Office fit out specialist Overbury is celebrating after clinching a coveted Considerate Constructors award for its work on the East Midlands headquarters of one of the world’s leading games developers.
Overbury was appointed to provide a full turnkey package – including design, fit out and furniture services – for the transformation of Rare Games’ Leicestershire offices.
Established in 1985, Rare Games has built a reputation for high quality and innovative products. Since its acquisition by Microsoft Studios in 2002, Rare has supported the Xbox and launch of the Xbox 360, pioneered Xbox 360 avatars, created franchises and developed best-selling motion-controlled games for Microsoft’s Kinect, always remaining on the cutting edge of interactive entertainment.
The BAFTA award-winning company’s headquarters – a converted barn development in Twycross – accommodates 180 employees. The eight-week refurbishment project focused on a major overhaul of one of the development areas. The reception area and the in-house restaurant were refurbished to add casual meeting spaces and a central recreational area with a focus on innovation, collaboration and fun.
Julian Lebray, managing director of Overbury for the Central region, collected the bronze Considerate Constructors Scheme’s National Site Award 2013 at a glittering event in London. The annual awards see companies involved in the most considerate construction sites rewarded for their efforts in improving the image of construction.
Construction sites and companies that register with the scheme are monitored against a Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements. The Scheme is concerned about any area of construction activity that may have a direct or indirect impact on the image of the industry as a whole. The main areas of concern fall into three categories: the general public, the workforce and the environment.
Julian said: “Rare is a highly innovative company that required a collaborative and relaxed way of working. Therefore, we replaced traditional development areas and communal spaces with a more open-plan environment, bringing in new breakout areas and comfortable beanbag seating to create spaces for brainstorming and idea generation.
“This was a really exciting project for Overbury as it allowed us to use our imagination with the designs and furniture. Rare embraced our non-traditional ideas, including breakout spaces and window vinyl that can be written on like a blackboard, which will help to create an inspiring and creative working environment. To win a Considerate Constructors award for our work with the company is something we are very proud of.”
As part of Microsoft Studios, Rare is a first party developer dedicated to thrilling its audience through innovation on Microsoft platforms. The double BAFTA-winning Kinect Sports titles, setting new benchmarks in motion gaming fidelity, recently crowned years of Xbox 360 support through avatars and Rare IP from Perfect Dark to Viva Piñata. Now in its third decade, Rare is still trailblazing showcase experiences and championing evolution in entertainment from its custom-built Midlands HQ.
