Grindsmith Coffee's First Artisan Airport Coffee Concept, Manchester Airport Terminal 2
Appointed as architect and Principal Designer (Building Regulations), we delivered Grindsmith's first ever artisan airport coffee concept at Manchester Airport Terminal 2, leading a team of four from concept through to detailed design. Working fully in Revit, we navigated stringent landlord approvals aligned to the new terminal fit-out standard, delivering a distinctive sense-of-place unit that brings one of Manchester's most beloved independent coffee brands to a global audience.
When WHSmith partnered with Manchester-born artisan coffee brand Grindsmith to launch their first ever airport coffee concept, we were appointed as architect and principal designer to make it happen delivering the unit from initial concept through to full detailed design within the demanding environment of Manchester Airport's brand new £1.3 billion Terminal 2.
Our project lead headed an in-house team of four, managing the full project from our offices with hands-on oversight across every stage of the design process. This studio-led approach ensured design integrity, programme discipline, and clear coordination from the earliest sketch through to construction on site.
The entire project was delivered in Revit, producing a fully coordinated Building Information Model throughout. This enabled detailed 3D realisations of the design critical for both client sign-off and landlord approval presentations whilst facilitating robust clash detection across all disciplines.
Working within a federated model environment alongside the structural and MEP designers, we resolved coordination issues well ahead of construction, reducing on-site risk and supporting a smooth, efficient delivery programme.
As principal designer, we led the building regulations process in full, navigating the technical and compliance requirements of a live, operational airport environment. Alongside this, we managed the landlord approvals process in strict alignment with Manchester Airports Group's new Terminal 2 fit-out standard — ensuring every design decision met the exacting requirements of one of the most tightly controlled retail environments in UK aviation.
The design itself was crafted to carry genuine sense of place. Grindsmith is a proudly Mancunian brand, and the unit needed to reflect that identity within a world-class terminal setting. The result is a space that feels both local and premium — a post-security destination where passengers can enjoy barista-made coffee and a breakfast and brunch-led menu before their flight, in a space that speaks authentically to the city it calls home.
Located post-security and before duty free, the Grindsmith coffee shop sits adjacent to the new WHSmith travel essentials store Moodie Davitt Report — two complementary units we delivered concurrently, creating a cohesive retail and hospitality offer that contributes meaningfully to the Terminal 2 passenger experience.
Bringing an independent, city-born coffee brand into a major international airport — on time, on standard, and through one of the most rigorous approvals processes in UK retail — is no small undertaking. We are proud to have been a pivotal part of giving Grindsmith its platform on the world stage.