Modern office seating area with cream and pink high-backed chairs separated by plants on a gray partition. Bright, calm ambiance with wood flooring

A hammock rests on a wooden stand in a minimalist room featuring cushioned seating.

Conference room featuring a long black table with eight blue chairs, centered under a pendant lamp. A large screen and conferencing device are mounted on a beige panel wall.

Our Projects

Oxford Ionics

High performance Quantum Computing specialists, Oxford Ionics, have grown from a start-up to world-leading innovators in just six years. With their mission to create unique technologies that will bring Quantum Computing from the theoretical to the indispensable, they needed a head office that would enable their teams to grow, innovate and build the world’s most powerful quantum computers.

Plan | Design | Build | Furnish

30,000 Sq Ft

Oxford (Oxford Technology Park)

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Workspace inspiration to solve the world’s problems

Oxford Ionics needed a vast amount of office, lab and research and development space to work on solutions, leveraging quantum phenomena. For a team to develop quantum computers that speed up drug discovery and climate change modelling, they needed flexible and exciting workspaces to innovate and work-through solutions. From their light, colourful and open town hall space, through to various meeting rooms, pods and plenty of desk space, they have so much choice of space to innovate within. So that Oxford Ionics are ready for exponential growth, we even factored in fallow space, ready for their lab and office to flex as needed for new employees and their super computers.

Conference table equipped with tablets and speakers, surrounded by chairs, under hanging lights in a modern meeting room with a wall-mounted screen and paneled walls.

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One of the nicest things about our new workplace has been to show investors, customers and partners, our new and exciting workspace as it says a lot about our ambition. Almost everyone who comes in just says ‘this place is amazing, aren’t you lucky to work here?’.

Emma Forster
COO at Oxford Ionics

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From the beginning it’s been lovely working with COEL, they’ve been incredibly good at coming up with great ideas and also listening to us. Our needs and ideas were changing throughout the build and COEL were so accommodating in the design.

Emma Forster
COO at Oxford Ionics

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We’re very excited to take this new space at Oxford Technology Park, which will be our new global HQ where we build our world-class quantum computers. With the capacity to accommodate over 20 of our advanced quantum systems, it also provides ample space for our incredible team as we continue to grow at breakneck pace.

Emma Forster
COO at Oxford Ionics

Quantum computing labs to innovate

Oxford Ionics’ is combining the world-leading performance of trapped ion qubits with the scalability of semiconductor manufacturing. This type of work required dedicated laboratories and system halls with dedicated power supply to enable technical innovation. Working in a controlled environment to protect delicate quantum systems from external noise, these technical labs were created to house specialist equipment and software for manipulating and measuring qubits.

Designing for diversity and well-being

Building a workspace for their people was one of the biggest priorities. Dedicated well-being rooms including a relaxation and meditation space, and a dedicated well-being space for prayer, and medical needs were created alongside gender neutral toilets. There was also space to play, with a dedicated library space with table top games, a table tennis table in the board room to make use of the space when strategic meetings weren’t taking place, through to touch down spaces for a spot of gaming.

A digital illustration features vibrant pink and blue dots forming a swirling tunnel-like pattern, creating a sense of motion on a dark background.

Quantumplating solutions to the world’s problems

From start-up to scale-up, the innovation taking place at Oxford Ionics inspired their office and lab design. While human behaviour and quantum mechanics operate in very different realms, there are some intriguing parallels in people and their behaviours in the workplace. Whilst our design team contemplated spaces that inspire problem solving, their scientists quantumplate how to solve real-world problems.

A modern conference room features a long black table surrounded by blue chairs, with a wall-mounted screen, camera, and whiteboard. A pendant light hangs from the ceiling.

Open-plan office with mixed seating, high counter stools, soft furnishings, indoor plants, and modern lighting

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Designing for diversity in the workplace means creating environments that accommodate and celebrate the varied characteristics, skills, and needs of all employees. This approach goes beyond just physical accessibility with workplace design considering spaces that promote cognitive, emotional, and cultural inclusivity.

Integrating brand colours to cultivate creativity

A strong sense of brand’ was a key aspect of Oxford Ionics’ brief, with the focus in creating a cohesive and on-brand space with a high degree of accented brand colours throughout. Our interior designers ensured colour flowed throughout their workplace; from the colour palette in the kitchen space to the furniture, finishes and manifestations, which even included branded mechanical air socks in the labs.

Close working relationships that can be relied on

Scaling up at a fast-pace, Oxford Ionics required not just a commercial interior design and build company to create a new head office, but ongoing partnership to support it’s growth. COEL began their journey with Oxford Ionics as they moved from Oxford University to their first office. Knowing they would quickly outgrow this office, the design and furniture choices were made 2 years before they found their perfect workspace to grow into. We’ve ensured every need is met from offering mechanical and electrical specialist support through to relocation and move services.