Kenneth Dibben House Revolutionised

Residents of Kenneth Dibben House raised a glass to celebrate the transformation of their workplace on Wednesday 24^th April. 

Following a significant internal investment by the Science Park, the ground floor communal spaces of this important, central property on the Park have been thoroughly re-imagined and re-equipped to provide a wonderful welcoming environment for resident businesses and their visitors. 

Hampshire-based workspace designers, Space & Solutions, visualised and installed the transformational project. This has encompassed the creation of two new meeting and collaboration spaces, a beautiful new kitchen space with high level and hub eating areas, and modernised toilet and shower facilities. A fully opened-up entrance area has benefited from fresh flooring, lighting, balustrades, acoustic panels and glass walls and doors. 

In 2022, it became the first property on the Park to switch on solar power after it was determined to be the prime location for renewable energy on the site due to its large roof and energy demands for research and development work. 

CEO Robin Chave said, “Kenneth Dibben House has become a major hub of entrepreneurialism at the Science Park, providing excellent facilities and follow-on space for companies in their post-start-up phase. It is home to some of our most enterprising companies and we were keen to ensure that it continued to meet their needs as they grow. My team have worked hard to bring these changes to fruition and we are all thrilled with the result. It feels like a real home from home.”

The building, named after Kenneth Dibben Esq., former Treasurer of the University of Southampton and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants, first opened in 2006. It was a great pleasure to have Kenneth’s son, Mr Gey Dibben, visit the Science Park some eighteen years later, to see how the facility has evolved, meet its residents and get a taste of the innovative work that they are doing.

Current residents include Device Access, ITDev, Mantella, OHMSpace, PKF Francis Clark, Trou Digital, Utonomy and the Wood Group. 

Jon Older, Business Development Director for Science Park resident, ITDev, said: “Congratulations to the Science Park team on the refurbishment of Kenneth Dibben House. It gives a striking first impression and it feels like a very welcoming space. Light and airy, the bright decor creates a relaxed atmosphere, an ideal change of scene from the office. 

It was great to see the thought put into the different zones. The addition of a relaxing area, a quiet working booth and a quick meeting room reflect the change in working practices away from the traditional meeting room. We're excited to be enticing more staff back to our offices with the different working environments, allowing them to move away from busy desk areas to more informal meeting spaces in line with their needs and preferences. We look forward to more business socialising with our neighbours too!

Catering has become a pleasure. We have made great use of the kitchen area already, holding an informal pizza get together for our office staff. The light open space with central counter enabled everyone to chat in a relaxed manner, with food easily accessible to all. Those preferring a quieter conversation were able to sit in the booths, whilst others mingled. Great to see new features like the boiling / chilled water dispenser, dishwasher and the large fridge.”