Insight into the Space London team

I recently had the privilege of visiting?Spencer - Barclay Hammond,?Christopher Francis, Christopher Harrington , and?David Petersen?at their New Broad Street office in London, and I’m excited to share some of the insights I gathered from spending time with this dynamic team. Join me as we dip into the world of Space London and explore the passion, dedication, and camaraderie that make it truly special ?? ?

A little history of Space London?

Space celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The Space story began in the year 2000 when?Nick Bond?was working with?BW: Workplace Experts?on their very first project in Canary Wharf.??In 2003, he went on to found Space Interior Systems Ltd and was joined by?Ian Birnie. Together they specialised in commercial fit-out projects in and around London, built on a strong professional relationship with BW and a great reputation for quality and service.??

Spencer and Dave joined in 2010 and 2008 respectively, at the time both working as subcontractors 'on the tools'. Time progressed, Space had broadened its horizons and part of the company expanded into defence contracts. However, part of the company including Spencer and Dave were still travelling all over the UK from one site to another, executing both commercial projects, and projects for renowned brands like Boots, H&M, David Lloyd, Nike and Argos.??

Finding London ?

Motivated by Spencer's desire to move into management and travel less, Nick made the decision to shift the company’s commercial focus back to London-centric projects.?He encouraged Spencer to leverage existing client relationships, leading to a transformative project with Amazon - Snow Hill, working for BW. This project became the catalyst for expansion in London.??

Spencer: "We tendered and priced it, Nick did it the tendering at the time? – it was the first Amazon job, we were proud the clients were happy with the end result.?Dave came on board as an employee at this stage and transitioned from working on the tools to moving into Project Management. We were awarded the next Amazon project in Leadenhall which was a bigger job. We progressed onto a major project for Fidelity with BW. We extend our sincere gratitude to BW for their enduring partnership and the opportunities it has brought us over the years".?

Thriving in the London construction landscape?

The pace of the construction landscape in London is fast, the competition fierce, and the margins razor-thin. Everyone is in a race to meet targets, with timelines shrinking and pricings becoming ever more stringent. Chris Francis and Chris Harrington came on board to complete the commercial side.??

Spencer: "there's a lot more risk on programme and commercial constraints with a project than there was when we first started out.?No one will consider you for any project if you don't have a good reputation, so that has to be right or you don’t get through the door. We’re one of so many contractors in London, it’s where the high end stuff happens that everyone wants so the margins are tight, so we have to be tight. We run a tight shop and want to be the best, but you're nothing if you don't have the best team. Our team really care – about Space and we really, really care about our projects". ??

Working as a collective group?

The success at Space Interior Systems doesn’t seem to stem from individual effort; rather, it’s a collective triumph. Meeting them all, it’s clear that a fusion of diverse talents and skills, and their trust in each other is what propels their projects to excellence.??

Each member brings something unique to the table, cultivating an environment where innovation is the heartbeat and excellence is the expectation. Without a doubt it's through their collaborative spirit that they derive strength and achieve remarkable outcomes:?

Spencer: "Our communication is second to none. The communication we have, the planning, the detail and proactivity is off the chart. This is what sets us apart".?

"We all enjoy what we do, we always strive to do better. We care about what we do and we’re really proud of our work; we want?quality. What we prize more than anything is repeat business, because that means the clients are really happy. Most of our business is repeat business. New clients come from our networks and people seeing what we’ve just done". ??

Spencer: "Relationships - biggest thing for me. All of us have individual relationships with different clients. We've recently completed an absolutely amazing project with ISG and on site they do leadership tours to give feedback, which I love. Just brilliant communication. I want our guys to work with the senior commercial managers and they do so weekly. The team come together to tighten up and get together to make it right and move on to the next stage. We all trust each other". ??

Dave: "A brilliant project you did 12 years ago doesn’t matter... it’s what you’ve just done. You're only as good as your last project".?

Spencer: "Dave - he's amazing! He snags his own work all the time. I walk round his projects and think wow! – it wouldn’t be so sharp without his insane level of attention to detail".??

Spencer: "Every project we do whether a ￡10k or ￡10 milion needs to be crisp, run properly and completed properly. There's nothing more important to us, so you need to be confident you're working with the best people. We have an amazing supply chain we work with who make us proud - Krys, Arek and Leo and their exceptional teams provide us with a great labour force who embrace the quality we demand and deliver every time. We trust and rely on our excellent supply chain both up and down stream".??

Chris F: "Flexibility is also a must; There’s no definitive line between job roles in a team like ours, there are going to be grey areas. We obviously have our defined roles but ultimately there’s a project that needs to be completed and we’re all responsible for getting it there together".?

Spencer: "That's why we're so proud of our most recent project working with ISG, both commercially and production-wise, it was run really well. Collaborating with ISG was a really rewarding experience, and we look forward to the opportunity to create more successful projects together."?

Chris H: "I've had the best mentors at Space, they've taught me everything... how to communicate with clients, and each other, it really is all about relationships ultimately. You won’t win any more projects if you have a bad relationship with the client and don’t listen. Listening is everything".??

"We make each other’s lives easier. We’re all working towards the same goal". ??

Spencer: "I’m so proud of my team and that’s why we get the good projects. Everyone does what they do properly; we live by our Space core values. My team need to be conscientious and honest with me and each other. Which is ultimately what every client wants. I'm proud of our work, and want to show people what we’re all about". ??

The future of Space London??

The journey of Space London so far is a testament to the resilience, passion, and unwavering commitment of its team. The team, with its diverse and complementary skills, continues to uphold the values of quality, integrity, and meticulous attention to detail, ensuring the delivery of projects that exceed expectations.??

The future looks filled with endless possibilities and opportunities for innovation and growth. The London team, with its collective strength and unity, is poised to embrace new challenges and elevate the standards of excellence in the industry. It's the harmonious synergy of this extraordinary team that makes every accomplishment possible.??

Here’s to celebrating not just milestones and promotions, but the incredible journey of collaboration and mutual respect that defines the essence of our remarkable team in London;?Space London.?