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Calico- Winners of the BCO award-Refurbished/Recycled Workplace

Calico, Manchester – A Sustainable Workspace for the SME Community

Calico, a sensitively refurbished industrial warehouse in Manchester city centre, has won the Refurbished/Recycled Workplace category of the prestigious British Council for Offices (BCO) Awards for 2023. The building provides flexible workspace across seven floors, including communal areas and a rooftop garden.

A strong sustainability theme runs through all of the winners at the 2023 Northern Awards, reflecting the BCO’s mission to research, develop, and communicate best practice in all aspects of the office sector. Calico’s distinction between the Grade II-listed building fabric and modern interventions celebrates a new period in the building’s history while recognizing its former use as an industrial warehouse.

A glass mirrored cubed award with writing on the front. It says regional winner in large writing and Calico Manchester underneath. the award is for the best refrurbished/recycled workplace
National winners of the British Council for offices- Calico in Manchester. This image shows the enterance way/reception area designed and created by Lazerian- a art and design studio also in Manchester

Lazerian Designs Beautiful Creations for Calico’s Award-Winning Workspace

Lazerian worked on the award-winning Calico project alongside architects Hawkins Brown and interior designers Sheila Bird.

Lazerian was commissioned to design and create bespoke pieces for Calico’s welcome and reception area. The pieces included a ceramic and 3D build welcome desk, as well as stools and tables dotted around the space. The reception area, stairs, planters, and stools designed and created by Lazerian also took inspiration from the building’s rich history.

Outdoor view of Calico in Manchester situated 2 mins from Manchester art gallery
"Calico, winner of the Refurbished/Recycled Workplace category is a sensitively refurbished industrial warehouse in Manchester city centre providing flexible workspace across five original storeys and a two-storey roof extension. The clear distinction between the Grade II-listed building fabric and new interventions celebrates a new period in the building’s history, while recognising its former use as an industrial warehouse." BCO judges comments
A bird eye shot of Manchester co-working space Calico and the stairwell area. You can see an orange and a cream chair with a man sat in the cream chair
A large office space room with a kitchen in the background. A few office workers dotted about
The reception/welcome area of Calico in Manchester. featuring a bespoke welcome desk on the left hand corner with a man standing behind it. To the right is another man looking at a large art pucture on the wall with catcus in pots at the side of him

The Northern region winners will now compete for the BCO National Awards in October 2023, and Calico, Manchester, is a strong contender for the national title. The awards recognize projects that demonstrate best practice in office design, fit-out, operation, and sustainability, setting the standard for excellence in the industry.

Calico provides a creative workspace for Manchester’s SME community, offering flexible and sustainable solutions across seven floors. The communal areas and rooftop garden are perfect for networking, team-building, and relaxation, while the clear distinction between the building’s old and new features highlights the building’s unique history.

Calico’s BCO award is a testament to its commitment to sustainability and best practice in the office sector, making it the perfect choice for SMEs looking for a creative and sustainable workspace in Manchester.

Aerial view of a bespoke stool designed and created by Lazerian studio in Manchester for co-working offices Calico
2 ceramic planters on display in a reception area. The front one is out of focus and the one behind is in focus display cermaic pattern imagery created by Lazerian in Manchester
A large office style room in Calico in Manchester. Very bright and breezy with large windows bringing in great light. There is a man and a woman sitting at a desk chatting with paperwork on the table

Sustainability is at the core of Lazerian’s designs, and it was an honor to work on a project that so closely aligns with that ethos. Ceramic was chosen for the primary material of the bespoke pieces, which complements the building’s aesthetic and captures the beautiful texture of the fabric, print rollers, and colors synonymous with the original Calico printing warehouse.

Preserving traditional art and craft is crucial to Lazerian, as demonstrated in the Calico project’s reception desk. The desk’s symbolic columns feature artworks created over a century ago within the same building. By integrating these pieces into the desk, Lazerian pays homage to the importance of traditional art and craft while showcasing its dedication to preserving the city’s rich printing history.

To blend traditional art with modern innovation, a 6-axis robot was used to print the artworks. The glaze on the ceramics has a patina that mimics the look of printing tooling used over years, further emphasizing the importance of preserving the city’s rich printing history.

Overall, working on the Calico project was a fantastic experience, and Lazerian is proud to have contributed to such a beautifully designed and sustainable workspace.

Close up of 2 plan pots with large green cactus inside. The planters are bespoke to Calico (where they are displayed) and made by Liam Hopkins of Lazerian
Inspired by History: Ceramic Desk Reflects Calico's Legacy and Printing Industry Heritage in Manchester. Lazerian's Blend of Original Design and Raw Aesthetics.
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