Interaction designs new “base camp” HQ for Cotswold Outdoor

Bath-based Interaction has designed an adventurous new headquarters in Swindon for outdoor clothing and equipment retailer, Cotswold Outdoor Group. 

The company behind high-street brands Cotswold Outdoor, Runners Need and Snow + Rock has now relocated to  a new, sustainable office development at 1 Newbridge Square in the town centre.

Designed to bring the natural world indoors, the group’s new Swindon “base camp” HQ provides staff with modern facilities that focus on people and planet — enabling the company to better live its values and deliver on its sustainability pledges.

The new 17,917sq ft head office takes inspiration from the great outdoors and moving through the workspace references journeying through natural terrain, from trailhead to summit.

The space is a mixture of open-plan workspace, formal meeting rooms and flexible collaborative areas designed to support the different working styles of the 160-plus colleagues who are based at the company’s Swindon HQ.

Semi-enclosed meeting nooks inspired by cave-like spaces provide quieter areas, while a calming breakout space called The Clearing celebrates the building’s curved architecture. The Bothy meeting space is based on the shelters commonly found on mountain walks and the workplace also features a mock shop space, reflecting the company’s retail environment.

The new HQ also features two adaptable training rooms where colleagues from stores across the country will be trained on new brand product ranges. The office design carries the nature-inspired concept through every level of detail, from architectural finishes and lighting to signage and wayfinding inspired by embroidered camping badges.

Climbing ropes are creatively used as space dividers and design features throughout the workplace, while the rocky terrain-inspired refreshment point includes floating shelving with ropes and carabiners, referencing portaledge tents used on mountain rock faces.

The earthy, outdoor-inspired design palette celebrates Cotswold Outdoor’s adventurous values, with angled forms, textured materials, and finishes inspired by the company’s retail spaces. 

Sustainable materials have been used in furniture and finishes throughout the workspace including recycled coffee cups and carpet fabric, as well as natural timber and cork. The building itself has been rated BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘excellent’ and has an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ‘A’ rating.

Cotswold Outdoor Group was formerly headquartered in nearby Kemble.

Jamie Kristow, Chief Executive Officer, Cotswold Outdoor Group, said, “This is an important moment for our business — and not because of bricks or glass — but because of what this space represents for our future. An office is never just a building. It’s a signal. A statement about who we are, how we work together, and where we’re heading next.

“It gives us a modern, accessible, sustainably‑designed environment that supports collaboration, flexibility and growth. But more importantly, it gives us a place that puts people at the centre.”

​Carl Gough, Project Lead at Bath-based Interaction, added, “Our brief was to create a truly unique workspace that feels like home for Cotswold Outdoor Group and reflects the company’s fun culture and adventurous values.

“The result is an inspiring, exciting office terrain that pushes the boundaries of what a workplace can be, introducing spaces that celebrate the joy of connecting with the outdoors.”

Pictured above: The new Cotswold Outdoor office features a breakout area and meeting nooks (IMAGE: Interaction Design)