Buzz 16’s new home: A fast-paced fit out for a growing production powerhouse

Award-winning creative production company Buzz 16 came to us at the end of last year looking to take their office space to the next level. Set up in 2017 by former professional footballer Gary Neville, Scott Melvin, and Diana Law, the company has since grown to become a market leader in sports entertainment production, with an impressive portfolio of thought-provoking documentaries (a personal favourite of mine being ‘Micah Richards: Tackling Racism’), video content, and podcasts — check out The Overlap for exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in sport.

Feldberg Capital’s Power Road Studios in Chiswick became Buzz 16’s new home in December 2024, when the company moved from x+why’s nearby Chiswick Works. It was down to our design and build team to transform the 8,500 square feet of leased space into a creative hub Buzz 16 employees could be proud of, and the company’s values — inclusivity, togetherness, and trust — became the guiding principles behind our design.

About the space

With the representation of Albany, Buzz 16 secured Studio 1 at Power Road Studios, which is owned by private real estate investment company Akoya (managed by Feldberg Capital). Sam Arghebant, Partner at Albany, commented: ‘It was a pleasure to have represented Buzz 16. Their content is incredible, so it was nice to be involved as a fan as well as their agent.’

Built in the 1930s, the characterful Power Road Studios was originally a Singer sewing machine factory. Leading architecture firm Barr Gazetas completed the refurbishment of Studio 1 in October 2017, with care taken to preserve the heritage and original features of the former warehouse, in part by retrofitting the space.

Power Road Studios holds a platinum WiredScore certification, meaning the building meets exceptional standards for the quality of its wired infrastructure and wireless network — i.e. the Wi-Fi is super fast! Akoya’s Chiswick development has also been granted an AirScore Gold award for its indoor air quality. In terms of amenities, tenants have access to an on-site coffee house — appropriately named The Singer — an outdoor courtyard, showers, and bike storage.

What we did

In just five weeks, our design and build team took the space from something of a blank canvas to a fully customised, move-in-ready office packed with personality.

We installed six soundproof edit suites, three meeting rooms, and three private offices, giving Buzz 16’s team the flexibility to work however they work best. First impressions count, so we created a welcome area complete with sports memorabilia, branded cushions and wall graphics, sofas, TVs, and a display wall showcasing highlights from Buzz 16’s wide-ranging lineup of sports entertainment content.

To delineate zones within the space, we laid high-quality timber-effect vinyl in the office’s breakout zones, with carpet in the meeting rooms and edit suites. We also fitted a modern kitchen with a tiled central island, durable marble-effect countertops, and booth seating, creating a stylish yet practical space for team lunches, informal meetings, and events.

A sustainable approach

Both Akoya and Buzz 16 strive for sustainability in all they do. At the heart of Akoya’s mission is their commitment to sustainable office design, which is why they choose to repurpose existing spaces over constructing new ones — ‘old buildings aren’t dead, they’re just waiting for a new life’ is a motto of theirs. On top of this, spaces at Power Road Studios are BREEAM outstanding, and run on 100% renewable energy. Similarly, Buzz 16 aims to achieve net zero on all direct carbon emissions by 2030.

Following in the footsteps of Buzz 16 and Akoya, we made sure to reuse as much as we could in terms of materials, as well as retaining existing light fixtures, infrastructure, and internal walls where possible. Rather than ripping out what was there already, our design and build team took a more considered approach. They opted to keep the layout of the space as it was, and in so doing avoided creating around a tonne of material waste. We used sustainable materials where we could — for example the compact laminate kitchen worktops, which were made from recycled paper and resin.

Collaboration is key

From the get-go, it was clear that Buzz 16’s Head of Creative (former Senior Associate Producer at Sky Sports) would play a crucial role in the project, and he and our interior designer worked together to deliver an office that really fit the brief — we popped in the other day and were pleased to hear positive feedback from a number of employees, who shared how much they’d been enjoying using the space.

Having both Buzz 16’s Head of Creative (Dan Self) and Chief Financial Officer (Deveena Chim) on board was a great help. Dan’s clear creative vision and Deveena’s functional thinking and strategic insight made for a strong pairing that helped our design and build team to ensure the space’s every detail aligned both with the brand’s identity and the practical needs of the Buzz 16 team.

Here’s what our interior designer Charlotte had to say about the project: ‘Working on Buzz 16 was a fantastic opportunity as we got to team up with their Head of Creative, Dan. We drew up and brought to life a cohesive design that embodied the brand’s values and style. Weekly meetings and site visits allowed us to gain a deep understanding of the company’s ethos and the message they wanted to convey through their office. They take immense pride in their work, and they wanted guests and clients to feel that when visiting and using the space to create content.’

This project is one of our proudest to date, and we’re thrilled to have assisted the Buzz 16 team in their office design journey at Power Road Studios in Chiswick.

If you’re looking to get a sneak peek of the space, check out The Overlap’s new rugby-themed YouTube channel and podcast!

Or, if it sounds like the Soul Spaces office design and build team could be a good fit for your next office fit out project, get in touch today.