Maris Set the Standard for RSSB
February 2009
The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) have appointed Maris Interiors to help them with their relocation from Euston Road. Maris Interiors will complete the turnkey Cat A and Cat B fit-out of their 30,000 sq ft new office at 1 Angel Square, Islington, N1 in just 12 weeks.
RSSB, whose primary objective is to facilitate the railway industry’s work to achieve continuous improvement in the health and safety performance of the railways in Great Britain, will relocate 250 staff, quite a feat considering the quick turn around of this project. Maris Interiors presented to RSSB on 21st October 2008, seeing off fierce competition to win this prestigious office fit-out project.
“RSSB’s new office space is spread across 3 floors,” explained Maris' Design Director, “so I designed a large staff break out area on the middle floor to encourage staff movement and communication. To give this area a less formal and more relaxed feel, we used bright colours and different furniture.”
The office fit-out also includes largely open plan desking with tea points on all floors, some cellularised offices and a large number of meeting rooms. RSSB’s heavy use of meeting room facilities prompted the design of a purpose built 4,700 sq ft meeting suite, using folding and sliding walls and moveable, modular furniture to allow the flexibility to open out the space to accommodate meetings for up to 50 people.
The office fit-out itself is being formally assessed in line with the latest BREEAM regulations that came into effect in August 2008. Working alongside Watts Envest, expert environmental consultants for property, Maris Interiors and RSSB hope to achieve a “Very Good” rating for the fit-out, therefore improving the current rating of 1 Angel Square.
