OFFICES & WORKPLACE - TRENDS & INSIGHTS
ISSUE 2 | 2020
Photo credit: Jack Hobhouse
WHY GOOD DESIGN WILL HELP US GET BACK TO THE OFFICE
Design is fundamental in ensuring offices remain one of the most important assets to a business
INJECTING LIFE (SCIENCES) INTO LONDON
Why landlords need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to providing lab space
LOWER CARBON = BETTER DESIGN
How property professionals have a significant role to play in improving sustainability through design
Start Reading
WORK WELL
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Welcome to our 2020 edition of CORE, a Savills annual magazine focused on office and workplace trends in the UK and beyond, giving you an in-depth insight into what’s going on in the sector right now, and where it’s heading. In this year’s edition, we focus on office and workplace design. Savills Jon Gardiner, Head of National Office Agency, introduces this theme with ‘Why good design will help us get back to the office’ on page 3. We have also recently launched Office FiT in order to provide practical, strategic and design-led advice and insights from our global experts on the impacts of Covid-19 as owners and occupiers adapt, evolve and improve the workplace. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged accepted assumptions about the nature of work, how it is managed and delivered and how businesses and their employees function. As companies rethink the future of the workplace, there are opportunities to make business operations more resilient and deliver enhanced sustainability. If you would like to know more about Office FiT, you can find the contact details for Jeremy Bates and Katrina Kostic Samen on page 25 or you can contact Simon Collett, head of professional services on +44 (0) 20 7409 5951 or scollett@savills.com.. Finally, where possible in this edition, we have featured real examples of the themes and topics discussed within each article. At the back of the magazine on page 24, you can find the Savills case study and image index, with a key contact for each of these, where relevant. We hope you enjoy this edition!
BBC Cymru Wales, Cardiff, UK
FRONT COVER:
Why good design will help us get back to the office
Design is fundamental in ensuring offices remain one of the most important assets to a business.
The future proof office
How can we future proof our buildings today to allow for the big shifts of tomorrow?
Is flex the new luxe?
Flexible offices are bold and agile, with radical approaches to design pioneering the way.
Why the workplace is (finally) leading the way when it comes to interiors
Designers are not just cross-pollinating ideas and inspiration, they are now working right across a wide spread of diverse sectors.
Sense and sensitivity
Now is the time to drive social change through thoughtful, high-quality design.
Pride of place
What is place-shaping? We look at the combination of elements with one shared truth: human interaction.
Feel good design
Designing for health and wellbeing – for people and buildings.
Empowering the occupier
What if there was a solution to offices that both empowered the occupier while also providing greater control and returns for landlords?
Back to basics
What are the most important factors in an ideal workplace?
Bog standard
Whilst it’s not the most glamorous aspect of building design, the office washroom can make a big difference to workplace users.
Around the world with Savills
What does good workplace design look like? We showcase a selection of our favourite workplaces from across the world.
Let’s talk building design
Our central London office agency experts talk to Oliver Bayliss of Buckley Gray Yeoman Architects on what good office design means to them.
The Savills home office
A look at how some of our colleagues have adapted to working from home and providing tips on how they stay productive.
Six in the city
We take a look at six things London office occupiers value in workspace design.
Control, collaboration and culture
The key ingredients to a happy and productive workplace?
The only way is up (or down)
Whether it’s a grand staircase in a stately home or a design statement in a corporate HQ, the staircase has a functional yet aesthetic role.
Lower carbon equals better design
How property professionals have a significant role to play in improving sustainability through design.
Revolution on the factory floor
How heritage buildings can provide offices with character that allow businesses to showcase their individuality with one-of-a-kind space.
Through the keyhole
We get the inside scoop into an occupier’s new HQ – in this issue we talk to Network Homes.
Injecting new life (science) into London
Why landlords need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to providing lab space.
Our city: Manchester
We asked our Manchester office agency team what the famous northern powerhouse means to them.
Savills case study and image index
Details of photos that have been used are listed here with a key contact and further information, where relevant.
Key contacts
Get in touch with our office and workplace experts.
Website: www.savills.com/CORE Social media: @Savills #SavillsCORE Produced by: Savills Marketing Digital publication: Real Media Group
Savills Offices & Workplace | CORE 2020
It is as someone once said - where the magic happens.
89% felt that office space was still a necessity.
Why good design
back to the office
will help get us
By Jon Gardiner, Head of National Office Agency at Savills
During a global pandemic it seems trivial to be discussing the importance of design in the office and workplace. Yet, for over two months, millions of people around the globe have adapted to home working, recognising the value and importance of their immediate surroundings, be it a study, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, junk room or even the garden patio!
Hyperion Insurance Group, One Creechurch Place, London, UK
Inadvertently we have become much more conscious of the space in which we work, focusing on everything from the type of room, the quality of natural light, the colour of the walls, the choice of artwork, the number of indoor plants to the speed of technology we use and have access to. In an office environment, these themes have been front and centre in the quest to create modern workplaces that embody the values of wellness, as well as creating places and buildings that enable workers to maximise productivity for their employer’s benefit.However, at a time which has also given rise to the question “do we even need an office?”, the role that design has, and will continue to play, will be of fundamental importance in ensuring that offices remain one of the most important assets to a business or organisation.
Iris Worldwide, 10 Queen St Pl, London, UK
As we start the slow return back to work, the purpose of the office will become clear. It is a place where we can mix and collaborate with colleagues and where creativity and ideas will be spawned and businesses will thrive. It is as someone once said - where the magic happens.With this in mind, our buildings and places need to be designed to cater for all of the activities that can’t be done from home. They also need to be aspirational and reflective of a company’s culture. They are places where you should want to go and where you know you can do your best work and the design should reflect this. In the first edition of CORE (2019), we looked at how offices and workplaces had evolved from being a function of necessity to becoming a physical embodiment of a company’s culture - a tool for staff retention and recruitment. In this edition we focus on the details that collectively bring these aspects together.Taking design influences from other property sectors including hotels, retail and residential, the ‘domestification’ of the workplace was well and truly underway prior to Covid-19. Data from our recent Office FiT survey, showed that 54% of people enjoyed working from home during lockdown, but 89% felt that office space was still a necessity. It therefore seems entirely logical that our workplaces reflect some of the fundamental changes that have occurred since the start of 2020 and ultimately provide the best of both worlds for everyone.
Kilburn & Strode, 84 Theobalds Rd, London, UK
future proof
The
office
Will physical offices exist in the future?
Employees will demand workspaces to support both physical and psychological mental health and wellbeing.
Technology has been a crucial factor in workspace evolution and robots of some description will certainly factor into the equation.
What are the trends influencing change?
What can we do to be ‘forward ready’?
By Yetta Reardon Smith, Senior Workplace Strategist at KKS Savills
The PARQ, Bangkok, Thailand
What does the future hold for office design? What early signs are we seeing of big changes? And how can we future proof our buildings today to allow for the big shifts of tomorrow?
When first sitting down to write this article who could predict that the way we work would change so dramatically in such a short space of time. Experts have long suggested that the future working environment would be driven by employee choice and agile working, and arguably the Covid-19 pandemic has simply accelerated this process. If anything, lockdown has given us the time to reflect on what makes the perfect future workplace. While there are numerous views on what the future might look like, one thing remains certain, that the changes to the physical workplace will be people-centric, with health and wellbeing placed front and centre. Advancing technology, global challenges and a diverse workforce will all drive change, and in order to optimise these opportunities, businesses will be looking for new approaches to both harness and maximise talent.
Employees will demand workspaces to support both physical and psychological mental health and wellbeing. Feeling safe will be paramount.
Wellness
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Yes, offices provide what humans crave - culture, community and connection. Design will focus on employee requirements, which if properly addressed, will positively impact commercial success:
Now that we know we can work from home there is no going back: according to Deloitte, 87% of our young talent today believe that “a business’s success should be measured on more than just financial performance”. Companies will need to foster passion, creativity and positivity in today’s global community and actively demonstrate their sustainability credentials and desire to make a difference.
Purpose
Both in and out of the workplace, to enable a healthy life balance supported by innovation in technology and HR procedures.
Flexibility
Employee experience will be vital in the future, not just for clients and visitors. The workplace will need to be highly accessible, intuitive and adaptable to meet varying needs, as well as being digitally connected to both support a sustainable environment and to provide readily available services.
Experience
Productivity increases when people are empowered to choose where, when and how tasks are completed whether at work or elsewhere.
Choice
Johnson Controls, a smarter building specialist, predicts in their ‘Global Workplace Solutions’ Report, that by 2040, knowledge workers will have total control over where, how and what time they want to work and wellness, especially now, will be at the core of their choices.
We also cannot underestimate the importance of technology, which has already enabled huge transformation, but we must retain our human perspective. Technology has been a crucial factor in workspace evolution and we already reap the benefits of mobile applications giving greater fluidity and choice. Consequently, with vast amounts of evidence-based data now available (IoT, AI, robotics), smart buildings are now enabling us to make informed decisions on how we use our space. However, these technologies could be far more widely exploited to make an impact on environmental factors like climate change. This is in part due to the mistaken belief that building efficiency projects have to be costly and complex. In fact, many transformative advances have become far more mainstream over the past decade. Once people start to understand the benefits, for example, enhanced comfort and productivity, and the positive impact on energy use, cost and an improved overall user experience, the adoption of technology will undoubtedly grow. PwC’s ‘Workforce of the Future’ looks at four possible Worlds of Work in 2030. They vary widely in their fundamental principles, but all four share the theme of increasing use of technology to assist, augment and replace human work. We will rely on technology to link people, whether individually or as a business in order to build beneficial relationships.Robots of some description will certainly factor into the equation, but human interaction will still play a vital role. Humans are inquisitive beings, so office space will need to enhance stimulation through art, colour and texture in order to both invigorate and motivate. Additionally, we need to be mindful of what individuals need depending on their personality. Satisfying basic human psychological requirements is a necessity, but often remains overlooked or even forgotten altogether.
Landsec, Cardinal Place, London, UK
The future will continue to see growth in agile workplaces and co-working, which have already changed the landscape of the traditional office and are now well established operating models. The benefits of providing space that supports more than just traditional work settings include the opportunity for informal meetings, social events and breakout zones, which can increase social cohesion and wider collaboration. It can also spark greater innovation and cross-business connectivity, which is vital for commercial success. A pivotal driver is the enrichment of employee experience. This is crucial, and firms are already creating dedicated teams. Airbnb, for example, say their focus is to design ‘an extraordinary physical, emotional, intellectual, virtual, and aspirational experience for Airbnb employees’. They appear to be getting it right: Glassdoor reports 90% of employees would recommend Airbnb as a “great place to work”. Its Global Head of Employee Experience essentially has a remit to create the “workplace as an experience” which includes facilities, food and global citizenship. The wellness factor is an area of increased focus for occupiers and as employers continue to recognise the importance of this, we have seen a greater demand for terraces and outdoor spaces. In fact, new developments are already starting to provide a higher percentage of this type of space, which in turn should have a positive impact on wellbeing. Looking ahead to the next generation, a survey of secondary school children revealed that they aspired to work in an office, providing that it offered them what they saw as ‘must haves’: daylight, fresh air, food (and lots of it!), social areas and space to think. The reality is that future office workers don’t just want the basics, instead they’ll demand more connected and sophisticated services. Ultimately, the design of the workplace plays a vital role in the success of a business, providing an environment that creates a happy and fulfilled workforce. While the landscape is continuously changing, driven by everything from innovation in technology to evidence based research, there are plenty of opportunities to create exciting office design concepts that actively enhance people’s experience.
We need to retain the flexibility and agility afforded by lockdown, not just into the design of our spaces, but in how people and organisations carry out the daily business of work.
It’s impossible to predict the future, but we can still prepare for it. We know that technology will continue to have a huge impact on where and how we work and the adaptability of the workplace will be vital if we want to react quickly to further challenges and demands that will be placed on businesses.
Environment
People are vital to the equation; not only do we need to attract, recruit and retain the best talent, but also to engage them to drive productivity and innovation. A sense of belonging and inclusiveness is critical to employee commitment.
Employees
Businesses strive to manage costs for all aspects of their work environment and smart technologies make light work of analysing the efficiency of a building. Space utilisation data can ensure that the workplace is the right size and configuration, from the optimum number of desks to ensuring that the amenities that staff actually want are provided. The average desk use across the UK is just 50%, and with this in mind an under-used desk in a city location can cost a business up to £18,000 per annum.
Economics
Ethical businesses tend to be in the top tier of their industries according to Forbes. Organisations which demonstrate ethical credentials as part of their corporate culture will attract clients, partners, and investors. Customers choose businesses based on reputation and brand, as do employees. These companies are more likely to attract top talent and energise the workforce with purpose. Studies show that people increasingly want to work for an organisation that aligns with their own personal values and in return will demonstrate greater loyalty.
Ethics
So how can you future proof a business or an office space? Recent events have proven just how adaptable we can be so we must continue to anticipate upcoming trends to stay a step ahead; accept that change is inevitable, and above all, embrace it!
Photo credit: Luke Hayes
FLEX
LUXE?
Is
the new
By Jess Alderson, Associate Director, Global Research at Workthere
The Office Group, Bloomsbury, London, UK
Office design has changed dramatically over the past decade, a shift that has been dominated by the rise of flexible offices. This sector has disrupted the conventional office market in many ways: from fundamental aspects like challenging the whole structure of commercial leases to more physical features such as the variety of space on offer and more quirky amenities. Flexible offices are bold and agile, with radical approaches to design pioneering the way.
Office design is not to be taken lightly. From a flexible office provider’s perspective, it’s one of the key features when selling a space and from an occupier perspective, it directly impacts profitability. 63% of office workers think that if their current workspace design matched that of their ideal office, their productivity would increase, according to Savills What Workers Want survey. So how has flexible office design changed over the past decade?
Flexible offices are at the forefront of the wellbeing wave. Vegan cafes, on-site meditation sessions and wellness mobile apps are now the norm within flexible offices rather than a luxury. Awareness of the importance of good mental health is increasing and workers are much more conscious of wellbeing within the workplace. Flexible offices have incorporated wellbeing in various ways, for example, 39% of flexible offices globally now offer on-site exercise/meditation classes. Discounted gym memberships and bicycle lock-up facilities are now fairly standard features and flexible offices are starting to include perks such as rainfall showers, massages on request, discounts for nutritional food, subsidised health checks and on-site spas. Fora’s Borough building, at the forefront of this trend, has relaxation pods, a towel service, free gyms and reading rooms. And it’s not just wellbeing that has become an everyday part of flexible office design. Environmental sustainability is increasingly an essential element of co-working. Sharing space, and the sharing economy as a whole, naturally cuts down on waste, but a greater focus on sustainability has meant that flexible offices are now looking for ways to become even ‘greener’.
FORA, Borough, London, UK
Two thirds of flexible office workers think that the ability to recycle is important. This suggests that occupiers are, and will continue to be, a key driving force in making flexible offices more environmentally-friendly. Motion-sensor lighting, furniture made from sustainably-sourced materials and ethically-grown coffee are already here to stay, and there are now flexible workspaces that run solely on renewable energy. The Office Group owns London buildings which feature photovoltaic solar panels and can harvest rainwater. A growing number of flexible office providers are now including sensors in their buildings to track occupancy levels and understand how space is being used. Although this is in the early stages, flexible offices are more frequently using data when designing buildings. If a breakout area or phone booth are only rarely used, these learnings can be used to alter the layout going forward. However, the data needs careful interpretation; just because a hallway is used infrequently, doesn’t necessarily mean it makes sense to decrease the width. Sensors can also be used to monitor sustainability-related metrics such as air quality and noise levels, as well as provide insight into occupier behaviour.
So what can conventional offices learn from flexible offices in terms of design? The main strategy is to be adaptable and responsive to the changing needs of both users and the wider occupier environment. Those companies developing flexible offices are quick and nimble. If they see a strong trend emerging, they don’t waste any time incorporating it into their buildings. Conventional offices have historically been less responsive to social and global change. However, as we see competition heating up in an increasingly service-led and design-orientated office landscape, further exciting new concepts are beginning to surface. We’ll wait to see what happens next in this most intriguing of sectors.
interiors
By Philip Marshall, Founder of design firm & CREATE
Restaurants also look at the creativity of office breakout spaces, whilst breakout spaces can look a lot like food halls.
leading the pack when it comes to
But industry attitudes are also changing.
Loveland Farm Hotel, Bideford, UK
When I started my interior design career in the 90s as a graduate, I pretty much had to choose a sector of design and stick with it. As a former fashion designer, I chose branded environments, working mainly in the high fashion arena. Although at the time this was arguably the most forward-thinking and glamorous sector to be in, I was always frustrated that I only had the one creative outlet. I, like so many of my peers, could not understand why interior design (even at the highest levels) was so inward looking. For example, why did hotel designers mainly just look at other hotels for inspiration? Why would we all limit ourselves so much? After all, are we not meant to be people with vast imaginations who can join the dots and see things in new and exciting ways? Personally, I ignored the pigeon-holing and created (and still do) street art, made films, art-directed, made custom motorcycles, produced branding and product design, painted/drew, skateboarded, designed furniture and lighting products and much more just to keep my creative appetite satisfied and my influences wide-ranging. These days I am lucky enough to own the multi-discipline design agency www.andcreate.co.uk and am presented with massively diverse creative challenges on a weekly basis.
The ‘hipster’ wave (now long gone, or at least absorbed into the mainstream) brought about many new ways of thinking and was partly responsible for starting some of the office design trends that exist today.
Prototype No 1, Istanbul, Turkey
Alongside this, the profitability of sectors has changed. The high street is nowhere near as dominant as it once was, while the hotel market and office sector are stronger than ever, and both are moving at a very fast pace. This has led to design agencies searching for commissions in areas that they never previously considered. The attitude of employees has also changed. It’s simply not enough to have rows of desks and a few breakout spaces. Painting a wall blue to match the company logo is no longer, thank goodness, considered a branded environment. Those who design the workplace now understand that the values of the brand need to be interwoven across all of a worker’s experience in order to create a unique and relevant space.
Although innovative concepts started within the retail sector and exhibition design, highly creative design approaches are now hitting the workplace. Firms like Esty have offices that look like Petersham Nurseries; Airbnb’s HQ looks like a project our studio delivered for the amazing glamping creatives at Loveland Farm; Nike’s offices are an extension of Nike Town. We created a dining space in Deloitte’s Istanbul offices that looks and performs more like a food hall. It is an open-to-all area to be enjoyed by everyone (not just by Deloitte employees) and is purposely relaxed and non-corporate. It’s an antidote and respite from the fast paced environment that people spend their days in and includes a coffee counter, a healthy food stall, a street food offer and a hot food station. There is also a bookstore, a garden area (inside and out) and an onsite artisan who offers team building ‘maker’ experiences and craft classes to order. The result is a widely successful business that involves the community within that area of the city. Interior architects from other sectors are noticing the creativity of workplace designers and are now looking to them for ideas. For example, hotel designers are encouraging people to work flexibly. Retail designers are putting in giant slides, an echo of the playful element installed by some forward-thinking companies, while private pods look increasingly like upmarket changing rooms. Restaurants also look at the creativity of office breakout spaces, whilst breakout spaces can look a lot like food halls. Designers are not just cross-pollinating ideas and inspiration, they are now working right across a wide spread of diverse sectors. It’s a cheering and exciting change of direction for many and I, for one, couldn’t be happier.
SENSE AND SENSITIVITY
By Fiona Sullivan Graduate Surveyor, Development at Savills & Chair of Savills Disability Group
Case Study
We’ve all had those moments when a colleague’s raucous laugh bellows across the open plan office and the phones seem to ring a little louder than usual. Then there’s the fluorescent light that has a subtle flicker and the rather odd high-pitched hum which you notice occasionally.
For the majority of us who are ‘neurotypical’, these are minor disturbances that cause momentary distractions from our work. Imagine, however, if working in this kind of environment caused you symptoms of acute stress, visual disturbance and other related neurological symptoms. This is a reality for a minority of people who are ‘neurodivergent’ and by not addressing this, employers are missing out on some exceptional talent. Many companies are beginning to see how neurodivergent employees can bring a competitive edge to their business. Often people within this category have a rare ability to think outside the box with, for example, a super-creative drive or outstanding ability in a specific scientific or mathematical area. But with these talents sometimes come extreme sensitivities to light, sound and the outside environment.
Harvey Blume, who along with sociologist Judy Singer was one of the first to coin the term neurodiversity in the 1990s, speaks eloquently about how autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and dyspraxia – the conditions mainly associated with neurodiversity – can be interpreted in an entirely new and positive light: To really understand the complexity of neurodiversity we must also appreciate the limitless variations of human neurocognition, respecting how each of us are unique. Architects and planners have long played an important role in shaping our built environment, often reacting to shifts in societal needs. For instance, after the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995, it wasn’t long before a ‘universal design’ developed among architects and policy makers that would allow for greater accessibility for physically disabled users in buildings and landscapes alike.Twenty five years on and there’s a growing focus on office design that aims to create a different kind of accessibility, one that considers the needs of those who are neurodivergent. So what are the benefits of designing this type of office space and what’s involved?
“Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general. Who can say what form of wiring will be best at any given moment?”
So what does a fully accessible and inclusive office look like and how can it be achieved? Here we take a look at the interior design of the BBC Cymru Wales broadcast centre in Cardiff and learn more about how the project focused on neurodiversity.
Head of ID:SR (Sheppard Robson’s interior design group), Helen Berresford, was part of the team that worked on the Cardiff 280,000 sq ft broadcast centre. Working with BBC Workplace, ID:SR looked to promote new perspectives on wellness and inclusivity, incorporating considerations around neurodiversity into the design decisions. These included lighting, colour, patterns, and accessible routes through the building. From the outset of the project, ID:SR collaborated with a neurodiversity expert to help shape how they approached space design. They fully immersed themselves by walking in the shoes of others by using a virtual reality headset to replicate how people with different neurological conditions experience the environment around them. This was at times a bewildering and uncomfortable experience that enabled the design team and BBC Workplace to see just how disruptive specific design features can be to those with intense neurological sensitivities. These invaluable insights helped inform the design of the internal spaces. When working on the BBC project, the team carefully considered how colour was used, particularly contrasting tones that affect some people’s concentration. This also fed into the project’s graphics and wayfinding strategy, challenging the team to think more creatively, not just about colour, but about how maps and symbols were devised and deployed. Lighting was also key to creating variety within the different spaces. The use of non-flickering LED lamps and a drop in lighting levels, compared to BCO standards, can evoke a more comfortable, domestic feel, while dimmable lights within the quiet booths can cater for personal preferences and distinct individual needs. Noise levels can be challenging in an office environment which has a standard open plan layout, so offering quiet zones where individuals could work in silence was a key design consideration. The workplace design industry has already acknowledged that one size does not fit all, with an increasing range of spaces that allow people to choose where and how they work, offering a genuine choice between the bustle of open-plan working and calmer spaces within which people can focus and decompress. The approach to workplace design is certainly more imaginative and inclusive than ever before, and there is a growing awareness of how visual, aural and spatial sensitivities can result in difficult challenges for talented people with a neurodivergent condition. Now is an opportune moment to drive social change through thoughtful, high-quality design, enabling everyone in the workplace to thrive in an office environment.
PRIDE
of
By Adam Bray, Director of Customer & Place Strategy at Savills
PLACE-SHAPING
Placemaking is not a practice that is easily defined, because that would make it a means to an end in and of itself. To ‘shape’ a location in response to the communities using it, versus the concept of simply ‘making’ physical spaces, because here there is no room for evolution, nor for any sense of organic growth from something that is manufactured. So what then is place-shaping? Well, here I would argue that place-shaping is a process through which we connect people in meaningful ways with the physical spaces they use. It is not one definable ‘thing’, but rather a combination of elements with one shared truth: human interaction. And thus property managers find themselves dealing with people – not just property - in a seemingly simple interaction which has caused a seismic shift in the world of real estate.
Placemaking is hackneyed, tired, old. ‘Place curation’, ‘place matrix’, ‘place identity’ (its moniker comes in many forms) are all phrases that have become common parlance in the real estate industry, used almost flippantly to describe a process through which a disparate portfolio of assets come together to form a unified whole. Everyone talks about placemaking, everyone is seemingly ‘doing’ it, and those that aren’t want in on the game, but what on earth does it even mean?
White City Place, London, UK
It’s fascinating to watch the rise of this ‘cult of the customer’ and the resulting sea change this has had in our formerly impenetrable world of bricks and mortar. As such, real estate businesses have for some years been facing the same existential crisis which hit creative agencies in the early noughties, the choice of whether or not to go ‘full service’ versus sticking to their more traditional guns as PR, media, or creative specialists. The same quandary has swept through our industry as businesses seek to backfill, adapt to and, as seen with the surge of new businesses with a ‘Place’ service delivery line, monetise the fact that people do actually care about the places they use with any frequency. It’s the ultimate rise of B2B2C. So, if we now consider place-shaping as a series of connections, with humans as our nucleus, we begin to see where the real magic happens. Go to any business strategy presentation and you’ll see the same headlines: our people are our greatest asset. As one of the founding fathers of the cult of customer, Steve Jobs, rightly pointed out many decades ago - that the answer lies in starting at the end, and working backwards. What do people need? What’s their problem? Why not ask them? Place-shaping might then be considered the means through which we humanise an experience, be it through customer interaction, a seamless end-to-end experience, or simply moments that make a person smile. But if definition lies in experience, then surely we’re left exposed to the whims of humankind, because individual experience is, after all, entirely subjective? My answer to that is a resounding YES.
All we need to do here is look at the facts:
According to a recent report by Qualtrics, customer churn due to poor experience costs businesses globally a staggering $1.6 trillion.
$1.6 trillion
Lack of engagement amongst employees accounts for a further $55bn of lost productivity.
$55bn
A separate report by Deloitte reports that companies in the UK lose £30bn a year on poor mental health in employees, with 60% relating to reduced productivity at work.
£30bn
95% of dissatisfied customers will go on to tell others about their bad experience (myself included).
95%
Surely then, the cult of the customer is the ultimate realisation by quick-witted executives that employers can get more bang for their buck out of their employees, and retail destinations can get better spend per head if we turn our attention to providing experiences in order to engage? As with all things in life, there is a need for balance. Practicality and function versus experience and the individual. We can’t be everything to everyone and we shouldn’t try to be, but the merit lies in trying. Effective place-shaping can be considered a process of managing balance, essentially hitting the optimum level of consultation, the right amount of flex and control. It’s also about a willingness on our part to surrender the places that we’re looking to shape to the communities that will ultimately be witness to the experience.
However, once a project is complete, we can’t just wash our hands and walk away, nor pat ourselves on the back thinking ‘job done’. Places still need curation, and workspaces need to evolve with the changing needs of today’s dynamic workforce. This is why we need to manage the data and metrics at our disposal to harness optimum productivity in workspaces, to understand trends in visitor numbers and use interactions enabled by technology as a means through which to enhance the connection between the individual and the environment. In order to do this, companies need to get smart with the data at their disposal, but that’s a whole other topic for another day. As the unexpected turn of events of 2020 has us all re-assessing daily life as we know it, attention now turns to the future of workspaces and how they will operate. Clearly there are new challenges on the horizon as the industry grapples with social
distancing, and we must adapt our customer-centric models to allow for life to continue post-Coronavirus. I’d argue that rather than wholesale change, the COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the need for greater place-shaping, and that the key to survival is flexibility of use. We can begin to understand the true value of flexible space when we look a little further afield - in this instance at DTAC House in Bangkok, where the company’s tagline of ‘feel good wherever you are’ manifests in physical form with an office space designed to stimulate conversation and creativity. Across 20 floors, 3,500 staff members can make use of ‘The Conversation Pit’, ‘The Dining Room’ and ‘The Picnic Table’, or the ‘Funfloor’ where no work-related activities are permitted. Instead music performances and sports activities look to break down social barriers. Likewise, Typeform in Barcelona has created different types of space; increased the number of meeting rooms; introduced a ‘Barception’ rather than a traditional reception wholesale change, the COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the need for greater place-shaping, and that the key to survival is flexibility of use. We can begin to understand the true value of flexible space when we look a little further afield - in this instance at DTAC House in Bangkok, where the company’s tagline of ‘feel good wherever you are’ manifests in physical form with an office space designed to stimulate conversation and creativity. Across 20 floors, 3,500 staff members can make use of ‘The Conversation Pit’, ‘The Dining Room’ and ‘The Picnic Table’, or the ‘Funfloor’ where no work-related activities are permitted. Instead music performances and sports activities look to break down social barriers.
Likewise, Typeform in Barcelona has created different types of space; increased the number of meeting rooms; introduced a ‘Barception’ rather than a traditional reception desk; and created an Agora (an ancient Greek central gathering space) for presentations, events and play, and large family-style lunch tables for socialising. They’ve created walls of potted plants to create areas of privacy without compromising on openness within the office; it also means that the added 700+ plants add purity to the air and help reduce stress. If place-shaping is about the balance of human experience, we must understand it as a process that will continually evolve; it is one that we will never be able to get 100% right, for every person, all the time. This is what it is to be human, and why we must put humans at the heart of the real estate experience. Coronavirus may have driven people indoors, but there has never been a stronger need for community and interaction.
Fast-forward from five years ago to now and you’ll see White City Place has transformed into a world-class destination and hub of innovation. Careful curation of independent retailers and a considered mix of occupiers across media, tech, life sciences and fashion, has created an atmosphere that is unique.Vital to defining the DNA of White City Place has been ensuring cohesion and integration of those working on the estate with the community who live locally, or with those who work and study within other buildings nearby.
Partners
Stanhope / Mitsui Fudosan / Aimco
Location
FEEL GOOD DESIGN
By Maria Garcia, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Savills
SO WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Windows designed to provide maximum levels of daylight to a space can be a critical factor for the users of a building, especially given the human circadian rhythm.
Space for cycle storage, shower facilities, lockers, drying racks and bike repair stations all encourage and facilitate active commuting.
7 practical design ideas
for new buildings to enhance
Supplying a mix of ergonomic working options and a variety of spaces can foster socialisation, collaboration and creativity.
A ‘healthy’ building isn’t just about stability and safety. Simply put, it’s also about how people’s minds and bodies function when they’re using it. By considering health factors from the very beginning of a build, right from the design concept stages through to construction, fit-out and completion, we can create a built environment that is not just pleasant to use, but better for the health and wellbeing of each and every one of its occupants.
The challenge however, is that most new buildings are not designed and built by those who will ultimately occupy them. In most cases, the occupier isn’t in the picture at all. But this doesn’t have to be a problem. There are many aspects of the base build and core services that can be optimised for wellbeing, regardless of who crosses the threshold. Get this right and businesses can focus their attention and resources on designing a workplace in which their employees can be at their healthy, creative, and productive best.
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Menara Prudential, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Westpoint, Peterborough, UK
The positive impact a healthy building can have on its occupiers is considerable. Studies show that improved indoor air quality and air supply rates can increase cognitive function and productivity by 8-11% and that employees in offices with good natural daylight can benefit from around 45 minutes more sleep than their counterparts working in artificial lighting. In contrast, productivity can drop by between 4-6% in an office that’s either too hot or too cold. What’s more, organisations face a battle to attract the best talent, so creating an enviable office space, offering the widest range of corporate benefits, and prioritising an environment that promotes healthy lifestyle choices can make all the difference to recruiting high calibre employees. It is estimated that employers spend 112 times more on their people than on their energy costs, meaning people are a serious investment. A business can only expect to see a return on this investment through increased productivity, fewer sickness days taken and the ability to retain its top talent. By recognizing and getting ahead of this demand for healthier buildings, developers and landlords can incorporate wellness-related features from the outset. Timing is everything, as it can prove prohibitively expensive, if not impossible, for an occupier to retrofit such features post-construction. In fact, it is far harder to design and implement operational management strategies in a building where base mechanical and electrical plant and equipment have not been scoped and commissioned with health and wellness outcomes from the start. Take air quality. We know that air quality generally is deteriorating due to traffic pollution, construction, and combustion sources. This air then enters our buildings either through air handling units or even through entrances and doorways. The mechanical plant that supplies and filters the fresh air to the occupier spaces is designed and installed by engineering consultants at the time of design. It is therefore incredibly unlikely that a prospective tenant could request optimisations such as customised ventilation rates or carbon activated air filtration retrospectively.
When it comes to the fabric of the building itself, this can also be very expensive to adapt. For instance, windows designed to provide maximum levels of daylight to a space, or oriented to capitalise on solar gains, can be a critical factor for the users of a building: human circadian rhythms - our 24-hour cycle of waking, hunger, alertness, wind down and sleep, are directly linked to and affected by light – both natural and artificial. So it’s essential that the design of windows is considered at the earliest stages of the design process. New buildings must be designed for a future in which urban cities have more car-free zones and electric vehicles, meaning building occupants can open windows and enjoy natural ventilation. This is particularly beneficial as airborne transmission of viruses and allergens within buildings can be minimized by increasing air ventilation rates. There are many aspects of health and wellbeing design within buildings where collaboration between landlord and occupier is crucial, particularly since these features are likely to benefit all those who occupy the space. Touch-free design and technology at entrances, lifts, washrooms and other shared amenities will be critical for building occupant and visitor safety. Visible, well-lit stairwells with good signage promote walking and movement rather than the use of lifts. Communal interior spaces and green external areas around a building that are publicly accessible, provide a connection to nature. Space for cycle storage, shower facilities, lockers, drying racks and bike repair stations all encourage and facilitate active commuting, not only promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals, but also boosting sustainable travel and contributing to lower carbon emissions. Which is good for the planet, not to mention an organisation’s CSR.
Verde SW1, London, UK
Incorporating biophilic design and greening interiors, tapping into the positive physiological responses we have when connected to nature.
Providing healthy snacks for staff, labelling all food allergens clearly and providing safe dedicated eating spaces to encourage staff to take a break from their desks.
Including spaces for fitness and wellbeing.
Designing space layout to offer a variety of spaces to accommodate various work activity styles and foster employee socialisation, collaboration and creativity.
Installing sound absorption interior features to ensure noise disturbance is minimised, especially in the open plan workplace.
Supplying standing and variable height desks to offer employees a mix of options for movement and ergonomic working.
Providing occupant zone controllers to adjust internal temperatures.
For any business, over and above all of the physical aspects of design, construction and operation, creating the right company culture is crucial. Employees can prioritise health and wellbeing with initiatives like enabling flexible working, childcare and commuting, travel policies restricting how much time employees spend away from family and loved ones, creating expansive parental and wellbeing leave policies and even minimising after-hours work-related email communication. Getting this right will mean employees feel they have the permission and the freedom to reap the benefits of this workplace evolution. What’s clear, is that we spend up to 40% of our time on work, so our physical work spaces should be designed with the agility necessary to allow us to work safely, collaboratively and creatively, to experience less stress and ultimately to help us feel closer to our best selves.
Empowering the
OCCUPIER
By Charlie Wardroper, Head of PIVOT at Savills
Alternative high-end Vitra Eames chairs are a more environmentally-friendly option with up to 80% less greenhouse gas emissions than regular single-use furniture.
What to choose? A traditional lease or a serviced office offering? Both have their benefits but also come with drawbacks from an occupier perspective. Occupiers are faced with a conundrum: take a long-term lease and go through a slow and risky design and fit-out process to arrive at a customised space, or move into a flexible office space that, more often than not, allows little or no personalisation.
There is no question that serviced offices have benefits, including speed and ease. This is reflected in their popularity: in Q3 2019, flexible office spaces accounted for 26% and 20% of total office take-up in London and Manchester, respectively. The demands of an increasingly flexible workforce (by 2024 millennials will account for 75% of the workforce), the allure of fully furnished space, shorter leases and briefer termination periods have had a disruptive impact on the commercial property sector.
Egnyte, Malta House, Poznan, Poland
What if there was a solution that both empowered the occupier while also providing greater control and returns for landlords?
Stadthalle, Zürich, Switzerland
However, for all the obvious benefits, the serviced office business model often disempowers the occupier. Organisations increasingly want their workspace to reflect their values and brand, drive collaboration and improve productivity. Creating a unique working environment to attract staff is a big priority. This is why occupiers are now demanding more control, choice and privacy – all elements that generic ready-made office spaces often fail to deliver.Yet traditional long-term leases where occupiers commission the design and fit-out of their office space are also becoming less desirable. This is because business horizons have ultimately become shorter, and organisations often prefer to focus on their core activities in the here and now rather than commit to a long term corporate home.
This is where concepts like PIVOT come into play.
Under the PIVOT model, space planning and long lead-time work are all done in advance. Look and feel options are then presented to prospective occupiers and the design is personalised to create beautiful spaces designed with authenticity and purpose. Once this is all agreed, the fit-out team goes to work to have the customised office ready for occupation in as little as six weeks. This flexible and demand-led approach, when done well, empowers occupiers in new and exciting ways, including creating radically more sustainable spaces that keep the environment in mind as well as staff well-being.
For example, Savills PIVOT has partnered with an innovative circular economy furniture provider to address the greenhouse gas emissions related to office furniture while also improving ergonomics for staff comfort. Research shows that over the average 40 year life of a commercial building, furniture accounts for 30% of the building’s entire embodied carbon footprint. This is because it is typically replaced every five to seven years at great financial expense and harm to the planet. By sourcing an alternative to single-life furniture, occupiers are still able to procure furniture from high-end brands such as Vitra and Herman Miller, but with a greenhouse gas emission footprint up to 80% smaller. This all takes place in the UK, creating local jobs, while simultaneously reducing the lead times required for a rapid fit-out. The idea is to make life easy for occupiers, creating beautiful, well-managed and customised spaces whilst helping to forge the sustainability revolution within the property industry. What’s more, from a landlord perspective, they can now compete with serviced office providers without having to commit to a large, speculative, up-front expense. Essentially, the outcome offers the best of both worlds. Occupiers now have more choice than ever before, making it easier for them to align their space desires to their real estate strategy, and landlords can still attract agile and forward thinking businesses to inhabit their buildings.
Eames chairs, Vitra installation, Milan Design Week, April 2019
BACK TO BASICS
By James Vivian, Director, Office Investment at Savills
Search online for pictures of ‘dream offices’ and up pop images of spaces with amazing views, plants galore, soft furnishings in on-trend colours, and – if you’re lucky – a beer tap or foosball table.
But from an investor’s perspective, are these super-stylish commercial buildings always the best type of office to buy? Are occupiers really drawn more to fancy features, than to standard accommodation which doesn’t include such extras? In certain office markets, is pursuing a simpler approach more likely to pay off? Savills What Workers Want (WWW) survey in 2019 found that concentrating on fit-out essentials and location were actually the most important features when it comes to delivering office workers’ ‘ideal’ workplace. Over 80% of respondents indicated that the comfort of their work area, cleanliness, lighting, temperature, noise level, air quality and the cost and length of commute were of high importance (illustrated in the graph on this page).
Office trends are increasingly driven by the employee rather than the employer/occupier, with stiff competition to attract the best talent resulting in more focus than ever given to the staff environment. But while it’s essential that companies understand their employees’ needs when they relocate or open a new office, one thing is very clear from our survey: most employees, and therefore the occupiers looking to attract and retain them, want good, clean space in an easily-accessible location above all. For those investors involved in refurbishment projects in smaller submarkets across the UK, where average office rents may be in the mid to low £20s per sq ft, this is good news. Based on the findings from Savills research, a quality refurbishment that delivers on the basics is likely to still be in demand with occupiers. These projects should deliver healthy returns without needing to include potentially loss-leading design elements. Rental ceilings in these locations mean investors may not be able to recoup their costs on non-essential features, which may, in any case, be optional extras rather than must-haves for occupiers. The rise in construction costs across the UK has resulted in new prime office developments (the type which would include some of the more elaborate design ideas mentioned previously) needing to achieve premium rents to be financially viable. While this level of income is possible in major markets where top rents are above £35 per sq ft, it isn’t realistic in less prominent locations.
Refurbishments can create an office using carbon neutral materials and renewable sources that show a responsible attitude towards the environment in just the same way as a new building can. Although it’s true that some older buildings cannot be refurbished to exactly the same energy standards as a modern construction, by retaining the existing structure a refurbishment project by its nature tends to require less material. The embodied carbon involved is therefore a fraction of what would have been generated had the office been rebuilt from scratch. Given that environmental performance is such a hot topic, this can be a positive tick in the right box when attracting tenants, but also with stakeholders who may be scrutinising an investor’s ESG performance. Astute investors looking to buy an office building don’t need to have their heads turned by a sleek and shiny ‘Instagrammable’ interior: buying a refurbished building which delivers on the fundamentals of what workers want, and has solid environmental credentials can be a win-win. Which means attracting occupiers and generating a healthy return doesn’t have to cost the earth – figuratively or literally.
Comfort of work area
Length of commute to work
Cleanliness
Financial cost of commute to work
Lighting
Temperature
Noise Level
Air Quality
Quality of Wi-Fi technology
Smell
Having access to a number of toilets
Security
Mobile signal in the office (4G)
A quiet space for focused work
Public transport connections
40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
BOG STANDARD
Why we need to think about toilets in the workplace
By Steve Lang, Director, Commercial Research at Savills
Are generic toilets, rather than the traditional Ladies and Gents something that will become the preferred standard in office space in the future?
Simple gestures from an employer, such as providing hand creams and high quality soap all contribute to a worker’s sense of being valued.
Whilst it’s not the most glamorous aspect of building design, arguably the functionality and even aesthetics of the office washroom can make a big difference to workplace users. I appeal to developers and architects not to skimp on the thought and technology that goes into these unsung elements of a communal building. Toilets should reflect the brand of a building or organisation, just as much as the impressive atrium or reception desk.
Whilst it’s not the most glamorous aspect of building design, arguably the functionality and even aesthetics of the office washroom can make a big difference to workplace users. I appeal to developers and architects not to skimp on the thought and technology that goes into these unsung elements of a communal building. Toilets should reflect the brand of a building or organisation, just as much as the impressive atrium or reception desk. Whatever term we use: WC, toilet, restroom, washroom or bathroom, toilet facilities within any office environment should, at the very least, be efficient and hygienic for employees and visitors. They reflect the caring nature of the provider, whatever the sector. A review of the British Council for Offices (BCO) Guide to Specification 2019 publication highlights the fact that “the toilet cores help to set the standard of quality and user experience of a building”. Some accuse the toilet of being the ultimate ‘productivity killer’, seen as possibly the best office hiding place of all. For this reason, a number of corporate initiatives have been put in place over the years to minimise the use of the toilet by employees during work hours.
Either way, when viewing a new potential workspace, a ‘trip’ to see the toilet facilities is a must. The design, functionality and durability of the toilet areas is often reflective of the wider office environment and requires equal consideration in terms of the quality of materials, lighting and privacy. That’s why it’s important not to hold back on the level of investment during the office fit-out. Within these facilities there is also the potential to display an element of generosity, from the provision of personal care items for women to hand creams and high quality soap. These are simple gestures from an employer, but they all contribute to a worker’s sense of being valued. To achieve the targets set around wellness, productivity and healthy workplaces, the functionality, cleanliness and effectiveness of toilet facilities is driven by a number of design principles. Savills 2019 What Workers Want survey asked office workers from across Europe for their views on every facet of the modern office environment. The data found that the respondents from those countries that placed a high importance on cleanliness also put high importance on toilet choice and accessibility, suggesting that there is a direct positive relationship between toilets, cleanliness and wellbeing. 36% of European office workers would place high importance on toilet choice and accessibility in an office, but only 28% are actually satisfied – in other words, almost three quarters of them weren’t happy with their facilities. Gender neutrality is something of a controversial topic in this area. Are generic toilets, rather than the traditional Ladies and Gents something that will become the preferred standard in office space in the future? Many tech, and indeed public organisations, have introduced toilets with no gender specificity. This has been the response to lobbying and the need to create a more inclusive office environment. It has not been a change without problems though, including the fact that men apparently often fail to lock the door!
It is still early days in terms of identifying whether the potential ’issues’ outweigh the benefits, but what is likely is that the quantum of toilet provision will have to increase in the future to accommodate everyone’s individual needs.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, standards and possibly regulations may well change in the near future. Lighting, wall and floor surfaces, tap design, wash basins and hand drying options: all these factors play their part in ensuring toilet facilities are as hygienic as possible. The spread of germs has always been important and influences how we use public spaces, but now the viral risk from sharing small spaces will be uppermost in everyone’s minds, changing the way we interact with one another and our office environment in a much more significant way. In a post-pandemic world, the role of health and safety, cleanliness and toilet access will likely come to the fore. Is the introduction of smarter technology, as we’ve seen in many other areas of the office, a solution? If there was ever a use for haptics, which have been used substantially in the car industry, then this is the perfect time to introduce them to shared washrooms. Haptics enable the control of an environment without the need to touch any surfaces. Imagine using your hand as a controller, but in mid-air. It is the use of technology that stimulates the sense of touch. For example, touch-free taps already exist, where the water temperature is constant and the flow is triggered by hand movement. There may be ways to further exploit this ever-developing technology within the toilet environment. Ultimately, bog standard is no longer good enough when it comes to toilet provision in the work place. While not all offices will be able to recreate the extraordinary experience of the gents at the Felix restaurant in Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel (my all-time personal favourite), this is an area of building design that must be given its rightful care and attention, even imaginative flair. Now there’s a challenge for commercial architects.
Around the world with
DESIGN FEATURES
What does good workplace design look like? From natural daylight, to harvesting rainwater, marble accents to biophilic features, here we showcase a selection of our favourite workplaces from across the world.
Blaak 34, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Menara Prudential, Persiaran TRX Barat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid, Spain
Assembly Bristol, United Kingdom
Elektrownia Powisle, Warsaw, Poland
Quinta da Fonte, Oeiras, Portugal
Muscat, Oman
DRN, Národní 135/14, Prague, Czech Republic
For a long time, the former Stadthalle, built in 1906, was part of Zürich’s social and political life. When a car garage was installed in 1949, the building structure underwent considerable changes. Following an acquisition of the property in 2017, the space was to be converted to become the Switzerland Tourism HQ. The challenge in the planned conversion was how to keep the elements from the preceding eras, whilst providing a modern office space.
Tenant:
Landlord:
Architect:
Switzerland Tourism
Hess Investment AG
Burkhalter Sumi Architekten
Multiple
Real I.S.
V8 Architects
Tunnel-shaped golden entrance tube with revolving gate Original round-arched windows Restored original ceiling and wall paintings Groundwater heat pump system to heat or cool the building Curved-ramp providing easy access to all levels
> > > > >
Former historical bank features restored Art Nouveau lamps, marble inlays and vault doors Impressive atrium and grand portal
> > >
Prudential Group
Fairview Valley Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of IJM Corporation Berhad)
SA Architect Sdn Bhd
Grade A, LEED Gold and MSC-certified Rainwater harvesting and recycling 360 degree LED display wrap around the building Low emitting glass to reduce building heat
> > > >
Blaak 34 was built in 1950 with some impressive historical details. The building features a huge atrium and efficient office floors. A grand portal is located at the entrance. The authentic condition of the safe room is ideal for use as an attractive representative meeting room with a bar area. The building was granted national monument status in 2010.
Menara Prudential reflects Malaysia's rich cultural heritage, which is incorporated seamlessly with the modern architecture of the building. The interiors are based on themes including nature, urban landscapes and the history, art and culture of Malaysia. Examples include cafe areas based on mamak stalls and independent businesses called warungs. As well as collaboration spaces that feature design elements from Malaysian wayang kulit puppets, songket fabric and traditional games.
The client wanted two different strategies for the five companies of the Group: Marsh, Mercer, Oliver Wyman, Guy Carpenter and Nera. This included space optimisation and increased efficiency, as well as reinforcing culture and comfort.
Marsh & McLennan Companies
Realia
Philip Johnson & John Burgee
The FTSE 100 British multinational telecommunications company has preleased the whole of Building A, which is an 11 storey building that is due to practically complete in 2021 and will be the first phase delivered as part of the overall 320,000 sq ft Assembly Bristol development. BT has agreed a 20-year lease on the building as part of its UK wide office consolidation programme, The Better Workplace Programme.
Tenant/Occupier:
BT
AXA, Bell Hammer developer
AHMM
Designed by AHMM, Building A represents a new archetype for Bristol office space Natural light and high ceilings Outside space on every floor Opening windows A managed and shared roof terrace and best in class end cycle facilities
The client, a fintech company, leased two floors at Elektrownia Powiśle – a brand new, award-winning mixed-use project in Warsaw. The goal was to provide its employees with a space designed to utilise the modern office needs – collaboration, social areas, large kitchen. All this came with a unique, hotel feeling design, with soft sofas, acoustic enclosures and applications.
Loft themes combined with hotel design reflect the mix of modern and industrial features found within the complex Spaces dedicated to silent and creative work, equipped with analogue and multimedia tools Internal canteen with catering served daily for employees High-end AV solutions and natural greenery widely used, acoustic solutions (hanging and wall panels, dense carpet with felt backing and double glazing)
> >
Vodeno
Tristan Capital Partners & White Star Real Estate
TRZOP ARCHITEKCI
Focus on reinventing the workplace, reflecting the company culture and ensuring talent retention Large meeting and lounge areas with a pantry and a gaming zone Significant biophilia to promote wellbeing
For this project, the focus was on creating a concept for Thales Group’s new workplace strategy. The goal was clear: create an appealing space, capable of attracting new talent in the emerging Shared Services market.The space presents several solutions for its different users. Changes included standardising the experience for all employees by creating a layout with no set desks and the introduction of lockers. This meant that areas that were once used for individual work could be extended for more informal use.
Thales Group
Quinta da Fonte
Savills Portugal
A first-of-its-kind in the world, and the only Calatrava design in the country, this building will bring an architectural revolution to Oman’s cityscape. The state-of-the-art facility is aimed at delivering a seamless and rewarding experience to the bank’s customers while providing its employees with a high-performance and agile workplace. The building will be delivered in 2023 and will become a landmark upon the Muscat skyline.
Sohar International
Calatrava International
A functional building derived from a Mobius surface rooted in mathematics, while capturing Oman’s natural heritage and traditions. Futuristic design with exterior façade featuring a one-sided surface with a single boundary which will twist and fold unto itself, conveying two interlocking eclipses, resembling Sohar International’s logo.
DRN represents a simply outstanding quality, iconic, and sensitively developed multifunctional building consisting of a restored baroque-renaissance palace from 1734, juxtaposed with a 2018 constructed eight storey, premium office building.
Landlord/Developer:
KGAL / SEBRE
Master architect Stanislav Fiala, Ateliér Fiala + Němec
Hand-molded and textured walls have turned concrete into a canvas of artistic expression Reconditioned stairwells with restored ceilings of the original palace dating back to 1660-1677 The reception is custom constructed from the original roof tiles of the historic Schönkirch Palace A roof terrace, offering 360-degree views of Prague
DESIGN
BUILDING
Let's talk
Oliver Bayliss, Director at Buckley Gray Yeoman Architects talks to Hannah Buxton and Hunter Booth, both Central London Office Agency at Savills
An interview with
Good building design can be split into two parts: firstly the bones of the building, such as floor to ceiling heights and the depth of the plan. Generous floor plate sizes allow for both flexibility of leasing as well as fitting out and spatial arrangement. Secondly, there’s the practical element; that the frame of the building should always be sound. If it ticks both these boxes then the design works. After that it is just a question of what it looks like and how you wrap it up.
What does good office design mean to you?
Yes, they can. Take 25 Charterhouse Square (pictured left), which we designed for Helical. If you compare the building to other nearby new builds, ours commands far higher rents. There are pitfalls, however, when it comes to refurbishments because they are very easy to get wrong. But if you get them right, then from a rental perspective you can expect just as much revenue, if not more, than with new builds. It’s true that there are certain credentials a new build can achieve more easily and in a more cost effective way than a refurbishment, such as BREEAM, LEED and FitWell. Yet despite this, the issue with new builds ultimately, is the cost. If you can refurbish a building for half the price and in half the time and still achieve record rents, then it is a no brainer.
Can refurbished buildings be every bit as good as new buildings?
Flexibility has been a key driver – organisations are increasingly varied in size, partly due to the ‘gig economy’, which has resulted in smaller enterprises. With this in mind, you also have to allow for the larger, more established businesses which need more space. Buildings should be able to cater for all and the way that a building is planned should allow for that over the life span of a company. Ideally you move in as a one man band and you grow into the building. Servicing and price points need to respond to that growth. The next important factor is aesthetics: how an office looks has never been more important. The building’s brand and how it looks reflects both on the individuals who work there and the company itself. That is extremely powerful. From our point of view we always try to find a personality that people and organisations can identify with. Lastly, we are designing buildings to be collaborative. The typical office in the not too distant past (and they still exist today) would have endless rows of desks to service the highly repetitive types of jobs that were previously the norm. However, we have developed as a society, and those highly repetitive jobs are now disappearing as the world becomes increasingly automated. So what is left when they all go? We believe that all those jobs that a computer can’t do will be highly creative and centre around human collaboration. The spaces we design and occupy need to encourage that.
Has the design process changed over the last five years?
There is an argument for that on multiple levels. One is a question of character and authenticity which is extremely important. Since 2008 companies have rebelled against the glass box and column free space. Instead, companies want to identify with something authentic, so we try to celebrate as much as we can about existing buildings. The same theory applies to new builds. We are trying to get people to buy into a brand, not the building and this is far more relevant than it has ever been. The fight for talent is fundamental and companies need to offer people the best. The best might not be new and shiny, but it needs to be something people can resonate with.
How does this relate to refurbishments? Are landlords and developers now trying to keep what is there rather than replace with something new?
We try to find out as much about the story of the building and the context of the site as we can. That gives us a narrative we can use to give the space both brand and personality. Take 77 Coleman Street (above), where we reinstated the medieval street pattern at ground level by opening up Nun Court; creating a new piece of public realm. It’s about continuity rather than making wholescale change. Then it becomes all about pushing the existing story forward.
Where does your inspiration for buildings come from?
It should and will become a prerequisite to any development coming through. There is an enormous amount of building stock in central London which can easily be refurbished. Why would you knock something down and rebuild it for it to be only marginally bigger? Our approach has always been to try and use what is there.
What are the future trends around sustainability within building design?
Procurement is an issue. The pace at which we have to design buildings is getting much faster and the allocation of risk can put the design under a lot of pressure. It is up to us as architects to adapt to this.
What are the biggest pressures facing architects?
I am very fond of C Space (above). It was a successful project for everyone involved (including Savills!), not just commercially, but also as a great example of how to change a building and turn it into a place that is vibrant and loved.
What is your favourite building you have designed and why?
C Space, London, UK
77 Coleman Street for Kajima, London, UK
25 Charterhouse Square for Helical, London, UK
Photo credit: Peter Landers
The Savills
HOME office
SHOW & TELL
amsterdam,
the netherlands
cornwall,
united kingdom
oxford,
gold coast,
australia
london,
kraków,
poland
Els Van Bronckhorst, Associate Director, Occupier Services
Jess Alderson, Associate Director, Global Research, Workthere
Charles Rowton-Lee, Director, Office Agency
Andrew Hogg, National Director, Clients & Strategy, Project Management
Katrina MacKay, UK Board Director, Property Management
Agnieszka Kuehn, Senior Consultant, Office Agency
Working from home has been a topic discussed for many years, with every business taking a different approach. Some have flexible working policies, but for many others it hasn’t been on the agenda. However, due to the recent pandemic, most workers - usually based in offices or co-working spaces - have had to adapt and create an office at home. Here, we take a look at how some of our colleagues have adapted to working from home, providing tips on how they stay productive.
“First of all, what I need to stay productive is good coffee and good daylight! Therefore I decided to create my workspace environment in the kitchen, which is next to my terrace. I find taking short breaks are really useful to stay productive and here I have easy access to enjoy some fresh air and do some work in the sun.”
“My current home office is in Cornwall with my two dogs. I’m very grateful to have them as my colleagues as they’re great company, although they haven’t quite grasped the concept of social distancing yet! I also find lots of daylight and a comfortable, flexible environment helps me to stay productive.”
“When the weather is good (which it mostly has been this Spring), I enjoy working in my garden. We talk about biophilic designs in the workplace and here I have plenty of greenery and nature, as well as peace and quiet which all help me to stay productive. I’ve also just had our internet upgraded, which is very important for being outside away from the house.”
“I make the most of the Gold Coast lifestyle whilst working from home - the peace and serenity is highly conducive to increased productivity. I’m also a big fan of lists; a daily list helps keep me focused on what needs to be achieved each day.”
“In order to maintain productivity, I like to keep the windows open for fresh air and lots of natural light. I’m lucky to be surrounded by woodlands and I find a good view outside helps keep a healthy mind. I also keep a bit of workout equipment nearby for if the moment takes me, and a cupboard with crayons and paper for when I get a little visitor who’s working on my gallery wall. Artwork also increases productivity!”
“My home office is located on the mezzanine level of my new apartment. Up here I have a hammock which is conveniently located next to my desk for when I want to take short breaks throughout the day. I find it’s a great way to reflect and gather my thoughts, and in turn helps me stay productive.”
in the city
1. Connectivity
5. Competition
By Richard Eyley, Director, Building & Project Consultancy at Savills
Occupiers in all sectors are increasingly aware of the benefits of connecting their staff and removing physical barriers. In order to do this successfully many are now installing staircases between floors. The cost in lost net internal area (NIA) is seen as being far outweighed by the social interactions that take place as a result of the increased flow of movement around the workplace.
Design, for a large part, is subjective and the look and feel of office space will differ from sector to sector and company to company. As seen in the articles throughout this magazine, it’s clear that there are specific principal drivers of office design. With this in mind, we take a look at what insurance, financial and legal occupiers in London typically want from their space.
2. Open plan
Occupiers are almost always now moving towards open plan configurations with highly cellular spaces and individual offices being removed, even in the more ‘traditional’ legal and financial sectors. For this reason, well considered architectural and acoustic design is critical in order to create a more comfortable working environment with a variety of work settings and a division of larger spaces.
3. Agile working
There has been a huge shift in recent years towards activity-based and agile working, with office design often incorporating a variety of facilities and work settings to aid collaboration, as well as areas to allow focus on a more individual basis. These frequently use a variety of furniture solutions to implement them successfully.
4. Talent attraction and retention
Occupiers across all sectors are aware that their high value staff have become progressively more mobile in recent years, both in terms of where and how they are working, as well as for whom. Cross sector talent attraction and retention is especially important and creating a highly desirable office environment plays an increasingly significant role in this.
Competing to be the best – particularly in the insurance sector – is ever present, with the battle for the most desirable broking lounge driving the major organisations to deploy high end fit-outs and hotel-style servicing. Across all sectors there are similar stories, with competing firms vying to attract talent and impress clients with the most impressive and/or innovative meeting rooms, fine dining facilities and in-house hospitality.
6. Technology
The next generation of digital technology will undoubtedly inform and change the marketplace. This is a major challenge for many sectors, in particular the insurance and financial services industries. Those companies who are pioneering the use of digital platforms exemplify the types of
innovation that are also seen in other sectors; these are the businesses that will propel their markets further forward in exciting and imaginative ways. We all face further changes to our working environment as we adapt to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the short-term our return to work protocols will significantly change our working practices due to reduced occupancy levels and social distancing. We hope that in the long term we will be able to return to the workplace in far higher numbers and look forward to the opportunity to apply what we have learned during a period of mass ‘working from home’ in the form of new working practices, embracing technology, flexible working and dynamic new designs.
BRIT Insurance, The Leadenhall Building, 122 Leadenhall Street, London, UK
collaboration+
control,
culture
collaboration
control
Research has shown time and again that increased autonomy – or even the perception of an increase in control – can improve how people feel. As a result, successful buildings are ones which empower their users and allow them to use space in a way which suits their personal needs.
Our recent office acquisitions and refurbishments are a source of pride for Savills business. The quality and style of the environments that we are creating is in keeping with the status of the Savills brand but is also a reflection of our commitment to provide progressive spaces which allow our staff to flourish.
In the REP division we are seeking to provide offices in key locations and which suit the agile nature of our teams, whilst maintaining our extensive regional coverage. We understand the importance of providing offices with great leaders and buoyant working atmospheres and this is the foundation for our office design.
By Clare Bailey, Director, Commercial Research and Paul Higman, Director, Building Consultancy at Savills
Savills, as both an employer and specialist in commercial property, is developing a deeper understanding of how commercial buildings can better support their own business, by implementing new ways of working and different property strategies.
With so much time spent at work, it’s never been more important to understand how location, design and technology can boost our work performance and productivity, but also our physical and mental health. Over a lifetime of working, people take on average three months of sick leave — a total of 94 days. Wellbeing, and its impact on performance and productivity, is something that employers and landlords can no longer afford to ignore. A well designed, sized and located workplace creates a positive ripple effect, reducing sick leave and increasing productivity and in turn helping drive employment, improve amenity and even encourage business migration. Companies will attract and retain high-performing talent if employees feel that their needs are being prioritised. The recent events surrounding Covid-19 have meant a sustained period of time physically isolated away from our friends, family and colleagues. It will be interesting to see how this influences our concept of what makes an ideal office. Established norms around what constitutes productivity may also change. Hours spent at a desk or in meetings will no longer be seen as a proven sign of productivity, and we may well be judged more on the quality of our output than the time we took to get there.
So how do we design healthy and productive buildings that employees are proud of? We call them ‘The three Cs — Control, Collaboration and Culture’ - three components involved in designing a working environment fit for our changing times.
By using data collected on a local and business level to shape the core brief – focusing on the right sizing of the space and occupancy ratios. Not blindly follow industry norms and trends but listening to the views of our employees and enabling them to feel they have some control.
Engage with staff and listen to the different needs of employees. Provide an environment that supports team working.
Generate a sense of pride, both in the process and final design. Use relocations / consolidations to establish new leadership.
According to research from the University of Exeter, employees who have control over the design and layout of their workspace are not only happier and healthier, they’re also up to 32% more productive. Ben Channon, author of Happy by Design says:
These core principles were adopted during the relocation of the Savills Birmingham office in 2018. The project was the largest relocation since we opened our HQ on Margaret Street in London’s West End. The design and process demonstrate how far workplace design has changed over a five year period. The Savills business model grants a significant level of autonomy to the local offices and therefore the Birmingham office itself was strongly influential regarding the size, location and design of its new space. This resulted in an office that is the right size, provides alternative working environments to support future growth and was extremely well received by the team, who are justly proud of their environment.
The business as a whole has embraced the challenge set by the Birmingham office, which has had a positive knock on effect — raising workplace standards across Savills and subsequent local office refurbishments. The process also encouraged our organisation to collate data in relation to the working patterns within our wide ranging office locations in order to understand the ways we work. The Birmingham office is in keeping with our national brand, while also including unique local design elements. It provides a professional space that combines high-quality interiors, with a mix of open workspace, informal project space and private individual and group rooms. Savills Edinburgh office is a more recent example of a comprehensive refurbishment and one which used workplace analysis data to shape a new occupancy strategy and design. The data challenged the perception that additional floor space was required in order to accommodate the existing staff and projected future growth. With support from the wider business, the local management team decided to remain on their existing floor plates and undertake a comprehensive in situ refurbishment in order to support a fully agile office model. As well as significant and tangible financial benefits, the refurbishment brought a number of floors together to promote a ‘buzz’ around the office — based on a group decision that a more dynamic office would drive collaboration and team work.
Our new offices have moved away from white walls and standard office furniture with the introduction of a vibrant colour palette and plenty of links to nature (technically known as biophilic design) – Edinburgh, Leeds and Birmingham all include green walls – when living plants form an interior wall – as a key part of the design. Savills understand that ‘one size does not fits all’ and actively manage the occupational portfolio in order to evolve the way that we locate, size and design our offices. As a diverse business, it would be wrong to adopt a standardised design, which supports a generic way of working. What Savills have tried to do is ensure that lease events or acquisitions are used as triggers to assess staff numbers and composition and to question whether we are using space efficiently and if it continues to support the staff and varying functions. We also have a tool kit of design prompts which empower local staff to challenge the historical norms during the design process, particularly when we are managing this process in-house. These principles have recently been used during the design of a new office in Taunton and a refurbishment in Circencester. We, as a company, are still learning and evolving. The research team continues to look to future trends and our property steering group also consider opportunities and triggers. However it is clear that if we can get the people who use the space involved in design decisions at the start, and create flexible spaces, we can future proof our commercial buildings while ensuring happy, healthy and productive staff.
Savills, 55 Colmore Row, Birmingham, UK
Savills, 3 Wellington Pl, Leeds, UK
Savills, 8 Wemyss Pl, Edinburgh, UK
Savills, Blackbrook Business Park, Kingston House, Taunton, UK
Andrew Harle, Joint Head of Rural division, Savills UK
Richard Rees, Managing Director, Savills UK
the only way is
UP
Emma Kennedy, Associate, KKS Savills and Steven Lang, Director, Commercial Research at Savills
In modern office space it is now not uncommon to see a staircase in the middle of the floorplate acting as a link.
Whether it’s a grand staircase in a stately home or a design statement in a corporate headquarters, the staircase has a functional yet aesthetic role. It can create the ‘wow’ factor in any environment and some large companies have embraced the humble staircase as the centrepiece of the workplace.
Macquarie Bank is a great example of a brand showcasing a statement staircase. With different versions across its global offices, each staircase, in whichever location it might be in, opens up the space and even enhances the wellbeing of its staff. In London, for example, lift use fell by as much as 75%, with staff eager
Värde Partners, St James’s, London, UK
Throughout history, great architectural design has often paid due respect to the staircase, whether it’s the Centre Pompidou in Paris completed in the late 1970s, the Spanish Steps in Rome a quarter of a millennium earlier or more recently the Vessel at Hudson Yards in New York, which opened last year. So why are stairs so important and why should we be incorporating more tech-free pedestrian flow across different levels in an office building? Providing the opportunity to achieve a higher daily step count and increasing the chance of serendipitous interaction is clearly a benefit to both employees and employers. The BBC installed wider stairs in its new headquarters, acknowledging how often people randomly encounter each other and stand on the stairs to have conversations. This led the architects to create a ‘landing area’ which included places to sit. There are also lessons to be learnt from academia. The London School of Economics and Political Science’s most recent building addition to the campus is the biggest and tallest example yet. The key feature of the Centre Building includes a staircase designed for both socialising and informal meetings. The ‘academic stair’ unfolds in double height spaces throughout the faculty levels; this is to boost circulation through the building and to encourage chance meetings and collaborations between departments, institutes and research centres.
The Savills What Workers Wants 2019 survey showed that ease of access around the office building, including accessibility to different floors, is ‘highly important’ to 66% of respondents. In some sectors the figure is even higher, for example, those respondents working within the telecommunications industry gave it a high importance rating of as much as 86%. However, only 50% are actually satisfied.
This suggests that getting around the office with ease is clearly a priority for many, but why? The survey results also showed that of those respondents placing a ‘high importance’ on ease of access in the office, 82% of them also placed a ‘high importance’ on being close to relevant teams and departments (compared to just 4% who didn’t). With this in mind, a ‘no tech’ staircase providing accessibility between floors can often deliver the perfect solution. Stairs have become increasingly important for the design, aesthetics and the operation of a building. In modern office space it is now not uncommon to see a staircase in the middle of the floorplate acting as a link. However, some have questioned the efficiency of punching holes in the floor leading to a loss of space for desks and meeting rooms. Yet, arguably the benefits of increased wellbeing, connectivity and collaboration outweigh the financial cost, although these are more difficult to measure. The multi-purpose appeal of the staircase has seen businesses consider how best to implement it into their fit-outs. Some are considering materialistic ways of making this easier. Cross laminated timber ‘knock out’ panels for example, although this method is still fairly new and is expensive. Or the less costly option of utilising existing base build stairs to create a more aesthetically pleasing and accessible version. Consequently, new office developments are now considering the location of where they place fire stairs to allow for this kind of design. The simple staircase, designed well, should be seen as less of a functional addition, but rather as a business tool that can deliver creativity and value to your business. Ultimately, the only way is up.
Lower Carbon
Better design
equals
For all projects considering a sustainable agenda, maximum benefit can only be enjoyed when this intent is identified at the very beginning: when preparing the client brief.
By Jack Pugh, Associate Director, Project Management at Savills
Through targeting staff wellbeing and encouraging biodiversity within the office, Deka has achieved the UK’s highest ever operational BREEAM rating at King’s Place in King’s Cross.
Bloomberg, 3 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK
It is twelve years now since the passing of the 2008 Climate Change Act, which saw the UK government commit to the reduction of 80% on 1990 levels of carbon emissions by 2050. Taking things one step further, last year the UK further enforced their commitment to the environmental agenda by becoming the first major economy to pledge a new target of bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
As a major contributor to carbon emissions (40% as of 2019), the UK built environment, and therefore the property professionals who work within and develop this sector, have a significant responsibility to further improve sustainability in order for the 2050 target to be achieved. However, no longer is this the realm of flagship infrastructure projects or green-minded experiments. Instead landlords and developers are now implementing sustainability initiatives from a base build perspective and increasingly occupiers are looking at ways to lower their carbon footprint when considering their fit-outs. This greater emphasis is reflected by the increased scrutiny the construction industry now faces on all matters relating to sustainability. The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) recommend that the commercial office sector in particular should target a 60% reduction in energy demand by 2050, in order to contribute to the UK target of Net Zero. For all projects considering a sustainable agenda, maximum benefit can only be enjoyed when this intent is identified at the very beginning: when preparing the client brief. Following this, the interlinking elements of workplace strategy, office design and specification of materials and building services can then effectively be coordinated to contribute to the overall end result. This in turn will help to encourage landlords to acquire shell and core buildings, therefore reducing the waste generated from stripping out a Cat A fit-out.
The new Bloomberg European headquarters building based at 3 Queen Victoria Street in London is a prime example of how innovative office design has been adopted early in the process, contributing towards a wider sustainability focus. Features include an integrated ‘petal-ceiling’ design, which uses aluminum ‘petals’ to improve energy efficiency by reducing heating, cooling and lighting requirements. This, combined with natural ventilation and smart mechanical ventilation services which react to building occupation levels and adjust their output accordingly, can create an annual saving of up to 600-750 MWh of power. Of course, not all occupiers will be able to carry out such an extensive undertaking, but there are other solutions. For instance, the UK-GBC’s own London headquarters is a great illustration of how a measured
approach to office refurbishment and fit-out can yield impressive results. This has been achieved, in part, through the use of sustainable and recycled materials, including, but not limited to, paint, floor coverings and glazing. As a result, the UK-GBC was able to achieve the lowest embodied carbon footprint and fit-out recorded in Britain to date. Carbon reduction does not, however, end with construction completion. Now office design is beginning to focus more on improving the efficient occupation of the building throughout its life cycle. Partnering with Deka at King’s Place in King’s Cross, London, Savills helped them to achieve the UK’s highest ever operational BREEAM rating.
This was accomplished by targeting staff wellbeing, encouraging biodiversity within the office and enhancing the energy efficiency of existing building services. Results included a 12% reduction in water consumption and 30MWh of electricity savings per year from the installation of LED lighting. Looking ahead, the emphasis on sustainable fit-outs is growing rapidly, underpinned by a number of industry accreditations. The rise of certifications such as the WELL Building Standard, which originated in the US, is becoming increasingly popular with landlords and developers here in the UK. Ultimately, it focuses on improving the wellbeing of occupiers by considering a joined up approach between building design, scientific research and human interaction. What’s more, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and the Building Research Establishment (BRE) have announced plans to combine both WELL and BREEAM to help buildings achieve this accreditation. In 2018 The Porter Building in Slough became the first office building to gain a WELL Building Standard here in the UK. It is also not just about the physical. It’s essential to develop industry knowledge of ESG driven legislation in order to make these changes. Educating landlords, developers and occupiers around innovative solutions for energy and waste reduction, transportation and social value will encourage change. As the old adage goes, looks aren’t everything, and this is definitely the case when it comes to office refurbishments. Creating sustainable spaces is what will safeguard both the natural and built environment for generations of office workers to come, whatever the office of the future now looks like.
Revolution on the
factory floor
By Pearl Gillum, Analyst, Commercial Research at Savills
afTer
Heritage buildings have the potential to bring considerable value to occupiers, providing offices with character that allow businesses to showcase their individuality with one-of-a-kind space. They add social value and are more sustainable than building a new office. They can preserve and breathe new life into historic areas. Some argue that offices located on heritage sites can even improve the wellbeing of those who work there. How? By creating meaningful connections with the past that add a new perspective to the workplace.
The Old Vinyl Factory, Hayes, UK
In recent years Environmental Social Governance (ESG) has rapidly risen up the corporate agenda. While firms race to reduce their environmental impact and do more to fulfil their social responsibilities, revitalising a historical landmark within a local community is a brilliant way of doing both. The waste generated in refurbishing an existing building is far lower than the demolition and construction of a new one, and converting heritage assets into commercial space can reinvigorate a once flagging location. This can improve not only the local economy but the quality of life within an area with redundant buildings being repurposed.
Out-of-use factories provide many of the features required for a successful office conversion: large floorplates and high density of windows provide excellent natural light and generous space for open plan working. The fall in UK manufacturing saw many once buzzing industrial areas in the regions become derelict and abandoned. However, such places remain a key part of British architectural heritage and many of these sites are now Listed. Converting them into commercial buildings has done much to revitalise these towns. For instance, Dean Clough in Halifax was once the home of the world’s largest carpet factory, but today, after an extensive restoration, it is now a thriving commercial hub and home to over 140 companies employing more than 4,000 people. The converted mills are striking to look at, with geometric windows providing huge amounts of natural light to the workers inside. In addition to the office space, the increase in footfall has seen an array of successful restaurants, bars, cafés, shops, a gym and even a theatre spring up at the site. Yet, despite Dean Clough’s popularity, many of the UK’s former factories and cotton mills remain empty, providing significant opportunities for developers to regenerate these once busy locations, while preserving the local heritage in regional towns and cities. Interesting new developments on the horizon include the former Shredded Wheat factory in Welwyn Garden City which is in the process of being transformed into a one million sq ft mixed-use scheme known as The Wheat Quarter. The site, which is located by the train station, has long been one of the most recognisable features of the Garden City.
When the factory ceased production in January 2008 it was uncertain what would become of the iconic Art Deco buildings. However, the plans which include a 63,000 sq ft office development, are set to bring both life and jobs back to the former manufacturing site. The office element named The Production Hall, is due to complete in 2021. Offices within heritage buildings can offer significant opportunity for firms to showcase their unique style. A good example of this is Sunlight House in Manchester. The Grade II Listed Art Deco building features two four level octagonal turrets each topped with a decorative domed lantern and finial. These circular rooms are ideal for creating large capacity meeting rooms. There is also the potential to marry modern office design with period architecture, creating distinctive interiors. Exposed traditional brickwork, varnished woodwork, high ceilings and skylights are all common in heritage buildings and are often extremely sought after by occupiers. One such place is the Fermentation Buildings in Bristol, a working brewery from 1702 until 2000 and a key part of the area’s heritage. Following a comprehensive office refurbishment in 2019, which retained all the original architectural features, the site has already attracted occupiers including Channel 4 and English Heritage. The building features a high glass atrium style roof flooding the space with natural light, which is unlike anything you would find in a typical modern office building. The buildings also showcase the original contrasting brickwork that would be nearly impossible to replicate using contemporary materials. Heritage sites allow specialist occupiers to position themselves in areas of significance to their industry. An example of this is The Old Vinyl Factory, a U+I mixed-use scheme in Hayes in West London with a 550,000 sq ft office development, which was once home to the EMI record plant where ground-breaking records by The Beatles and Pink Floyd were pressed.
The Record Store and The Shipping Building before and after its redevelopment. The buildings were originally designed by Wallis Gilbert and Partners in 1928 and include the public art 6m tall Nipper the dog statue The Record Store and The Shipping Building, The Old Vinyl Factory, Hayes, UK
Location:
The Art Deco office buildings which include the Record Store, the Shipping Building and the Cabinet Building, all have unique characteristics that reflect the site’s history. The scheme also features impressive artwork including gramophone sculptures, urban street art and monuments dedicated to the heritage of the location. Tenants who occupy space at the Old Vinyl Factory include speaker manufacturer Sonos. Their decision to base their office at the historical site has continued the music production legacy within Hayes, while bringing it into the 21st century. Ultimately, heritage sites are in high demand and with available office stock dwindling across the UK, now might just be the time to say “in with the old and out with the new.”
Photo credits from top to bottom: Richard Leoroyd, Dominic Dorin, Jarrell Goh.
THROUGH THE
with
ply feature wall
carpet tile
Earlier this year Network Homes, the London housing association which was first established in 1974, completed the fit-out of its brand new HQ at The Hive in Wembley Park. At the time of writing, Covid-19 has delayed its staff from moving in, but what’s clear is that James Dean, corporate projects director at Network Homes, and Sarah Snell, associate at design consultancy MCM, the interior designer on the project, are incredibly proud of the final product.
The decision to move just 500 metres down the road from the organisation’s original headquarters is only partly due to the allure of Quintain’s new 8.8 million sq ft mixed use development: James explains that it is also the history of the housing association that has kept it based in the London borough of Brent where Network Homes first opened its doors over 40 years ago. “As far back as 2015 when we started to look around, safeguarding our history was always at the forefront of the search. When you look at the transformation of the area, even in the last 10 years, it reflected exactly what was happening for us internally and it made perfect sense.” Once the decision had been made, the team had a relatively blank canvas on which to work. Additions to the base-build included the incorporation of a mezzanine and a separate reception area, which put the customer experience at the heart of the operation. The mezzanine was to become the ‘jewel space’, providing a multi-functional hub where everyone could come together. Sarah explains that agility was crucial when designing this area, “One of the big drivers was to reduce Network Homes’ overall footprint.” Technological advances were already something the housing association had been championing in their old home, so technology needed to work seamlessly in the newly designed space. The outcome was a reduction of approximately 15,000 sq ft of space in total.
The ultimate goal was to move away from the conventional idea of an office, avoiding excesses of corporate branding and instead making the space feel like a lively and social place where both customers and clients were equally comfortable. For this reason, much of the interior was designed to reflect both the urban roots and the ingrained social messaging of the organisation. The decision-making process was made primarily by James and former executive member of the Network Homes team, Jon Dawson. Essentially embedding themselves within the design team, they attended all project meetings which gave them visibility over the entire process. While decisions were not made by committee, staff were engaged throughout the process and focus groups were held to look at different ways of working, primarily to help people make the sometimes difficult transition towards a more agile style. Encapsulating the brand and Network Homes’ strapline, ‘good homes make everything possible’ within the fit-out was always a key part of the brief. Having recently undergone a rebranding process, this was the perfect opportunity to fully integrate, rather than retrospectively apply, a new look and feel into the design.
It was also important to showcase the services that Network Homes provide to the community. Working with people from all walks of life, they needed to balance their social purpose with a contemporary, flexible and future-proofed workplace that hit the right note. Sarah explains that they did this by injecting personality and celebrating the culture of the organisation. “We created spaces for Network Homes to display its social, charitable and community events in reception, and commissioned graffiti murals in both the boardroom and on the mezzanine floor, perfectly capturing the brand essence.”
Other design elements also played a critical part in this. Residential-style touches such as coloured ‘frontdoors’ to meeting rooms, brick slips, pitched roof details, and shingle tiles, all contributed to the creation of a headquarters that truly reflected the character of the occupier. One of the key priorities was to steer clear of ostentation and instead make the best use of robust and everyday materials that were in line with the brand identity. “It was incredibly important not to alienate anybody coming through our doors, and with this in mind we wanted our surroundings to look professional, but still reflect our ethos,” notes James.
reeded glass
There were also wider themes to consider. In addition to a more adaptable use of the office space, introducing a new innovative way of working was paramount. Behind the scenes a change management team was in place to support staff through these shifts. James sees it as a move from a mindset of “this desk is ‘my territory’, to this belongs to all of us,” encouraging everyone to view the entire space as communal. Wellness also played a role, with a faith room and office yoga remaining a fixture. Biophilia was also deliberated and led to the installation of a green roof that can be viewed by occupants on the first floor, as well as introducing a plethora of plants across the office. All of this has, at its core, been for the benefit of Network Homes staff. Having a great workplace both to attract and retain staff is crucial. James sums it up perfectly when he says, “We want to be proud of where we workand want people to feel proud to work for Network Homes.”
Network Homes, The Hive, Wembley Park, London, UK
(SCIENCE)
Injecting new life
INTO LONDON
By Tom Mellows, Director, Office Agency at Savills
The attraction of being located near to one of the MHRA facilities is obvious, as well as providing access to a significant graduate talent pool, it also enables collaboration, which has culminated in occupiers both relocating or expanding in the area.
Landlords need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to providing lab space.
London has seen an influx of life science commercial property occupiers in the past 18 months, a trend which is only set to increase following the Government’s recent Budget announcement in March that that they will be doubling R&D spend in order to drive innovation.
This demand is being spear headed by the expansion of specific sectors. For example, a large and growing part of biomedical research is being underpinned by the expansion of cell and gene therapies which are attempting to treat diseases including cancer, diabetes and AIDS. Furthermore, the importance of the UK Life Science industry has been further highlighted by the leading role we are playing in the search for a vaccine for Covid-19. You only have to look at the figures to see just how significantly it has grown. In 2012 there were just 500 people employed in the cell and gene therapy industry in the UK. Now Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, an independent centre created to advance the growth of the sector, predicts there will bemore than 6,000 people working in this area by 2024.
Autolus, White City Place, London, UK
At present, London is the leading location in the UK for this type of treatment. This is largely due to the fact that there are seven Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licensed manufacturing facilities within the region, the largest cluster in the country. The attraction of being located near to one of these facilities is obvious; as well as providing access to a significant graduate talent pool, it also enables collaboration, which has culminated in occupiers both relocating or expanding in the area.
The expertise of the sector has also been internationally recognised, resulting in venture capitalists (VC) actively targeting UK life sciences companies. For instance, Autolus, the T cell therapies specialist, has raised more than £170 million in funding, which led to its subsequent initial public offering (IPO) and listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2018. The business now occupies more than 33,000 sq ft at Mediaworks at White City Place. This level of funding often translates into real estate requirements, allowing early stage life science start-ups to rapidly expand and commit to large quantities of space. An example of this is Quell Therapeutics, another T cell specialist, which leased 12,000 sq ft at Imperial College’s I-Hub in December last year. This is quite a feat given it was only founded in March 2019, but the £35million of VC funding certainly helped. The emergence of this industry has resulted in a number of potential life science clusters developing across London, predominantly close to the city’s world class academic campuses and leading teaching hospitals. A key centre is Imperial College’s White City Campus. This now offers a range of fully serviced laboratory, write-up, incubator and office spaces, which also includes scalable, high specification accommodation to help commercialise research and ideas. Scale Space, for instance, a joint venture between Imperial College and Blenheim Chalcot, comprises 200,000 sq ft of innovation space, which is being developed across three phases and is due to complete in 2021. The scheme is already 50% pre-let, proving just how popular West London has become to life science occupiers. A case in point is Novartis, the multinational pharmaceutical firm, which relocated its UK headquarters from Frimley in Surrey and now occupies 54,000 sq ft at Westworks in White City Place.
Despite this, London still suffers from a shortage of appropriate science-related workspace, particularly laboratories. This is set to becomean issue when it comes to meeting the demand generated by the sharp increase in capital investment. The need for purpose built laboratory space is already outpacing supply, with a number of firms now resorting to fitting out conventional office buildings to suit their requirements – a potentially lengthy and expensive process. One solution is for landlords to start incorporating flexible floorplates into their buildings, which can then be easily sub-divided to offer specifically tailored space. For example, both Autolus and Novartis, which are now located at Stanhope and Mitsui Fudosan’s White City Place, have fitted out their own laboratories, while the remainder of the building is multi-let to other tenants occupying conventional offices.
With 98% of companies surveyed by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult indicating that they will be increasing headcount in the next five years, landlords need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to providing lab space. Only then can London’s life science clusters provide the cure for occupiers looking to expand in the capital.
MANCHESTER
OUR CITY:
In this edition, we asked our Manchester office agency team what the famous northern powerhouse means to them.
Are you a born and bred Mancunian?
JE:
I grew up on a dairy farm near Chester, people seem to think this is in Wales but, despite my surname, i’m 100% English.
RL:
I’m a proud Liverpudlian but moved to Manchester ‘for a couple of years’ 16 years ago!
AC:
Nope, I grew up in Warwickshire. I moved to Manchester in 2012 because I wanted to work in a big city but didn’t want to go to London, and Manchester seemed to have a buzz about it and it felt like an exciting time to start a career there.
DB:
I’m a thoroughbred Cumbrian originally from Windermere, Lake District. I studied at Salford University and generally people from my part of the world migrate to Manchester
From left to right:
James Evans, Richard Lowe, Fiona Crompton, Daniel Barnes and Andrew Cooke
Independent, Pioneering, Successful.
Vibrant, Thriving, Progressive
Culture, Heritage, Sideburns
Mad. For. It.
What three words would best describe the city?
People - whether it be our huge pool of talent, the ever changing and diverse workforce or the can do attitude of most people in the city.
Manchester has a really diverse economy with strength across multiple sectors, plus a rich mix of architecture, talent, leisure, culture and sport - add in the busiest UK airport outside of London. Plus its geographical position isin the heart of the north and there can be little doubt Manchester is the capital of the northern powerhouse - although I’m sure our colleagues across the Pennines would disagree!
In my view the city is far enough away from London and of a suitable size that people view it as the 2nd city in England. Companies want to be based here to draw on those employees who want the buzz of a big city, but also have the ability to maintain a good standard of life and get on the housing ladder. The mix of large corporate and public sector organisations provide for a diverse skill base. Geographically, it also feeds Liverpool and Leeds well, acting as the central hub to which other cities can connect.
Great quality of life that still has culture, good national and international transport connections, education and opportunities.
What makes Manchester the northern powerhouse?
Birmingham is a great city and so is Manchester. Neither needs to obsess over being the second largest city. Just as we don’t need to compare ourselves to London; Manchester is an independent city that doesn’t need comparing to other less successful sporting cities.
This can’t be a serious question?!
It never needed to overtake it in the first place! And that comes from someone who grew up with Birmingham as his nearest big city.
Manchester overtaken who??
Has Manchester overtaken Birmingham as England’s second largest city?
Having been involved with there juvenation of St Peter’s Square this would be my favourite, combining modern architecture with Manchester classics and add in the history of Peterloo - this gets my vote.
The murals on various buildings in the Northern Quarter and across the city really show the creativity, energy and sprit of the area.
The iconic graffiti in the Northern Quarter by Axel Void, Tankpetrol, and Akse P19.
The Theatre of Dreams - Old Trafford.
What landmark do you love most about Manchester?
It’s not a change but a continuation of devolution, more power to local leadership who are better informed to make decisions compared to central government.
The metrolink has been a great success, but it feels a little too successful at peak travel times given the number of people squashed on! More capacity would help move more workers out of their cars and onto sustainable public transport.
Put more cycle lanes in and around the city and quadruple the number of trams!
More green spaces, development is great but where can we sit in the rain?
If you could be Mayor of Manchester what changes would you make?
Akse p19 mural, Northern Quarter, Manchester
Northern Quarter - independent and different.
For a great night out, head into the suburbs to Burton Road in West Didsbury - lots of independent bars and restaurants with a great atmosphere on a summer’s night.
It has to be Albert’s Schloss! You can go wherever you want to, but I guarantee by the end of the night you will bein Albert’s Schloss standing on a wooden table dancing to German techno.
Starting mid-afternoon in the Vine to enjoy a properboozer, then the options are endless, either head across tothe Northern Quarter or Spinningfields depending on thepersonalities of the crowd but the grand finale would alwaysbe in Albert’s Schloss - it gets lively after 10pm.
Where would you take a southerner for a great night out?
The Ritz, Manchester - where you might bump into an S Club 7 star
I’m usually too busy for this......... Honest.
El Gato Negro on King Street serves fantastic tapas and has a great bar hidden away on the top floor with a retracting roof.
Manchester has some fantastic fine dining restaurants like 20 Stories, The French and our latest Michelin star restaurant Mana. However, I’m a huge fan of American food and would choose chicken wings and cold beer any day of the week, so I’d choose somewhere like Yard & Coop
The more sophisticated might say San Carlo, 20 Stories or Mana - but for me, you can’t beat a Rudy’s pizza.
What are your favourite eating and drinking establishments and why?
Hacienda.
I’m not old enough to remember the Hacienda in its heyday, and not wealthy enough to shop in Harvey Nichols!
Neither – too young for Hacienda and don’t get paid enough for Harvey Nichols!
Not old enough to enjoy Hacienda - so I say The Ritz, I met Bradley from S Club 7 in there once.
Hacienda or Harvey Nichols?
Cricket not football.
As a big Liverpool fan I tend to keep my sporting allegiances quiet when out in Manchester, unless of course we happen to be top of the league and the opportunity to wind a colleague up presents itself...
Blue, just because it annoys the reds.
Red.
Red or Blue?
Too many to mention.
Spinningfields has been a game changer for Manchester - the quality of buildings and public realm plus the variety of leisure offer has made it home to a fantastic mix of tenants. Being an office nerd however, my favourite office suite in town would have to be the top floor of Trinity on John Dalton Street which has a couple of fantastic roof terraces looking onto the town hall.
It may be bias as we’re agents on the scheme but I genuinely think Circle Square is one of the most exciting new city centre “neighbourhoods” being developed. Whilst the workspace being created will deliver best in class Grade A space, the provision of amenity and green space is the true driver to success on this scheme. It’s also keeping the Manc culture at the forefront by pushing the independent retailers at Hatch to provide unique leisure and retail facilities for the community there.
Any building with Savills marketing signage alongside it.
Favourite office building / development and why?
Circle Square, 2 Nobel Way, Manchester
Hatch, Oxford Rd, Manchester, UK
SAVILLS CASE STUDY & IMAGE INDEX
Where possible we have featured real examples of the themes and topics discussed within each article. Please see below further information regarding the photos used in each article.
Why good design will help us get back to the office (page 3)
Image on page 3 - Hyperion Insurance Group, One Creechurch Place, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for Hyperion Insurance Group.
Key contact: Richard Eyley, Director, Building & Project Consultancy, London, UK
reyley@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7409 8897 Image on page 3 (top) - Iris Worldwide, 10 Queen St Pl, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for Iris Worldwide.
Key contact: Elspeth Webb, Associate, Building & Project Consultany, London, UK
ewebb@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7075 2875 Image on page 3 (bottom) - Kilburn & Strode, Lacon London, 84 Theobalds Rd, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for Kilburn & Strode LLP.
Key contact: Dan Ratcliffe, Associate Director, Building and Project Consultancy, London, UK
dan.ratcliffe@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7299 3041
The future proof office (page 4)
Key contact: Prapaporn Boonkajornkul (Yui), Head of Agency Services, Thailand
Image on page 4 – The PARQ, Bangkok, Thailand Savills is the leasing office agent on the scheme.
prapapornb@savills.co.th | +66 (0) 2636 0300 Image on page 4 - Landsec, Cardinal Place, London, UK KKS Savills designed the workspace for Landsec.
Key contact: Katrina Kostic Samen, Head of Workplace Strategy & Design at KKS Savills
katrina.kosticsamen@kks-savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7799 8300
Is flex the new luxe? (page 5)
Key contact: Cal Lee, Head of Workthere
Image on page 5 - The Office Group, Bloomsbury, London, UK Image on page 5 - FORA, Borough, London, UK If you are looking for flexible office space, please contact:
cal.lee@workthere.com | +44 (0) 20 7409 8807
Why the workplace is (finally) leading the pack when it comes to interiors (page 6)
Key contact: Philip Marshall, Founder, & CREATE
Image on page 6 - Loveland Farm Hotel, Bideford, UK Image on page 6 - Prototype No 1, Istanbul, Turkey & Create are experts in creating brand and experience for culture smart audiences.
philip@andcreate.co.uk | +44 (0) 7941 075 853
Sense and sensitivity (page 7)
All images - BBC Cymru Wales, Cardiff, UK
Feel good design (page 9)
Key contact: Kevin Goh, Director, Agency, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Image on page 9 - Menara KH, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Savills was the exclusive marketing agent appointed by Menara Prudential.
kevin.goh@savills.com.my | +603 2092 5955 Image on page 9 - Westpoint, Peterborough, UK Savills is the leasing agent for the development on behalf of Atlantic Leaf Properties.
Key contact: Edward Gee, Associate Director, Office Agency, Peterborough, UK
egee@savills.com | +44 (0) 1733 209 906 Image on page 9 - Verde SW1, London, UK Image on page 9 - Hyperion Insurance Group, One Creechurch Place, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for occupier Hyperion Insurance Group, as well as providing technical due diligence, dilapidations, rating and agency services.
reyley@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7409 8897
Empowering the occupier (page 10)
Key contact: Jakub Jędrys, Head of Building & Project Consultancy, Warsaw, Poland
Image on page 10 – Egnyte, Malta House, Poznań, Poland Savills project managed the fit-out for occupier Egnyte.
jakub.jedrys@savills.pl | +48 602 566 086 Image on page 10 - Stadthalle, Zürich, Switzerland H&B Real Estate (Savills associate) provided the landlord ideas of uses at the very early stage of redevelopment.
Key contact: Johannes Fraeulin, Head of Tenant Representation, Zürich, Switzerland
johannes.fraeulin@hbre.ch | +41 44 250 52 57
Around the world with Savills (page 13)
Key contact: Johannes Fraeulin, Head of Tenant Representation, Zurich, Switzerland
Image on page 13 - Stadthalle, Zürich, Switzerland H&B Real Estate (Savills associate) provided the landlord ideas of uses at the very early stage of redevelopment.
johannes.fraeulin@hbre.ch | +41 44 250 52 57 Images on page 13 (top) – Blaak 34, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Savills provided technical due diligence during the acquisition for Real I.S, as well as project managing the fit-out. Savills also advised Real I.S. on the recent sale of Blaak 34 to LaSalle Investment Management.
Key contacts:
r.peene@savills.nl | +31 20 3012070
Reinier Wegman, Director, Investment, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
r.wegman@savills.nl | +31 20 3012089 Images on page 13 (bottom) – Menara Prudential, Persiaran TRX Barat, Kuala Lumpa, Malaysia Savills was the exclusive marketing agent appointed by Menara Prudential.
Riaan Peene, Director, Building & Project Consultancy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
kevin.goh@savills.com.my | +603 2092 5955 Images on page 13 (top) - Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid, Spain Savills project managed the fit-out for occupier Marsh & McLennan Companies.
Key contact: Leyre Octavio de Toledo, Executive Director, Architecture, Madrid, Spain
leyre.octaviodetoledo@savills-aguirrenewman.es | +34 91 319 13 14 Image on page 13 (bottom) - Assembly Bristol, United Kingdom Savills advised Axa Investment Managers – Real Assets on a pre-let agreement to BT Group.
Key contact: Chris Meredith, Director, Office Agency, Bristol, UK
cmeredith@savills.com | +44 (0) 117 910 2216 Images on page 13 - Elektrownia Powiśle, Warsaw, Poland Savills provided project monitoring for the fit-out for occupier Vodeno.
Key contact: Mateusz Parzychowski, Project Manager, Building & Project Consultancy, Warsaw, Poland
mateusz.parzychowski@savills.pl | +48 501 498 332 Images on page 13 (top) - Quinta da Fonte, Oeiras, Portugal Savills project managed the fit-out for occupier Thales Portugal Group.
Key contact: Bárbara Clemente, Senior Consultant, Architecture, Lisbon, Portugal
barbara.clemente@savills.pt | +351 21 311 40 04 Images on page 13 (bottom) - Muscat, Oman KKS Savills was appointed to work with Calatrava International to deliver the design of the new head office for Sohar International.
Key contact: Katrina Kostic Samen, Head of Workplace Strategy & Design, London, UK
katrina.kosticsamen@kks-savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7799 8300 Images on page 13 – DRN, Národní 135/14, Prague, Czech Republic Savills, jointly with Dentons, advised SEBRE on the sale of DRN.
Key contact: Stuart Jordan, Head of Investment, Prague, Czech Republic & Slovak Republics
stuart.jordan@Savills.cz | +420 220 413 004
Let’s talk building design (page 14)
Key contact: Oliver Bayliss, Director, Buckley Gray Yeoman, London, UK
Image on page 14 – 25 Charterhouse Square for Helical, London, UK Image on page 14 (top) - 77 Coleman Street for Kajima, London, UK Image on page 14 (bottom) - C Space, London, UK Buckley Gray Yeoman are a British architectural firm. They are Shoreditch originals who create architecture that balances depth and delight.
oliver.bayliss@buckleygrayyeoman.com | +44 20 7033 9913 bgy.co.uk | @bgyarchitects
Six in the City (page 16)
Image on page 16 – Hyperion Insurance Group, One Creechurch Place, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for occupier Hyperion Insurance Group, as well as providing technical due diligence, dilapidations, rating and agency services.
reyley@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7409 8897 Image on page 16 – Iris Worldwide, 10 Queen St Pl, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for Iris Worldwide.
ewebb@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7075 2875 Image on page 16 - BRIT Insurance, The Leadenhall Building, 122 Leadenhall Street, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for BRIT Insurance.
Key contact: Ben Cottle, Director, Building and Project Consultancy, London, UK
bcottle@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7877 4531 Images on page 16 - Iris Worldwide, 10 Queen St Pl, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for Iris Worldwide.
ewebb@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7075 2875
Control, collaboration and culture (page 17)
Key contact: Paul Higman, Director, Building & Project Consultancy, Birmingham, UK
Image on page 17 - Savills, 55 Colmore Row, Birmingham, UK
phigman@savills.com | +44 (0) 121 634 8456 Image on page 17 - Savills, 3 Wellington Pl, Leeds, UK
Key contact: Richard Mitchell, Associate Director, Building Consultancy, Leeds, UK
rmitchell@savills.com | +44 (0) 161 244 7730 Image on page 17 (bottom)- Savills, Blackbrook Business Park, Kingston House, Taunton, UK
Key contact: Ed Vereker, Building Surveyor, Architecture & Building Surveying, Taunton, UK
ed.vereker@savills.com | +44 (0) 1823 445 032 Images on page 17 - Savills, 8 Wemyss Pl, Edinburgh, UK
Key contact: Paul Durnan, Director, Building & Project Consultancy, Edinburgh, UK
pdurnan@savills.com | +44 (0) 13 1247 3811
The only way is up (or down) (page 18)
katrina.kosticsamen@kks-savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7799 8300 Image on page 18 - Hyperion Insurance Group, One Creechurch Place, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for occupier Hyperion Insurance Group, as well as providing technical due diligence, dilapidations, rating and agency services.
Image on page 18 - Värde Partners, St James’s, London, UK KKS Savills designed the new workplace for occupier Värde.
Lower carbon equals better design (page 19)
Key contact: John Redfern, Director, RISE (Property Management), London, UK
Image on page 19 - Bloomberg, 3 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK Image on page 19 - Deka, King’s Place, London, UK Savills, on behalf of Deka at King’s Place, achieved a BREEAM In-Use rating of Outstanding (95%) for Management.
jredfern@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7616 4444
Through the keyhole with Network Homes (page 21)
Key contact: Jack Pugh, Associate Director, London, UK
All images - Network Homes, The Hive, Wembley Park, London, UK Savills project managed the fit-out for Network Homes.
jpugh@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7299 3029
Injecting new life science into London (page 22)
Key contact: Tom Mellows, Director, Office Agency, London, UK
Image on page 22 - Autolus, White City Place, London, UK Savills advised occupier Autolus on their new office space.
tmellows@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7409 8964
Our City: Manchester (page 23)
Key contact: Andrew Cooke, Associate, Office Agency, Manchester, UK
Image on page 23 (top) – Circle Square, 2 Nobel Way, Manchester, UK Savills are the leasing agents on Circle Square on behalf of Bruntwood.
acooke@savills.com | +44 (0) 161 602 8218 Images on page 23 (bottom) – Hatch & Hanoi 75, 103 Oxford Rd, Manchester, UK
Pride of place (page 8)
All images - White City Place, London, UK Savills acquired space in West Works for Li & Fung. Savills also manages White City Place on behalf of Stanhope.
Piers Nickalls, Director, Office Agency, London, UK
pnickalls@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 7409 8704
Adam Bray, Director of Customer & Place Strategy, London, UK
adam.bray@savills.com | +44 (0) 20 3107 5487
Back to Basics (page 11)
Image on page 11 - Stadthalle, Zürich, Switzerland H&B Real Estate (Savills associate) provided the landlord ideas of uses at the very early stage of redevelopment.
Revolution on the factory floor (page 20)
All images - The Old Vinyl Factory, Hayes, UK Savills is the leasing agent for the scheme on behalf of U+I plc.
Savills Offices & Workplace
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Jonathan Gardiner
Head of National Office Agency jgardiner@savills.com +44 (0) 20 7409 8828
Jeremy Bates
Executive Director jbates@savills.com +44 (0) 20 7409 8813
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Director nwightman@savills.com +44 (0) 1223 347 087
Jack Pugh
Associate Director jpugh@savills.com +44 (0) 20 7299 3029
Mark Porter
Director mporter@savills.com +44 (0) 20 7409 9944
Katrina Kostic Samen
Head of Workplace Strategy & Design katrina.kosticsamen@kks-savills.com +44 (0) 20 7799 8300
Tom Slator
Insight and Data Manager tslator@savills.com +44 (0) 20 7016 3722
Steve Lang
Director slang@savills.com +44 (0) 20 7409 8738
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1 HOME
2 WELCOME
3 Why good design will get us back to the office
4 The future proof office
5 Is flex the new luxe?
6 Why the workplace is (finally) leading the pack when it comes to interiors
7 Sense and sensitivity
8 Pride of place
9 Feel good design
10 Empowering the occupier
11 Back to basics
12 Bog standard
13 Around the world with Savills
14 Let's talk building design
15 The Savills home office
16 Six in the city
17 Control, collaboration and culture
18 The only way is up (or down)
19 Lower carbon equals better design
20 Revolution on the factory floor
21 Through the keyhole
22 Injecting new life (science) into London
23 Our city: Manchester
24 Savills Case Study and image index
25 Key Contacts
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