Where We Work: K7 Media, Manchester

Where is it?

Duplex Two, Ducie House, 37 Ducie Street, Manchester M1 2JW.

How big is it?

Located close the city’s largest station, our new office boasts over 2500 sq ft of workable space split across two floors. The business has grown substantially since we first moved into the city centre in 2014 and we wanted to make sure that our new office would be big enough for continued expansion.

Designed by Atul Bansul of Sheila Bird Group, whose previous projects include Missguided and Social Chain’s Manchester headquarters, the office was completely renovated ahead of us moving.

During the design process, we really wanted to make sure the office provided a great place to work and that the team would have plenty of space. Alongside traditional work areas, we included a fully equipped webinar suite; multiple breakout zones, a fully stocked kitchen and adaptable yoga studio.

What happens there?

We watch telly, and lots of it.

The team has an extensive knowledge of the international TV and digital sector and delivers personalised research, showreels and reports to clients around the world.

In addition to our ever-expanding range of client services, we collate and publish the ‘Tracking the Giants’ series, detailing the top 100 travelling TV formats. Each report is a major statistical undertaking and relies on comparable data to pinpoint the underlying TV trends and how this impacts formats and how they travel. ‘Tracking the Giants’ is recognised within the industry as the definitive guide to unscripted and scripted format sales.

Why is the workplace appropriate?

We were lucky to be in a position where we could design the space in a way that worked perfectly for the business and our employees. For example, some of the team cycle into the office so it was important we provided somewhere for them to store their bikes and get changed.

The business was at the heart of the whole process, we had our brilliant photographer come down when the office was being redeveloped to capture images that are now framed and hanging throughout. At Bansul’s suggestion, we used the shade ‘International Orange’ (#ff4f00) throughout, as a subtle nod to the international nature of our work. We loved it so much, the same colour featured on the cover of our latest ‘Tracking the Giants’ report.

Within the design, we were able to weave in elements of K7 Media’s history, including our much loved 1930’s phone box. Years ago, we settled on the K6 model when we found out the K7 never made it past the prototype stage. Even though it stands at 8ft tall and 3ft wide, there was no chance we were going to leave it behind, even if it did mean having to break it down into pieces so we could get it through the door.

Who works there?

Ducie House is the heart of K7 Media and acts as the day-to-day office for the majority of the team. That said, as the business continues to grow, we are recruiting more and more people into our network who are able to log on and work remotely from all over the world.

We designed the space in a way that ensures even when some of the team is out of the office, attending and presenting at industry events across the globe. The space feels busy and full of life.

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