British e-tailer SportsShoes.com, founded in 1982, has opened a new creative and technology center for 100 employees, designed by London-based architecture firm Bowman Riley. SportsShoes.com acquired an industrial facility next to its Shipley headquarters near Bradford in October 2022 for the purpose. The 1,000-sqm renovated production warehouse now houses the company’s digital, marketing, retail and management teams. The £2.5 million (€2.87m) investment is part of the online retailer’s ongoing strategic growth plan for running shoes, apparel and outdoor products.
Bowman Riley’s interior design reflects the sports segments covered by the e-tailer’s products and includes quiet workspaces, meeting rooms, a showroom, a boardroom, as well as a photo studio, kitchen and café. “Our brief was to create an agile and expressive workspace for their digital, marketing, and commercial teams while offering a much-needed space to hold events and brand showcases,” the architecture firm said. To reduce the need for additional construction, as many parts of the existing building were reused as possible, and recycled and repurposed materials and items were used to minimize the embodied carbon. On the exterior, the building features stealth lighting and new windows that flood the mezzanine with natural light, helping to reduce the energy demand. In addition, the building has solar panels on the roof to generate its own power.
SportsShoes.com has set a goal to become the world’s most sustainable retailer of running gear by 2025. The company recently announced that it has offset all carbon emissions it has directly generated since its inception.
SportsShoes.com offers more than 17,000 products from 150 global running and outdoor brands.
