Pet-friendly offices for workers in Leeds

How to take your dog back to work with you.

Office workers and their four-legged friends will soon be able to enjoy the first Pioneer building from Bruntwood Works in Leeds, as West One in Wellington Street becomes the first of its pet-friendly serviced spaces in the city.

West One is undergoing a major renovation as Bruntwood Works looks to transform its existing spaces into the workspaces of the future. By welcoming pets to the space it will break down the barriers between home and work, making the transition back to the office easier for everyone.

Set to begin welcoming customers to its dedicated serviced space from autumn 2021, the second floor area will provide an expansive communal lounge alongside 142 desks which can be configured to form serviced offices for business of any size, from two people upwards.

New workspace of the future includes dog-friendly offices and care team to help.

The design and fit-out, by 3D Reid, is intended to reflect the six pillars of Bruntwood Works’ Pioneer programme – amenity, wellbeing, biophilia (connecting with nature and life), technology, sustainability and art – and West One will offer customers a balance of relaxation and productivity through its design-led transformation.

Innovative planning

Matt Wright, head of commercial for Bruntwood Works in Leeds, said: “West One has long been one of our more traditional buildings in Leeds and this incredible overhaul will better reflect the evolving needs of our existing and future customers.

“The last 18 months have demonstrated how productive people can be when working in an environment that supports their needs. So as we welcome people back to our spaces, we want to bring an element of the experiences they’ve enjoyed over the last year into West One – by creating a space which is comfortable and engaging.

West One is undergoing a major renovation as Bruntwood Works looks to transform its existing spaces into the workspaces of the future

“Our lounge area will act as a spot to switch off from the working day, offering customers a more informal space that’s always accessible so they can relax, while making the most of the opportunity to collaborate with other businesses. Meanwhile, we’ll be providing all the technological means necessary to enable customers to achieve everything they need to in their roles.

“This is by no means a lick of paint and some new furniture; to achieve our vision with West One, we have stripped back the space to its core shell so we can work with a blank canvas and improve the infrastructure of the space as well as the design, starting with soundproof walls and green, living structures.

“West One will move away from simply being an office space to being more of a community asset. We’ll create spaces to facilitate dance classes, book clubs, yoga sessions and more, providing a blend of work, home and play under one roof.”

Room for Rover too

Bruntwood Works has opted to make several of its spaces across the UK dog-friendly – with West One following suit – to accommodate the volume of new dog ownership. Throughout the pandemic, more than 3.2 million UK households purchased a new pet for companionship and topping the list of the most popular furry friends, 12 million British households count dogs as part of the family.

Matt said: “Though many businesses and their employees have committed to some element of hybrid working, combining time in the office with working from home, we want to make it a stress free process for those heading back to the office – for dogs and their owners. Being able to work alongside a pet reduces the animal’s separation anxiety and is known to simultaneously boost employees’ mental health.

“Accommodating this need for the customers who will use West One is the most natural step we can take and to assist, we’ve created a dedicated, on-site care team who’ll get to know the animals and their owners really well. Plus, there are a variety of lovely outdoor spaces located nearby for brilliant walks during breaks, lunch hours and after work.

“As we move towards a time when office working becomes the norm again, we are looking forward to welcoming customers into West One, benefitting from what we know will be a truly outstanding serviced workplace in the city of Leeds. We look forward to meeting their canine companions too!”

To find out more, visit https://bruntwood.co.uk/about-bruntwood/works/.