A fresh and modern working environment is helping one of Bermuda’s newest reinsurance firms lift off.
Martello Re, a life and annuity reinsurer which launched in January 2022, has taken residence in a smartly renovated office on the second floor of the Mechanics Building, Church Street. An abundance of natural light combines with neutral colours and cutting-edge furniture to create a comfortable and uplifting space for the fledgling firm to conduct business.
Shelley Ray, senior interior designer at L&S Design, says the refurbishment meets the needs of today’s leading companies, which prioritise setting up a quality workplace for their staff. “There’s definitely been a great interest in providing interesting and flexible work environments for the employers and staff,” Ray says.
“Management really wants their team to be happy in the office and they are listening to their needs”
“This office has a modernness about it. There’s a nice tension between light and dark so it has character, but it’s still neutral enough that any company can put their feel on it by adding other accent colours.” Large windows allow natural light to filter through to as much of the office area as possible.
“This is a very successful application of that,” Ray says. “Natural light has an incredible connection with everyone’s energy levels. With the use of natural light, we are finding that people are not necessarily using their electricpowered lights as much. “We are going into offices where unless it’s a dull day we don’t need to turn on the lights. That also leads to a savings on electricity that helps natural resources.” Martello, which focuses on new business reinsurance, has a mission to help insurers grow asset-intensive businesses and ensure they deliver on their promises to policyholders. According to Ray, the firm decided it liked the spot in the Mechanics Building – which L&S had already been working on – and wanted to move in straightaway. “It was a real benefit for this particular space that they were able to move into it immediately and start working and functioning out of the space while we waited for the new items that were on order,” Ray says. “We are finding that many landlords in commercial buildings throughout Hamilton are realising that it’s very difficult for many companies to wait three or six months for a fit-out to occur.
“Landlords are trying to provide a certain amount of infrastructure for that but still having the layouts free for modifications and for companies to choose their own type of furniture. “All the walls were already up and most of the carpet was in, so Martello was able to move in straightaway.” Demountable wall partitions made for a clean installation. “What’s wonderful is that it’s modular so can be taken apart and reused,” Ray says. “I really applaud Martello because they were happy to reuse what’s already here – nothing went to the landfill.” Glass dividers in the central workstations allow for privacy while maintaining the natural light, and sliding glass barn doors mean people can easily switch between private meetings and an open-door policy.
State-of-the-art furniture includes height-adjustable desks which lift smoothly at the touch of a button to allow staff to choose between sitting and standing. Workers can perch on mobile pedestal stools as they chat with each other. “They were very keen to provide ergonomic solutions for office furniture and workstation furniture,” Ray says. There are also two walls – designed to look like regular white walls – that can be used as markerboards. “We find some clients start their week with a to-do list or a saying they want to be inspired by,” Ray explains. The location, offering views of City Hall and office buildings in one of Bermuda’s liveliest business areas, is another source of inspiration. “There’s an excitement and an energy to this part of the city,” Ray says.
The reception area takes advantage of the view with a comfortable couch next to a large window. In time, artwork will be added to offset some of the greys and whites across the office. “We wanted to keep a cooler, cleaner, colour palate with the larger pieces of furniture,” Ray says. “We played with the contrast by using darker work surfaces and lighter adjoining furniture. When you are working with neutral, it’s very important to make sure there’s enough variation in the scheme so that it still has enough presence and doesn’t get too quiet.”
