Life@White Design

“Work hard and have fun” describes our style of working at White Design.

The practice has grown organically since 1998 and we are now a team of 47.  As the practice expanded, we were determined to keep our “small practice feel”, so we researched and introduced a unique, non-hierarchical internal structure which we call “communities”. 

White Design communities act like small family units within the wider team, bringing together colleagues across professional disciplines, career stages and work patterns. Rather than splitting the team into project or sector-based work groups, we designed communities to provide a focus for well-being and communication in the work environment. Communities support individual and professional development needs with the help of dedicated CPD, IT, Research and Knowledge co-ordinators. Each community has its own identity and has chosen its own name (Dodecahedrons and Urban Grain are two examples) with a programme of social events organised by a “Life@White Design” co-ordinator.

Twice a year the whole team takes a day away from the office to explore specific themes and contribute ideas to our business plan. In 2008 we combined our “Away Day” with a study tour to Snowdonia, visiting the Centre for Alternative Technology at Machynlleth and staying at Portmeirion, Clough Williams-Ellis’s early exercise in sustainable tourism. Our themes were beauty in architecture and a visioning exercise for the future of the practice.

10 x 10

In 2008/2009, to celebrate the practice’s 10th year of operation we held a series of social events called 10 x 10 (ten individuals taking part in ten events throughout the year) which ranged from maypole dancing to an international home-cooked feast and a weekend surf camp.