Published on:

01 August 2023

Updated on:

28 July 2025

Read time:

Gary Tailby

Managing Director

Interior design consultancy Office Principles North, has completed the design and delivery of the new green office of Energy & Utility Skills in Solihull.

Office Principles North has handed over 5,000 sq ft of CAT B office space on the first floor of Avon House off the A34 Stratford Road, near Shirley.

Its design facilitates hybrid working for up to 70 employees, offering a combination of modern, open plan office space, with hot desking, meeting rooms and collaboration and breakout areas.

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Sustainability is a key feature of the fit out, in line with Energy & Utility Skills’ vision of ‘skills for a greener world’, and boasts a range of environmentally friendly features such as biophilia, planting and a moss wall.

The scheme has been independently assessed as having surpassed sustainability good practice criteria and is one of only a handful of UK office fit out projects to have achieved Ska gold certification.

Energy & Utility Skills has signed a ten-year lease at Avon House and has relocated to the building from Blythe Valley Business Park.

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Energy & Utility Skills is one of many employers that have chosen to redesign office space to support hybrid working. The role of the office continues to evolve from solely being a place where work is carried out, to a destination that promotes collaboration and brings people together. Energy & Utility Skills is committed to providing an inspiring and inclusive workplace for its employees and clients. We have delivered a flexible space where people have the freedom to move around and work in different ways, giving them a great experience. As a business that operates in the energy and utilities sector, the environment is hugely important to Energy & Utility Skills, so we used the Ska rating method to ensure that the project followed sustainability good practice criteria.

Gary Tailby, Managing Director

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Meet the Author

Having spent over 25 years in the industry, Gary is a highly proficient leader, with an all-encompassing knowledge of the commercial property market. The list of major corporates he has worked for spans all sectors and reflects his passion for exploring fresh business opportunities and breaking new ground. An enthusiastic team player, as well as a leader and director, Gary is intent on making sure that clients always attain their vision.