If you’ve ever wondered what a week in the life of a Paramount Office Designer was like (and we’ll forgive you if you haven’t), now you can find out. We asked our Senior Designer, Jon Foster, to share his comings, goings and shower room shenanigans. Don’t worry, they’re family friendly.
Monday:
“After another busy weekend, I arrive at Paramount, fortunately, without any Monday morning blues or tiredness… yet! First up, a design team meeting where we discuss one of our new office fit-out projects for a boat sales company that I’ll be visiting on Tuesday.
Next job, finish a concept proposal for a large call centre scheme where the client is keen to include some of the Next Office concepts from Kinnarps, Europe’s largest provider of work space interior solutions.
I take a slightly chilly run along the A48 and do a few push ups in our gym, before lunch with colleagues in our breakout space. This sets me up nicely for the afternoon, which I spend making the finishing touches to my design presentation.”
Tuesday:
“I’m off to see our boat sales client today. The building is right on the marina with nice views out over the water – not a bad way to start a Tuesday. I take a brief for the office fit-out and survey the building, I also ask how much a typical boat costs… when they tell me I say I’ll get back to them!
Returning to the office, I run through the project requirements with some of my colleagues and we decide it’s a good sized scheme to design using Revit; the 3D modelling package makes it a lot easier for clients to visualise designs. I get to work on drawing up the existing building and get some outline advice from planning and building control officers.”
Wednesday:
“An early morning swim offers a little ‘me time’ before work. I arrive, a slight smell of chlorine lingering, ready to continue the Revit model. The drawing goes well and by lunchtime the existing building is complete.
An early lunch with colleagues, then back to the proposed draw-up. I receive phone calls and emails from the planning department and building control in response to my enquiries the day before.
The design team have a visit from one of our product suppliers in the afternoon, a company called Cocoon who manufacture free standing graphic screens/ pods. An interesting product which lends itself to planning a flexible work space that changes regularly.”
Thursday:
“‘Revit training day.’ We have been working in Revit for a few years now but still have a lot to learn. Throughout the morning session we successfully model a reception desk and other furniture items, then break for a short lunch and return for more.
In the afternoon session we build our final ‘masterpiece’, a workstation based on a Steelcase design, which, surprisingly, looks just like the Steelcase model we based it on! Feeling suitably impressed with what we’ve accomplished we share some ‘high fives’ and I leave with a head full of new ideas.”
Friday:
“With my fresh Revit techniques, the proposed layout for the boat sales office fit-out comes together quickly. By mid-morning I’ve created plans, elevations and sections, as well as ‘camera views’ that sweep through the space like a mini-movie of the new office design. After sending them to the client we arrange to meet next week to discuss them in more detail.
I take advantage of the nice weather at lunchtime with a quick run followed by a shower, during which one of our sales team shows a client around. I suddenly have a horrible thought, “Did I lock the shower room door?” Thankfully, yes I did!
After lunch we then use our Mediascape area to chat about a group of design students from a local university who will be visiting us next week. By now it’s late afternoon so I get a bit of admin done and banter with colleagues before heading off for the weekend.”
Written by Jon Foster, Senior Designer at Paramount.
