The Life and Mind Building

The delivery

LiDR Contract Furniture was appointed by Wates Construction to manufacture bespoke commercial furniture and specific joinery items for the building. It was a challenging but hugely rewarding project to work on and we delivered it within 10 months with a total contract value of £1.1 million.

The island unit had very specific design requirements, but it presented a number of challenges. The client was keen for the carcass to be clad in terrazzo, but it was also vital that we catered for a number of practical considerations, such as allowing access to floor boxes within the unit for testing.

The team at LiDR came up with an innovative solution to convert the slab of terrazzo to tiles which we could mount on a board but could also be removed for maintenance purposes. We were careful to keep the aesthetics sympathetic to the way in which the material should be used and this allowed us to add an edging strip to each tile to protect the edges, as the material can be prone to damage.

The philosophy of the building was to use natural products as much as possible, and one of the most significant elements was a natural Portland stone. Many of our items featured this stone, including the two main reception counters, a display unit, many of the benches in the communal areas and the tree planter in the main entrance area.

Logistically, this presented a number of challenges, such as liaising with the quarry to accommodate lead times, allowing the stone to have enough time to dry and developing a suitable fixing method.

Other bespoke joinery items included:

• 2 x reception counters clad in natural stone
• 2 x small reception counters
• 15 x tea points in the kitchen areas
• Banquette and booth seating
• Study desks throughout the building
• Herbarium storage and work areas
• Display cases
• Bespoke storage
• Bespoke planters & seating units
• ‘Town Centre’ furniture for communal working areas and socialising. This included island units, study tables and divider shelving.
• Bespoke counters for prep rooms

The result

The Life and Mind Building is an example of where stunning architecture meets innovative joinery.  One of our core values is that design and quality should never be compromised in the manufacture of bespoke joinery, and there is no better example than this project.

Eleanor Owen, Director, LiDR Contract Furniture said:

“The bespoke joinery at the Life and Mind Building presented a number of challenges such as using new materials and new methods to achieve an ambitious design vision. We rose to those challenges and members of our design and production team came together to find solutions to make what seemed impossible possible, and to deliver a stunning final result – one which every member of staff here at LiDR can feel incredibly proud of.”

When working on any project, especially one like the Life and Mind Building, we always aim to be a partner to all parties in every project we undertake.  We go to great lengths to provide innovative solutions where challenges lie, while maintaining transparency and a high level of customer service at every stage of the process.

Tony Lucey of Wates Construction Ltd said:

“LiDR carried out the front of house bespoke joinery for Wates Construction at the Life and Mind Building which is a new university for Oxford .

This was a very challenging project for all parties involved and the LiDR items were finished to a very high standard.

LiDR’s elements consisted of the supply, manufacture and installation of reception desks, tea points, banquette seating booths, display cabinets and bespoke furniture items.

I would work with Eleanor and her team again”