Project profile

NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator (DIANA)

Inside the buzzy new state-of-the-art London hub

10 Oct 2024

5 minutes

Eight Cosm Chairs by Herman Miller arranged around a Morse Table System by NaughtOne at the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator in London

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Ranked among Reuters’ list of the world’s top 10 innovative universities, Imperial College London brings together academia, industry, and government. With that pedigree, it’s a fitting home for NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). DIANA “provides companies with the resources, networks, and guidance to develop deep technologies to solve critical defence and security challenges,” per its website.

The organisation builds relationships among innovators, investors, and industry partners across the Alliance. All of this work is in support of nine key emerging and disruptive technologies: biotechnology, hypersonic, space, novel materials and manufacturing, and energy and propulsion.

An innovation accelerator with big goals needed a headquarters that could keep up.

A seating area at the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator in London furnished with four grey lounge chairs, a small side table, and green plants

The feedback has been so positive around the seamless integration of innovative design elements … there’s been a significant boost to overall workplace morale.

Naomi Ripley, Lead Designer, Concept4

Reflecting a commitment to excellence and innovation with design

Concept4 – a Bristol-based studio that provides creative office design, office fit-outs, furniture solutions, and workplace consultancy – partnered with MillerKnoll to design DIANA’s new headquarters on Imperial College’s campus in White City, London. The space occupies 1,109 square meters of the 10th floor.

A communal seating area furnished with three leather Outline Sofas by Muuto, a clear-glass coffee table, and potted plants

Top drivers for the project included:

  • Fostering an innovative and dynamic work environment

  • Enhancing opportunities for collaboration through open, flexible spaces that encourage teamwork and idea-sharing

  • Attracting and retaining top talent

  • Supporting workplace wellbeing

  • Embodying the organisation’s brand culture by creating a space that reflect its values, vision, and commitment to excellence and innovation

Achieving these goals necessitated a state-of-the-art facility.

A communal kitchen space at the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator in London furnished with green and black chairs, round Civic tables, and bar-height stools at a kitchen island

It made everything so much easier. We had one point of contact, and we could get access to a huge range of products.

Andrew Woods, Project Director, Concept4

Four Setu Chairs by Herman Miller arranged around an OE1 Huddle Table in front of a TV mounted on a shelving system

Balancing collaboration with privacy

The organisations in the accelerator occupy half of the floor, and NATO, which oversees the programme, uses the other. On the accelerator side, collaboration was key.

“We wanted areas people could converge around, share ideas, connect with each other – but that could also be used as a place to focus away from your desk,” says Concept4’s Naomi Ripley, Lead Designer on the project.

The team chose the OE1 Huddle Table from Herman Miller and paired it with the brand’s Setu Chairs to create a space that could enable quick collaboration in the open office environment with Hue Seating from NaughtOne nearby. All areas need a heightened level of flexibility and to be able to pivot for visits from external companies. This includes the 33-seat board room, featuring Everywhere Tables from Herman Miller, which can be easily reconfigured, whether the space needs to serve as a training room, host a large meeting, or work as a particular project’s temporary home base.

Eight counter height stools arranged around a large table, overheading lighting, and a mounted TV in a conference room in the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator in London
Two leather Outline Sofas by Muuto arranged around a black coffee table in a meeting space overlooking London at the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator

A level of security is required on the NATO side and for the DIANA managing director’s office. “Plus, if you’ve got someone like the President of Estonia coming in, you need a space that’s going to feel comfortable and conducive,” Ripley says.

Concept4 selected Knoll’s private office solutions for the managing director’s space, ensuring both function and style. “It has a sleek modern design; the desk has adjustable height, ergonomic comfort – it’s ideal for a dynamic and productive workspace,” Ripley says. Also in the room is the Outline Sofa from Muuto upholstered in leather to create a distinct, refined look that effortlessly blends in and provides “aesthetic charm and comfort,” as Ripley put it.

A Knoll private office at the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator featuring a large desk and Aeron Chair by Herman Miller

The power of the collective

Andrew Woods, Project Director at Concept4, noted MillerKnoll’s commitment to sustainability, expertise in ergonomic design, and customisation options as key motivators for the partnership. “MillerKnoll aligned perfectly with the client’s goals to create a dynamic, collaborative, and appealing work environment.”

By specifying products from Herman Miller, Knoll, NaughtOne, Muuto, and Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Concept4 leveraged the breadth the collective offers.

“It made everything so much easier. We had one point of contact, and we could get access to a huge range of products,” Woods says.

The team selected ergonomic seating from Herman Miller (Cosm, Setu, Mirra 2, and Aeron Chairs), lounge seating from NaughtOne (Always Lounge Chair, Hush Sofa, Ever Sofa), storage from Knoll (Colourfold), and tables from Muuto (Around, Muuto Workshop). They also selected textiles from Maharam to complete the look.

Herman Miller Everywhere conference tables surrounded by high-back Cosm Chairs by Herman Miller with overhead lighting and room dividers in a conference room overlooking London at the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator

“The feedback so far has been so positive around the seamless integration of innovative design elements and the ergonomic furniture,” Ripley says. “The client said there’s been significant boost to overall workplace morale.”

That praise was so high, that the design of the London hub will serve as a template for DIANA’s next two outposts in Halifax (Canada) and Tallinn (Estonia) – right down to the furniture from MillerKnoll brands.

3-point recap

  • Multifaceted design studio Concept4 partnered with MillerKnoll on NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) in London.

  • The project called for a state-of-the-art facility that would promote collaboration, attract and retain top talent, and foster wellbeing.

  • MillerKnoll’s breadth of product, commitment to sustainability and ergonomics, and customisation options helped make the project a success.

Featured products

Explore designs inside this project.

Yellow, blue, and red Colourfold storage solutions by Knoll

Colourfold by Knoll

Colourfold is storage for home, studio, and office featuring blocks of colour that combine with neutrals and veneers. The storage is refined and precise, like the folds of an envelope.

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A front 3/4-view of a Herman Miller Aeron chair against a white background

Aeron Chair by Herman Miller

Engineered with state-of-the-art adjustability, Aeron has become the gold standard in blending ergonomics with comfort.

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A 3/4 view of a Workshop Coffee Table by Muuto

Workshop Coffee Table by Muuto

This table features a focal emphasis on traditional materiality and craftsmanship. Its detailing, with its seamless integration of the design’s table top and legs, echoes the refined design language of Scandinavia.

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Three different sizes of Ever Sofas by NaughtOne in three different shades of blue

Ever Sofa by NaughtOne

The cozy, inviting NaughtOne Ever Chair and Sofa range comes in an array of fabrics and finishes to harmonise with other furniture, such as the Always family.

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A front 3/4 view of a glacier high-back Cosm Chair by Herman Miller

Cosm Chair by Herman Miller

No matter who sat in the chair before you, how long you’ll be in it or what you'll be doing, Cosm gives you instant comfort, anywhere you work.

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A brown Outline Sofa by Muuto

Outline Sofa by Muuto

Outline adds new perspectives to the classic Scandinavian design sofas of the 1960's, marrying the ideals of simplicity and function into one.

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