Mix Interiors 199 - November 2019

Mix Interiors 199

November 2019

D E S I G N S I M P L I F I E S C O M P L I C AT I O N S

DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS OF WORKSPACE FURNITURE

www.gof.co.uk

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INSIDE UPFRONT 6

Seven 20 Steve Gale 22 Perspective 25 Material Matters 26 Deser t Island Desks 28 Proper t y 30

SPOTLIGHT 39 The Big Question 41 A-Z of Trends 42

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CASE STUDIES 60

SLG , Cheltenham 60 Ar tek , Helsinki, 68 English National Ballet , London 76

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PROFILE 82 Fitwel 82

90 25

ROUNDTABLE 90 RE VIEW 96

BCO Awards Winners 96

L AST WORD 104

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Criteo's Head of Workplace E xperience, Mike Walley

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Upfront | Welcome

GET IN TOUCH Editor Mick Jordan mick@wearemixgroup.com Managing Director Martin Mongan martin@wearemixgroup.com Director David Smalley david@wearemixgroup.com

A WORD FROM MICK That’s pretty much it for 2019 – at least as far as Mix Interiors is concerned. Before you start feeling all green-eyed monster, don’t for one second think that we’re going to be indulging in the eggnog and Slade sing-alongs for the remainder of the year.

Far from it. We’re now getting on with the exciting year-end events stuff, which includes Mix Design Collective – and, of course, Mixology North. The 2019 edition of MDC promises to be bigger and better than last year’s inaugural event. We even have a new, albeit very familiar, venue – Manchester’s Deansgate Hilton, which was home to Mixology North for a number of years.

Mix Design Collective (4th-5th December), in association with Bruntwood Works, is a unique design and networking event showcasing the best of commercial interiors and product design, as well as a packed programme of inspiring talks and workshops from leading voices within the industry.

Nine leading design practices will collaborate with world-class product partners to design experiences within workplace, hospitality and living settings.

The two-day event will then make way for Mixology North (5th December) at Manchester Central.

We’ve also got a rather smart (even if we say so ourselves) new website to update and maintain – well, it wouldn’t make a great deal of sense to invest in such a facility, only to leave it hanging there, looking pretty. So, while Mix Interiors might be taking a yuletide break, get yourselves on mixinteriors.com for the latest news, updates and industry happenings.

Furthermore, we’ll be starting work on our special January issue – our 200th, marking 20 years of Mix. One celebratory eggnog won’t hurt, surely?

THE COVER The logo Inspiring people create and design meaningful products. Collaborating with talented people enables and encourages a bespoke approach.

Our ethos is always to strive for the best. Autex is synonymous with elegance and efficiency, underpinned by functionality. Sustainability is central to our approach. With Autex, every project is personal and exceptional. www.hok.com

Business Development Manager Gary Williams gary@wearemixgroup.com Designer Tammi Bell tamzin@wearemixgroup.com Editorial Executive Chloe Petersen Snell chloe@wearemixgroup.com Head of Events Julie Young julie@wearemixgroup.com Head of Operations Lisa Jackson lisa@wearemixgroup.com

The cover Customised Frontier Acoustic Fins are featured throughout the Taronga Institute of Science and Learning at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.

Frontier Acoustic Fins, used for targeted sound absorption, are available in five standard styles – either 12mm and 24mm thick – and 17 colours.

Courtesy of Autex Acoustics

Mix Interiors 198

October 2019

Mix Interiors 197

September 2019

Events Hester Talbot, Georgia Bone, Madeleine Shone Owner Marcie Incarico marcie@wearemixgroup.com Founding Publisher Henry Pugh Contributors Steve Gale David Thame Mike Walley Address 85 Greengate, Manchester M3 7NA Telephone 0161 519 4850

GET YOUR OWN!

e-mail editorial@wearemixgroup.com

To ensure that a regular copy of Mix Interiors reaches you or to request back issues, please call 0161 519 4850 or e-mail: lisa@wearemixgroup.com

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Annual subscription charges: UK single £45.50, Europe £135 (airmail), Outside Europe £165 (airmail)

2 | Mix 199 November 2019

Business Development Manager Kate Borastero kate@wearemixgroup.com

Website www.mixinteriors.com Instagram @mix.interiors LinkedIn Mix Interiors Printed by S&G Print ISSN 1757-2371

JOSEPH Modular bench range

#dh40 40 years of furniture

Davison Highley London, Lower Ground Floor, The Old Brewery, 16 Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 4LJ www.davisonhighley.co.uk

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+44 (0) 207 871 1089

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magic@davisonhighley.co.uk

Upfront |

At Mix Design Collective 2019 visitors will explore nine live workplace, hospitality and residential settings created by leading designers and showcasing the latest products and innovation from 50+ international product partners. Join us for a series of inspiring seminars and interviews with industry leaders from the world of interior design, property and architecture – including Michael Pawlyn, Michael Ballendat and property expert, Gary Neville.

With just three weeks to go until the experiences are revealed on the 4th-5th December, we spoke to the designers about what they have planned for this year’s visitors.

DEFURB Whilst the current image of workplace collaboration is seen as open plan and funky furniture, so much still happens in the boardroom. The MEET experience, designed by Defurb, will pay homage to one of the oldest forms of getting folk together.

What has been your inspiration for Mix Design Collective? Mallows – the good old fashioned sweet. Soft in colour and soft in texture. They make me smile so I’m hoping the experience will make people smile too!

What do you think are the current trends in the world of commercial interiors? One is definitely variety – providing an activity-based environment aligned to the business culture is only going to increase with the advance of technology. Variety supports the generations and personalities in one workplace, but more importantly the wellbeing of staff – supporting productivity and not your normal ‘9 to 5’ culture.

Mix Design Collective Lead Designer Lesley McPhee, Design Director, Defurb Lesley is the founder of Defurb, a new boutique design studio that specialises in delivering creative interiors for workplace and retail environments. Lesley’s experience spans 26 years and reaches as far as South Africa, Ireland, Berlin and Paris. Projects closer to home have included The Hut Group, Majestic Wine and Protector Insurance. The studio is currently working on a number of exciting projects, including undertaking a project as the lead concept designer for a long-established high-street retailer.

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Product Partners Deedman, IVC, Pedrali, ProAV

In this new climate of flexible working, do you think a boardroom is still important? The traditional concept of a boardroom? Personally, I don’t think so – but an environment that fosters energy and creativity definitely is. Today’s meetings are most effective in spaces which match the communal culture, can accommodate various uses and allow ideas to flow.

1. Pedrali Snooze 2. Pedrali Buddy 3. Pedrali adjustable Arki table 4. IVC Moduleo Desert Crayola

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See colour differently A palette to redefine your vision, Colour Edit will change the way you see, experience and use colour.

Amtico makes it possible.

For support and samples visit amtico.com or contact our specialist team on +44 (0) 121 745 0800

L E E & P L U M P TO N

Upfront |

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Mindfulness Mix Design Collective

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PERKINS&WILL 3 1. Acoustics by Autex Acoustics 2. GD10 by Gresham 3. iQ Surface by Tarkett 4. Catifa 60 Lounge by Arper 5. Plants will be supplied by Deedman 6. Material moodboard

by Perkins&Will

Perkins&Will will be designing this year’ MINDFULNESS experience. We spoke to Associate Principal and Design Director, Mijail Gutierrez, about the inspiration behind their experience.

Product Partners

What has been your inspiration for the project?

I am interested in mindfulness – in its truest sense it involves being actively present in the world and this really inspires me. For this experience I aim to bring a connection with the here and now, through a dynamic design that engages the senses and creates a space for visitors to reconnect with their own selves and the world.

As a designer, Mix Design Collective offers me a great opportunity to explore ideas and create an experience beyond the usual constraints of commercial practice. It is a fantastic platform to experiment with materials and products from the product partners, and I love how it challenges me to present these to visitors in unexpected ways.

Mix Design Collective Lead Designer

How can we fuse mindfulness and design?

Mindfulness is key to our mental and physical wellbeing; we can support it through the designs of environments that allow us to connect with ourselves and our surroundings in a positive way.

Spaces to decompress and focus, meditation zones, engaging with nature through biophilic design, access to fresh air and light and tech free zones are all strategies that we can integrate into our designs to promote being present and enjoy our experience of the world in the here and now.

Arper, Autex Acoustics, Deedman, Ecoscent, Gresham, Tarkett

Mijail Gutierrez, Associate Principal and Design Director, Perkins&Will London With an MPhil in architecture from the Royal College of Art, Mijail’s curiosity drives his constant pursuit for innovation and the exploration of ideas that lead to the design of purposeful and inclusive environments.

He brings storytelling and narratives to his design thinking to create experiences that express the vision and aspirations of his clients, foster emotional connections and create transformative places. Mijail’s clients list includes amongst others, Google, The Economist, Microsoft, News UK and Rothschild.

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Upfront |

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IA: INTERIOR ARCHITECTS With offices in 21 locations around the world, IA Interior Architects is the first global architecture firm focused exclusively on interiors. For Mix Design Collective, IA will take on the COLLABORATE experience.

'Through furniture we can explore the idea that there is no background or foreground in collaboration – the aim is to complete a task and achieve a goal through systematic approach. We can create an expression of collaboration through moments of unity and connection to complete a task or achieve a goal.'

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What has been your inspiration for this project?

It was more of a challenge than inspiration, everything started with a question: “What is collaboration in a room with no words?” Mix Design Collective gives us an opportunity to experiment with our work, and to work with different companies on something exciting.

What is the greatest challenge when it comes to designing for a collaborative environment?

We design for people and as designers, we should never forget this.

Understanding people’s needs gives them the opportunity to have a better experience. Collaboration is a way of understanding your work and the relationship you have with your team. Design can show us how to do it – and how every element, from the biggest to the smallest, need to be respected and taken in consideration.

Product Partners Agile Acoustics, Ateljke Lyktan, Camira, Gresham, Hitch Mylius, Milliken

Places limited, pre-registration essential. To find out more and register to attend for free, visit www.mixinteriors.com

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5 1. IA: Interior Architects moodboard 2. Gresham GD3 Stool 3. Camira Yoredale Yarns 4. Milliken's Colour Compositions, Comfortable Concrete, Juxtapose 5. Hitch Mylius Reveal

Chemistry Canopy

BY SENATOR

Senator_Social / www.thesenatorgroup.com

Upfront |

ASSMANN MANCHESTER SHOWROOM LAUNCH

▲ Showroom launch, Assmann Manchester showspace

With over 100 people in attendance, October’s launch of the new Assmann Spring Gardens Design Studio proved to be a huge success, as industry professionals experienced the versatile and innovative showroom and range of products and product partners available.

After several months of development, the showroom has been created as space clients can use for their own meetings and collaborations and will feature a range of forthcoming events and workshops, showcasing a range of Assmann products as well as showroom partners Interstuhl, Friends of Wilson, Vantage Spaces, Profil and Dataflex.

Gavin Phillips, Assmann’s Northern Manager, commented: 'I’d like to say a big thank you to all who made the showroom launch a successful and memorable event! We received some excellent feedback from the evening and the space – a place

THE OFFICE GROUP’S YORK HOUSE OPENS IN KING’S CROSS Following a complete refurbishment and extension from dMFK Architects, The Office Group’s York House is now open in London's King’s Cross. It is the fourth building from The Office Group in the King’s Cross area, and the group’s 38th workspace currently open in the UK. The reimagined workspace is set across 70,000 sq ft over eight storeys, transforming the formerly gloomy 80s office building into a large and dynamic space featuring a gym, café, library and excellent views across the capital from the building’s roof garden.

▲ Front of showroom

to inspire all creatives, industry professionals and customers. Thanks to our event organisers, Mix Group, and our showroom partners – and to all who have supported us so far.'

For more information visit www.mixinteriors.com w

▼ Quiet area. Photo: Jack Hobhouse, courtesy of dMFK

Citing influence from the golden age of British sculpture, furniture and craft, dMFK created an interior that reflected the building’s roots in the post-war British art scene, including a sculpture from pioneer of the period, Geoffrey Clarke. Visitors to York House are greeted by a double height reception area formed of raw finishes – the original concrete structure is combined with new exposed timber frame and brick façade. A solid mass of lacquered mild steel makes up the reception desk, sitting in contrast to the façade and lighting on the exposed timber above. ▼ Reception. Photo: Jack Hobhouse, courtesy of dMFK

Internally, the building’s frame has been exposed, featuring a fit-out of dark wood and terracotta tiles with red and green upholstery influenced by Robin Day. As with The Office Group’s other spaces, natural daylight is a priority, creating a productive and positive environment for members. Wide glazed openings created at ground and lower floors in the building maximise access to daylight across all office and communal spaces.w For more information visit www.mixinteriors.com

Mix 199 November 2019 | 13

Upfront |

SCARE MONGERS

▲ Left to right, Panaz CEO Tony Attard, Jack Pringle

JACK PRINGLE RECEIVES BCFA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Something magical and spooky was certainly in the air in Islington recently as 300 of HLW’s industry colleagues and friends donned their face paint, splattered on their fake blood and got into character for the annual HLWeen Party.

The amazing costumes were as imaginative as they were gruesome – with guests looking suitably hideous and often unrecognisable.

Themes ranged from creepy ventriloquist dolls, evil fast food characters, the ghastly cast from the Greatest Showman, deathly toys from Toy Story, Austin Powers, zombie pirates, Avatar, Alice in

Wonderland, Chucky and Day of the Dead, as well as the usual menagerie of vampires, witches and demons!

The secret theme for this year's event was Something Wicked This Way Comes: It’s a Kind of Malevolent Magic, with the HLW team dressing up as evil occult sorcerers, magical animals and bewitched souls.

The night wouldn’t have been complete without the HLW team doing their surprise flash mob dance – this year to the tune of Screaming Jay Hawkins’s version of ‘I Put a Spell On You’. w ▼ Photos from HLWeen Party

Recognising those who have made a significant contribution to the contract furnishing industry and their companies, the 2019 Panaz BCFA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jack Pringle, Principal at Perkins&Will London, at the BCFA’s Annual Luncheon on 31st October.

Jack co-founded Pringle Brandon in 1986, one of the UK’s leading architects, designing and specifying workplaces for some of the UK’s biggest companies in banking, TMT and hospitality. With a keen interest in specifying, designing and redesigning furniture, Jack sees furniture as business tools as a well as icons of design and is responsible for the design and fit-out of over 100 million sq ft of project work.

After the 1990 recession, Pringle Brandon focused on designing commercial interiors – one of the quickest markets to recover. The firm successfully won key ‘recovery’ projects, including London Underground’s offices at Canary Wharf and Deutsche Bank’s HQ on London Wall, to become one of the UK's leading practices, with a prestigious client list within the commercial sector. In 2012, Jack took Pringle Brandon into Perkins&Will, one of the world’s largest architects, and is now Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Jack attributes their success to the fact that they are architects who think in terms of systems that can mirror the management systems that businesses employ or aspire to. This is then converted into a design, which communicates the company’s value to staff and clients alike.

Jack has also worked in architectural education for 20 years and co-wrote the curriculum for schools of architecture in 2006. He was president of RIBA from 2005-07, when he campaigned to replace PFI with a better system and Chair of CIC from 2012-4, when he sat on the Government’s Construction Leadership Council, advising the Secretary of State. In 2007, the French Government made Jack a 'Commandeur des Arts et Lettres' – the highest rank of this cultural award, for his contribution to architectural education.w

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FUTURE OFFICE AWARDS NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES! A first of its kind award ceremony has been launched by London-based office fit-out specialist, ThirdWay, celebrating the changing workspace.

The winner of this future-defining award will receive £100K towards their office fit-out.

The modern workplace is evolving, and businesses are realising the potential of creating an office environment that puts its people and values first. By investing in space that keeps employee wellbeing at the heart of it, companies across the world are enjoying the results of boosted productivity, improved team morale and a culture everyone wants to be part of.

To recognise this, and to celebrate ThirdWay’s decade in the industry, the Future Office Awards

will award one company £100K to put towards a space that truly reflects their culture, empowers employees and promotes wellbeing, morale and increased productivity.

Entries close on 13th December 2019, with the shortlist announced in January 2020. Guest judges announced so far include Alex Hudson, Deputy Editor of The Metro, Devinder Bhogal, Head of Workplace Strategy at Deloitte, and Stephen Attenborough, Commercial Director at Virgin Galactic.

Entries are now open to companies looking to refurbish or relocate in the next 18 months. Visit www.futureofficeawards.com w ▼ Future Office Awards

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is for

MIXOLOGY NORTH19 – JUST WEEKS AWAY! Party season will soon be in full swing, and the Mixology North19 Awards are looming! It has been a record year for entries, including new categories Living and Storage, with the awards covering the entire commercial interiors spectrum.

This year’s entertainment will be the incredible Horse Meat Disco, a collection of well-versed DJs, founded in 2004. A typical HMD set blends classics, disco, house, oddities and punk funk.

They have made appearances on every notable club scene in the modern world, as well as those beyond, and have long been a key fixture at festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival and Festival No.6.

To give you a taste of the party to come, we’ve put a together a playlist to get you in the mood via the QR code below. It's all killer, no filler – see you in December!

Limited tickets remain – to book your place at Mixology North19 visit www.mixinteriors.com or call our friendly events team on 0161 519 4850.w ▼ Mixology North18 with Graeme Park

Monitor arms Dataflex monitor arms and other workplace accessories to be precise. High quality products for every budget that help you create a comfortable, healthy and inspiring workplace. So where you work is also a place where you feel at home. We call it ‘feeling at work’. www.dataflex-int.com

Scan the QR code to get access to the Mixology North19 playlist

Upfront |

EXCITING NEW SCHEME SET TO TRANSFORM MCR ROOF TERRACE Landmark Manchester building, Blackfriars House, has been granted planning permission for a spectacular new rooftop restaurant and events space.

Located just off Deansgate, in the Parsonage Gardens Conservation Zone, the roof terrace will become a city centre haven, complete with a garden and outdoor meeting spaces, encouraging customers to work ‘al fresco’ and soak up the atmosphere.

As well as opening a new restaurant with panoramic views over the city centre, the rooftop area will also host a packed programme of events, including yoga classes and movie screenings. Open to the public, the restaurant and event space is scheduled to launch in summer 2020.

The rooftop transformation, designed by architect, MgMa Studio, and fit-out specialist, DragonFly, is set

▲ Blackfriars House rooftop

project to invest in a number of its landmark buildings to create an enhanced environment with a true focus on wellbeing and collaboration.

Ciara Keeling, CEO of Bruntwood Works, said: ‘Offering outstanding amenities for our customers is just one of the key themes of our Pioneer programme and we’re extremely excited to have our plans for the rooftop at Blackfriars approved. We can now start to bring our vision to life and create an outstanding space where customers and guests can enjoy not just the restaurant, but a creative space to hold meetings, team catch-ups or simply socialise with the wider Bruntwood community.’ w

to include a feature garden, as well as seating, lighting and shelter created specifically for the space.

As part of the building’s wider refurbishment plans, there will be an independent coffee shop, relaxed lounge, bookable events and auditorium space, while coworking areas will also be introduced to create a collaborative hub for creative and digital businesses.

The exciting transformation at Blackfriars is part of Bruntwood Works’ £50m Pioneer refurbishment

▲ Blackfriars House rooftop restaurant

SPIKE ISLAND An industrial space in Peckham, south east London, has been transformed into a coffee roastery and barista training school thanks to a collaboration between London design agencies Studio Found and ANDTHENSTUDIO. Commissioned by Old Spike Roastery and Change Please – a not-for-profit organisation – the project saw an existing warehouse converted into an airy, high-impact space that functions not only as a roastery and packaging depot for Old Spike Roastery, but also as a barista training school for homeless people. It will also be open to the public at certain times as a coffee and events space.

Working to a limited timescale and budget, the team designed a bold and hard-wearing concept and layout that made best use of the cavernous space for all its different functions.

Low cost and easily available materials, such as black stained plywood, steel mesh and polycarbonate, were chosen to create a sturdy, clean industrial interior while colour and personality were added through the use of bold graphics.

Elements of timber were also used to soften the look and absorb sound.

'We wanted to create a space that not only delivered on functionality but also created an in-your-face visual representation of the Old Spike Roastery and Change Please brands,' said Ed Plumb, Design Director of Studio Found. 'Somewhere dynamic and exciting, where people felt immersed and connected to those brands as well as welcomed.

'It was also a pleasure to collaborate with ANDTHENSTUDIO on this project.'w ▲ Old Spike Roastery features bold graphics - and great coffee!

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Upfront |

CROWNE JEWEL

MIX SIGN NEVILLE

▲ Gary Neville

You’ll have seen from our Editor’s intro words that we’re currently in the throes of finalising details for Mix Design Collective, in association with Bruntwood Works. The three-day

Old Trafford, was opened in 2015. It includes a supporters’ club bar in the basement, which Gary promised to build for supporters after his retirement from the club.

event will be held at Hilton Deansgate Manchester from 3rd-5th December, featuring the best of commercial interiors and product design, as well as a packed programme of inspiring talks and workshops from leading voices within the industry.

Well, having tinkered with formations and made the most out of the transfer window, we have now finalised our stellar line-up of speakers for this year’s MDC. Joining prolific international product designer, Martin Ballendat, and noted British architect, Michael Pawlyn, will be Gary Neville.

Gary has created several major hospitality businesses in Manchester in recent years in conjunction with partners Peter Lim and former Manchester United team mates Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and his brother, Phil.

Following the launch of GG Hospitality in 2013, a hospitality management business, Hotel Football, a football-themed hotel opposite

GG Hospitality is developing the Grade II Listed Stock Exchange building in Manchester into a 40-room boutique hotel, complete with a Tom Kerridge restaurant – The Bull & Bear – on the ground floor, which opens on 15th November.

The company currently has planning permission for St. Michael’s, a £200m development project in Manchester city centre, connecting the town hall to Deansgate, including a tower, which will feature a luxury 5-star hotel, offices, residential apartments and a public square.

Gary used to play a bit of football and spends much of his weekends as a star pundit for Sky Sports.

For the 2019 edition of MDC, nine leading design practices will collaborate with world-class product partners to design experiences within workplace, hospitality and living settings.

For more information or to register to attend Mix Design Collective, visit the new Mix Interiors website at mixinteriors.comw

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Conran and Partners have completed a redesign of the lobby spaces at Crowne Plaza Paris – République. The launch marks the first step in a wider roll-out of a new concept-design blueprint for the brand in Europe, aiming to deliver a distinctive guest experience globally.

Notably, the lobby has been reinvigorated as the brand’s flexible work and meeting concept, ‘Plaza Workspace.’ Regarded as the biggest design innovation in the brand’s history, Crowne Plaza Paris – République is the first hotel to launch the Plaza Workspace in Europe.

The approach has also sought to reinterpret the idea of a ‘plaza’ as a place where people can meet and relax and applied this to the various spaces within the hotel, encouraging guests to move between different types of spaces. The design also responds to changing consumer behaviour, in particular flexible working and the ‘always on’ and ‘ondemand’ workplace culture. Spaces and services have been created to facilitate more business-related functions within the plaza workspace, both formal and informal, as well as helping to bring people into the hotel.

The Place de la République is famous as the site of the statue of Marianne – the personification of the French Republic – commemorating the founding of the First Republic of France in 1792. The square is important as one of the key locations where Parisians congregate during times of national significance. See more at www.mixinteriors.comw ▼ Crowne Plaza, Paris. Photo: Anna Stathaki

BENE.COM

CHALLENGE EVERYTHING

INSPIRING OFFICES. SINCE 1790.

Upfront | Seven

SEVEN

Things Sweden has given us...besides Abba For such a small country (population less than 10 million), Sweden has punched above its weight when it comes to inventions that have shaped the world. Our friends at Kinnarps had to ignore the fascinating story of Alfred Nobel’s dynamite and the peace prize, the adjustable wrench, Volvo’s 3-point seatbelt, the humble ball bearing and Bluetooth to focus on seven other inventions from their homeland…

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The Greeks may have given us maps – but the geek

Already famous for determining a link between

who took wayfinding into the digital world was a

the earth’s magnetic field and the formation of the

Swede. Hokan Lans invented the original GPS

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), Anders Celsius

system, which became the standard for shipping

gave his name to his measurement scale for

and aviation navigation and led to us never getting

temperature – the 100 steps between freezing and

lost again in our cars or with our phones.

boiling that we call centigrade.

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Talking of phones…remember when you had to

One of the most iconic design principles of modern

count the minutes on long distance calls? Now

times, Swede Ruben Rausing’s tetrahedron-shaped

grandparents hear about their grandchildren’s

package, which could be formed from a single tube

school day from across the globe and a quick

of paper, gave rise to the Tetra Pak empire – now a

business VC is but a click of a button via Skype,

multi-billion dollar company.

co-developed by Swede, Niklas Zennström.

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It took the UK about 25 years to catch on but,

Patented in 1917, Swedish-born Gideon Sundbäck

in 1991, Kinnarps were one of, if not the first, to intro-

gave us the zip that we all use today in clothing,

duce an electronic height-adjustable desk.

suitcases, tents and sleeping bags. Gideon took

Two years earlier the Decade executive range had

previous ideas, mastered the design, and created a

featured manual height-adjustment. Sit/stand

method to mass-produce them.

desking was soon the norm for Swedes and would

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become an accepted part of a flexible working day. w

4 The archetypal cowboy, striking a match on the sole of his boot, may be a nostalgic memory of western films but we do not want our children doing such dangerous things. Enter the Safety

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Match. Developed by Gustaf Erk Pasch, it required a specific surface to strike against in order to ignite.

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ray soft The softer side of ‘Ray Collection’, ‘Ray Soft’ utilises 3 shell heights across 5 frame options, thus providing huge versatility for a wide range of settings.

w w w.brunner-uk .com

Upfront | Self-actualisation Esteem Love/Belonging Safety

Psychological and spiritual needs Basic needs

Physiological

CLIMBING A PYRAMID M Moser's Steve Gale uses a well-known diagram to

reveal the sunlit uplands of workplace design

T Organisations need a vessel that does more than protect their people and systems from the weather.

What is the more?

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates.

SteveG@mmoser.com

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he taste of humility is usually slightly bitter.

Our workplace designs are not the most important parts of a thriving business. There are more fundamental elements to establish first.

At number one, as everyone knows, the most valuable asset in any business is its people and everything about them matters. Their education, training, attitude, motivation, happiness and wellbeing all contribute to that most intangible and treasured attribute – the culture of an organisation.

Number two is management. Once you have good people, this is how you organise them to do something – like making a product or delivering a service. Leadership and administration are the essential oils of success, difficult to teach, but as vital as vitamins.

Number three is tools – like machines and robots in manufacturing, or computers and communication devices for the service sector.

And all businesses need their inputs – meaning supplies and materials. A car maker assembles a million different components, while a doctor synthesises all the information from tests, examinations, knowledge and experience. Data is the raw material for knowledge workers, manipulated and processed electronically, and held in virtual storage banks, all joined up with continuous connectivity and universal internet access, now as essential as drinking water, and with the status of a human right.

Organisations need a vessel that does more than protect their people and systems from the weather.

What is the more? Where does the workplace fit into the list of critical business assets? We should ask what the workplace can do for an organisation, get things in perspective, and see it from the client’s viewpoint.

There are two areas where a workplace can contribute significantly. One is predictably familiar, and a second one less so – but more powerful.

The first job of a workplace, of course, is the accommodation of all the physical parts, including humans, in a way that enables them to survive and function. We have patterns and configurations that have been shown to help, and some even get snazzy names like activity based working. As a basic requirement of any workplace, this is a measure of a designer’s technical competence.

The other aim, which is quietly more important, is the contribution the workplace makes to the metaphysical organisation, and the psychology of the occupants.

I will use an evergreen diagram to put this into context. Drawn by Abraham Maslow nearly 80 years ago to illustrate his theory about the hierarchy of needs, his useful idea was to show how elevated psychological needs are subordinated to more basic, sometimes physical ones. His thesis makes the point that primordial living conditions, like food and shelter, must be satisfied first, before the needs of kinship and social connection, and these in turn take precedence over personal aspirations and recognition.

If you look at Maslow’s pyramid, you see that the bottom half is the foundation for the top half to be built on. A human being cannot function well without some basic physiological bits in place.

An effective workplace responds very well to this pyramid, as its very basic purpose is to provide accommodation to keep occupants safe, warm, and healthy, with the facilities needed to do their job.

But beyond this, a well-designed workplace must appeal to the need for meaning and purpose, and resonate with aspirations, and stimulate and promote reflection. This is the real design challenge, and a requirement that is almost impossible to describe in a brief.

A great workplace is one that fertilises the uplands of Maslow’s pyramid, once the foundation has been laid.w

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Upfront | Perspective

PERSPECTIVE Headspace provides uniquely designed, inspiring office space for communities of real people with big ideas. What fuels the team at Headspace is the belief that workspaces should look good and feel good. We speak with MD, Fabrizio Nicola-Giordano.

You have properties in London (two), Manchester, Birmingham and Belfast – what plans do you have for future locations?

shouldn’t enjoy a vibrant workplace that embraces wellbeing. Everything from bespoke artwork installations, height-adjustable furniture, biophilic

factors that will create a productive workspace alongside inspirational and aesthetically pleasing design – in other words, avoiding style over

the rest) and we’ve got a great mix of tenants there. One great example is Make More Noise, a fast-growing PR consultancy co-

We’ve actually just secured a new space in Southampton – our sixth UK location and first on England’s South Coast. We’ll occupy 4,500 sq ft as part of a deal led by our sister company, BE.Spoke (BE Offices’ corporate flexible workspace division), to acquire and develop customised space for a global advisory firm. In fact, it’s a very similar set-up to what we have in Belfast (operating alongside the same BE.Spoke tenant), which is proving to be a really effective way of expanding our portfolio. The site is located within Grosvenor House (2 Grosvenor Square, Southampton) and is currently undergoing refurbishment for a January 2020 opening.

Southampton has a world class university, a vibrant community, great transport links and many exciting local businesses, so we’re really excited to be launching in the area and, even though we have only just announced the acquisition, we’ve already received a great deal of interest.

planting, high-end coffee machines and relaxed comfortable seating areas allow clients to work how and where they choose.

For our members, the collaborative aspect is really important, and we curate a range of events, from yoga classes and comedy nights through to panel discussions on the business issues of the day. Some of our intimate events are particularly popular and include executive-level cheese and wine tastings and our monthly breakfast clubs. Both of these are great platforms for getting all of the different businesses in our building together, talking, sharing ideas and learning from each other.

We also happen to be the only UK space that offers members free access to coworking spaces across the globe via our membership of the League of Extraordinary Coworking spaces (LExC).

substance.

That said, we do believe that interior design can have a big impact on wellbeing and environmental psychology is certainly something we ask our architects and designers to consider. For example, in 2018 our parent company, BE Offices, collaborated with workplace scientist Dr Kerstin Sailer, Co-founder of Brainybirdz and an Associate Professor at UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture, to draw together all the relevant research on the impact of daylight in the workplace.

owned by The Apprentice winner, Mark Wright. Having moved from Worcester to Birmingham last year, they have more than doubled in size and have plans to continue expanding the team (and the space they take) over the coming year.

Why are businesses choosing you over the increasingly crowded market? We create environments in which businesses can flourish together in a beautiful, communitydriven space without the constraints of onerous five-year leases. We never forget that work is the primary reason for its use but that doesn’t mean you

What is the one thing that you would change when working with architects and designers?

We are lucky to work with some amazing architects and designers and one of the major benefits of being part of the BE Offices family means that we have a fantastic inhouse team who know our brand so well and manage that process for us.

For us, what really benefits the interior design process is when the team properly balance those

What keeps you awake at night (that you are prepared to share)?

There’s so much going on politically at the moment, it’s fascinating in some ways, but also hard to avoid and it can certainly be a challenge to try and switch off from all of these developments that have the potential to have a major impact on the UK and its business community.

Another primary concern is making sure that the customer experience is always flawless and I’m pleased to say that Headspace staff makes this a priority as standard.

Is the new 36,000 sq ft scheme in Birmingham living up to expectations? It certainly is! We’re pretty much running at capacity (Headspace occupies around a third of the space and BE Offices

How important is sustainability to Headspace? Corporate social responsibility is something we take very seriously at Headspace and, increasingly so, this relates to sustainability.

Late last year, we became (we think!) the first major coworking provider to move to renewable energy sourced power in all of our workspaces, only using electricity from ‘green energy’ renewable sources – typically wind and solar.

As we learn more and more and about the impact of fossil fuels on the planet, this feels like a relatively small, but hugely important step for us to take. We also know that these issues are becoming increasingly important for our members and I’m delighted that we can support their own efforts in helping to protect our environment.

We all have a responsibility to become carbon neutral and help pave the way for a more sustainable business environment. w For additional interview content, be sure to visit the new Mix Interiors website: www.mixinteriors.com

Mix 199 November 2019 | 25

Upfront | Material Matters

MATERIAL

MATTERS

In this month’s Material Matters, the team of experts at Material Lab focuses on the bold, the bright and the beautiful. www.material-lab.co.uk

Tektura – Zintra Acoustic solutions Zintra Acoustic products, available through Tektura, absorb internal and external sound influences, reducing the noise level in a room. People who feel more comfortable in the environment are able to converse freely, experience better speech intelligibility and don’t have to fight to be heard. Available in a range of colours and applications sure to enhance your space, Zintra is available in a range of decorative and acoustic solutions; from floor to ceiling panels, cut shapes, baffles, clouds, desk dividers, sliding and free-standing screens. With 12 product types, and 48 patterns, the range is sure to provide a surface material suitable for all environments.

Johnsons Tiles – Prismatics As of recent, Johnson Tiles has collaborated with colour consultant Ptolemy Mann to refresh the Prismatics range, in order to build new emphasis on trend-leading shades for the range. Latest additions are not limited to Blackberry, a rich aubergine tone, and Golchrest, a rich vibrant yellow tone, which were both introduced as bold and bright colours that work as standout feature colours as well as coordinating perfectly with other neutrals in the 68-colour range.

Egger – U507 ST9 Smoke Blue

Photo: Advant Homes

26 | Mix 199 November 2019

The trend for grey is evolving, with blues and greens giving designers the injection of colour that is often needed.

The colour and hue created by Egger's Smoke Blue, with its ST9 texture, adds a sophisticated flat matt painted look to a room. It works particularly well as an accent colour when combined with popular grey shades as well as light woodgrains, creating a warm, contemporary finish. This decor is used in commercial interiors such as hotels, bars, and restaurants as well as residential projects, and is suitable for door and furniture frontals, carcasses and splashbacks. Smoke Blue is available in laminate, MFC, MDF, compact laminate and matching edging.

Sensitile – Lumina Every product in the Sensitile range goes through the iterative design process from raw material all the way through to the detailed process of production. Every product enables designers to create, play and build with light, transforming environments into different yet unforgettable experiences. Due to the specialised nature of Sensitile’s materials, there are endless variations in colour, shade, flow, grain, tonality, crazing, veining, texture, facial dimensions and thickness of the material. Lumina is a product range that is a revolutionary material, which transforms a single energy-efficient LED source into a dreamlike surface of floating points of light. Flexible resin cladding allows it to be easily curved and cut into shapes and cut-outs while remaining lightweight and sturdy, with a dazzling array of colors and LED temperatures.w

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Upfront | Desert Island Desks

DESERT ISLAND DESKS

VW California Campervan

Artwork by Banksy

As a proud owner of one, I would not go anywhere without this ultimate surfers’ dream ride. Well, I might not go far in it on a desert island – but it would make an awesome beach shack!

From the ‘Laugh Now’ exhibition at Moco Amsterdam – preferably Beanfield to remind me there is still hope for humankind. Well, if Banksy says so…

‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’

Balla Black Rum

Written by GG Marquez, ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ is the only book I have read more than once – beautiful in both English and Polish.

28 | Mix 199 November 2019

My drink during a recent stay on the French Riviera, to be served with fresh pineapple juice – which I assume I would have plenty of on a desert island!

United Nude & Issey Miyake Rock Shoes I might not have the chance to wear them too often but I would be happy to keep them on a shelf and look at them all day! The UN brand is strongly influenced by architecture (founder Rem D Koolhaas is the nephew of architectural influencer Rem Koolhaas) and is famous for inspiring collaborations with design ‘stars’ from many sectors.

Reece Monika Swindells Equity Director, KKA Monika is a creative driving force behind KKA Interiors – an internationally noted, and award-winning interior design and architecture practice, whose recent work includes Boho Scotway House, True Glasgow and LFC’s Anfield Megastore – and is recognised for the creation of powerful imagery and synonymous brand identity.

Tracks for the Jukebox Jack Johnson – Better Together: This is our family tune. We always play it on a Sunday morning when everybody is back home.

Best served with morning coffee.

Weekend Players – Jericho: This dreamy tune has been with me since university. Inspired lyrics and magical vocals.

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Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Road Trippin’: I could actually choose any song by RHCP, but this one would be perfect for a desert island surfing vibe.

Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy: Just the best song of all time – so much emotion.

Prince – Musicology: My ultimate dancing tune. Funk doesn’t get better than this!w

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Property | Insight

RELAX, DON’T DO IT We all need to relax – seriously. So is the office property business learning how to chill, or is it manic from too much coffee? David Thame investigates the scope for relaxed office floorspace.

Stop. Calm down. Take a break. Above all, relax.

W

ords like these are not a big feature of today’s UK office property market.

Thanks to the ubiquitous ground floor coffee bars, and determined efforts to create buzzy, activated workspaces, relaxation is the last thing on offer. Keep moving says the office fit-out, don’t slack says the surge of natural light, those emails need answering now says the super-fast lift.

But what if this is all a mistake? What if modern offices were developed and designed with peace and tranquillity in mind? What if, for a few precious moments, we all just chilled? A surprising number of players at all levels of the UK office scene agree that the frenetic always-on atmosphere of modern office space has gone too far. We all need to calm down.

Ann MacDonald, Associate Director and Senior Designer at KKS Savills, says that workplace trends will make a calmer atmosphere progressively more important.

‘We often talk about the domestification of the workplace and offices of the future need to be treated like a home from home, a creative mix of formal and informal,’ she says.

And if the workplace is like home, then you need bedrooms as well as living rooms.

‘Ultimately, landlords are missing a trick. Multiuse space often allows for a wide variety of activity, so why does it not accommodate sleep? A study

30 | Mix 199 November 2019

of UK workers found nearly 70% of people are often asked to work outside of office hours so it is no wonder so many of us feel overworked,’ Ann insists.

‘The working environment is undoubtedly important, but it is also the ethics and ethos of a company that really drive your ability to relax.

So many office buildings now provide the tools – i.e. a gym, green space and roof terraces, so now we just have to make sure we use them and encourage others to do the same.’

But it may be more complicated than that.

Is it possible to have truly relaxing space if the walls, carpets, partitions and furniture, and the oozing chemicals, stimulate the nervous system?

According to Marco Abdallah, Head of Engineering at Stuttgart-based Drees & Sommer, the answer is a resounding no. Without a natural non-toxic environment, preaching about naps is simply missing the point. Sealed air-conditioned buildings trap noxious chemicals, which cause ill health and over-stimulation.

Two chemicals come in for particular censure: HBCD Hexabromcyclododecan is a now-banned flame retardant, which might still be in some office environments (it was widely used during a long transition period). HBCD has an impact on the nervous system and behaviour. Meanwhile, Bisphenol A Endocrine Disruptors, used in

Ultimately, landlords are missing a trick. Multi-use space often allows for a wide variety of activity, so why does it not accommodate sleep?

▲ Venlo Town Hall

paintwork, coatings and sealants, has been on a watch list since 2018 and may be banned in 2020.

But in the meantime it features in many offices and can affect our hormones, with inevitable disruptive consequence.

Drees & Sommer have been working on schemes that avoid harmful substances (by removing them entirely from the life cycle of products). The result is a healthier building and a healthier workforce: 2% fewer sick days may not sound a lot, but it soon adds up.

‘Personally, I think calmer offices are the right way to go. But we can create calmer healthier spaces by re-gearing the cycle of fit-outs and refurbishments, which in London is every 3-5 years,’ Marco says.

His firm is pioneering an approach that allows every part of office kit to be disassembled, meaning nothing (in theory) needs throwing away.

And to ensure disassembly, you have to cut out

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Property | Insight

▼ Venlo office hall

glues and many other pollutants. The result is recycling plus healthier workspace.

‘Employers know that people are the most expensive element in their workspace, and they need to make spaces where they can focus and concentrate. And that means eliminating substances known to be harmful but which are still found in workspaces,’ he says.

Once the chemical stimulants are under control, developers will turn to more people-focused techniques for improving the restful and focused aspects of workspace. Mick Timpson, architect and workplace yoga guru, is one of the people they are turning to.

Mick’s business beanando brings modern meditation to the workplace, mixing a variety of coaching techniques in self-awareness with the core principles of yoga. The yoga element is stripped down: no mantras, no tricky positions, no complex breathing techniques.

‘We can operate in any space. We just need somewhere undisturbed with space for a circle of chairs, and in most offices you can find that kind of space. But you have to make sure people put their phones away,’ Mick says.

Hardcore property people are rarely impressed by fluffy words, so how does Avison Young office property specialist George Jennings react to calls for a more relaxed office space? George says he spends his time bobbing between open plan offices and conversation pods designed for phone calls, and he sounds fairly fed up about it.

Personally, I think calmer offices are the right way to go. But we can create calmer healthier spaces by regearing the cycle of fit-outs and refurbishments, which in London is every 3-5 years

32 | Mix 199 November 2019

‘We’re all 100 miles an hour into everything.

Texts, emails, meetings…I really don’t think we get more done than we did 20 years ago, it just involves a lot more interactions to get there because we are constantly on each other’s cases.

And so we’re all stressed, and we’re drinking more coffee than ever and…’

No, George definitely doesn’t sound happy. And the solution? Now that is tricky, because landlords and developers (and occupiers) like to create buzzy atmospheres that are the exact opposite of relaxing.

‘Everyone wants to feel like there’s a bit of a buzz, which is fine, but you still need decent spaces for quiet chats. I’m not overwhelmed with clients who want quiet rooms, or napping zones, or libraries – but they do sometimes want soundproofed booths for calls, which keeps the noise out of circulation, and they do want to work from home more often, which can be more relaxing if you don’t have kids,’ says George (who has kids).

His suggestion is that 10-15% of floorspace should be quiet, or at least activation-controlled.

That might mean breakout spaces or separate rooms – everyone will have a different answer.

‘Watch what the flexible workspace operators are doing – they offer plenty of quiet space. That is the future,’ says George, who agrees with Mick Timpson that less coffee would be a good idea.

‘Less coffee, more water,’ he insists.

For now the trend is towards more, not less, active workspaces, and landlords seem reluctant to resist the trend. As Ann MacDonald suggests, we need to re-think how we relax.

‘When it comes to designing calm, you need to pare down space. It needs to be quiet from an acoustic perspective and almost monastic. We tend to fill breakout spaces with colour, which inspires collaboration by being visually stimulating.

However, a relaxing space is somewhere we can be alone. This can take many different forms, for instance, a prayer space, a quiet room, a chill-out zone or a sleep lounge,’ she says.

The property industry, scarcely a relaxing place to earn a living, has a long way to go. But the time when nap-spaces and chill-zones are part of what it provides is moving ever closer. w

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Property | Horse's Mouth

OXFORD BROGUE Some of the biggest names in office property are barely known outside their immediate circle of clients and customers. They do not indulge in ostentatious branding. They prefer the background. One of those is Oxford Properties. David Thame reports.

Y

et, for all its discretion, Oxford Properties is one of truly a giant of global property.

The Toronto-based enterprise is the property investment arm of OMERS, the pension fund for Ontario’s local government workers, and they own 100 million sq ft of the best real estate in the world’s best locations. Its £77 billion global portfolio includes London’s 50 New Bond Street (office tenants include Ralph Lauren), the 320,000 sq ft Mid-Town Post building at Holborn, the Royal Exchange in the City, and a host of high value assets in the best postcodes.

Henry Shearer is Head of UK at Oxford Properties. The way he sees the market matters.

And what does Shearer see?

The answer is an ever-more complicated office market, requiring ever more nuanced responses from developers and landlords. Above all, Shearer sees a property market where connectivity, not location, is king, and where the human resources department has as much influence on an occupier’s choice of premises as the finance director.

The analysis boils down to a conviction that tenants want good buildings, not just good addresses, and that smart landlords and developers will understand that brand alignment is more important than ever.

‘Talking to our customers, we’re seeing a continual shift in decision-making in real estate towards thinking more about how they recruit and retain talent. The human resources department now has a seat at the table, and everybody at the table is thinking about what a building says about their brand to customers, clients and the talent they want to recruit,’ he says, adding that occupiers ‘want space that talks about their business’.

34 | Mix 199 November 2019

▼ 50 New Bond Street (before)

Focusing on brand identity raises the enormous headache that what plays well with one brand, plays extremely badly with another.

‘Brand alignment around their building choices is very important, but the opportunity for us to deliver a product that accomplishes that is a challenge simply because some occupiers will find what you do perfect, while others won’t.’

Henry points to the Post Building near the British Museum in London’s Midtown. The 260,000 sq ft former Royal Mail sorting office for the WC postal districts has floorplates of around an acre. Ceiling heights are a breezy five metres and the volume of space is awesome. All of this is amazing, but not everybody’s cup of tea, and the kind of occupiers for whom it is the ideal home turn out to be a very mixed bunch (see side panel).

Henry draws the conclusion that occupiers don’t just want buildings to look different, they want them to work differently. ‘The challenge is that whatever we do just won’t work for some occupiers. So we have to accept that the pool of potential tenants for each building is narrower, but balance against that the greater appeal a building will have to that type of occupier,’ he says.

Occupiers are more demanding than ever, which we think is a good thing because we think we’ve the right skills to deliver what they want

Spotlight |

Post Haste The joint venture between Oxford Properties Group and Brockton Capital has secured its third and final major office pre-let at the 320,000 sq ft Post Building in Holborn. Nationwide have committed to take 91,000 sq ft at The Post Building.

They will be opening a new digital and technology innovation centre.

Nationwide will join the UK’s largest specialist annuity provider, Rothesay Life, which has pre-let 49,000 sq ft and global consultancy firm, McKinsey & Company, which will occupy 127,000 sq ft as their new London headquarters.

Occupiers will benefit from a 7,500 sq ft rooftop garden with 360-degree views, market-leading cycle provision, designed in collaboration with Rapha, including 438 cycle spaces along with first class facilities – lockers, showers and a cycle workshop, and an impressive six metre high, 5,500 sq ft entrance lobby – all combined with the latest in world-class smart building technology, design and sustainability.

Henry Shearer, Head of UK, Oxford Properties, says: ‘The letting to Nationwide completes the leasing of the office element of The Post Building, which has been purposefully designed to promote creative thinking and will help to support the Society’s ongoing service and technology transformation.’

CBRE and Addleshaw Goddard advised Nationwide. Oxford and Brockton’s joint leasing agents are JLL, CBRE and Pilcher Hershman, with CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang advising on legal. CBRE and Davis Coffer Lyons are joint leasing agents for the retail and restaurant space.

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Property | Horse's Mouth

The corollary of the heightened interest in branding comes a little more flexibly when it comes to location. Providing the connectivity is good – trains, plans, WiFi – occupiers will take a broader view of where they locate. The days when occupational choices for some firms were limited to a few streets in Mayfair, or a few in the City, are long gone.

‘The address is no longer such a significant decision-maker,’ says Henry.

In the meantime, Oxford, like many landlords and developers, is focusing on being a consumerdriven business – still a revolutionary idea in the staid, hierarchical world of property.

‘We work very hard to build collaborative relationships with our customers,’ says Henry.

‘Occupiers are more demanding than ever, which we think is a good thing because we think we’ve the right skills to deliver what they want. There is a clear shift towards higher expectations on buildings and the amenities they offer.’

So how do developers/investors like Oxford respond to this shifting, kaleidoscopic marketplace?

The answer seems to be to hedge your bets with a portfolio that includes a little of everything and, if possible, the best in class. And when you buy or build, do it big.

‘We’d like some new buildings and some existing buildings to work with – large floorplates matter because they ensure flexibility,’ he says.

‘We’ve been very successful in our central London developments, and now we want to refill our development pipeline. But there are limited opportunities in central London.’

Each location also needs to be judged against its capacity to make a big enough splash, because Oxford want to be able to set (rather than follow) the trend in their chosen sub-markets.

‘Globally, we like to focus on scale, and the best in each location, and that way we get to control the environment around our buildings, because that context is what drives the way our customers think,’ Henry says.

‘It’s around creating an environment with amenities that work for our buildings, and one of the challenges in London is that buildings in the city are generally quite small compared to other global cities. And you need scale to make amenities work at the right level. A 1 million sq ft building is rare in London, although common in other global cities.

36 | Mix 199 November 2019

▲ 50 New Bond Street (after)

Globally, we like to focus on scale, and the best in each location, and that way we get to control the environment around our buildings, because that context is what drives the way our customers think

‘All of which means it often doesn’t make sense to deliver amenities in the building itself, and you have to look for them in the neighbourhood.

That kind of thinking is a bit of a consideration for occupiers and also for players like us,’ he explains.

Paired with the where-to-build question is the issue of viability, and this depends on office rental expectations. Here, Oxford’s house view is that London rents will continue on their steep upward path.

‘Markets are very constrained, occupiers are struggling to find the large floorplates they want, the development pipeline is also constrained, but occupiers are still moving because, in many cases, they have to because old buildings no longer work for them, or because they are growing. I think the London office market is still well positioned for growth, but it all comes down to the product you offer.’

Oxford are global players with the muscle to make things happen. What they (discretely) say sets the tone. And the tone is clear: learn to love your office property customers, even if they are more changeable than ever.w

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A-Z O F T REN DS

THE BIG Q UESTION

Time and resource are required from the client before the designer gets star ted – from your experience, what is the ideal?

Mix 199 November 2019 | 39

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Q

Spotlight | The Big Question

THE BIG

Time and resource are required from the client before the designer gets started – from your experience, what is the ideal?

UESTION

Zoe Moss, Divisional Director, Charles Edward Ltd

Nick Threlfall, Design Director, Regal London

Melanie Woolcott, Workplace Director, Orbit Architects

Developed and educated clients provide us, as contractors, the best platform upon which to succeed in fit-out delivery, which is why they

The better the brief the better the outcome, so we invest significant resource early on to clearly express the specific objectives for a project. As

form the ‘ideal’ customer base. They recognise that taking the time to gather requirements and testing what the project goals truly are with the relevant stakeholders are centric to a project. If any client can continually check back to the project goals set before a designer has any involvement, for us, always leads to a more focused, ideal and efficient construction journey.

an industry, we are moving away from an era with a binary approach to procuring design; early engagement and increasing collaboration is the way forward. As a client, we see the benefits of continued engagement with our designers throughout all stages of the design process.

It always amazes me when a client believes you (the designer) can just magic a design that represents their organisation without spending time to understand the client and their true requirements.

In an ideal scenario, the client allows you to engage with them at three levels: senior stakeholders, internal project team and staff representatives. Ultimately, this may be only a few focus hours in meetings, workshops and presentations, allowing the design team to create a design brief that articulates their true and validated requirements. Understand before you design. Design before you build. Build before you use.

Jack Pannell, Director, Common Ground Workshop

Chris Crawford, Senior Associate, Gensler

Paula McCloskey, Marketing Director, Specialist Joinery Group

The most successful project outcomes tend to arrive where a client is fully informed and engaged from the outset, and where a well considered brief is in place ahead of making key decisions and engaging a consultant team. More often, we are seeing clients request pre-stage 0 consultancy advice; we recognise that these requests are invaluable and encourage pre-stage 0 discourse in developing our client-first approach.

In any design conversation, the sooner we can engage with the client, the better. By discussing high-level aspirations and objectives of the project we might perhaps re-frame the direction it takes. Accompanying clients on site visits to prospective buildings and conducting due diligence studies can identify potential challenges and opportunities early on. This avoids being ‘stuck’ with unsuitable buildings, budgets that don’t meet the client’s aspirations, as well as short timeframes, which can dictate the procurement route.

The designers we work with develop the deepest empathy for their clients, their people and objectives. I think the most memorable and enjoyable projects to work on have had a more involved client, who have shown interest in visiting our facilities, meeting our people on the ground, crafting their products, and getting involved in the delivery journey.

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors Sept 2019.pdf 1 25/09/2019 19:36:00 C

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Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

TRENDS REUNITED You can probably imagine that we get lots of correspondence about trends sent through to us. Colour trends appear to get the most profile, but not necessarily from us, and we completely understand why some companies make a lot of noise about the ‘colour of the year’ – to raise the profile and sell more – but we like to think our annual A-Z of trends has a little more substance. Over the next dozen or so pages we'll show there's far more to the subject of trends than whether you should be using burnt orange or dusty violet!

F

irstly, the following pages are created with the help of a wonderful mix of people from across our sector, which naturally leads to a whole variety of different perspectives.

Secondly, we also find that one person or group may be fully immersed in a particular subject but quite unaware of another. Therefore, we think our very democratic collection of views will more than likely contain a little sparkle for everyone.

Thirdly, discussing trends in 2019 has arguably never been as poignant, as the workplace sector has rarely been at a more interesting point. The lowest unemployment in a long time has focused the minds of business leaders to create a giant workspace. Sectors are merging, with workplace looking like hospitality and so on giving designers and manufacturers the opportunity to deal with economic ups and downs and allowing teams to broaden their knowledge. Technology remains a constant and hugely broad subject understood by imagined by many. The awareness of physical and mental wellbeing has never had a bigger profile, and like most subjects that catch the broader public interest it has already been misunderstood and manipulated – however the downside of people becoming stressed because they think they are stressed is outweighed by the fact that wellbeing has become real.

Finally, the changing age of the population is an immensely complex subject – not just for the workplace - and certainly shouldn’t be confined to discussing Millennials.

The following Spotlight may contain elements that are far from new to you or even a little short on detail (you can do further research of course) but we hope you may find at least one spark of interest and, importantly, will be comforted by the fact that our sector is very much alive, bustling and ready to engage – not a bad sign of health.

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AGILITY

Workplace agility stems from this ability to work quickly, seamlessly and cohesively. As more and more employees begin to work from home or on the road, company productivity shouldn’t suffer. And whilst the focus has always been on flexible hours or hot desking, the conversation is now shifting from agile workplace to one of agile culture; which is, in essence, a workplace environment where people feel empowered to make decisions. Adopting an agile culture takes strategy and a vision. It shouldn’t be reduced to investing in the right video conferencing technology, but rather about moulding the whole workspace environment to people’s needs.

Our recent move to our new HQ in east London has given us, as designers, an unparalleled opportunity to transform our ways of working in a way that is relevant to our people, now and in the future. As part of the design process, we researched and tested a number of furniture solutions that would suit our needs. Unable to find a solution that truly reflected the way we work, we joined forces with Fantoni to collaborate on ATELIER; a modular, flexible and adaptable workspace furniture that’s given our people the freedom to choose the best place to work and make the space their own.

Agile culture is a mindset. Space and technology plays a part, but it’s not what matters most – it’s about adopting a new way of thinking and, in turn, adopting new behaviours. And furniture can certainly play a big role in this.

PHILIPPE PARÉ Principal, Managing Director, Gensler

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Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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BALANCE

The trend of incorporating wellbeing into our working lives is showing no signs of slowing down – and rightly so. Modern life is busy. Personal life is busy. We’re all ‘very’ busy. Our always-connected status blurs the boundary between office time and playtime.

As a result, striking a work/life balance has never been so meaningful. As designers, how can we assist? First and foremost, we have direct access to key decision makers at client briefings. We can influence how clients can create great places to work and, in doing so, can make sure our environments provide a balanced design response. We have the responsibility to shake up the way our clients perceive working environments as well as exploring ways to improve the lives of their employees.

When we collect briefs from our clients, it’s never a tick-box exercise about

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accommodation schedules, but instead focused on people and their typical routine, ensuring users’ working days are balanced with a variety of spaces, amenities, functionality and uses. We can’t dictate how people operate their lives, but we can certainly assist in ensuring that their day is productive enough to allow them to have a life outside of work.

Clients can’t rest on their laurels either; the theoretical scales always need readjusting to ensure order is balanced. In other words, spaces and clients need to be flexible too, adapting to the needs of the business and their users.

With work and life becoming so merged, we all strive for the perfect balance.

HOWARD POWSNEY Director, Aytch

DIVERGENT CREATIVITY

As we shift away from ‘incremental productivity’, where it is about things being faster, better and cheaper, a new model is emerging. ‘Divergent creativity’ leverages ideation and co-creation to drive to more game-changing ideas that break through boundaries. The ‘sage on the stage’, empowered by PowerPoint, is replaced with the ‘democratisation’ of meeting, where everyone is able to contribute, leading to inclusive ideation and speed of innovation.

Convergent thinking is linear, which often involves going through a list of steps to obtain a single answer.

Divergent thinking is underpinned by

exploring different directions from an initial problem statement to generate many possible ideas. Divergent thinking helps to generate ideas and identify a wide range of potential solutions.

Divergent thinking is important for critical analysis. Ignoring or dismissing opposing views only leads to ‘group think’ and further fuels silos and mindless conflict. F. Scott Fitzgerald once noted, ‘The test of a firstrate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function’. The ability to break down silos and be more mindful of others’ thoughts and ideas can lead to the evolution of an idea and true innovation.

KAY SARGENT Senior Principal, Director of WorkPlace, HOK

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CULTURE

50% of the top 500 global companies have increased their productivity with the expansion of global culture. It is no wonder that maximising on this cultural shift is at the top of global priorities; the question remains, however, what is the affect of this expansion on society and its human considerations?

The measure of progress in a world driven by artificial intelligence, data and digital design is not self-evident.

If we assume that, as a society, we still benefit from the collective learning of Greek philosophy, roman engineering and renaissance discoveries, we may ask how future societies will benefit from our current culture and its productivity.

If we agree on culture being the common achievement of society, we may also agree that wealth is an important part of that culture. If, however, the negative impact of the productivity of that wealth outweighs the benefits, it will fail to serve the on-going growth of society.

If the outcome is that future cultures are based solely on the need to make the earth inhabitable, one questions whether this is progress. Reflecting on this is an invitation to re-evaluate our definition of wealth and how we proceed in our current approach.

MARCO SERRA, Global Chief Architect, Novartis

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Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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ENHANCED WORKPLACE

Gone are the days of formal cubicles, uninspiring reception areas and even less inspiring canteen lunches. These days, at The Furniture Practice, we’re finding that workplace projects share more similarities with the hospitality industry than the traditional office block. As working solutions become more flexible, so does the concept of the workspace itself, expanding beyond mere practicality to instead reflect the creativity, philosophy and concept of the business it houses. Functionality, though still very important, is more prettily wrapped: interiors are taking on more considered colour palettes, materials and fabrics are becoming softer and more tactile, while furnishings are more focused on design and experience. Employers are beginning to understand that work quality isn’t always a direct reflection of the hours spent at a desk, either. People need to feel inspired to be both productive and creative and professionals are now demanding the freedom to work in ways that best suit their needs. Home, work and leisure spaces are now less defined thanks to the fact that technology advancement allows us to work from anywhere, so from state-of-the-art on-site gyms to multi-functional social spaces, the workplace is evolving to reflect the changing culture of work itself. Not only an effective form of organic marketing for potential clients, these enhanced workspaces are great for staff retention too: smart businesses understand that employees want a more holistic approach to balancing work and life and are seeking out employers who can provide this through the best workplace possible.

JENNIFER DUNN Head of TFP Manchester, The Furniture Practice

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F

JO YARKER

FLEXIBILITY

Senior Lecturer, Birkbeck, University of London

When, where and how we work is changing.

Timewise found that a staggering 87% of people want to work flexibly. Working flexibly, whether through working compressed hours, working a couple of days from home or using agile workspaces to work in the best environment for the task in hand, can bring many benefits to employees and, by default, to the organisation.

There has been an explosion of brilliantly and beautifully designed flexible workspaces. But we need to think carefully about how we support and manage people working in them. For flexible workspaces

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to deliver benefits to wellbeing and productivity, a number of things need to happen: people need to be measured on their outputs, rather than time spent at their desk; managers need the skills, time and resources to manage people working at different times and in different locations and, as people increasingly work flexibly from home, workplaces will need more informal spaces for colleagues to make connections.

We are currently working with people from across professions involved in workspace and work culture to find out what makes flexibility work.

GENDER INCLUSIVITY

Diversity and inclusion are hot topics in any workplace, but for many companies it’s all talk and no action. This is staggering, especially given how important an accepting culture is for colleague attraction, retention and productivity.

The challenge, however, is creating a culture that is genuinely inclusive, where everyone feels welcome and truly comfortable in their own skin.

As designers, we can play a key role in this, so it’s important that we design workplaces that go beyond the traditional office, to meet a wider range of employee needs.

For example, we can acknowledge people’s religious beliefs by including prayer and contemplation rooms, or respect gender identity with genderneutral toilets. Elsewhere, we can look at mothering rooms to support women returning to work, or provide breakout areas and rest spaces to

help colleagues manage their mental health. Examples like this act as visual and practical reminders of our commitment to supporting colleagues.

Of course, this works best when designers are working alongside other teams, all focused on promoting diversity and inclusion. Genuine engagement from leaders is essential for success, and this is something we’ve seen first-hand at Bupa.

Leaders who promote strategies that bring out the best in people, or recognise and reward without bias, act as a solid a role model to the organisation. Of course, it’s not just leadership that should be adopting this outlook – it’s something we can all do.

By working together, and supporting our people-focused strategies with sensitive and thoughtful design, we can create a workplace where everyone’s happy and comfortable in being themselves.

KAREN BROADBENT Business Change Manager, Bupa

The workplace is evolving.

Novus Curve is a multi-functional zoning system.

The inherent versatility allows the construction of varied work areas without the constraints and claustrophobic effects of solid walls and room dividers. ww.fremgroup.co.uk

Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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I

HUMANISE

The clash of the digital revolution and the human condition is a constant debate. How do we humanise the office, how do we enable people to thrive at work? We are entering into a discussion that is not just about pay or privilege, location or building flexibility or carbon counting. Our focus with many of our clients has been more holistic – whilst we still want the efficient and the cost effective, we also want to develop buildings and spaces with identity through real human values.

The trend to create a sense of place is on course via increased psychological understanding. Our knowledge of sensory factors and good design relationships is improving, while our clients’ awareness of good cultural values with matching management procedures is high on the agenda.

Our design solutions are increasingly human-centric and client responses are increasingly philanthropic. To humanise is to successfully provide a workplace environment that is connected with the human spirit, making workers cosy and comfortable in surroundings that invoke an inner sense of contentment and wellbeing.

It seems to me that good design, centred on real and tangible human values, is a trend that we cannot ignore. Actually, it shouldn’t be a trend – it should always be a beginning.

STEVE DICKSON Senior Associate, FaulknerBrowns Architects

IT REVOLUTION In our working lives we are increasingly connected to different tools and data sources to enable us to be more productive.

Connectivity happens at multiple levels. We are connected to each other via intranets, the internet, e-mail, messaging apps like What’s App and LinkedIn. In the latter case, this is often with people we have not met and who may be on the other side of the world.

Our buildings are ever more connected, harvesting data from BMS systems, sensors, cameras and IOT devices. This data can be connected and analysed

automatically using AI to yield new insights and to help us drive more efficiency in our buildings and workplaces. Work has become more mobile, with connectivity enabling us to operate as we move around, with the connected car (and soon the self-driving car or helicopter) being the latest place for us to be immersed in the digital world, even as we move between meetings, or between home and our workplace.

The end result is that the quality of our workplace experience and of our personal productivity is directly related to the level of connectivity within and between these spheres.

TREVOR MILES

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Smarter Buildings Consulting Lead, IBM Global Business Services

JUXTAPOSITION

The juxtaposition of old meeting new has long been a go-to theme in the building design world. Whether it’s a subtle nod to a building’s rich heritage or preserving the original features of a site when carrying out extensive renovations, marrying the past with a building’s exciting future is often the perfect way to create a unique, fresh look.

And, as the competition to attract – and retain – the best talent continues to soar, creating bespoke, sought-after workspaces has never been more

important. This doesn’t mean simply adding a couple of beanbags to create an office lounge area or introducing a lone hot desk; instead, it’s about viewing a building as a whole and considering what makes it stand out from the crowd. What is its personality? What makes it different to its neighbours? And, importantly, why should people want to work there?

This year, we kicked off a major refurbishment programme, focusing on selected buildings across our North West portfolio. The £50m Pioneer scheme

will see many of our landmark sites transformed and given major overhauls, taking CIARA KEELING inspiration from each building’s CEO, Bruntwood Works surroundings, its customers and, of course, its heritage. By paying tribute to its individual character – whether that be through a 1920s-style living room in reception or creating a living wall to reflect neighbouring gardens – businesses can be confident that their environment will play a key role in their future growth.

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Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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KINDNESS

CHARLES BRAMWELL Product Designer, Sixteen3

With the state of the world as it is, the concept of kindness has become far more valuable to us in all facets of daily life – and this includes the workplace. Creating spaces that foster teamworking and encourage collaboration is key, as well as incorporating environmentally friendly materials, products that can be easily recycled and sustainable design solutions. Biophilia has been a huge trend over the past few years and, at its core, is the idea of bringing the outside in, to calm and care for the mind and body.

The concept of wellness in the workplace – being kinder to employees – has become so important to the attraction and retention of talent that it is definitely here to stay.

We have also seen businesses investing

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significantly in on-site facilities such as yoga studios, roof gardens and cycle hubs to ensure they are supporting a healthy work/ life balance – but things are already moving on. Corporate kindness is now stretching further than the workforce and workplace; it’s all about being kind to the environment as well. Commercial decisions are now being consciously made to show kindness to the planet and an awareness of a company’s carbon footprint. Rationalising real estate, procuring sustainable resources, recycling, re-using and investing in products that are manufactured in a more sustainable way are practices that are becoming far more widespread, and this trend looks set to continue in 2020.

LOCALITY

As homogenous high streets and big business loom, we increasingly hone our designs to draw out what is unique about localities, and strive to support home-grown entrepreneurs. Our design concepts always start with location – the heritage, industries and character of a particular neighbourhood – as well as the history of the building or site itself. Meaningful connections with community engender a sense of pride and belonging, and support the growth of neighbourhoods. This applies to the tenant base of a workplace, as well as the wider community in which it sits.

At The Department Store, a former retail destination turned design studio in Brixton, we created areas of display to showcase work undertaken within the building, as well as providing public event and social spaces for the local creative community. Bespoke

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desks were provided by south London joinery company, Opus Magnum, and a series of patterns were commissioned from Brixton-based designer, Eley Kishimoto, to be used in various applications.

For The People’s Mission Hall in Whitechapel – x+why’s purpose-driven workspace – the former Salvation HQ inspired a concept based around social action and the arts to offer multiple gathering spaces for the sharing of ideas.

Artworks are sourced from local creatives on a rotating basis, and decorative objects within the space were curated from east London markets.

We believe that, for a workspace to flourish in its community, it should tap into the character and essence of its locality.

JAMES HALLIDAY Associate, Squire & Partners

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MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

We see a growing trend in the workplace for more flexible, multi-purpose areas that are specifically designed to promote interaction and social connection, with breakout zones and third spaces that encourage collaboration between teams, idea sharing and social interaction.

Café culture now permeates the workplace and translates to higher productivity, collaboration and increased creativity. Embracing this culture in the workplace, particularly by creating a dedicated space for employees to take a break, have a coffee and grab a bite to eat, is a great way of encouraging interaction and conversation between employees and, by providing a first-class experience in-house, encourages staff to stay on site in the workplace community.

It's all about creating a really memorable experience that helps to attract and retain the best talent, as employees now expect their workplace to cater for, and enhance, their working day with hospitality-inspired spaces that create a sense of community, help promote health and wellness and improve staff morale and engagement.

SIMON BRACKEN Managing Director, Scanomat UK & Ireland

Inspired by age-old oaks.

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Introducing Misty Grey Oak, one of six new products added to our existing Van Gogh range. A warm grey oak design with subtle muted tones, providing the perfect look for commercial spaces wanting traditional wood flooring in an on-trend shade. Misty Grey Oak can be laid in a traditional straight lay or in a herringbone style for a more dramatic effect.

T: 01386 820104 | karndean.com/VanGogh2019 Featured floor: Misty Grey Oak VGW112T

Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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NEURODIVERSITY

We are living in a time of increased numbers of neurodivergents and awareness about ADHD, Dyslexia, Autistim and other neurological states. In fact, one in eight people are considered neurodiverse – however, fewer than 50% are aware.

Neurodivergents tend to be high energy, out-of-the-box thinkers, excel in a crisis, and be bold problem-solvers, yet navigating the modern workplace can be a challenge.

Not only is designing space to be inclusive the right approach, there is a compelling business case for this as well. Space today needs to reflect the diverse make-up of organisations to set everyone up for success.

Designers have an opportunity to influence the physical and cultural adaptation required to make workplaces

more inclusive. All aspects of the space – colour, lighting, materiality and sensory stimuli – need to be designed with purpose and intent. There is no single solution for designing space that best accommodates everyone. When achieved within an organisational culture of respect and inclusivity, attention to design elements that consider the needs of the neurodivergent, whilst providing choice, can reduce the adverse effects. The neurological differences can potentially take full advantage of the many benefits, and support broader organisational values and goals.

BEATE MELLWIG

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Practice Leader-Operations, HOK

PURPOSE

It’s been more than 25 years since John Elkington coined the term ‘triple bottom line’ and 10 years since Simon Sinek delivered his now-viral ‘Start with Why’ TED talk.

Yet ‘purpose’ is still a growing buzzword in the workplace, with more businesses demonstrating a genuine desire to do things better – aiming to enrich rather than exploit the world.

Fundamental to ‘better business’ is a dedication to people and planet, as well as profit, and an onus on businesses to live and breathe their purpose in everything they do, not just what they make. It’s here that the workplace itself becomes a hindrance or a huge enabler in actually fulfilling your ‘why’.

Live what you preach: if you have set about to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, you need to ensure that nothing you’re doing is unintentionally undermining

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that. Residing in a sustainably/ethically built and run workspace is a non-negotiable.

People, people, people: by far the most cited advantage of being mission-driven?

They should not only feel inspired and informed, but also supported to do their best work. Biophilic design, outdoor space, wellness and meditation studios, cycle stores, and good health and childcare all create the required culture of care.

Knock down walls: physically and metaphorically. The opportunity to find others who share your vision, and to be able to easily collaborate with them, allows everybody to move faster.

The workplace is no longer a place to put your laptop and hold meetings – it’s an important reflection and expression of your purpose and intention.

PHIL NEVIN Co-founder, x+why

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OCCUPANCY

The design occupational density of office buildings in the UK is typically one person for every 10 sq m. The limiting factors are fire strategy, WC provision, cooling, power, lift capacity and ventilation. Whilst life safety systems are often over-specified and other constraints may have some headroom, there is almost always a hard deck somewhere between 8 – 10 sq m per person.

The problem is that, in these days of maxpacking, agility, intensive coworking and activity-based design, there are normally many more seats shown on a space plan than the base build specification would allow for if each chair represented an occupant, often down to one per 4.5 sq m.

Will that number of people ever show up on the same day? Almost certainly not. But how should we judge diversity of occupation? What controls should be put in place to limit occupancy? Should we be worried about people numbers or air quality? Are short periods of overoccupancy okay? Is it right that we blindly pump a litre of fresh air per sq m into offices, all day long, regardless of occupancy?

The use of office space has become more intensive and variable in the last few years and we urgently need to review our building regulations and base build specifications to suit.

TOBY BENZECRY CEO and Founder, Workplace Futures Group

MAKING SPACES INTO SAFER PLACES www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/coral

creating better environments

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PLAN

FURNITURE AGENCY

UK Agent 07850 036 154 - pj@planfurniture.co.uk - www.planfurniture.co.uk

Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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QUALITY OF INDOOR AIR

Clean air has been high on the political and media agenda throughout 2019 – and it’s not just outdoor air pollution that’s worrying people. In a recent study of 4,500 European office workers, we found that indoor air quality was cited as the number one concern for many territories, including the UK. In many cases, this issue was placed above excessive noise – another current hot topic in the workplace sector – with employees craving greater control over their office environments. The emphasis was on people wanting to feel that

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workspaces are tailored – if only in some part – to their individual needs. This could translate into being able to adjust their climate, open a window or have access to outdoor space.

As we rapidly approach 2020, manufacturers and commercial designers alike are tasked with considering how best to address these increasing concerns, with some already blazing a trail in providing innovative design solutions to better satisfy employee needs.

BECKY POLE Design Manager, Tarkett

SUSTAINABILITY As interior designers, our role ‘in simplistic terms’ focuses on the client’s functional needs and the aesthetic that enables these. As an interior design professional going into ‘the 20s’ and beyond, there is also an increasing emphasis on designing sustainably, being environmentally conscious and the importance of user wellbeing. This is not a trend; sustainable interior design is not a new term, but with the wide reach of social media and rising global environmental issues, sustainability is coming to the forefront of business agendas and is gaining momentum. With socially conscious Millennials looking to dominate the global workforce by 2020, the environments they work in and company they work for has become more vital. This generation better

values the sustainable credentials of their employer and the carbon footprints of their workplaces. We have the power within our design selections to guide and educate our clients on sustainability, whether on product materiality or how it can galvanise the workforce and enhance a brand’s green credibility. In previous decades, a limitation on the type of products available in the marketplace, which had true sustainable credentials, had limited aesthetic choice. Often these products would also come at a premium cost to the client, meaning ‘good intentions’ would often, unfortunately, fall by the wayside. The products available to designers now are much vaster, and the strong stories behind them are clear. Sustainable design will continue to grow to become a firm part of the workplace of the future.

RACHEL WITHEY Associate Director, SpaceInvader

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RECYCLING ‘The war on waste’ is a phrase heard almost on a daily basis. One of our clients is helping lead the way in recycling as part of their bed and mattress scheme.

Bensons for Beds has seen around 40,000 beds taken for recycling; meaning 1,800 tonnes of mattresses have been saved from going to landfill.

As designers, we have a responsibility to be conscious of the impact we may be having on the environment. It is now becoming easier to supply good quality furniture that is either recyclable or has been made from recycled materials.

Japanese studio, Nendo, has created a collection of stackable chairs from recycled household plastics in the shape of the N02 Recycle Chair for Fritz Hansen.

Fashion and textiles have a huge impact on the environment and Nike GRIND is doing its bit to combat waste from trainers. The Nike ‘re-use a shoe’ scheme has collected 28 million shoes for recycling since 1990. The shoes are transformed into Nike Grind; a material used in creating athletic and playground surfaces.

The medals for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics have been designed by Junichi Kawanishi from old electronic devices, donated by the public. Hopefully, with a recycled product taking centre stage, it will showcase to the world how something recycled can be beautiful.

ROSIE FLYNN Senior Designer, John Evans Interior Architecture and Design

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GOGO Designed by John Coleman

Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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TECHNOLOGY

Discussing technology applied to interiors can evoke thoughts of sci-fi movies, full of unlikely gadgets and gizmos, but some of these have already moved into the real world. Bear in mind, in my lifetime (and I’m not that old), drawing boards have been upgraded to computers and virtual 3D goggles are almost pedestrian now. But in the excitement of all these shiny toys, it’s easy to forget that technology is here to be our servant and not our master.

As such, we believe the best current uses for technology in interior design are

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those that are invisible, yet beneficial to the user.

We’re seeing this in a recently developed range of paints, which uses nanotechnology to control thermal conductivity. This means that the paint itself can reduce the amount of insulation needed inside the walls and, furthermore, if connected to a low current, can transform any wall into a radiator.

We’re also working with low voltage LED lighting systems that feed from network cables, both reducing the high voltage use in our buildings and also

UPCYCLING

Unlike recycling, upcycling drives materials back up the supply chain without needing to break down the original material. Imaginative repurposing within construction and in the workplace is on the increase, transforming by-products and waste material into new and often unique solutions of a better quality and environmental value. In a world rightly focused on reducing our carbon footprint and improving environmental responsibilities, it’s a positive step to see our industry embrace and promote upcycling.

With clients challenging the norm and embracing less corporate workplaces, furniture and material trends are more varied, opening the door for alternative solutions. Knowing no boundaries, designers have embraced this opportunity, merging an eclectic mix of new and upcycled products.

Away from the workplace, one of the most iconic upcycle considerations is the sea container. Not only does this offer considerable flexibility on how it can be reinvented, it is also serving as an intrinsic tool, contributing to affordable modular housing solutions. The benefits are clearly there to see.

With the government introducing a transformative Bill to Parliament to tackle the biggest environmental priorities of our time, the challenge is to acknowledge our industry’s positive interventions and maintain the momentum. Equally, better recognition and integration of upcycling into environmental accreditation assessments is surely a good starting point.

NEIL THOMAS Head of Design, Denton Associates

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allowing for enhanced control of each luminaire. Lighting can be programmed to follow circadian ENRIQUE SOLER rhythms or customised with a Head of Interior Design, mobile app. The next step is Willmott Dixon Li-Fi – utilising light to transmit data wirelessly, making Wi-Fi equipment redundant.

In short, good technology can and should simplify human interaction with spaces and we’re looking forward to seeing more advances in this area (and perhaps the occasional robot and lightsaber).

VALUES

As a graphic design agency, we work at the intersection of branding and architecture. So, from where we are sitting, the biggest trends in the workplace are all feeding what is now being recognised as the aorta for all businesses – values and culture.

Where businesses have previously focused purely on finance, then customers, what is now being realised is that, if you want to gauge the temperature (and ultimately profitability) of a business, speak to their employees.

Businesses are now bending over backwards to understand what their people really want, and the general consensus is that the values and mission of the business outweighs the wages and benefits. People are driven more by inspiration, connection, flexibility, wellbeing and learning.

Businesses are now looking to deliver all those things in order to get the things they want – productivity, top talent, innovation

and collaboration. The most used words in all our interactions with workplace professionals are ‘human’ and ‘experiences’.

Enlightened companies recognise that a well-designed hub that encourages collaboration and interaction is essential for them to transform into culture-first enterprises – and interior designers and architects re currently doing great work to deliver this.

Our passion is brand, of which values and culture is an integral part. We find (too often) that this is forgotten in the built space, or is applied in a heavy-handed way.

Now that agile working is becoming the norm and people have the option of where they want to work, the workplace should become a creative and engaging space that captures the values and culture of the business for its staff.

It’s our mission to get clients and designers to consider brand and values earlier in the design process.

DAN MOSCROP Founder, Them

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Spotlight | A-Z of Trends

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WORKFORCE ISOLATION

X

XENOGAMY Working for a large corporate company, I’ve witnessed the decade-long transformation from command and control working practices right though to the more recent agile design and delivery environments.

Throughout this transformation, a culture that promotes and supports a choicebased style of working, that benefits individuals’ needs whilst ensuring a better work/life balance, has become much more prevalent. Home working has exploded rapidly over a fairly short time period and the tech developed for it, which allows us to work securely anywhere we want, is improving all the time. The result for our strategists and asset managers has been a charge to offload office buildings, which are no longer deemed necessary. However, the result for colleagues is an increased longterm effect on wellbeing. With the number of student mental health problems rising, as they prepare to enter the workforce, they can find themselves bereft of human interaction, instead enrolling in a fully made up, pyjama-clad army, bonding ever closer with their pet or, more worryingly, their virtual friends. Creating buzzing, interactive destinations as spoke hubs all over the country, where people live and socialise, and aren’t just the local coffee shop, should be a focus and aspiration in the developing times. Why can’t the high street evolve to support in this way? (See X)

If you were to splice workforce isolation (see W) with the death of the high street, what could you grow out of the ruins?

This greenhouse experiment picks up two distinct design disciplines – retail and workplace – and plants them forcibly into the same plot: our great British high street. Long the domain of retail design, the time has come to reconsider its future use for society.

Let’s examine the high street losers at the sharp end of the technology slash and burn over the last decade: bank branches, travel agents, bookies, toy stores, music and DVD stores, plus some very famous brand department stores…the list is endless, and shows no sign of abating. In 2018, almost 4,500 retail units were added to an ever-increasing empty list. So what is to be done? What will fill the void being created across our towns and cities?

Where will agitated landlords turn as they sift around the ever-increasing debris of their business models?

I’m hoping that, like me, you have had your fill of nail bars and chain restaurants, and agree that a new sense of social purpose should be injected back into these time-honoured locations, where people get together and cultivate communities.

Technology, of course, has been the disruptor for driving this change – but

it is not to be regarded as the great evil here. It has, on many occasions, made peoples’ lives much easier and has delivered products and outcomes at a much more rapid pace. It can also play its part at the heart of the high street renaissance. This being the case, how do office designers of the future embrace this opportunity to play a part in leading the way and acting as a catalyst to bring working literally into the shopfront?

How do they work with retail designers, planning authorities and clients to convince them that a movement of energy into the high street will pay dividends for all?

Creative co-operatives with a requirement for visibility and accessibility are already beginning to spring up around the UK as the potential of a truly creative gig economy takes off. Other industries will follow suit. It’s the beginning of a migration away from branded ivory towers dedicated to the sole purpose of a singular entity, towards a culture where the new office sits in a traditional retail space shared by workers from across the spectrum. Ask yourself this: would your client’s workforce rather travel to their office today or meet their friends in their local community, urban or rural, and use technology to get their job done in that location?

What would that space be? Is it an office? Why not?

SHARYN WHEELER

BARRY MACKAY

Lead Design Manager, RBS Group

Innovation Design Lead, RBS Group

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YOUR SOFT TECHNOLOGY

Technological devices are an intrinsic part of our everyday life. From daily social interactions to complex workflows, technology has become ubiquitous in both the home and work environment. As a society we have become used to the rigid and cold surfaces of the tech that permanently surrounds us, but in recent years there has been a shift in customers’ demands. As this digitised future becomes more apparent, society is

seeking a less invasive and more personalised relationship with technology. Tech companies are exploring softer materials and warmer colour palettes to integrate technology into our everyday surroundings. By working with textiles and seamless interfaces, the technological devices of the future will encourage more intimate and smooth interactions with them.

From Microsoft’s Surface Line laptops to Ikea’s SYMFONISK collaboration with Sonos, tech companies around the world are

promoting softer approaches to technology.

Coined by trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort in her ‘Softwear’ exhibition for Google during Milan Design Week in 2018, the term ‘Softwear’ explores the transition between hardware devices to ‘softerwear’ devices.

Through the use of softer design approaches, future devices will be seamlessly integrated into our surroundings and will feel like an extension of our home and life, rather than an intrusion.

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Space is becoming specialised. We are seeing a move towards creating spaces that are highly effective at supporting specific activities, be it highly customisable co-collaboration spaces or calming quiet rooms for deep, uninterrupted focus. So what’s next? Some see a future where expensive city centre offices become collaboration hubs. In this scenario, individual focused work is undertaken at home or in local coworking spaces.

Space is more connected. Connecting staircases and strategic circulation are now zones in their own right, supporting unstructured collaboration.

And why not take this concept a step further by designing connecting routes that could change, depending on which teams need to connect.

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Cheltenham Festival As regular readers will be all too aware, we like to get out and about. With both London and Manchester within easy reach of our editorial team, it’s important to us that we don’t just focus on these two centers. So, a day out in the lovely West Country ticks a number of boxes for us.

60 | Mix 199 November 2019

Case Study | SLG

▼ Main entrance

W

hen we do get out and about, we find ourselves in a whole number of different environments, from out-of-town business parks to emerging new CBDs. In fact, the one place we seldom seem to visit is the high street.

Well, that’s all changing today.

Gloucestershire beauty brands company, SLG, who has worked with clothing label Superdry, YouTube star, Zoella, and pop group, Little Mix, has moved its workspace into The Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham, literally opposite the likes of The Botanist and above Urban Outfitters, in the heart of the city’s retail centre.

SLG, who was previously based in sites in both Cheltenham and Gloucester, now calls this amazing 27,000 sq ft premises in The Brewery Quarter its home – or Studio 19, to be precise.

The relocation project therefore began as a practical necessity and then quickly evolved into a creative opportunity

What’s even more incredible is that said 27,000 sq ft comprises a single floorplate, one floor up from the bustling street level and, on entering the space, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you were in Chelsea Village or Shoreditch and not Cheltenham.

We’re met by SLG’s CEO, Miles Dunkley, and Tim White, the MD of design firm, Modus, who can talk us through this unique project. ‘It is fairly unique,’ Tim agrees, looking around the open space, ‘especially in a town such as Cheltenham, on a ‘high street’. It certainly helped that we had a client with a real vision and a great story to tell. This initially was going to be retail space when it was built – ground floor was retail and this was supposed to follow suit, hence the amazing ceiling heights. We started with an empty, concrete shell. It was great to have such a blank canvas to begin with.’

Mix 199 November 2019 | 61

Case Study | SLG

▼ Breakout space

Project Team Client SLG Interior Designer Modus Workspace Furniture Provider Platfform Ltd Flooring Suppliers Medifloor, Quadrant, Crucial Trading, Polyflor, Permafloor, Amtico, Smartply, Grestec, Forbo Furniture Suppliers Andrew Martin, Carl Hansen, Dauphin, Frovi, Gubi, Icons of Denmark, Knoll, Lapalma, Norr11, Style Matters, Techo, Relay Design, Bisley, Spacestor, Workstories, Pedrali, Rigg, ICF, Vitra, Allermuir Surfaces Suppliers Profile, Valley Blinds, Innerspace

During that first viewing, an early vision that came to my mind was for a gently arcing walkway to run the full length of the dramatic rectangular footprint, connecting one end to the other...

62 | Mix 199 November 2019

Tim tells us that the most significant intervention Modus added is the feature staircase in the centre of the space, which has allowed the entire floorplate to be opened up. Before taking the tour of the space, we ask about the working relationship between SLG and Modus. Had they collaborated before? ‘No, we were working on projects in Bristol and London for a client and the project manager was also working with SLG – and so introduced us to Miles and the team,’ Tim explains.

‘When I first saw the building, it was a vast and empty concrete shell,’ Miles recalls. ‘In fact, it was a larger space than the space we currently occupy because beyond the far wall is another 7,000 sq ft, which is also part of our lease and which we’ve subsequently sub-let. The tenant is a creative community workspace business, which is a great tenancy adjacency for us.

‘During that first viewing, an early vision that came to my mind was for a gently arcing walkway to run the full length of the dramatic rectangular footprint, connecting one end to the other – which we now call The Freeway. This would connect a stylish social area at one end to the various work areas at the other end.

‘The freeway flooring is made from skatepark OSB board, inferring an urban street culture vibe and we have customised SLG skateboards and a vintage

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▲ Chilli Bean room

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Case Study | SLG

▼ Reception area

Raleigh Chopper – which are available for anyone who wishes to glide rather than walk from A to B.’ As we stroll through the space, we ask Miles about the decision to make this move. ‘We were in the midst of a major business transformation,’ he explains. ‘We’d recently sold our manufacturing business in order to concentrate on our branded business and that left us with the end of a lease on that property, so we decided to bring all of our people together. The relocation project therefore began as a practical necessity and then quickly evolved into a creative opportunity.

‘We really wanted Studio 19 to express who we are – creative, fashion-centric, global. From there, a fusion of international café culture, relaxed luxury and contemporary workspace innovation emerged. The raw concrete space offered up design opportunities – for example, a vast concrete wall jutting out into the space became a giant media wall on one side and on the other we were able to accommodate a somewhat concealed social area, which we call The Pavilion. There’s a real buzz

64 | Mix 199 November 2019

here throughout the day – and it really helps bring together people who wouldn’t necessarily normally socialise.

‘The bleachers stand, which faces into the media wall, is also the scene for our major social events and at the diner bar we have drinks here on every payday Friday, and last month we brought in a local gin distillery pop-up as our guests. These were things we weren’t able to do previously.

‘Then we have the staff shop next door.’

When Miles says staff shop, what he is actually referring to is an amazing 20ft bright red shipping container where staff can get a 50% discount on goods. It's branded with a 'dispatch date' – 1985 – signifying when the company was founded, and the ETD of 04. MAR. 2019, signifying the date the company moved into the new space. ‘We had a bit of fun with this. It wasn’t the easiest thing to get into the space – but was very much part of this creative adventure we wanted to go on.

‘You’ll see that there is also a recurrence of street art throughout the space – and I feel the concrete walls really cried out for that. It’s real, artisan creativity, which says far more about us – fluid, unexpected and dynamic.’

The vibe is continued through many of the finishes and materials throughout the space,

We really wanted Studio 19 to express who we are – creative, fashion-centric, global

▲ Bleacher seating

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▼ The Pavilion

▼ Tea point

including the floor. ‘This was Modus’ idea – to fuse faux concrete with skatepark materials, which I thought was great and really expressed us accurately. Our brands are for young people and this is really on point for those brands, while also naturally working with the fabric of the building.’

Making further use of the aforementioned wall, there is a campus space, complete with bleacher seating and a giant presentation screen on the other side of The Pavilion. The versatile space can be used for formal presentations, staff get-togethers and even yoga sessions.

‘Our company designs, develops, distributes, markets and owns beauty brands – it’s a truly holistic approach,’ Miles explains. ‘It was therefore important to us that we have our R&D laboratory within this environment and that it was a very visible element of our functioning.’

Moving back through the floor, we pass Hammock Avenue – which overlooks the street below and features hanging chairs, imported from Brazil, allowing staff to get away from their desks.

The Chilli Bean room, on the other hand, is a space where SLG’s people can really chill out. There are no shoes allowed in this quiet, analogue retreat, Miles tells us.

We return to the centre of the space, where the meet and greet facility (there is no reception desk or barrier here) sits opposite the new staircase.

Inspired by mid-century design, there is a great selection of cool seating products and soft furnishings across the space. ‘We really wanted to create a sense of arrival and welcoming theatre here, rather than putting in a standard staircase and a corporate reception,’ Tim explains.

To the other side of the space we find smart open plan working, a creative lounge and, on the Breakout area ▶

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Case Study | SLG

perimeter, a series of glazed meeting rooms and offices, and the boardroom.

The latter is particularly striking, featuring masses of non-corporate graffiti on the ceiling (including a couple of hidden messages, we’re told).

Speaking of graffiti, we pass a pillar in the Freeway that is clad with love and peace motifs and features a really touching detail; the names of three women who worked at SLG are ‘tagged’ on there, following the sad and untimely deaths of Emily, Mon and Jan in the last four years. ‘This means they’ll always be here with us,’ Miles says.

We can’t leave without checking out the bathrooms, we’re told. And we can see why.

They boast shelves of the company’s own brand products, alongside GHDs and Dyson hairdryers. ‘Our people might want to go out on a Friday straight from work – well now they can get themselves ready right here,’ Miles grins as he helps himself to a spray of Superdry Body Spray.

‘There are a lot of ideas here – real Instagram moments – but they are also deeply considered,’ Miles concludes. ‘That said, there’s spontaneity too. It’s iterative. Modus were brilliant at organising and amplifying all those ideas.’ w

The Client SLG is the creator of some of the high street's leading fashionable beauty brands. It fuses trend, fashion, lifestyle and popular culture into its successful beauty brand offerings.

SLG designs, develops and markets these brands to the global beauty market and has a reputation for creativity and trend awareness. It has worked with clothing label Superdry, YouTube star, Zoella, and pop group, Little Mix. The company's portfolio of brands covers cosmetics, bath and body, fragrance, haircare, beauty accessory and lifestyle categories.

SLG was formed in Gloucester in 1985 and today remains a familyowned business.

▲ Boardroom

Mix 199 November 2019 | 67

Case Study | Artek

Artek Exploration When our friends at Vitra offered us an opportunity to head out to Finland to take a look at all things Artek, we were hardly going to say no! So when we received the exciting itinerary for the trip, which included a tour of the new Artek workspace in the centre of Helsinki, we ran and packed our bags.

We’ve made this space much warmer, to allow people to come and relax – to get away from work for a few moments

A

rtek was founded in Helsinki in 1935 by four young idealists: Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen, and Nils-Gustav Hahl.

Their goal was ‘to sell furniture and to promote a modern culture of living by exhibitions and other educational means’.

In keeping with the radical spirit of its founders, today Artek remains an innovative player in the world of modern design, developing new products at the intersection of design, architecture and art.

The Artek collection consists of furniture, lighting, and accessories designed by Finnish masters and leading international designers.

The name Artek is a synthesis of ‘art’ and ‘technology’ – concepts central to the international modernist movement that came to prominence in the 1920s. Technology was understood to include science and industrial production methods, while the conception of art extended beyond the fine arts to encompass architecture and design.

Alvar Aalto’s pioneering work, in the spirit of the great architects of the 20th century, was a significant factor in the worldwide proliferation of Nordic design, inspiration to generations of designers, and a core element of Artek’s success.

Today, Alvar Aalto is still central to Artek, both in the timeless designs that form a major part of Communal area with compact library.

Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo.

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Mix 199 November 2019 | 69

Case Study | Artek

▼ Team work station and a glimpse of the main negotiation room.. Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo

▲ A view from communal area to the corridor Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo

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the collection and in the enduring influence of his design legacy.

And, just in case you were wondering why it was Vitra who invited us to visit the fantastic city of Helsinki, the Swiss leader acquired Artek back in 2013, having seen the perfect synergy between the two brands.

Artek has now moved its headquarters to new premises in central Helsinki. Situated in an elegant 19th century building at Mannerheimintie 12 B, the new space is just a few minutes' walk from the flagship Artek Store. It was conceived as a working showroom where architects and dealers can bring clients to experience Artek and Vitra products.

Inside, interior architect Sevil Peach has designed an open environment that inspires a new way of working.

Spread across 470 sq m, the new space puts people first. The bright and brilliant new headquarters empowers users to work in various ways depending on their individual tasks and needs. We’re fortunate enough to be given the guided tour of the space by Artek Managing Director, Marianne Goebl, who clearly loves not just the interior, but also how it has changed the way her team is able to work. ‘This is still all quite new for us – but it has made a real difference,’ Marianne tells us. ‘We were previously just around the corner. The offices were super-charming but they were made up of small, individual spaces and we realised that we really needed to work in open

Project Team Client Artek Architect & Interior Designer Sevil Peach Office – architects Sevil Peach and Carla Rocneanu Furniture Provider & Supplier Artek & Vitra Flooring Suppliers StoCretec Gmbh Surfaces Suppliers Paroc Storage Suppliers Artek, Vitra, Dexion Carpentry Petri Särkkö Other Suppliers Kvadrat, Contract Deco

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Case Study | Artek

space. We worked with Sevil Peach because we felt that she is the best when it comes to creating that domestic, home feel that we really wanted. We always work closely with the local team here and we knew that Sevil was the designer we’d like to bring in. She really knows and understands Artek – and also understands the world of the office.

‘This is a very patrician house from the 19th century and Sevil has created almost an industrial, direct ‘sandwich’ here. She has used clever, costeffective finishes such as the flooring and acoustic panels – and then left the ceiling exposed to maximise the height.

‘The space is organised by teams, who are connected by breakout and meeting spaces. This is also a live showroom – so we have the ‘playground’

to allow people to come and relax – to get away from work for a few moments. We’re also planning to hold client dinners here, which I think will be fantastic.’

Marianne leads us through to the back of the space and tells us that we’re about to enter one of the most important areas of the environment.

‘This is the ‘negotiation room’,’ she smiles. ‘You can completely cocoon yourself in this room by pulling the curtains all around.’

The beautiful room features beautiful joinery, oversized table and dramatic lighting. It’s a facility fit for major deals and negotiations.

Overall, the space is incredibly flexible and human-centred, offering a balance of collaborative spaces and private zones where Artek’s people,

here for our clients to come in and work with our team on their projects. This is incredibly flexible, with both low stools and high stools for either sitting or standing height presentations.

‘The heart of the space is the marketplace, where people can meet in the custom-designed kitchen. We’ve made this space much warmer,

their clients and their dealer network (the biggest part of the business here in Finland) can retreat and concentrate. ‘We’ve found that more and more clients are now coming to see us – for breakfasts and for evening events – which is just great!’

Marianne enthuses. ‘They are really, really using this space.’

We’ve found that more and more clients are now coming to see us – for breakfasts and for evening events – which is just great!

▼ Sample library with a height adjustable coworking table and set of stools in two heights. Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo.

▲ The negotiation room features a round table

by Vitra as well as Domus Chairs and A330 Pendant Lights from the Artek collection.

Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo.

Mix 199 November 2019 | 73

Case Study | Artek

▼ The chair model library stored behind curtains Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo

▼ A room for the sales team: workstations are accompanied by the round Kaari table and Chair 69 by Artek, together with Alcove sofas by Vitra.

Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo.

The light is a major issue in Helsinki, therefore the interior is as light as possible to help work against those long, dark days

▲ The communal area offers space for coffee, lunch breaks and spontaneous meetings Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo.

74 | Mix 199 November 2019

The use of historical and contemporary Artek furniture – together with complementary Vitra designs – helps create a friendly, softer yet functional environment, with beautiful fabrics and a stunning art collection providing pops of colour throughout.

Although the sun is shining brightly throughout our visit, Marianne tells us that the nights will soon be drawing in and, therefore, the days will be getting considerably shorter. It’s therefore important that the large windows allow as much of the limited natural light into the space, which is supported by a sensitive interior lighting scheme and bright finishes. ‘The light is a major issue in Helsinki, therefore the interior is as light as possible to help work against those long, dark days,’ Marianne explains.

Our memorable (and largely sunny) trip continued with a visit to the astonishing Paimio Sanatorium (an incredible former tuberculosis sanatorium designed by Aalto back in 1929) and the Artek factory near the city of Turku. If you get the chance, all are well worth a visit. w

The Client Artek was founded in 1935 in Helsinki by Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl.

The name Artek is a synthesis of 'art' and ‘technology’ – concepts central to the international modernist movement that started in the 1920s.

Several million units of Artek’s iconic Stool 60 and Stool E60 have been sold, making it one of the most cherished products in the history of design.

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▲ Feature Staircase (wood donated

by Worktop Express)

En Pointe We’re going to shock you now. We don’t actually know a great deal about ballet.

We also don’t know a great deal about London City Island. Well, we’ve travelled to the latter to discover more about the former – and, without giving too much away, there’s far more to both than we realised.

S

o when our friends at BW: Workplace Experts told us that they had recently completed their first leisure and arts project, with the management of the fit-out of the new home for the prestigious English National Ballet (ENB) and English National Ballet School, we thought it was about time we fed our cultural souls.

The 93,000 sq ft development is located on London City Island, which is the iconic new Ecoworld Ballymore riverside neighbourhood in east London.

76 | Mix 199 November 2019

The brand new building now accommodates a greatly enhanced offering for the ENB, its 74 dancers and supporting cast.

Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, ENB’s new home combines state-of-the-art training, teaching, rehabilitation facilities, alongside stagesized rehearsal studios, meeting rooms and a unique production space unrivalled in the capital.

The new location, which has stunning views of Canary Wharf, is one of the best-connected sites in London, with City Airport, the London Underground, DLR and bus facilities all in close proximity. English National Ballet sits in the centre of City Island, next to the currently serene Trinity Square. Not that we can see that serenity lasting, as the Island continues to grow and, with it, a real vibrancy, as other creative and arts-led organisations move in, alongside restaurants, bars and cafés.

It is a really unique space – and, as a touring company, we can usually only get into a theatre the day before a performance, so this is a real game-changer for us

Case Study | English National Ballet

We make our way into the impressive, open entrance to the English National Ballet’s new home, where we meet with BW MD Peter Nagle.

‘The transformation here is pretty astounding,’ Peter tells us as we take in our surroundings. ‘We originally tendered competitively for the project and there was a delay with the base build, but we are delighted with how the space has been transformed. The shell and core of the building was donated to ENB by EcoWorld Ballymore. My favourite part of the entire space has to be the staircase – which is absolutely stunning.’

It really is. The incredible cantilevered staircase, in timber and black, dramatically stretches through the entirety of the building, offering fantastic, open event spaces at each floor, with super-sized ballet photography hung adjacently.

‘We were previously in Kensington, just next to the Royal Albert Hall. We had two decent sized studios and a small kitchen space – so the difference in facilities to this is really night and day,’ an ENB spokesperson notes.

‘This foyer is a public space. People can come in and make use of the space, especially, the café, while we also have our new Production Studio on

▼ Rehearsal Studios

▲ Meeting rooms as viewed from Buchanan Green Room ◀ Feature staircase in the Dorfman Foyer

Project Team Client English National Ballet Architect Glenn Howell Architects Fit-Out BW: Workplace Experts Furniture Provider Audience Systems Ltd Flooring Suppliers Harlequin Floors Other Suppliers Unusual Rigging, AECOM

Mix 199 November 2019 | 77

Case Study | English National Ballet

the ground floor. This means that we can rehearse productions as if we were rehearsing them on a stage. It is a huge facility and we can bring backdrops and the wings into place, while our tech teams can rehearse all of their lighting and sound.

It is a really unique space – and, as a touring company, we can usually only get into a theatre the day before a performance, so this is a real gamechanger for us.’

‘We worked with a company called Unusual Rigging,’ Peter tells us. ‘They do some amazing work in theatres all around London. They were recommended to us by ENB – and they were absolutely fantastic.’

‘It’s quite rugged and ‘undressed’ but that’s because this is a rehearsal space and will be dressed by the production people here accordingly,’ Peter adds.

We head up the aforementioned staircase to the first floor, where we’re shown the costume department. Supported by CHANEL, the costume department is another key addition for the Company. We watch the dedicated costumiers working on Christmas costumes for Nutcracker – and we’re told that these facilities are an incredible upgrade.

This new space boasts seven large studios for rehearsals and teaching, a health suite (including

▲ Poster of Akram Khan’s Giselle (photo Jason Bell) as viewed from top of feature staircase

This new facility means that there has clearly been as much of a cultural shift for the Company as there has a geographical one

▼ Production studio

a gym, pilates studio, hydrotherapy pool and rehabilitation facilities), dedicated engagement spaces to further English National Ballet’s work with the local community and wellbeing programme, including its flagship Dance for Parkinson’s programme and a dedicated music room, and space for the English National Ballet Philharmonic to rehearse on site.

This new facility means that there has clearly been as much of a cultural shift for the Company as there has a geographical one. We now have open plan offices, which is very different for our admin staff.

The office space is bright and open, featuring smart workplace solutions juxtaposed with the raw materials of the base build. ‘Again, it’s been such a positive change for the staff here,’ we’re told.

▲ Rehearsal studios

78 | Mix 199 November 2019

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Case Study | English National Ballet

▼ Dorfman Foyer

▲ Buchanan Green Room

▲ Meeting room

We now have open plan offices, which is very different for our admin staff, while our dancers’ way of working has completely changed; they have these amazing facilities and they have much more rehearsal time because there is so much more studio space

80 | Mix 199 November 2019

‘Whereas people used to email each other, they can now simply call or walk across to them. It’s made a huge difference to have everybody in the one, open space.’

‘We’re really proud to have been involved with the fit-out of ENB’s new state-of-the-art home,’ Peter tells us. ‘This brings an exciting journey to a conclusion and we are delighted with the end product – seeing ENB using and performing in the space has been truly inspiring.’

We feel pretty inspired ourselves. We never doubted the amazing skill, dedication and physicality that went into a leading ballet performance.

What we hadn’t considered were all the incredible people and facilities it takes to make those performances shine, from fitness suites that would look at home in a Premier League football club, through to brilliantly creative costume makers.

We certainly know more now than when we arrived on London City Island. Encore. w

The Client English National Ballet was founded in 1950 by the British dance couple, Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin.

The company was originally named Festival Ballet, going through several name changes before becoming the English National Ballet in 1989.

Each female dancer gets an allowance of up to 10 pairs of pointe shoes per month, costing the Company more than £100,000 per year!

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Written by Georgia Elliot-Smith Director, Element 4

I

n 1990, BREEAM became the world’s first certification standard for the creation of more environmentally friendly buildings. It wasn’t until 2000 that the US Green Building Council followed suit, releasing its own version, LEED. In 2014, riding the wave of our modern obsession with wellness, the WELL Building Standard burst onto the scene as the first standard, focused entirely on the health of occupants.

Where WELL made a startling difference was by presenting the most recent research on how profoundly human physiology and psychology is affected by the built environment, offering a set of design and operation criteria to address this.

Based on the ideals of improving health, increasing user satisfaction and ultimately achieving the employers’ holy grail of boosted productivity. Who doesn’t want that?

Then reality hit. For early adopters, an enormous task unfolded. Consultants and internal project managers embarked on an Everest-steep learning curve. The 100+ credits were heavily scientific and based on the US market. Some of the criteria simply couldn’t be achieved with existing UK materials and technology.

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Focus | Fitwel

▲ One Dorset Street – biophillia

What became startlingly clear was that WELL was only for those with deep pockets and long attention spans. It required an astonishing level of commitment, investigation and additional consultancy support beyond that of a common-orgarden BREEAM certification. In addition, 80% of UK property was constructed before 1980. Trying to achieve a WELL certification on those properties would be an expensive lesson in futility.

To their enormous credit, the International WELL Building Institute spent a lot of time engaging with experienced practitioners like myself and, in response to our feedback, released Version 2 in 2018, addressing many of the teething problems, watering down or removing some of the more outrageous time-sinks and money-pits.

By the end of 2017, a new kid, named Fitwel, appeared on the block. Increased awareness and desire for healthier buildings generated by WELL’s prolific PR had created a desire for a wellbeing standard that could be applied to any property of any age and condition, not just the slick and shiny Grade-A city monoliths.

Fitwel fits that brief beautifully, which is down to its origins with the US government’s estates

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Focus | Fitwel

▼ One Dorset Street reception

Terrible daylight, but plenty of cycle parking? No problem.

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department, the General Services Administration. Devised for application to any property, regardless of its age, condition, location or demographic, property owners are now able to focus on what’s possible within their immediate budget, and make progress towards more stretching initiatives over time.

It has two striking differences from WELL. First – and I believe most importantly – is the cost.

Compared to BREEAM, LEED and WELL, Fitwel is refreshingly good value both in its certification fees and the consultancy support required.

The second major differentiator is its complexity – Fitwel makes for easy reading. Consisting of 70 strategies to improve health and wellbeing in a property, each has a different points value, totalling 144 for the whole scorecard. Certification is by reaching points thresholds – which strategies you adopt to get those points is up to you and this is what makes it so great for older properties. Terrible daylight, but plenty of cycle parking? No problem.

Got the budget to install drinking fountains, but not showers? Don’t stress. Fitwel is for everyone – but don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s easy.

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Focus | Fitwel

▼ One Dorset Street exterior

There a strong focus on emergency preparedness, which can be the most immediate health risk of all. For example, central London buildings might want to consider terrorist attacks or armed intruders. Out-of-town locations may have different concerns.

The standard is also easy to adapt to varying budgets and desired sophistication. Strategy 4.7 proposes an amenities display, informing occupants of local health and leisure opportunities – whether you choose to install an all-whistlesand-bells touchscreen display or a simple corkboard is immaterial. There is also a strong focus on community integration, reducing the ffect of unwelcoming commercial deserts, devoid of public art, leisure and other amenities.

For office occupiers (aren’t we all?) it provides a structured, holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Those of us who have sat through company wellbeing forums will know that a committed couch-potato is hardly going to leap at the opportunity of slipping into Lycra – cycle-towork schemes are taken up by those who already cycle and, if I’m struggling with mental health, the last place I’ll choose to read about it is on the company intranet. Anyone who wants to address health and wellbeing in a structured manner, have meaningful conversations with their tenants and better engage their staff would do very well to take a look at Fitwel.w

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▲ One Dorset Street public realm

Anyone who wants to address health and wellbeing in a structured manner, have meaningful conversations with their tenants and better engage their staff would do very well to take a look at Fitwel

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Roundtable

Collaborate and Listen

I

n a world where it has never been easier to communicate, the likelihood of communication breakdown never seems greater. It is widely believed that increased communication leads to better results. But is this true? What is the optimum level of communication and how can a workplace be created to satisfy this? With the help of a wonderful roundtable cohort, we focus on the subject of creating the optimum level of collaboration.

THE DISCUSSION We begin by discussing the changes in collaborative working over the past decade or so – both in terms of end users and within the design community.

Sarah: I think that, some time ago, you could take interiors and architecture and for a long time they would bump heads. One would be the superstar architect, the other the superstar interior designer, one was about the public realm and one was about the people and the experience. Then all of a sudden we’re in a very different age where you have to work together to achieve success. There’s no single discipline anymore – it has all come together and I think you have to understand all of this and come together with what used to be the ‘enemy’ to make yourself better at your job and to achieve the results for your client that you need to achieve. You have to be more open and you have to understand that there’s this bleeding component where you need to know about what everybody else is doing – and you also need to know when you’re not the expert any more. That’s okay – there’s nothing wrong with that.

Then you start to get a project team that is beautiful, cohesive and collaborative.

Tim: That’s the true collaboration – when it’s not forced.

Nick: The designers here create those collaborative spaces but our job is to take on that collaborative role in terms of the actual delivery of a project – to make sure the project is run and delivered as

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you guys expect it be. I do think that there are still transactional clients out there who are not necessarily interested in the collaborative side of things – all they want is a product at the end of the process. But generally, over the last 10 years, collaboration has come to the fore. It’s become a buzzword that’s thrown around a lot. People walk into pitches and tell you they’re collaborative – and if you don’t work in that way then you’re probably not going to get anywhere.

Maz: One thing that I do still find a little bit archaic is when contractors come to us and tell us how something’s going to get designed – as a designer, I wouldn’t turn around to a contractor and tell them how to put up a wall! Great collaboration is when the contractor turns around and tells you that what you’ve designed looks great on paper, but the reality is that getting it physically made and for the clients to have to look after it, day two might be problematic – and then the project can evolve.

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE JUST ONE, WOULD YOU PREFER TO WORK IN OPEN PLAN OR IN YOUR OWN QUIET, INDIVIDUAL SPACE? Sarah: I would say open plan all day long – with a coffee shop if possible! I grew up in the States working in open plan. I don’t even like headphones in the office. You’ll never see me in headphones in the office because I believe you learn by osmosis and the environment around you.

Tim: Open plan!

Emily: I would be in a cubicle with headphones on!

Maybe that says more about me…I can be easily distracted.

Nick: Definitely open plan for me. I like the energy of sitting around other people – but with the proviso that there is space to get away and work quietly.

Bernhard: My preference is to be amongst my team – to listen to the daily needs and requirements.

Again, at the same time, I do need space where I can sit and close myself off.

Charlotte: My preference is definitely open plan – as long as it is comfortable.

Maz: I’m very much open plan – I like my tunes and I like noise. I do know that my colleagues would occasionally like to push me into a dark cupboard.

Mus: Because I like to focus – and I do find it hard to focus and I am quite talkative and social – I do like to work on my sofa. So a quiet space would be best for me.

Gaynor: Very much task-based for me. In the main, I would say open plan – most of my creative work is done in the open plan.

I definitely think that collaboration is not just about people sitting around together. It’s about commonality of purpose – so wanting to have an outcome that everybody wants to be part of and the communication and coordination that goes with that

Emily: From my point of view, the way we build information modeling is a visual representation of collaboration. So you’re talking to your engineers and they’re updating something in the model in real time – and you can then avoid that clash. And this collaborative approach is achieved through technology.

Tim: I definitely think that collaboration is not just about people sitting around together. It’s about commonality of purpose – so wanting to have an outcome that everybody wants to be part of and the communication and coordination that goes with that. I also think it’s about the culture. You find some organisations that are great at having all of those things together – and others that don’t do it very well. That’s largely down to the leadership of that organisation and how they are viewed. All of that stuff surfaces and manifests itself either virtually in the tools that you use and give people, or in the

In Association with

Roundtable

physical manifestation in creating those spaces where people are brought together. We have a range of tools we use to bring people together – possibly the most successful is Zoom. It has some interesting features, you don’t have to be in corporate space to use it, you can use it on any device, it has got white boarding, it has content sharing…

Maz: The shared screen is amazing – and you can also record the meeting, which is really cool.

Tim: Our experience is that there is still a need for some people to do analogue stuff – so a lot of our developers want to put post-it notes up but they want to record that digitally. Then you have other

Emily: We use Slack – and that’s really good. It enables different teams from within our own office to collaborate. It’s more like a messenger group.

people, such as our developers in India, who want to be part of that experience of being in that workshop without being in that workshop. It’s a mixture of being able to draw stuff, post stuff, record it and also have a face-to-face, life-sized conversation with someone rather than having a face in a tiny little corner of the screen.

Tim: One of the great things about this is, when people use these systems from home, it somehow brings more of them into the office.

Maz: People can even take over your computer to show your stuff – so it is truly collaborative.

Mus: Conference calls are almost always a fail.

People hate doing it. There is so much lost in translation when you have a conference call. You need to turn the camera on and have that face-toface conversation – and you can be anywhere to do this. To be able to work from anywhere is very much part of this collaboration. There are some useless systems out there – but there are also some really good ones now.

Sarah: Collaboration is really interesting because it means different things to different people. As we get into the human aspect it becomes a much deeper thing. It’s about understanding the diverse groups who work with you and how they communicate and what collaboration means to each and every individual. So one person might be more than happy to be at home, whereas I might feel a need to be there in that room with three other people.

So how do you truly collaborate when you have such a diverse group of people? How do you design a collaborative space that allows everyone to get involved?

Maz: But do they all need to get involved?

Gaynor: You have to develop a variety of spaces that cater for different needs. We’ve been doing a lot of collaborative spaces recently – and it’s not just about the formal collaborative spaces, it’s about the areas that are very informal, which we call ‘collision zones’; places where people are walking to and from places or grabbing a drink. For those people who don’t like the idea of formal collaboration or don’t sit very well in a group of people, this gives them an opportunity to approach people, grab a coffee and chat with individuals.

Sarah: Anywhere and everywhere can be a place for collaboration.

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There is so much lost in translation when you have a conference call. You need to turn the camera on and have that face-to-face conversation – and you can be anywhere to do this

Roundtable

Make the corridors wider and make breakout areas more comfortable, to create spaces to relax in, because that journey around the office could be an opportunity to bump into and chat with someone who might not be so comfortable in a formal setting

areas more comfortable, to create spaces to relax in, because that journey around the office could be an opportunity to bump into and chat with someone who might not be so comfortable in a formal setting.

So, our guests around the table are clearly more than aware of what collaboration means and how to best achieve it – including our end user guests, Charlotte and Tim – but do the majority of end users have that same awareness and knowledge?

Muz: We’ve even made the corridors collaboration space – and we’ve pulled meeting rooms apart to create a pathway through them; these are the real intimate zones that people crave.

Sarah: When people feel comfort, then they communicate – and when people communicate they are collaborating.

Maz: That’s why, when people just perch on a desk, they are still collaborating.

Charlotte: This is why I like to work in open plan.

For my job I need to be around everybody, to know everybody’s needs – but I do need to be comfortable.

Sarah: People need to be comfortable – because only then can you be you! If you can create spaces for everyone to be comfortable then you will have success – because then you’re happy and then you’ll come out of your shell…

Tim: You can collaborate and not be co-located though. That suits different personality types.

Emily: You have to take those opportunities to make the corridors wider and to make breakout

Nick: I’d like to think that the majority of our clients are quite educated and know what they’re doing when it comes to understanding the terminology around collaboration. They’ve probably done quite extensive workplace assessments before they undertake the full design and fit-out. For example, a fit-out we’ve just completed for a financial institution has breakout spaces, collaborative spaces, tea points, soft fittings throughout – so even though it’s still fixed desking, they’ve created a space where people are not locking themselves away in meeting rooms, they have plenty of spaces to come together and they are out in the open.

Sarah: When you think about the dedicated desk and you go to oversubscription and you start to look at ways to balance your real estate against productivity, with your choice environments, you are actually giving back – in my opinion – to the individual because it starts to ‘force’ people to use the spaces you’ve created. For the right individual, this enhances those collision/collaboration opportunities – however, it also gives people the chance to say, ‘I don’t want to move from this desk and I’m going to sit here every day and that’s ok’.

Tim: It’s a bit of a double-edged sword actually because, as you ramp up your membership, you do get these collisions and then you get people who

In Association with

Roundtable

start to create a work pattern that suits them – but you also create difficulty in some people struggling to have a centre of gravity, a place where they are comfortable. So the linkage of teams can become more challenging. There is sometimes a desire for more certainty of place.

Charlotte: I think this is often down to who the teams are, what their roles are – which goes back to what we were saying earlier about some people being very analogue and liking post-it notes, and then you have the tech guys, who can be quite introverted and maybe don’t want to talk too much

Maybe a sofa doesn’t work in a particular space – it’s ok for certain elements not to work. Change them. Just

and only really want to collaborate with their own team, while others love a white board and want everybody to know their stuff. It’s all about the personalities. It’s about having a mix of collaboration spaces.

don’t force people to work the space

Maz: I think a lot of this is psychological – and about understanding that a space is allowed to change once a space is done. Maybe a sofa doesn’t work in a particular space – it’s okay for certain elements not to work. Change them. Just don’t force people to work in the space.

Emily: Watching people and learning how they use the spaces is so important. When looking at a space, we always talk about what people would need – do they have access to power, can they pull stools up, can they stick things on the wall? What can we do to help them achieve that collaboration without them having to think about it? As designers, we think we know where people want to work and how they are going to collaborate – but that might not be how the user sees it.

CONCLUSION It’s clear that, in order to achieve optimum levels of collaboration, people need to feel comfortable – both mentally and physically. ‘Accidental’ collision points are nothing new (think water cooler moments) but neither is the human psyche. People will always bump into one another and chat – in other words, collaborate. When it comes to more formal collaboration, we can use tea points, soft seating elements (as our sponsor, Flokk, will be delighted to hear) and relaxing breakout spaces to encourage people to come together, while technology also allows us to virtually come together.

Yep, you can even collaborate from the beach.w

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Roundtable

OUR GUESTS

GAYNOR TAYLOR

EMILY FIDDES

CHARLOTTE GREEN

Director, Mansfield Monk

Intermediate Designer, IA Interior Architects

Senior Manager, EMEA Facilities, Splunk

Emily is a designer in the London office of IA Interior Architects. Emily joined the firm in 2017 and has quickly developed an impressive design portfolio. Her clients include one of the largest global online retailers, with whom she is working on projects in Madrid, Bratislava, and Gdansk, as well as Ireland’s national radio and television broadcaster. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree from Northumbria University.

Charlotte spent some 10 years in London, managing large buildings in the serviced office world, before taking on an exciting role at Splunk six years ago. Splunk is a leading platform for operational intelligence and she manages the evergrowing EMEA office portfolio. She has a small but growing team across EMEA and is responsible for finding new offices, engaging with agents, suppliers and project teams to find and fit-out new offices across EMEA.

With over 20 years' experience, Gaynor is passionate about designing great working environments which exceed client’s expectations; spaces that combine functionality and creativity, which can adapt to the ever-changing nature of the workplace. Developing innovative solutions, which enhance the cultural and business objectives of the client, is key to project success and Gaynor enjoys working closely with her clients, from inception through to completion, to realise their goals.

MUSTAFA AFSAROGLU

NICK HOFFMAN

MAZ MAHMOUDI

Co-Founder, Taner's Sons–Design Studio

Contracts Manager, Mace

Director, 3equals1 Design

Mustafa started Taner’s Sons-Design Studio with his brother; focusing on challenging the ordinary in architecture and design. As the young, funny and good-looking member of TS-DS, Mus started his career at Foster and Partners, moving on to HLW, where he flourished as a designer working with clients such as Google, Facebook and Amazon.

At TS-DS, they are pushing the mould, creating extraordinary experiences, from loo interiors to mixed-use architectural developments.

Nick has spent 12 years delivering some of the most exciting high-end fit-out and refurbishment projects within the London and UK market for Mace. Nick works with a diverse range of clients in various sectors, spanning legal, pharmaceutical, technology, coworking, media and finance. He also takes great pride and enjoyment developing young and ambitious members of his team to be the future leaders of the industry.

Maz established 3equals1 Design in 2010 and has grown the business into a full-service workplace consultancy, delivering innovative, user-friendly work environments for a range of clients across the UK. Driven by her passion for people, Maz works hard at instilling an energetic approach to workplace design into her team.

The company mantra – #makingworklive – is a natural development of her own desire to make the process of creating workplaces engaging and fun.

SARAH BROWN

TIM YENDELL

BERNARD VAN OMMEN

Project Director, tp bennett

Head of RBS Choice & Design, RBS

UK Managing Director, Flokk

Tim leads ‘RBS Choice’, the bank’s workplace programme, and one of the central enablers for the transformation of RBS, driving workplace culture change through activity-based working, financial and property portfolio performance and digital transformation. He also leads the bank’s office design strategy, which includes all office design and development, research and innovation, and strategic partnerships, to continue to develop and evolve the bank’s future workplace.

Since 2018, Bernhard has been the UK Managing Director of Scandinavian furniture makers, Flokk – a global brand encompassing HAG, RH, OFFECCT, BMA, RBM and GIROFLEX. Passionate about designing ergonomically excellent products in the most sustainable materials, Flokk has production units in Norway, Sweden, Poland and Switzerland.

At Flokk, Bernhard is working with dealer partners to build the brand in the A&D community from the Clerkenwell showroom.

As a Project Director at tp bennett, Sarah brings industry experience from working across many sectors, including serviced office, law, financial, and commercial. Sarah has a passion for developing strong relationships, promoting teamwork and striving to deliver the best for each client. Her interest and background in both workplace consultancy and interior design allow her to guide clients through each phase of a project with seamless transition and support.

In Association with

Review | BCO Awards

Located at the heart of a multi-purpose redevelopment project in the centre of London, 2 Television City is an inspired example of the modern workplace. It delivers innovative amenities including a top-level swimming pool, a variety of workspaces and an impressive exterior that fits seamlessly with its surrounding site. The resulting office is one that is as innovative as it is respectful of its history – an accomplishment the judges agreed is no mean feat. - ‘Best of the Best’ and ‘Commercial Workplace’

Council Approval We always look forward to seeing the list of British Council for Offices’ (BCO) awards winners. More than anything else, we like to ensure that we’re on the right track when it comes to the projects we’re covering – and, once again, we’re delighted to report that we’re most definitely on the right track, having focused on a number of the 2019 winners.

L

ondon’s 2 Television Centre was celebrated as ‘Best of the Best’ at the BCO National Awards recently, also taking home the ‘Commercial Workplace’ award. The Centre was joined by six other award winners, each recognised as leading examples of excellence in office space.

The BCO’s respected National Awards programme recognises top quality office design and functionality and sets the standard for excellence across the office sector in the UK. The ceremony itself attracted over 1,200 key players from the office industry sector, who celebrated the best-in-class talent as the winners from the 2019 Regional Awards programme attended Grosvenor House, hoping to take home the National Award for their category.

Tony Hordon, Chair of the National Judging Committee, commented: ‘Every year, the nominees for the BCO’s National Awards reach impeccable

standards and this year has proven itself to be no different. Our entrants are among the most high profile, challenging and innovative projects in our sector and it has been an honour to spend my first year as Chair of the National Judging Committee evaluating such exceptional work. My congratulations to the teams involved – you should all be very proud.’

Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, added: ‘The standard of nominees at our National Awards astounds me each year. This year has been no exception – I have been struck by the inventiveness of this year’s projects, all of whom challenged themselves to push the boundaries of what best practice looks like. Even during uncertainty, our industry continues to grow and produce exceptional work. Congratulations to all nominees, our highly commended entrants and, of course, the award winners themselves.’

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Review | BCO Awards

The full list of winners is:

1. ‘Best of the Best ’ and ‘Commercial Workplace’: 2 Television Centre, London 2. ‘Projects up to 1,500’: Live Works, Newcastle 3. ‘Fit Out of Workplace’: Deloitte HQ, 1 New Street Square, London 4. ‘Corporate Workplace’: Janet Nash House, Durham 5. ‘Innovation’: Ingenuity House, Interserve UK Hub, Birmingham 6. ‘Test of Time’: PwC, 1 Embankment Place, London 7. ‘Refurbished/ Recycled Workplace’: Hanover, Manchester

Live Works is part of Newcastle’s everevolving cultural quarter. The project has delivered a vibrant hub of activity in what was previously a remarkable void in the Quayside.

Tasked with delivering a commercial building in a challenging cultural context, the project is an example of how a single build can bring together disparate elements of its surrounding environment – and, in doing so, create a community-focused space.

- ‘Projects up to 1,500’

2 4

4

2 3 Deloitte HQ is an astounding fit-out that consistently goes the extra mile to put occupier experience at the heart of its design. Additional staircases, improved facilities and smart technology are set within a rich variety of flexible workspaces, which enable employees to feel more connected to each other and their clients. - ‘Fit Out of Workplace'

Janet Nash House is the new European HQ for City Electrical Factors.

The materials used throughout are a celebration of its occupier’s trade, with the design mirroring the electrical cable. The office has been built to combine a variety of workstations, allowing the occupier to bring together all of its departments into one central location. Two distinctive blocks accommodate different working needs while a central atrium creates a sense of community and connectivity between the two.

- ‘Corporate Workplace’

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Review | BCO Awards

Ingenuity House won the Innovation Award for successfully transforming the occupier’s way of working. The office focuses on health and wellbeing to create a community from what was previously a disparate network of regional offices. The judges agreed the greatest innovation is the provision of an intelligent occupier analysis system, which allows the occupier, Interserve, to adjust core FM settings to maximise the use of space and minimise energy consumption. - ‘Innovation’

PwC’s Embankment office has truly stood the test of time.

The project has genuinely led a transformation of working culture through a considered programme that increases the diversity of workstations, breaks down hierarchies and continues to change the way people work. The result is an office that has become a ‘destination’ and community for its people, far outgrowing its status as a workplace. - 'Test of Time’

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5

7 Hanover in Manchester is a brave reworking of a Grade II listed building in the heart of the city. The BCO judges were impressed with the care and passion evident in every aspect of the refurbishment. The site’s careful restoration, which seamlessly hides the hardship endured by the build, has successfully blended the heritage of the site with a stunning contemporary design that now homes modern tech giant, Amazon.

- ‘Refurbished/ Recycled Workplace’ w

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BRINGING SURFACES TO LIFE EXPLORE THE UK’S LEADING DESIGN SHOWCASE

WWW.SURFACEDESIGNSHOW.COM

An award for excellence in British design Judging Panel – Furniture Joanna Biggs – GA Design Sarah Bryan – Sheppard Robson Elliot Koehler – Layer Design Jeremy Myerson – Royal College of Art Thomas Pearce – Farrah & Pearce Campbell Thompson – The Conran Shop Terence Woodgate – Terence Woodgate Judging Panel – Textiles, Wall coverings, Surfaces, Carpets and Floor coverings Linzi Coppick – Forme UK Daniel Hopwood – Hopwood Design Studios Professor Clare Johnston – Royal College of Art Natasha Marshall – Natasha Marshall Interiors Ltd Corinne Pringle – tp bennett Peter Thwaites – Rapture & Wright

NEW Judging Panel – Lighting Design Simon Alderson – twentytwentyone Tim Rundle – Tim Rundle Studio Simon Terry – Anglepoise John Tree – Jasper Morrison Sebastian Wrong – Established & Sons

Now accepting applications for: - Furniture - Textiles, Wall coverings, Surfaces, Carpets and Floor coverings - Lighting Design Submissions deadlines: Early bird: 28th November 2019 Final: 23rd January 2020 Apply now: www.designguildmark.org.uk DesignGuildMark DesignGuildMark DesignGuildMark The Furniture Makers Company DGM 225 “WW Armchair CS3” Designed by Alejandro Villareal for Hayche

Review |

SELECTIONS

Camira launches new highly textured, British wool fabric Bringing the comfort of home to workplaces, hotels and educational environments, Yoredale is a chunky wool fabric that is as reassuringly familiar as it is aesthetically striking. The first commercial fabric launched by Camira to use certified British wool, the textile contains an innovative binder yarn, which both conceals and highlights the black fibre inherent to the mountain sheep from which the wool is produced. With an aesthetic that reflects the fabric’s natural composition, Yoredale retains a rustic tactility – with its highly textured, unmanicured finish evoking the craggy outcrops, drystone walls and undulating valleys that define Yorkshire. www.camirafabrics.com

Amtico introduces Décor statement floors The 19 Décor statement floors, an expansion of Amtico's Signature collection of Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT), have been crafted following extensive research into traditional ceramic styles. The end result is a bespoke, yet easy-to-maintain, look for commercial applications, including hospitality and leisure environments.

The five key looks create a kaleidoscope of design possibilities, from dramatic Corona to the versatile geometrics of Echo. Décor features a 1mm wear layer and carries a 20-year commercial warranty. Each tile is individually cut and bevelled with modules hand-assembled and pre-taped for easy installation. www.amtico.com/commercial

See what's 'in' using Inside Out Contracts' Furniture Chronicle Celebrating 20 years in business, furniture specialist, Inside Out Contracts, launches the Furniture Chronicle, a trend report outlining the new designs set to dominate in 2020. From sustainability to the resurgence of rattan and mid-century design, the Furniture Chronicle pulls together the best of the new products unveiled at major design shows, such as IMM Cologne and Salone del Mobile, Milan. Offering a distilled selection of the Inside Out team’s favourite pieces, the Chronicle can be used as a starting point for a whole range of projects. www.insideoutcontracts.com

Get creative with Creations from Wilton Carpets In shades of fjord, demerara, burnt copper and gunmetal, the Creations colour palette is the foundation of many striking woven carpet designs from Wilton Carpets, now curated in ‘Creations; Ready to Weave’, a brochure available from the Wiltshire manufacturer. Demonstrating the impressive versatility of designs made with the Creations palette, the brochure charts the ability of the collection to enhance the cool, elegant interiors of hospitality and leisure settings, mansion apartments and high-traffic commercial spaces. www.wiltoncarpets.com

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Review |

IVC Embraces Openness at AIB Corporate Banking In the heart of Dublin’s central business district, the offices of AIB Corporate Banking have been transformed to embody the company’s values, with LVT flooring from IVC used extensively throughout. AIB Corporate Banking called in the expertise of leading international design firm, RKD, to create an interior that reflected the company’s values of openness, collaboration and transparency over a total area of 14,000m sq m. For common areas, RKD has used wood-effects from IVC’s Moduleo 55 high-performance LVT specification to deliver a floor that gives an authentic look, with the function needed for demanding areas. www.ivc-commercial.com

Future proof vinyl flooring in hard-working office environments Nowadays, floorings for new build and refurbishment office projects must be suitable for the changing workspace. Design and colour play a vital role and LVT flooring comes in a plentiful choice, from natural looks with modern twists and superior finishes to trend-setting designs for creating imaginative, powerful interiors. As LVTs are available with extra-thick, durable wear layers, advanced, in-built surface treatments to protect from damage and differing specifications to meet the needs of light to heavy footfall, they enable the creation of design-driven schemes, including the precise needs of an office project, whether small or large. www.gerflor.co.uk.

Fatigue-busting, life-enhancing comfort from modulyss Available as standard on First Absolute, DSGN Tweed and DSGN Cloud carpet tiles, comfortBack is a fatigue-busting, life-enhancing backing that makes workplaces better places to be. The 90% recycled polyester felt backing helps modulyss carpet tiles to have a positive impact on wellbeing by reducing muscle fatigue and footfall noise. Available in six colours, comfortBack takes the pressure off – so you can deliver longer-lasting floors that are comfortable and quiet. www.modulyss.com

A healthy investment from Style Partitioning expert Style recently installed two manually operated Dorma Hüppe Variflex ML100 moveable wall systems to Saffron Health medical centre, allowing a meeting room facility to be quickly divided into three small rooms, one large and one small room or a single open plan space. This capital investment will deliver a good return in the long run, saving money by accommodating several meetings at one time, cutting hire fees for external facilities as well as staff travel time. www.style-partitions.co.uk

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SELECTIONS

A mineral marvel with Unilin Evola With the popularity of architectural and stone finishes, including the now ubiquitous terrazzo, Unilin, division panels, is making sure that interior projects can enjoy an authentic look without the expense and complexities of the genuine material. Ceppo Mineral Grey, one of the 168 decors available in the surface collection, accurately captures a natural stone effect for a panel with a rich mineral look well-suited to interiors focused on high-end finishes. Framed by Evola marble effects or teamed with edgings in brushed gold and brushed bronze, Ceppo Mineral Grey delivers mid-century uptown Manhattan sophistication. www.unilinpanels.com

Chop Chop London choose cork from Granorte Chop Chop London, a new concept in on-the-go hairdressing, has opened the doors of its Wembley Park salon, with Granorte’s Naturals cork flooring providing a sustainable, quiet and comfortable finish that’s in-tune with the interior’s raw aesthetic. Naturals is a collection that embraces the aesthetic of cork for a look that remains authentic and true to the original material. With cork’s inherent properties, the collection also provides a floor that is comfortable underfoot, quiet, retains warmth and is easy to clean. With a general commercial rating and featuring a WEARTOP high-performance coating, Naturals comes with Uniclic glue-free installation. www.granorte.co.uk

Soil resistance, structure and longevity – it’s in the DNA INVISTA, maker of Antron carpet fibre, has used its latest technology to develop Antron Lumena DNA, a breakthrough in high-performance carpet fibre for the commercial sector. Developed to answer a demand for fibres that prolong the lifecycle, maintenance and looks of carpets, INVISTA used its knowledge of polyamide type 6.6, coupled with an enviable understanding of structure and manufacturing processes, to create Antron Lumena DNA – a carpet fibre that provides easy maintenance, stain, fade and soil resistance and a long life. www.antron.eu

OE Electrics bring sparky new ideas for cable management OE Electrics, the leading manufacturer of innovative power and USB charging solutions, has launched Metalynx2 – a modular wiring system to be installed as an alternative to a traditional bus-bar or track system. Metalynx2 (also known as M2) can be used to supply power throughout an office and other areas of a building from the mains board via a raised access floor cavity or directed from the ceiling. Unlike bus-bar systems, the flexibility of Metalynx2 means it can snake around ducting and other common obstacles. It can also power lighting modules if needed. www.oeelectrics.co.uk

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Quadrant carpet made with 100% regenerated ECONYL yarn Made from old fishing nets, fabric scraps and carpet, ECONYL yarn has 80% less impact on global warming than nylon made from oil. This remarkable regeneration process means that carpets made with ECONYL yarn carry phenomenal environmental specs. Quadrant is proud to use this sustainable material in several of their ranges, including the nine biophilic designs of the Scape Collection that beautifully mimic dramatic textures in nature. www.quadmod.com

Herman Miller acquires remaining shares of naughtone Herman Miller has acquired the remaining shares of contemporary British furniture designer naughtone for approximately $46.1 million. Herman Miller partnered with naughtone in 2016 to help enhance its global offering in ancillary and collaborative furnishings. This partnership has helped Herman Miller expand its product design and development capabilities, fuelling 11 new product launches and leading to numerous design and innovation awards. www.hermanmiller.com

Karndean Designflooring brings neutral tones to the Van Gogh collection The UK’s market leader in luxury vinyl flooring, Karndean Designflooring, is introducing six beautifully crafted authentic oak designs to its established Van Gogh collection. Expanding its array of contemporary and classic timber designs, Van Gogh welcomes a new mix of fresh, clean and neutral tones, including French's distressed and refined oak hues, the cool neutral colourways range from Blush Oak, with its gentle pink undertones and subtle flowery grains, and the warmer smoky shades of Misty Grey Oak, as part of this latest update. www.karndean.com

Comfortable contract furniture With homely design features becoming more and more desirable for commercial interiors, British furniture maker, Roger Lewis has placed comfort at the forefront of its latest contract furniture collection. The Kyoto range includes stools, pouffes and privacy sofas, featuring contemporary styling without compromising on comfort. With a surprisingly soft and sumptuous feel, the Kyoto chair reflects the growing trend for creating quiet, comfortable and calming spaces (or ‘personal sanctuaries’) within commercial interior spaces. In Roger Lewis’ latest trend report, design experts outline a few ‘quick wins’ to creating ‘personal sanctuaries’ within commercial spaces. Download the report to discover more. www.rogerlewis.uk/personalsanctuary/

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The Last Word | Opinion

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME Criteo’s Mike Walley is hitting the hi-tech groove this month,

wondering when and how we got to the point where pretty much everything the consumer wants is at the end of a computer keyboard stroke.

I So like the industries of the past, tech has reached that moment in its lifecycle where de-centralisation is the next step

Mike Walley is Criteo’s Head of Workplace Experience EMEA

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t used to be that where you lived often had a major impact on your future career. If you lived in Northampton, it was likely you’d end up in the shoe business, Sheffield it would be the cutlery business, and if you lived in the area known as The Potteries, it was going to be ceramics.

Then came the globalisation of business and the

So, faced with such acceptance of and demand for online commerce, everyone is getting in on the act.

Banks, fashion retailing, supermarkets, you name it – and we expect to be able to buy it online and have it delivered the next day or sooner! For example, in my own house, in the last month, we have had delivered… two sets of Nordic walking poles, gizmos for a marine

local weight of these industries reduced enormously; the workforce became more diversely skilled and the map showed a more homogenised picture of business and industry across the UK. Then someone invented tech.

Amusingly, for a thing that is meant to set us all free, and allow us to do so much more whilst on the move or from home or on the train etc, if you wanted to work in this industry 'back in the day', there were global hotspots you absolutely had to be in – Silicon Valley, Shoreditch, Munich or 9th arrondissment in Paris, for example. These areas were full of deeply clever people, doing amazing things that would more and more directly affect everyone’s daily lives. They lived and worked in these hot spots and they created more and more weight in the local economies, sometimes to the profound disquiet of the earlier residents of these areas.

But, as always, lots of other businesses benefited from this centralisation. From coffee shops to real estate, we were all happy to support these centres of tech (and in the process we hoped a little of ‘the cool’ rubbed off on us) and they also spawned some new businesses, like coworking spaces and the whole world of workplace experience.

The thing is, good ideas are infectious and e-commerce is a blindingly good one. It started with online shopping for books and then grew exponentially from there. I remember the first time I heard of someone ordering loo paper online; I thought it was ridiculous. You go out shopping for that kind of thing – you don’t sit in the spare bedroom on your computer, typing in credit card details with your fingers crossed, hoping it’s not a scam.

It feels like I blinked and the next thing I know, we were doing our entire Christmas shopping online, and venturing out to the shops was almost solely for entertainment.

diesel engine, 14 prom dresses (of which, so far, 12 have been returned), three cases of dogfood and a manhole cover. We want to control our heating, our library card and our boarding passes for the holiday flight. All these companies are hiring their own tech teams and creating their own worlds. We now have PropTech, FinTech, MedTech, FashionTech, SportsTech, HealthTech and FemTech, to name but a few.

Such retail joy cannot be driven solely by outsourced tech; it has to come in-house. The establishment started to suck up all the tech talent.

So what is going to happen to the tech hubs?

I believe the hub areas will slowly transform into the incubators for the rest of business, growing the staff and start-ups that bigger companies will then absorb.

Tech is being homogenised throughout business and that tightknit group of workers we are used to chasing with crazy-wonderful office design, food and wellness perks are, at once, more in demand than they have ever been – and more thinly dispersed.

And, guess what? They are taking all that design, wellness and workplace fun stuff with them. 300year-old banks are putting beanbags in meeting rooms, fashion houses are getting to grips with jeans and hoodies and doctors are using apps to diagnose a range of ailments (although, having worked in a medical charity for some years, I strongly suspect it’s the nurses doing it for them).

So like the industries of the past, tech has reached that moment in its lifecycle where de-centralisation is the next step. This time though, I think we will all see the benefits. The workforce from tech is educating the office market, inside and out. Design is becoming important whatever your business, wellness and sustainability are being taken seriously and it is now really easy to get a great coffee almost anywhere. I wonder how business will influence the tech crowd?

Hoodie, t-shirt and a tie, perhaps...w

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