The company’s head office, currently based in Newcastle under Lyme, plans to move into a new site at the Parkhouse Interchange in early 2014.
To help design the interiors, IDS approached Staffordshire University and the National Design Academy (NDA) to launch a nationwide competition for students.
The challenge was to come up with concepts reflecting IDS’s "core values of innovation, creativity and sustainability" and the contest attracted over 50 entries, which were subsequently judged by managing director John Bagshaw, IDS marketing consultant Patricia Hancock, Stoke on Trent MP Tristram Hunt, Rowena Beighton-Dykes of Staffordshire University and Anthony Rayworth of the NDA.
The winner of the £1,000 first prize, announced at a special dinner, was Portsmouth University architectural graduate Martyn Webb. Runners-up were interior design students Blaze Perrigo and Becky Spencely from University College Falmouth and Northumbria University respectively.
The building will comprise 61,000ft2 of warehousing, a 2,500ft2 showroom, a 50-seat lecture theatre and offices.
"It will have the lowest possible carbon footprint, using modern materials and building methods, and including rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and solar panels," said Mr Bagshaw.
