IDHL moves into refurbished Manchester office

IDHL, one of the UK’s leading digital marketing agencies, has moved into a newly fitted-out Manchester city centre office as it continues to enhance its workplace environments.

The agency has worked alongside landlord and developer Bruntwood SciTech and fit-out contractor TSK to complete a transformation of its space on the second floor of Blackfriars House, located in the Parsonage Gardens Conservation Zone. Following a two-month refurbishment project, IDHL’s Manchester team moved into the new space last week.

Market leading commercial property agents, Fox Lloyd Jones, launched the search in early 2024, with a brief of enhancing the quality of the working environment.

IDHL’s custom designed office in Manchester has been designed with collaboration for team members at its heart. This follows on quickly from its new Leeds office opening in September. Features include communal space for breakouts, refreshments, social connections and celebrations; four meeting rooms and a business lounge. There is added capacity for extra co-working space, plus all staff can access onsite facilities including podcast room, auditorium, cycle centre and roof top terrace.

The fit-out has taken into account the building’s 1920’s character, enhancing features such as sash windows, architectural integrity and decorative ceilings while adding a modern twist.

Bruntwood SciTech - a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund - is the largest property platform dedicated to the growth of the UK’s science, tech and innovation sectors. The company is supporting demand for specialist workspace, having committed £243m of investment in developments across Manchester city centre totalling 727,000 sq ft in this past year alone.

Blackfriars House forms part of its established Manchester city centre ecosystem, spanning 21 innovation hubs and campuses including Circle Square, Bloc, Bond, Pall Mall, and Citylabs. In joining Bruntwood SciTech’s network, IDHL will gain access to this Manchester ecosystem, as well as its UK-wide community of 1,100 start-ups, scale-ups and global businesses.

Ben Wood, CEO at IDHL, said: “This latest office enhancement is part of our focus to continually offer the very best space and facilities for our people. Manchester is a key city for our business, our team delivers great strategic and creative work for a variety of fantastic brands from this central location. We recognise that to attract and retain brilliant people, we need to have first-class facilities which allow them to collaborate with each other and meet clients; and we are pleased that this location and fit-out truly reflects our brand and culture.

“This site is now fully tech-enabled and supports our hybrid working approach. Manchester is such an important part of IDHL’s network and feedback about the new space has been really positive. Our thanks to Fox Lloyd Jones, TSK and Bruntwood SciTech for their support.”

Josh Whiteley, Commercial Director for Bruntwood SciTech, added: “Our city centre innovation hubs provide the perfect home for forward-thinking, technology led businesses like IDHL. Already part of our Bruntwood SciTech ecosystem, IDHL’s new space will further allow the team to benefit from greater opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing, as well as benefiting from the highly-skilled talent pool present in the city centre. We’re looking forward to seeing the team settled in their new workspace and supporting them further in their future growth.”

Harry Finney, Associate Director at FLJ, said: “We’re delighted to have negotiated and secured one of the final remaining floors in such a prominent building, following an extensive search. The buildings impressive amenity offer, and programme of community activities is unrivalled across the city centre and played a significant role in the decision making process”

Hannah Snell, Account Director at TSK, said: “It’s been a pleasure working with IDHL to design and deliver their new Manchester office. By building on the design principles we established for their Leeds location and infusing Manchester’s unique personality, we’ve created a distinct destination that truly reflects IDHL’s brand and culture."