About | Co-DB

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About Co-DB
Your practical partner for learning and teaching space development

Co-DB provides joined-up consultancy, design and build, underpinned by in-depth, hands-on collaboration.

Collaborative Design and Build (Co-DB) fills a gap in the market that has prevented educationalists getting the best out of their physical environment. We provide an intelligent, collaborative way to fit out your learning and teaching spaces.

Whatever your situation, Co-DB provides the tools and energy to get your space working hard for you. We provide specialist consultancy, design and delivery of joinery based fit-out projects to leading educational, cultural and creative organisations across the UK.

With over 200 co-designed projects delivered to date, from £3,000 discovery pieces to £300,000 complete fit outs, experience spans the educational, cultural and creative sectors.

Every project is bespoke, with a tailored approach taken in each case. Our process is simple. We work with you to discover a solution together, and then help deliver it in the most cost effective and enjoyable way possible, involving all stakeholders.

Meet the team

Meet our founder, James Sale, a collaborator and innovator to the core.

Team

Who we work with

We work throughout the learning ecosystem

Early Years

With our particular experience in the Reggio approach and parent-led childcare we work with both new and established settings to explore options around their use of space to support play, learning and teaching. We design the details and deliver physical change, all the time involving owners, managers, staff, parents and children.

Schools & Trusts

Our experience across a spectrum of schools helps inform a uniquely sensory, spatial and hands-on way of working collaboratively with students, staff and families, as well as wider design professionals and contractors to fit out new and existing school buildings.

Higher Education

At universities and colleges we work directly with departmental leaders to translate academic expertise and rigour into world class learning environments. We support on branding and specialist technical requirements, and are used to working within the confines of large, centrally managed organisations.

Cultural & Creative

We work across the cultural, creative and commercial sectors wherever learning is important. Whether it be libraries, galleries or creative studios we are well placed to bring engagement expertise and practical delivery capabilities to any built environment project.

and with all types of stakeholder

Individuals & Entrepreneurs

If you are at the beginning of a journey of innovation in the learning sector then we are here to support you turn ideas into physical, tangible places. We regularly work with individuals and teams from the earliest inception of an idea all the way through planning, delivery and review to ensure that pedagogy is best served by the physical environment..

Designers & Contractors

If you are an architect, landscape designer, building surveyor or design and build contractor then we can enrich and add value to your client offer with in-depth, highly developed engagement programs for stakeholders. We use bespoke furniture projects to support end users to engage and contribute to wider architectural, social and environmental concepts, promoting ongoing design thinking during post-occupancy.

Policy Makers, Researchers & Thought Leaders

If you work in academia, a local authority, central government or policy making you will be impressed with our track record of assisting active research projects with a joined up approach to the physical environment. With our accessible design and build approach we make a great practical partner to active research programs, pilot projects and case studies. We also help with funding applications.

Leaders & Managers

If you are in charge of a learning space then we can help you put it to best use, according to your learning agenda. This is an empowering act through which, together we will test and build your vision in a way that you and your team can use everyday. Your expertise in your field will be core to our work, and we will join your team as your practical, creative partner.

Students, Staff and Families

If you use a space everyday but find it impossible to understand how it has turned out that way then you are our core client and a primary source for the redesign of that environment. Ensuring that a project can benefit form the input of all user groups is core to our way of working and our philosophy as consultants, designers and makers.

We offer a tailored package of joined-up collaborative services

Consultancy

Discovery is at the heart of our strategic work. This includes the experiences and observations we make, insight you point us towards, and engagement with students, staff and families that we carry out together. The output of this stage of work will normally be a report that documents and translates all the learning into a clear brief, illustrated and annotated with examples, costings and early prototypes.

Design

The design phase of work is all about turning great ideas into agreed, buildable plans, improving them at every stage. During design we work with whole learning communities to build skills in order to make informed decisions, as well as with other design professionals and project partners to co-ordinate all our efforts. From a design phase of work we will produce detailed drawings and bring together sample materials and finishes.

Build

Our delivery team of joinery specialists ensure that the advantages of bespoke learning environments are available to all.
We provide you with a single point of contact, access to all the latests construction techniques, and the opportunity to visit and get involved in the installation and finishing of a project, ensuring that the sense of ownership and pride lies squarely with those who use a space every day.

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Join us on our mission to
build better learning and teaching spaces for everyone

Our values underpin
everything we do

Materiality

In a digital age physical materials and the qualities they hold have a valuable place for individuals, society and the ecosystem.

Inclusion

As a society we are stronger together, everyone has a part to play, and that good design is the product of great teamwork.

Democracy

Everyone has the right to good design and the empowering acts of making.

Our promises make choosing to work with us easy

Sustainability

A better understanding of the material world helps everyone make sustainable choices. We only ever use FSC approved timber and can often find ways to reuse old materials to great effect.

Standards

We always use quality control processes to ensure work reaches you at the highest standards. We are fully insured and offer a guarantee on our built work as required.

Smart

Our team is experienced, qualified and professional. We regularly undergo CPD training and benefit from our expert educational advisors who keep us up to date with the latest in pedagogical research.

Speedy

We understand the fast paced nature of your work and act quickly and responsively to your needs. We only ever set realistic deadlines, so that we can always meet them.

Safe

We undertake and provide full Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) for all our installation work, as well as having all staff appropriately DBS checked.

Surprisingly Affordable

We work to all budgets, big and small. As a small business we do not have huge overheads or investors. As designer- makers we know how to deliver efficiently.

Services

Promises

Keep in good company.
Join our growing community
of repeat clients made up of
top educational, cultural and
creative innovators

Over 80% of our projects are with repeat customers.

About Co-DB Your practical partner for learning and teaching space development