Commercial interiors specialists Paramount say they are “proud” to have been appointed to create an “inspiring workplace” at the heart of historic Bath’s flagship regeneration project.

The Paramount Bristol-based team are masterminding the interior design of the prestigious new office space in the Bath Quays office building for leading local financial services consultancy and software provider, Altus.

Paramount, whose headquarters are in Cardiff, were engaged by Altus to transform the 9,445 sq ft workspace on the top floor of the five-storey, energy-efficient office building, after Altus had signed a deal to move its headquarters to the city centre site.

It confirmed Altus as one of the first tenants of No 1 Bath Quays – the first new office block to be built in Bath for a generation and a key part in Bath and North East Somerset Council’s ambitious regeneration programme and climate emergency priority.

Paramount Client Lead Carly Willis said:

“Paramount create places where people want to be; workspaces that inspire employees and embrace well-being.

“We have relished working closely with Altus to create an inspirational, attractive, sustainable, and eco-friendly workplace for a company at the forefront of bold local authority plans to revitalise Bath as an economic hub.

“Our objective for the new Altus office is to create an uplifting workplace that is both a showcase to clients and a joy for staff – high-end destination space that encourages positive interactions between staff and clients.

“Bath is a stunning city, famously steeped in history. We are proud to play a part in ensuring it enjoys a vibrant commercial future, creating a workplace that will help Altus – and Bath as a whole – go from strength to strength.”

In order to ensure that the new workplace met Altus requirements and post-pandemic hybrid working habits, Paramount conducted a company-wide staff survey and several stakeholder engagement sessions.

Results showed an increased need for a variety of meeting places, easy access to video conferencing, privacy, enhanced acoustics and plenty of collaborative social space.

Paramount Lead Designer Bethan Hellings said: “The words ‘collaborative’, ‘spacious’ and ‘fun’ came up time and again during our engagement sessions and they’ve coloured my work in more ways than one.

“Finishes have been carefully selected to be soft and calming yet also happy and bright and we have been particularly mindful of enhancing light and space, avoiding dark colours and keeping the space as open as possible. A calming base palette is unobtrusive and minimises visual stress, but we have also added uplifting colour accents to add life to the space.”

Timber finishes provide warmth and bring natural texture. Rounded corners provide soft transitions and easy movement between spaces and angles have been used throughout in desk positioning and floor finishes to create more interesting sightlines.

Now the new office, which includes a terrace offering stunning views of the city, is in the final stages of development, with Altus staff expected to move in by mid-October.

The move will represent a significant milestone for the Bath business, which was founded in 2005 by a small group of friends, but which now employs more than 100 people and prides itself on its strong roots in the local community.

Altus Consulting Director Martyn Evans said: “Paramount are very much like Altus in size, culture, values, and their team just ‘got us’. They are very receptive to our ambition to provide an inspiring workplace for our staff while focusing on environmental consciousness.

“Our new HQ will provide the next step in the growth of our business and will provide an inspiring place to work for current and future staff. We are delighted to be moving the business to No 1 Bath Quays and to be part of the city’s regeneration journey.”

The 4.5-acre Bath Quays project incorporates a blend of historic buildings and contemporary architecture and will become a key strategic site for the city centre.

Councillor Kevin Guy, Bath and North East Somerset Council leader, said: “We are delighted Altus has chosen No 1 Bath Quays for its new headquarters. This is an excellent endorsement of our commitment to delivering market-leading, next generation workspaces to help attract skills and talent to Bath.”