Where We Work: Kin + Carta, Manchester

Where is it? 

2 Hardman Boulevard, Manchester, M3 3AQ, United Kingdom

How big is it?

XYZ itself boasts more than 20,000 square feet of floor plates, and over 30,000 square feet of public amenity space. The latter includes cafes, restaurants such as The Refinery, meeting spaces, a bike park and leisure facilities.

Our office sits on the seventh floor, features a mezzanine level, and covers 9,400 square feet. We have enough desks for full capacity with room for growth, but it’s very much a flexible working setup – we have breakout rooms, boardrooms, standing desks, quiet rooms, collaboration spaces, a balcony and a terrace to accommodate 60 people.

We’ve carefully chosen and designed this space as a place of co-creation with our clients and partners. When current restrictions are lifted, we will also use it to host community events to support the next generation of talent. 

What happens there?

Our 100-plus strategists, consultants, engineers, designers, data experts and creatives collaborate to create connected outcomes at the intersection of data, technology and experience. As I mentioned, we’re rolling out a genuinely flexible working policy, as the past year has shown that people can not only do their jobs, but actually thrive away from the office.

This new space has been designed to enable our specialists to swarm around a client problem or challenge without borders or restrictions. This means there’ll be an ebb and flow in terms of how full the space is, and which facilities receive the most traffic. 

Who works there?

Anyone and everyone: we house software engineering, product delivery, brand strategy, customer engagement, management consultancy, technologists, creative suites and more. We have enough space to accommodate Kin + Carta’s entire North West contingent, plus ample room for our clients, partners, future growth and hot-desking.

Why is the workplace appropriate?

It’s a modern workplace for a modern workforce. Kin + Carta’s delivery of digital transformation gives clients the tools and mindset to future-proof their operations, so it makes sense for us to practice what we preach in all aspects, including the physical space we choose to work in.

If someone wants to come in five days a week, 9-to-5, then they certainly can; if they want to cycle through the freezing Northern rain every morning to do their bit for the environment, they can. We’re empowering our teams to choose when and how they work – it’s true hybrid working that gives them the opportunity to create something that feels right for them .

It also puts us at the heart of Manchester’s buzzing tech scene – we share the XYZ building with a handful of innovative tech brands and trailblazers. It’s the perfect workplace because it’s more than just that. It’s a destination: Somewhere to entertain clients, somewhere to collaborate with colleagues in the way that suits you best, and somewhere that really hammers home the near-30 year relationship Kin + Carta has built with Manchester.