A regional publisher has ditched its traditional office layout after a transformation of its headquarters.

Archant has unveiled its new-look head office at Prospect House, in Norwich, following a nine-month revamp.

The company has removed “endless rows of desks and a beige carpet” from the 30,000 square foot area, with the new site featuring a coffee bar area and armchairs, as well as “breakout booths and brainstorm pods”.

Archant sold Prospect House to the Alan Boswell Group, a Norfolk-based insurance company, last year, and is now based on the first floor of the building.

Shots of the revamped Archant headquarters

Archant’s chief people and transformation officer Dee Willmott, who led the project said: “Archant is a progressive and innovative place to work and it was important our main HQ, home to nearly 500 colleagues, reflected this”.

“The new environment is contemporary and sophisticated with statement furniture that makes it feel anything like a traditional office.

“We have majored on agile spaces to enable staff to come together without the restrictions of set desks.

“We have already seen a vast improvement in communication and collaboration as a result.”

The revamp follows an investment in technology, completed in February, which saw every Archant employee receive new equipment prior to the coronavirus lockdown.

Dee added: “The transition from office to home working was – thankfully – seamless. The productivity tools we have invested in, such as video conferencing and real-time document collaboration, allowed us to maintain our sense of community whilst we were away.”

“It’s also shaped how we implement new agile working practises across Archant where staff no longer have to be ‘tethered’ to a set office desk to do their job effectively.”