2 minute read
Moving In: Torrey Pines Center South
In November 2018, IT Services completed a total redesign and renovation of its offices at Torrey Pines Center South (TPCS). The entire third floor was gutted, and open, flexible space was embraced: corner offices replaced by collaboration spaces, walls replaced with whiteboards, cubicles replaced with conference rooms.
Department leadership worked with outside architects to design a space that mirrored the mission and needs of the department. “In IT, we are constantly learning and reinventing ourselves to keep up with technological advances,” said Chief Information Officer Vince Kellen. “We wanted to create an environment that supports learning, which often happens when groups are working together on projects.”
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The primary workspace with employee desks and docking stations is completely open. The entire staff—including CIO—sit together in the open space. When privacy is needed, employees can take advantage of 26 “think rooms,” which are also often used for small group brainstorming sessions. The space also boasts 12 conference rooms, including a “big meet” room for larger gatherings. The office features informal collaborative spaces throughout the department for quick, on-the-fly meetings and discussions. Additionally, The Hive serves as the department “front door,” as well as another place for informal meetings.
“Staff have adjusted well to the open environment and are enjoying the opportunities to collaborate as shown by the continuous usage of the conference and think rooms,” said Sheryl Gerbracht, Business Office Director and renovation project manager. “In fact, the Enterprise Systems Renewal project teams and other UC San Diego departments are also making use of the flexible meeting spaces available.”
Finally, the space also includes the Tech Hub @ The Hive, a new walk-up support counter for 1,600 customers who are relatively far removed from the central campus support desk. Since opening, the Tech Hub @ The Hive has serviced over 1,000 tickets.
“The Tech Hub @ The Hive allows IT Services to support the campus community in a very customer-centric way,” said Brett Pollak, Director of Workplace Technology Services. “Our goal is to support the campus mission of creating a living, learning laboratory. The Tech Hub is the first step towards that.”
The redesigned office space encourages collaboration and connectivity.
