What sort of office building do you design for a democratic organisation such as PHOENIX Community Housing Association, which wants a new home to contain all of their community functions, now and into the future? All great communities have a market at their heart, a gathering place not only to buy and sell, but to meet people, gossip and have fun. So that's what we gave them. The site is right in the middle of the community and all of the building at ground floor is opened up to the public. There is only one other level to the building where the staff who serve the community all work in a single open plan space. They are not hidden away, but can be seen and spoken to by those they serve. Like all good markets it’s about great face to face customer service and designing a building that allows this to happen with minimal barriers. The only apples and pears in this building bring the staff down to meet their community!