with Shaw Contract to visit their plant manufacturing facility up in Sanquhar, Scotland. This was another great opportunity for team building and getting stuck in with some Scottish activities like whisky tasting and clay pigeon shooting, as well as seeing and understanding the full process of their carpet tile manufacturing.
As a team we also visited WSOF (West Sussex Office Furniture) in Chichester with Showcase Interiors. We were taken on a tour around their factory and office facilities, it was great to see and understand the process of their bespoke furniture we specify so often in projects. We enjoyed the beautiful area and explored West Wittering Beach as a group.
The Layrd studio fit out was completed this year and we love spending time in our creative space. For the second year in a row, we’ve grown and had new team members join at the end of the year. Sam Alldus joined as our Junior Interior Designer and Eleanor Whitwell started with Layrd as the new Marketing Assistant. We had Charley, our intern, with us for a month over the summer. We’re excited to see the team flourish throughout 2024.
As we wrap up an eventful year, we are proud of the achievements and highlights that have shaped our journey. The successes of 2023 are not just markers of our progress but reminders of the collective effort, passion, and dedication that define our company culture. With a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction, we look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in 2024. Thank you to our customers, partners, and employees for being part of this incredible journey. Here's to another year of growth, collaboration, and success!
Reach out to the team today if you’d like to elevate your space and discuss future opportunities.
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