Edinburgh University: Argyle House

Argyle House is located in the centre of Edinburgh and is a well-known landmark at the top of the hill, situated in the shadows of Edinburgh Castle. The 220,000 sq ft building is shared by multiple businesses, including Edinburgh University, which is located on the second floor.

The Meet Up

We worked with Azzurro and Heather at UOE on the Argyle House project to create a pilot floor that was more inclusive for all user requirements. After the plan was developed, Heather reached out to us through Azzurro to develop bespoke pods for larger group settings, wheelchair-friendly pods, and other standard products for use in other areas of the campus.

The Vision

Back at our JDD HQ, our teams brainstormed how to make the bespoke products a reality, considering the overall size, structural integrity, and location of where the new products will live. The larger pods (now named Bob Rooms) had to have no floor, utilise natural lighting, accommodate small to medium-sized meetings and have enough ventilation to keep the rooms fresh.

To accommodate all access types, we also developed our existing Penelope Workbooth into an accessible pod capable of accommodating a wheelchair. Other than the size, further customisations were made to ensure the user's comfort.

View Bob Rooms

Final Thoughts

What a project to be involved in! We are proud to have been chosen to help renovate such a historic building and bring it into the 21st Century with our modern and contemporary workplace furniture. A tremendous amount of work was involved from all aspects of the business to make this a success. Our Scotland Sales Manager, Karen, nurtured the initial meeting and handled the project to provide the teams at HQ with the relevant information. This led to product design and visualisation, adapting our manufacturing process and building prototypes, assembly and upholstery. Finally, our expert teams delivered and installed everything on site.

Take a look around

This was an amazing project to be a part of and the results speak for themselves.

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