Fly Forbo 19/20 Highly Commended Project
Michael Heanue, M Worldwide
February 2021
With our annual Fly Forbo interior design competition now open for entries (this time with a twist – just for 2021!), we caught up with Michael Heanue, Founder and Joint Managing Partner of M Worldwide, to look back on their work on the Bank of Scotland flagship project, which took home the 2019/20 Highly Commended prize.
Tell us a little bit about the Bank of Scotland flagship branch project.
The Bank of Scotland was established in 1695 and became part of the Lloyds Banking Group in 2009. For this refurbishment project, not only did we want to create a warm and welcoming space, but it also gave us the ideal opportunity to establish the brand’s character and to create a rich visual story of its Scottish heritage.
What was your design concept?
With the bank being spread across three large floors, we opted for a design concept based around the idea of a ‘workshop’. This meant taking a tactile approach and specifying simple crafted furniture, finishes and materials – including the floor coverings - that would create inviting spaces where customers and colleagues could meet and work together.
The colour scheme throughout the building was influenced by the natural elements of the Scottish landscape, with the suite of meeting rooms using colour palettes based on woodlands, highlands, lowlands and lochs.
How did Forbo’s products help you to achieve your objectives?
We used Tessera In-Touch carpet tile planks, which offers a beautiful hand-woven, craft aesthetic with a rich luxurious texture, in combination with Allura Wood Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) to create an integrated flooring scheme that seamlessly connects the various areas of the space. Using Allura Wood, we also created a bespoke feature to mimic the Saltire of the Scottish flag, which was used on the first floor in the Business Hub and on the lower ground as a central flooring design.
In terms of colours, the choice of brown earthy tones Crochet and Macramé, the green hued Fresco and the blue Calligraphy from the In-Touch collection helped to reflect the natural aesthetic of Scottish landscapes.
The Forbo team even created a bespoke colourway for us, which we used in the main banking hall where we wanted to embrace the brand colours, while adding a little twist of colour from shades of heather. We were very impressed with the service and the colour that was produced!
Were they any other bespoke elements of the project?
Yes. To enhance the ‘workshop’ design concept, we were keen on the idea of creating a large communal table which would feature a graph and scale design printed onto it to replicate a tailor’s table or a drafting table. After a lot of investigation and then discussions with Mark Jackson, the Key Account Manager at Forbo, we realised that we could have our design printed onto Furniture Linoleum. The exceptional quality of the print, combined with the beautiful and soft finish of Furniture Linoleum, produced a wonderful and warm crafted effect. It was exactly what we wanted to achieve.
What are your thoughts on the final outcome of the project?
We are delighted with the new design concept. We feel that the bank now has its own identity and DNA, it feels established. The colour palette, along with the warmth and richness of the finishes all came together beautifully to create a memorable customer experience. In fact, the bank has received excellent feedback from its customers, with them commenting on how warm and welcoming it is. We’re really proud of this project and were pleased it was recognised in the Fly Forbo 2019/20 competition.
ENTER FLY FORBO 2020/21: THE STAYCATION EDIT TODAY
Each year, our Fly Forbo competition recognises the crème de la crème of commercial interior design projects. Reimagined for 2021 due to COVID-19, Fly Forbo: The Staycation Edit gives this year’s winner the opportunity to explore UK shores with an incredible luxury holiday at a location of their choice, from our specially selected edits.
Have you worked on a project in the last year that has used an inspirational use of our floor coverings? For more information and to enter Fly Forbo: The Staycation Edit, click here
