Driven by a desire to bring people back together after long periods of remote working, Skyscanner set out to reshape its offices into places that genuinely encouraged staff to return. The company wanted environments that felt modern, homely and appealing – spaces that would re‑energise teams and make time in the office feel worthwhile. This ambition centred on the refurbishment of its Glasgow and Edinburgh locations, which were to become the organisation’s two main Scottish hubs. Each space needed to feel calm, practical and welcoming, offering employees a workplace that supported focus, collaboration and comfort in equal measure.
The brief captured this intent with clarity: no fixed desks, materials and finishes that reflected the character of each city, flexible breakout areas that could adapt to different working styles, and acoustic performance that would allow people to work without distraction. Although the vision was straightforward, delivering it was far more complex. One project required a full relocation from an existing building, while the other involved adapting a space already in use. Both had to be managed against shifting timelines and operational pressures, demanding careful coordination to ensure the design intent was realised without disrupting the business.
To deliver the furniture package, which included both reuse of existing furniture and specification, procurement and installation of new furniture, fit out contractor BW Interiors engaged specialist commercial furniture consultancy Hunters. The project scope covered two distinct sites. In Glasgow, Skyscanner relocated from its dated existing office on St Vincent Street, to the landmark 1 West Regent Street. In Edinburgh, the focus was on refurbishing an existing office, downsizing from three floors and reconfiguration across two.
A key element of both projects was the requirement to retain and reuse some of the existing furniture, including task chairs, Framery single phone pods, Mute meeting pods, team and meeting tables, side chairs and other soft and lounge furniture. Involved from an early stage, Hunters deployed a team to provide design and procurement expertise along with project management and installation, to expertly deliver Skyscanner’s brief.
Hunters commenced the project by assessing and understanding the project scope with BW, including a full understanding of the reuse strategy and surveying the two sites for clarity. Hunters then worked with BW to shortlist new sample furniture for Skyscanner’s assessment before guiding them through new product selection, budgeting and discussions around reuse of existing furniture.
The furniture schedule produced by Hunters, covered boardroom and meeting room furniture, meeting pods, rugs, storage and plant liners, as well as café lounges and kitchen spaces, collaboration lounges, breakout areas, games rooms and reception furniture. This covered a variety of brands including OPM, Brunner, Allermuir, Senator, Connection, Tables for Business, Hawk furniture, OB&B, Boss Design, Naughtone, Bulo, Howe and Expormim. This schedule ensured the brief was efficiently met with Hunters providing options that met Skyscanner’s requirements and budgets.
The more complicated aspect however was managing the logistics including moves and relocations, off-site storage and tracking and coordination of the reuse strategy. In Glasgow, the team had to manage the transitioning of staff from a multi-floor setup to a single consolidated floor in a new building. This required careful planning to maintain productivity. In Edinburgh, one floor was decommissioned to enable fit out whilst another was intensified with additional desks, creating temporary arrangements that evolved into longer-term solutions.
A further challenge was how to decommission, store and then reinstate the meeting room pods. To achieve this Hunters liaised directly with the manufacturers – Framery and Mute – and arranged for their fitting team to undergo specialist training at their offices in mainland Europe. This provided the team with the necessary skills to safely decommission and reassemble the pods without damage, protecting the client’s investment in high-value assets.
The Edinburgh refurbishment was originally intended to complete before Glasgow commenced. This involved enabling works to intensify one floor whilst decommissioning a second floor, with furniture removed and stored for reuse. However an unplanned delay in Edinburgh caused a programme pivot, with focus shifting to the Glasgow project and its completion.
The overlapping timelines created unexpected logistical challenges. Edinburgh furniture was originally intended to be decommissioned, stored and returned to the same site, while Glasgow was expected to be a straightforward relocation. In reality, phasing and scheduling pressures meant furniture was moved between sites, with Glasgow assets ending up in Edinburgh and vice versa.
Paul Britton, Senior Account Manager at Hunters commented:
“The change in programme meant the project was a bit like moving pieces of a jigsaw puzzle around. It required a lot of careful planning, constant coordination of subcontractors and careful tracking of every product. Whilst challenging, it’s in these instances when the team at Hunters thrive.”
The schemes demonstrate the importance of project management and adaptability. Comprehensive inventories were created by Hunters, with furniture stored across multiple warehouses. The success of the schemes depended on the ability of Hunters to pivot plans, manage multiple schedules and keep stakeholders informed. Hunters successfully delivered continuity for staff, whilst safeguarding client assets. The reuse strategy reduced costs and environmental impact, while modernised facilities have improved working conditions and consolidated operations. Resilience and adaptability were proven in the face of a changing schedule, with Hunters supporting both BW and the Skyscanner, through complex programme.
The Edinburgh office was designed with a strong emphasis on collaboration and community. A large town hall space occupies nearly a quarter of one floor, serving as a congregation point for staff at lunchtimes, company-wide meetings and informal breakout sessions. Recreational facilities such as pool tables and ping pong tables were stored and returned for reuse. Flexible lounges, café-style areas, and games rooms were integrated to encourage informal interaction and relaxation. A similar approach with employed at the Glasgow office, with a focus on a calm, practical workplace that reflected the city location. Here the new open layout supports different ways of working, providing flexibility and adaptability for the occupants.
The new offices provide Skyscanner with the high-quality facilities and professional environment required by their staff. They offer a brand presence and sense of community, enabling collaboration and communication. The projects stand as a testament to Hunters ability to deliver complex workplace transformations, balancing logistics, design and cultural change while maintaining client confidence.