With over 30 years’ experience in architecture and design, James’ work focuses on the commercial, education, residential, retail and healthcare sectors. After moving to Tyneside from his hometown of Chesterfield, Derbyshire as a student, James started out working as an interior designer for a couple of prominent architectural firms in Newcastle (Ryder Architecture and IDPartnership). Then, after working for them for 17 years, James decided it was time to set up his own firm with his good friend and former colleague, Darren Blake. 13 years later, the pair now have a thriving business - Blake Hopkinson Architecture - which offers a unique mix of high quality architecture and interior design services to clients all over the north of England.

Can you tell us more about ‘Project Rejuvenate’?

The Bioscience Filtration Division of Parker Hannifin had only been adapted in a sporadic manner over the years, therefore a major refurbishment was a fantastic opportunity to reinvent themselves as a Centre of Excellence.

We were brought on board to completely remodel the whole site to reflect the global values of the Parker Hannifin brand and this meant creating an aspirational and agile workplace environment that would benefit both current staff as well as attract prospective new employees and talented graduates.

What were the key highlights of the project?

With laboratories at one end of the building and office workers upstairs, we developed a new internal ‘plaza’ which acts as a central hub for all staff across the business. As the building is flooded with natural light coming through from the curtain wall, the subtle stone-like texture of Marmoleum Concrete in Yellow Shimmer, and the flash of colour that shimmers through the surface, creates a nice bright floor, accentuating the natural light. The result is stunning.

Tessera Layout and Outline carpet tiles in the plank format also played a major role in the project. Using an equal and random blend of three colourways, as well as pops of a mango shade, the quirky combination allowed us to create a contemporary flooring scheme whilst giving a subtle nod to the brand colours. We used this design in the private office spaces, conferencing rooms, meeting areas and new open plan offices on the first floor.

What other Forbo products did you use?

Due to the nature of the business, where test filters, water, mild acids and other chemicals are used on a daily basis, the need for a slip, stain and chemical resistant floor covering was required in the laboratories. The speckled design of Surestep Original added a different dimension to the floor and complemented the yellow and orange walls really nicely.

The sheer range of products within Forbo’s portfolio allowed us to create a truly spectacular integrated flooring scheme for Parker Hannifin and the client is absolutely delighted.