Mix Interiors 202 - February 2020

Mix MixInteriors Interiors 187 201

February 2020 September 2018

STRENGTH & SIMPLICITY

DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS OF WORKSPACE FURNITURE

www.gof.co.uk

12

UPFRONT

41

SPOTLIGHT

58 64

The Workplace Ecosystem 12 Seven 22 Steve Gale 24 Perspective 26 Material Matters 29 Desert Island Desks 30 Property 32

The Big Question 43 The Dealer Report 44

ROUNDTABLE CASE STUDIES ar m technologies 64 WPP 72 The Wing 80

86

REVIEW

96

LAST WORD

Stockholm Fur niture Fair 86

Criteo's Head of Workplace Experience, Mike Walley

UPFRONT Welcome

GET IN TOUCH EDITOR

Mick Jordan mick@wearemixgroup.com MANAGING DIRECTOR

Martin Mongan martin@wearemixgroup.com DIRECTOR

David Smalley david@wearemixgroup.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

A WORD FROM MICK While recently visiting the new arm technologies HQ in Cambridge (go to page 64 for the full project review), I was really taken by the levels of thought and effort that had been employed to ensure those staff members dealing with neurodiverse issues are as happy and as comfortable as possible.

A number of the solutions employed there are incredibly simple and also brilliantly effective – such as the use of pushplates on doors. It might not seem a big deal to many of us, but we’ve certainly all been in that situation where we’re pushing or pulling at doors, only to be thwarted by the law of sod!

A couple of days following my visit to Cambridge, I was sat at the front of a coffee shop in Clerkenwell and, while thinking about the incredibly effective little touches that I’d seen there, started watching people leave. No less than eight out of 10 didn’t get the push/pull thing right first time – largely because the inside of the double doors had handles, so people assumed they had to pull. Three of the 10 only escaped the shop having failed three times, eventually pushing at the left door and achieving freedom. One poor soul genuinely looked embarrassed and slightly traumatised by the experience.

So, here’s a call to arms. If you’re designing any store, coffee house, bar, hotel, restaurant, workplace – any interior at all – take a second and think about those people to whom the perceived embarrassment of not opening a door means far more than most of us can ever fully understand. Choose smart. Choose thoughtfulness. Choose doorplates!

2 | Mix 201 February 2020

THE COVER THE LOGO

For the front cover we used a distorted and free-flowing type to reflect the organic and fluid nature of the Modulyss carpet pattern and aesthetic. We subtly bleached the Mix logo into the imagery, so it became part of the texture, reflecting and blending into the pile. www.spaceinvaderdesign.co.uk

Kate Borastero kate@wearemixgroup.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Gary Williams gary@wearemixgroup.com DESIGNER

Tammi Bell tamzin@wearemixgroup.com EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE

Chloe Petersen Snell chloe@wearemixgroup.com HEAD OF OPERATIONS

Lisa Jackson lisa@wearemixgroup.com THE COVER

Fluid& is a mind-blowing carpet tile collection that brings a bold splash of colour to commercial spaces. Perfectly imperfect in its approach to pattern, the collection possesses a wonderful sense of fluidity and movement, elevating the look of office and hospitality spaces.

Courtesy of Modulyss

EVENTS

Hester Talbot, Georgia Bone, Madeleine Shone OWNER

Marcie Incarico marcie@wearemixgroup.com FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Henry Pugh CONTRIBUTORS

Steve Gale David Thame Mike Walley ADDRESS

85 Greengate, Manchester M3 7NA TELEPHONE

0161 519 4850 E-MAIL

editorial@wearemixgroup.com

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

UK single £45.50, Europe £135 (airmail), Outside Europe £165 (airmail)

WEBSITE

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Printed by S&G Print ISSN 1757-2371

FINALLY. PROOF OF INTELLIGENT LIFE ON MARS.

Recent landings on the Red Planet have revealed more about the probability of intelligent life on Mars than scientists had dared hope. Judging by their choice of office furniture, Martians are more advanced than previously believed.

what has been identified as cold-drawn steel, it is incredibly strong and can support as much as 135 kilos. Its motor has a programmable memory that can store the preferences of up to four human (or other) beings at the same time.

Interestingly, what’s good for Martians is good for humans, too. Take this sit-stand workstation, for example. Built from

The chairs have features few would have imagined on Earth. Cleverly articulated suspension systems, that adjust

Symbian - The seat of this innovative chair moves separately, even with the back locked, for comfort.

Kin - A robust yet stylish sit-stand workstation with multi-user, programmable memory and the added warmth of wood.

Comprehensive, simple and intuitive controls make height adjustment fast and easy.

Tonique - features a body-weight mechanism enabling unrivalled comfort and all-day support.

automatically to encourage an ergonomically-correct posture, promise all-day comfort. Advanced materials, featuring an otherworldly combination of strength and flexibility, baffle earthbound engineers.

now comprehensively tested and certified to BS/EN, GS and BIFMA standards by TUV of Germany. Koplus has full GreenGuard accreditation and all products are 100% recyclable.

All of this (and more) is now available and winning awards on the Blue Planet. Thanks to Koplus, these products are

Which is good for our planet and probably good for Mars, too.

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HORIZON™ FLOATING ACOUSTIC PANELS Design: Circle Colour: Pavilion

SUSPENDED ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS For many, integrating floating acoustic panels into glazed ceiling frameworks would be quite a challenge. Yet, thanks to our adjustable suspension system, Horizon™ acoustic panels effortlessly follow the slope to the level below. And, because Horizon panels are UV stabilised and resistant to colour fade, they’ll always look as good as the day they were installed.

If a floating acoustic ceiling solution is on your horizon, contact Autex for more information. www.autexacoustics.co.uk

ENTRIES NOW OPEN Enter your products, projects, and people Online entry is free The deadline for entries is 5pm Friday 6 March 2020

www.mixinteriors.com T H U R S D AY 1 8 J U N E 2 0 2 0

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O L D B I L L I N G S G AT E L O N D O N

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UPFRONT

THE WORKPLACE ECOSYSTEM: EXTINCTION OR REINVENTION? BDP Principal (and, of course, Mixology awards supreme judge) Mark Simpson encourages office developers and landlords to adapt to survive.

The newly updated BCO Guide to Specification is rightly seen as the bible for best practice in the design of offices in the UK and beyond

12 | Mix 201 February 2020

T

he workplace is fluid, in transition. Technological and digital advances have disrupted the established norms, swept away traditional ways of working and, with it, how office buildings are designed and operated.

We live in an information overload society, a 24/7 world of ‘infobesity’, where it is almost impossible to switch off. Workplace stress accounts for 44% of all workrelated illnesses. Employers across all sectors are therefore in favour of a looser and freer workplace paradigm, which places new emphasis on the work/life balance of their employees and their mental and physical wellbeing.

The newly updated BCO Guide to Specification is rightly seen as the bible for best practice in the design of offices in the UK and beyond. However, the benchmarks and standards it sets out are in constant flux as more is expected from intelligent buildings in the support of wellbeing, sustainability and flexibility.

The old way of working – your own desk and a job for life – is gone. The new fluid workforce expects and demands more flexibility and choice in where, when and how to work. They expect organisations to embrace sustainability and wellbeing. In turn, employers had to respond, to evolve an ecosystem to support these ideals in order to attract, motivate and retain talent. Employees have become their customers.

Occupiers also expect a more serviced offer in order to support their organisations, the ante being upped by the rise of the serviced office or managed space operators.

This coworking model has seen an unprecedented boom over the last few years. Once the domain of IWG/Regus and a select few, the entire sector is now personified by WeWork. This incredible rise has caught many traditional landlords and even agents on the hop. So much so that many of them, including CBRE, JLL, British Land and Landsec are developing their own serviced offers, competing alongside new brands such as Fora and Knotel. Regus is now one sub-brand under the IWG banner alongside Spaces and others.

Putting aside WeWork’s recent troubles, their influence has been seismic. This sector now accounts for

a huge proportion of commercial space in the world’s major cities; 17% in London and 8% in Manhattan.

WeWork is the biggest leaseholder in both cities, with 4.1million sq ft and 7.7million sq ft respectively, in a sector that is growing by 20% year on year. Contrary to the popular belief that they are occupied by start-ups, many corporate organisations now use the coworking model, often managing whole buildings with such providers. Regardless of whether this market will continue to grow at such an astonishing rate or if WeWork will remain the sector leader, it cannot be disputed that this model has raised the bar for those who develop and operate the corporate workplace, and for those who design them.

We have a long history of designing for owneroccupiers and firms occupying speculative buildings.

We place great emphasis on understanding how a business functions, along with their aspirations and appetite for embracing new ideas and innovations, and to what extent a change in their working practices may be required to enable greater efficiencies and to unlock employee benefits. Embracing change and new working methods has fundamental implications on all areas of business infrastructure, not just from HR to IT, security and hospitality. Meaningful transformation must begin with the people. We seek to engage with the needs of ‘supply’ as well as ‘demand’ before we put pen to paper. We design from the inside out. There are no cookie cutters, no ‘one size fits all’. We understand from working with many enlightened, progressive organisations, both public and private, that the needs of their people come first and that supporting wellbeing, embracing innovation, promoting empowerment and adopting sustainable practices are of paramount importance to them.

The occupier – indeed the employee – is now king.

Corporate workplaces are, by necessity, becoming more employee-centric. Developers and landlords must adapt to this new paradigm – they can no longer dictate what is on offer or they risk extinction. That rebellion is well underway. w

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UPFRONT

▼ The Londoner

MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE…

E

E Smith Contracts has been awarded the multi-million-pound contract to provide the full hotel fit out of the highly-anticipated 5-star The Londoner, based in Leicester Square – the world’s first ‘super boutique’ hotel.

The project marks the Midlands-based interior fit-out specialist’s biggest contract in its 123-year history.

The £300-million development, due to open later this year will feature 350 guest rooms, including 35 suites, as well as a variety of restaurants and lounges, a spa, two-screen cinema and a 1,000-capacity ballroom.

basement in London and one of the deepest in the world.

EE Smith Managing Director, Neil Bottrill, said: ‘This is a milestone project for EE Smith and we are very excited to work on such a large-scale development in the heart of London’s West End. ‘With cutting edge design by Yabu Pushelberg, combined with Woods Bagot quality architecture, the interiors are beautifully unique, making us even more thrilled to be part of this iconic project.

‘Our design development and production team are essential to the

The unique 16-storey building, dubbed the ‘Iceberg Hotel’, spans six levels below ground, making it the deepest habitable

success of the manufacture of the unusual, cutting-edge concepts across the building,’ Neil adds.

▼ Nordeus HQ

THIS ONE GOES UP TO ELEVEN

L

ondon-based architect Jump Studios (a Populous company) has worked alongside Serbian practice Antipod to create a dynamic new workplace in Belgrade for the independent gaming studio Nordeus, best known for Top Eleven – the world’s most successful mobile sports game, with over 200 million registered users.

The Nordeus HQ now occupies a brand new 6,000 sq m building in the GTC Green Heart Complex, an eco-friendly development in the Serbian capital, in its continuous bid to attract the best designers and tech creative talent from across the globe and, locally, boost productivity, creativity and celebrate the culture at Nordeus.

By rethinking the visitor journey and employee circulation and incorporating diverse new facilities to suit the company’s 170+ employees, Jump has fostered an open, flexible and collaborative new environment for Nordeus. With a focus on wellbeing and work/life balance, the concept incorporates a suite of first-class staff amenities including a gym, yoga studio, music and gaming rooms, as well as a soft play area for children, maker’s space, and a messy room for creative workshops, where the practice of traditional arts is encouraged to enliven the digital gaming development process.

Flexibility was key to the success of the project, acknowledging Nordeus’ ever-changing working patterns. Moveable partitions can adapt to the expansion of project teams as product designs take off and shrink back when projects reach completion.

In addition to these size-shifting solutions, informal breakout areas and meeting booths further aid agile working.

At the client’s request, the HQ is as transparent and non-hierarchical as possible, with the management to

be found in the heart of the building on level three, instead of on the top floor. The best views of Belgrade are enjoyed by staff on levels six and seven, and every floor has its own 270-degree balcony for people to enjoy the surroundings, work outside or enjoy open air activities.w

Mix 201 February 2020 | 15

UPFRONT

▼ Bonded Warehouse

A GOOD DAY AT THE OFFICE

O

ur 2020 MixInspired series kicks off with a corker on the 18th March in London, sponsored

by LUCTRA and Milliken. Our focus will be on the rarefied air inhabited by the developer and investor, and the challenges they are facing in the fluid world of modern workspace, while we will also hear the agent’s point of view The requirement for great workspace has not been dampened by recent economic and political uncertainty.

In fact, for many reasons, the commercial office market is experiencing a period of genuine positivity. The focus on recruiting the best workforce talent, rise of the flexible workplace, public sector drive for better and expectation of shorter leases have all contributed to a shift in approach to workplace creation – and the apex protagonists (developers an investors) have been quick to react.

Come and join us as we explore the approach being taken by leading developers and investors as they provide an insight into their current success and indication of what’s next in the world of workplace.

To register to attend, visit the Mix Interiors website: www.mixinteriors.com/inspired-eventw

▼ September's MixInspired event

16 | Mix 201 February 2020

SPECIAL BOND

B

onded Warehouse, the latest space within Enterprise City, a 2 million sq ft tech, media and cultural cluster, has opened its doors to small and medium sized businesses.

The iconic 1800s warehouse is situated within the original Granada Studios estate, in the heart of Manchester city centre, and has been redesigned and reconfigured. It now houses 10,000 sq ft of studio workspace, 66,580 sq ft of workspace and 12,760 sq ft of retail and leisure space, to provide everything needed for modern businesses.

The building, which was constructed in the 1860s, will contain bespoke workspaces and social spaces on every floor, a space for wellness and fitness, a brewery and tap room, Halcyon gin bar by Manchester gin distillers, Zymurgorium, and Bonded Social, an all-day/night coffee lounge for working and socialising.

Bonded Warehouse will also be home to Exchange, a revolutionary new digital and technology programme for the UK’s next best start-ups, delivered in collaboration with Tech Nation.

Its mission is to support 2,000 ambitious individuals within the tech sector, over a 15-year period. Exchange is funded by the Department for Digital, Culture,

Media & Sport (DCMS), and supported by Manchester City Council (MCC).

Bonded Warehouse is managed by All Work & Social – the work and social spaces division of the Allied London portfolio – and aims to create the ultimate blend of community, commerce and collaboration between its six levels of workspaces, studios, retail spaces and tailored event spaces.

Bonded Warehouse encourages its members to socialise and work together, in order to foster opportunities for growth and expansion, within its unique and inspiring atmosphere.

Tanya Grady, Head of Partnerships at Enterprise City, said: ‘The launch of Bonded Warehouse is the latest in a series of exciting developments for the Enterprise City district.

Our vision is to create a new tech, cultural and media cluster in the heart of Manchester city centre, combining all the elements that a modern business, or entrepreneur, needs to establish itself, and scale.

'The new workspace and leisure destination will be a vibrant ecosystem for contemporary commerce, and includes space for work, collaboration, learning, wellbeing, fitness and socialising.'w

TM

Designed with comfort in mind, Figaro lounge seating’s sculpted seat and back cushions make it both eye-catching and timeless. Figaro is inspired by natural forms including oak leaves and cork trees, and the well-crafted chair seamlessly crosses the line between retro style and contemporary design. The high back lounge chair, with its provocative lines and curves, is ideal for a relaxed or casual collaboration and for when people need time to unwind and recharge.

0151 548 7111 socialspacesfurniture.com

socialspaces@dams.com

UPFRONT

Judges’ Call We’re guessing (and certainly hoping) that a good few of you are currently putting thinking hats on and/or flexing your design muscles as you put your entries together for Mixology20. Well, we’re delighted to announce our expert judging panel – which just might help you put those all-important finishing touches to those entries.

1. MARTA GIRALT Designer in Residence, Design Museum Marta is a designer who specialises in design research and communication.

Her work explores the cultural, ethical and moral impact of new and emerging technologies, and the potential implications that they may have on our future society. By combining research, graphic design and styling, Marta works as a freelancer for platforms and agencies.

6. STEVE FITCH Managing Director, Office Furniture London Steve has been in the furniture industry for over 32 years and has extensive industry knowledge, having worked for the world’s largest furniture manufacturers as well as top London furniture dealerships. This has given him an incredible insight to the whole furniture supply process.

18 | Mix 201 February 2020

2. KATRINA LARKIN Co-founder & Head of Experience, Fora Katrina is Co-founder of Fora – the leaders of the workspace revolution.

Their first space opened in Clerkenwell in January 2017 and they now have five locations across London and Reading, with more due to open by the year-end.

Forget what you know about coworking; Fora is reimagining the entire experience – they call it pro-working.

3. COLIN WOOD Director, Cost Management, Colliers Colin has over 20 years’ experience working in the commercial office sector, helping to deliver innovative and functional spaces where people can thrive. He is a cost management specialist and enjoys being part of the creative design process. Colin helps deliver great workspaces for clients, which inspire their people to do great things.

7. TIM YENDELL Global Head of Workplace Transformation, BP Tim is a highly effective, proven leader in design and delivery of global workplace and people agility, culture change programmes. With nearly a decade's experience with RBS, Tim develops strategies that deliver customer and employee benefits and, at the same time, optimise the use of real estate.

8. MARK SIMPSON Principal, BDP With over 30 years’ experience in the design industry, Mark began his professional career at BDP in 1985 before co-founding Amalgam in 2003.

He returned to BDP 2011 and was appointed to the BDP board in 2017.

Mark has chaired our judging panel since its inception and was awarded the Mixology Henry Pugh Outstanding Contribution Award in 2018.

4. SARAH LODGE Programme Director, Easyjet Sarah started her FM journey in the record industry many years ago, and has a successful track record in a variety of sectors, from higher education to aviation. In the past eight years, Sarah has led project teams delivering impressive HQ relocations for Yahoo, Warner Media and is currently working on easyjet’s new UK office in Luton.

9. ALISON WRING Director, Cost Management, Aecom Alison has extensive experience of the property life cycle, from strategic vision, through to planning, delivery, handover, operation and disposal, with a particular talent for engaging the client with the very opportunity that meets their needs.

Her passion is creating destinations and paying attention to how we can be more efficient, effective, sustainable and transformational for those using the asset.

Upfront |

5. NICK THRELFALL Director of Design, Regal London Nick is Design Director at Regal London – the leading residential-led, mixed-use property developer. His role is to ensure design quality and consistency across interiors, brand, architecture and public realm. Nick has previously held senior positions with some of London’s foremost architecture and design firms.

10. JONATHAN HUCKSTEP International Partner, Cushman & Wakefield Jonathan joined Cushman & Wakefield in 1984 and specialises in tenant rep office agency across Central London.

Jonathan is a member of the RICS City branch and a steward for Lionheart (RICS Benevolent Fund). He has been involved in a range of projects including Norton Rose Fulbright, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Linklaters, EY and Macfarlanes.

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MixMix 187198 September October 2018 2019 | 19

Seven sealed and polished concrete designs.

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UPFRONT

TRIBUTE TO FRANCO GRECO

F

orme UK Design and Architecture has announced the extremely sad news that Partner, Franco Greco, passed away on 23 December 2019 after a short illness. As one of the practice’s original Partners, and as Technical Director, he worked with world leading companies in the commercial, workplace, corporate, hospitality and leisure sectors. Always the consummate interior design professional, he had a great eye for detail and delivered beautiful, timeless interiors.

He will be sorely missed, not only by those at Forme UK, but by the design community at large. Clients and colleagues valued Franco’s creativity and technical expertise highly. More than this, they loved his warm personality and outrageous sense of humour.

Many of his longstanding partnerships with clients developed into friendships.

Everyone who worked with him will have memories of his talents as a comedian and a mimic. He was able to adopt someone’s accent within minutes of

meeting them. In the studio, his constant banter was like a radio station playing away in the background – an amusing buzz of impressions of a variety of farmyard animals and other creatures; the occasional rendition of Postman Pat in very poor French and conversations about impossible scenarios – too rude to describe in this tome!

There was also the famous ‘Robin Hood’ sketch, where Franco would pinch someone’s ruler and use it to make a sound effect of an arrow springing from an archer’s bow. As well as being able to disarm with jokes and suggestive looks, he had another skill up his sleeve: a competent Karate expert.

Fluent in Italian, his regular calls from his mother would always bring a laugh to the studio. After 20 minutes of full speed Italian, and having put the phone down, Franco would peer over his glasses cheekily and, with his immaculate comic timing, pause for a second or two and eventually say, ‘Wrong number’.

Born on 4 October 1959 in a little village, Roccagloriosa in Italy, Franco moved to Scunthorpe at the age of four. He grew up in this industrial town, spent time as a student working in the steelworks and met his wife, Shirley, there.

Mark Twigg, Managing Director of Forme UK Design and Architecture Limited, first met Franco and discovered his irrepressible character on his first day at Building Design Partnership, back in 1994. Four years later, both Franco and Mark left BDP to join Sheppard Robson, where they were to work alongside David Skeels and Glenn Vaus. Another four years passed and David asked Franco,

Mark and Glenn if they would be interested in a new venture. Forme UK was established in November 2001, and a few months later Franco and Mark joined.

The close partnership and friendship extended beyond Forme UK. In 2017 Franco, David and Mark took on the restoration of a ruined farmhouse in the middle of the French countryside, where Franco showed off his skills as a craftsman. Working with David, Franco transformed the property, making everything for the interior themselves, including the kitchens, wardrobes, and skirting boards.

Franco always treasured his family and he leaves behind his wife Shirley and their sons Fabio and Jacamo.w

Mix 201 February 2020 | 21

UPFRONT Seven

SEVEN

Amazing Dinner Guests

W

e’ve probably all, at some stage, had the dinner party guest conversation.

However, Gresham Product Designer, Steven Parkinson, has taken it one step further and turned it into a Mix 7. Smart!

Robin Williams I love films and I love comedy, so Robin Williams surely makes the ideal guest. From his serious roles in films like Awakenings and Good Will Hunting, through to his comedy appearances in the 90s, along with his early stand-up work, I think he would add a really interesting edge to any dinner party.

Zaha Hadid I love the bold and expressive forms within her work and the fluid nature of the shapes generated. Never dull or unimaginative in her work, I imagine she would have been the same in person and would add an alternative perspective to the conversation.

Dieter Rams I am obsessed with his theory and principles of design. Distilling ideas and shapes back to their simplest form is a process I think is important. I would love to hear his views on how consumer products and the function of design have evolved in recent times and to hear how he reflects on his own work and influence.

Roald Dahl I have long been fascinated with how he manages to involve such dark comic themes and characters into his work. I enjoy everything he has been involved in, from his children’s books when reading to my daughter, through to his involvement in film. Obviously an extremely inventive and interesting man, I believe his early life was also full of adventure and would love to hear his tales first-hand.

22 | Mix 201 February 2020

Paul Newman Oscar winner, race car driver, and probably the coolest bloke ever. Simple.

Maragret Thatcher As a decision maker, polariser of opinion and woman in a predominantly male environment, she was a constant on TV in my childhood and I imagine she would stir up some interesting conversation and topics amongst the others around the table.

Neil Armstrong The guy has been to the Moon! I have not, and probably won’t, I find the whole space race and all things involved truly fascinating.

This was such an amazing marker in time for design as well as humanity. I would love to hear what it was like for him then, what it is like for him now and how he envisages our future.w

MAKING SPACES INTO CREATIVE PLACES www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/allura

creating better environments

UPFRONT

OUR VERY OWN UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE This month, M Moser's Steve Gale shows how designers and clients can handle a fuzzy future

How do we fit a dynamically evolving enterprise into a solid, built reality?

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

SteveG@mmoser.com

24 | Mix 201 February 2020

W

e know that the bread and butter theme in modern business is flexibility in the face of constant change, and reconfiguration is an essential survival tactic, but this makes it impossible for an organisation to describe its needs for the whole period it will occupy a space – or even for the day they move in.

Fit-out projects take time to develop and have real inertia, so we want to know the client requirements in the planning stages, which is an impossible ask. How do we fit a dynamically evolving enterprise into a solid, built reality?

A look-ahead of five, six or seven years is an act of clairvoyance that very few directors would attempt. So we are stuck with designing real hard environments for a future that no one can define.

A good example is the number of occupants that might use a space. Organisations can never even nail their current headcount, so projecting it into the future becomes prize-winning fiction. The further away in time, the greater the tolerance needed to sustain the guesswork.

So many things get in the way of any stab at accuracy.

Internal politics and budgets, and external weather like the economy, customers, technology, regulations and competitors really stretch the error bars when anyone anticipates five or more years ahead. It’s not just the numbers, it’s the organisation structure, activities, working patterns, everything.

We plead for working assumptions, and a way of designing for the unknown. I can only offer comfort in the form of a couple of tricks learnt from past lives.

One is the concept of a volatility measure, which actually already exists in the investment world, and it is called the beta coefficient. It records how company valuations vary more or less than the general market price over time. So a risky business like a pharmaceutical discovery start-up has a high beta compared to a stable business, like an energy utility or large transport franchise, with a much lower beta.

We can’t calculate a precise number for workplace changes, like a stock analyst, but we can ask whether a client is a high or low beta organisation. We might even

use their real stock beta as a proxy for estimating the unpredictability of space and layouts in the future. This can be a good start to a conversation about the degree of change expected compared to other organisations we know about, and a discussion of what might be considered a ‘business as usual’ volatility range that must be accommodated, versus ‘exceptional events’ that would demand a rethink, and should be out of scope. This helps us decide how much flexibility to design in, and how much to leave out.

The second model is from Frank Duffy, the Cofounder of DEGW. I don’t think he ever came up with a snappy name for it, but it is a description of the built environment as a collection of layers with different life cycles. It recognises that different elements mature and decay over varying periods, and shows how certain parts of the built environment can change while others stay put for longer.

Specifically, if the structure of a building remains intact for 50 or 60 years, the services can be renewed every 10 or 15 years, and the internal layouts (partitions, doors, floors and ceilings) can change after just a couple of years, while furniture arrangements could move on an almost weekly cycle, if needed.

These ‘shearing layers’ – as they are called in systems theory – allow us to decide which parts of a building can be modified as demands evolve, and how often. For example, if a high beta organisation looks like it might densify over five or six years, you could invest in air handling capacity now rather than half way through its life. If frequent restructuring is a real risk, avoid cells and walls defining departments. On the other hand, if ways of working are tried, tested and well respected, you might bake them in with walls and doors from day one as part of the organisation’s identity.

A workplace design is just the first stop on a journey with a moving destination, never a perfect fit, but adaptable as the organisation evolves. It’s our job as designers to collaborate with businesses in their daily management of risk.w

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UPFRONT Perspective

PERSPECTIVE Kathryn Cripps is a Partner with 11 years’ experience in the property industry; she joined Knight Frank in 2008 and works in the London Office Agency Department, specialising in the West End market.

What is the best thing about your work?

I most enjoy the variety of my role, working with a wide range of clients from private equity firms to estates, funds to REITs, and really getting to grips with their different objectives and development schemes. I feel able to challenge myself, grow and learn at Knight Frank, which I find fulfilling and I also find it rewarding working alongside brilliant people – which I am privileged enough to do day-to-day.

What is currently stopping a greater gender balance in the property industry?

There are a number of areas that need to be addressed, however, the area that is regularly cited as the reason for women leaving the industry – but rarely an area that is discussed in any depth – is culture. It is important that property companies look at modernising their often-traditional culture in order to achieve greater gender balance. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as improving flexible working policies, developing a working environment and culture where employees are trusted and empowered to work in the way that they are more productive, and by judging them on their performance and output rather than hours worked in the office.

Another key culture shift that needs to take place is from an individual billings

26 | Mix 201 February 2020

culture to a team environment, with team goals where individuals with creativity, ambition and loyalty can excel and are rewarded.

Secondly, career progression is important whether you are male or female. It is important to look at management within organisations and ensure they have the training they should in positions of influence, to ensure everyone is given the right opportunities to progress and be supported. Sponsorship is vital for progression and often harder to come by as a woman – women are notoriously over-mentored and under-sponsored.

Finally, there is no doubt that, if women can see other women, they can be inspired. Women leaders have a responsibility to inspire the next generation, to be visible in any way they can. Managers can be inspirational simply by telling their stories.

We can all adjust our way of thinking and our cultures in order to move forward with gender diversity – something that is paramount to the success of a business.

What advice could you give to someone who wants to break into the property industry?

It is a brilliant and exciting career. The industry offers ample opportunity and variety that would suit you, whether you are an introvert or extrovert, or if you prefer a fast-paced and competitive or a structured and analytical environment.

My advice would be to spend time understanding what the industry has to offer as there are many diverse roles and opportunities. If you find the role and team that best suits you, the property industry will give you an opportunity to challenge yourself, grow, learn and gain many transferrable skills.

Are architects and designers in a stronger position now the focus has shifted to creating human centric spaces?

It is an exciting time for architects and designers, who are being challenged more than before to come up with innovative ideas that cleverly transform schemes into dynamic and creative workspaces.

Occupiers are looking to their real estate to attract and retain staff and to provide an environment where their businesses can thrive. Design teams are also being increasingly required to work closely with landlords looking to create ‘plug and play’ space for occupiers.

Will everything within real estate be hard-wired to wellness and sustainability?

Wellness and sustainability is jumping to the top of the agenda, climate change is accelerating and the property industry and investors are becoming more accountable and recognising the real influence that we have as an industry. In the same way, many clients and investors will not invest or work with companies

that are not gender diverse. The same can be true with banks not lending on buildings that are not sustainable and tenants not occupying buildings that have a low energy performance. I believe that companies are beginning to understand the role that ESG plays in recruiting and retaining the best staff and that it is fast becoming business imperative.

In your view, has the rise of flexible space been created because developers were slow to react to the changing nature of work?

It is true that commercial real estate has been slow to adapt to the shift in the way that occupiers approach their real estate. However, it has been the growth of technology and the changes in the way people work – for example, an increase in employees working flexibly and, more generally, business disruption – that has driven the rise of flexible workspace. The stark contrast between flexible space and the traditional lease has propelled occupiers towards flexible solutions. A hybrid ‘plug and play’ solution has appeared in the market – that will continue to expand as occupiers are attracted to the ease of entry and exit, alongside the ability to brand their workspace. This middle ground between coworking and a conventional lease enables tenants to transition through all stages of a business lifecycle and landlords to capture each phase.w

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UPFRONT Material Matters

MATERIAL MATTERS For this edition of Material Matters, the team of experts at Material Lab focuses on marble. www.material-lab.co.uk

01

02

03

04

MarbleSil MarbleSil is a handmade marbled silicone material that has been developed over five years. MarbleSil starts as a clear solution and is then hand pigmented to each individual specification. Any colour is achievable, although a RAL or Pantone chart is usually used to create the desired colour. It is used for all interior purposes, from wallcoverings, flooring and furniture, through to outside areas such as swimming pools and yachts. MarbleSil can withstand extreme temperatures (from -59°C – 260°C) and is water resistant, heat proof, slip proof and does not support bacterial growth. MarbleSil can be infused to add excitement to any scheme. With many diverse properties, there is no limit to what can be achieved with this exciting material.

Marblo Marblo is a polymer-based solid surface material, which can be applied to residential, commercial, retail, kitchen, laboratory and hospital environments.

Marblo materials come in a wide variety of colours and designs to fit customers' needs and designs.

Marblo materials can be easily repaired and refinished back to their original condition – meaning they can be reused and therefore create less waste.

Marblo has low-VOC (volatile organic compound) content, is low-emitting and is non-toxic and non-allergenic to humans.

Strands The desire to use marble is everlasting.

This is why Johnson Tiles has recently launched this stunning new range, called Strands. These admirable porcelain floor and wall tiles are a contemporary take on marble which carry the elegancy of real marble.

The range offers an extensive variety in size, colour and finish, allowing you to create original combinations and impressive spaces like no other. It is truly engaging and too tempting not to be used in your next scheme!

Mayfair Granite With its striking white surface and veined detail, the Arabescato Quartz Worktop will bring sophistication into the kitchen or utility room. It's scattered black and grey veining will hide a multitude of spills, while its durable nature ensures that the worktop is easy to keep clean. Mayfairs’s quartz stones are stain resistant and non-porous.

This easily complements a busy kitchen and family environment. Each worktop is luxuriously finished to facilitate a quick and easy clean up and reflects effortless elegance in the home or workplace.

This limited edition worktop surface is a new addition to Mayfair’s quartz range.

Its white and black finish is both classic and contemporary – with just the right amount of edge.

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www.johnson-tiles.com

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Mix 201 February 2020 | 29

UPFRONT Desert Island Desks

DESERT ISLAND DESKS

Jenny Denton, Director, Koncept ID Jenny is a Director at Koncept ID – the awardwinning and highly reputable interior design practice based in Manchester. A true creative, Jenny has spent the last two decades honing her skills and building an enviable client base, while delivering projects across the UK and abroad. Trend aware, personable and passionate about bringing clients’ visions to life, she specialises in the hospitality sector and works with with brands including Accor, Hilton, IHG and Malmaison.

A HAMMOCK

BOOKS

Okay, so this is super practical but with three kids under 10, I am determined to make up for all those lost hours of sleep while on the island. I’ll need a mosquito net too – those blood suckers love me!

And I don’t mean a survival manual…

I don’t get many opportunities to sit down in peace and actually read, so this is the perfect chance to get through the growing pile of recommendations I haven’t had a chance to touch!

PEN AND PAPER

SNORKEL AND FLIPPERS

I’m obsessive about making lists and find them everywhere – at home, at work, in my handbag…

It’s always good to have a plan of attack, and if there’s one time you need one of those, it’s when you’re stranded on a desert island!

30 | Mix 201 February 2020

Well, a girl’s gotta eat! I love snorkelling on holiday and this would be the ideal way to get to know my new surroundings as well as catch some dinner.

CAMERA I absolutely love taking pictures and capturing a moment forever – there’s nothing quite like it. Photography would keep me busy and allow me to keep that creative flame burning!

A DRINKS TROLLEY The other way I’ll be transporting myself to another world! I’ll need all the ingredients for a mega G&T and an espresso martini to perk me up a bit on the longer days. What’s the point of living on a beach if you can’t enjoy a cocktail there?!

TRACKS FOR THE JUKEBOX Sunshine Anderson – Heard It All Before This one always takes me right back to my partying days. It’s got girls night out written all over it.

En Vogue – Free Your Mind If you don’t shake your hips to this one, then you’ve got problems!

Nina Simone – Feeling Good I walked down the aisle to this and Nina is such a strong woman that she’ll give me inspiration when I need it most.

Rihanna – Only Girl I’d be lying if I said I didn’t belt this one out in the car – much to my kids’ dismay!

Beyoncé – Love on Top For no other reason than I absolutely LOVE this track – it’s a total girls night anthem.

Promised Land – Disciples I’m going to Ibiza later this year and this will be on the playlist as we’re sailing into Mambo’s at sunset – bliss.w

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PROPERTY Insight

DRIVING IN THE DARK:

BRITAINS OFFICE MARKET TODAY A February fog of confusing data obscures a UK office market that is surviving, and sometimes thriving, as David Thame reports.

T

hey say that driving in dusky light is the most perilous. Shapes lose their focus, proportions get distorted, distances are hard to gauge and the eyes play tricks on the mind.

The UK property markets have been driving in the dusk for the last 12 months, and conditions have never been more difficult to read.

The second half of 2019 was grim. The UK’s property markets all but ground to a halt, waiting for the Brexit crisis to play out. If it hadn’t been for a series of long-mulled relocations by BT, the occupational market in the regions would have been all but silent.

Understanding what’s going on isn’t helped by the glass-half-full approach to data analysis, and by a focus on the extremely atypical London markets.

So Savills report City of London take-up for December 2019 at 579,329 sq ft across 43 deals, giving a total for the year of 6.7m sq ft. They point out this is down on 2018 by 13% but up on the 10year annual average by 5%. What to make of this?

Was it good news or bad news?

But do not fear. We will hold your hand through the statistical twilight and provide some daylightclear talking points. The overall conclusion is that most markets are in that most English of conditions: they are doing alright.

32 | Mix 201 February 2020

London's West End: It’s All About Insurance and Tech Insurance used to be the preserve of the City.

But no longer. The insurance sector has been returning to the West End after a decade or more searching for office floorspace in cheaper or more traditional locations. Savills data shows that 910,000 sq ft (roughly 22% of the West End’s total take-up) was let to the sector in 2019. It is the latest in a steady rise since 2016 and a longer-term trend that has seen the sector turn to the West End in increasing numbers since the 2009-2012 recessionary trough.

Insurance shares the crown with the tech and media sectors, whose appetite for West End floorspace shows no sign of easing. Today they account for one in every four sq ft leased in the West End market.

If you forget 10-year averages, and talk instead about the seven years since the economy began to flicker back into life in 2013, then 2019 was

▲ 40 Princes Street

definitely a good year, if not a vintage one.

Those searching for a downside might focus on the 20-22 month rent free periods, still standard in most deals, which indicates a certain amount of market softness. Demand for new office space is steady at around 4 million sq ft of serious active requirements, and the volume of new development is digestible (and much of it already pre-let). This will give developers and investors confidence, and keep rents bobbing around £110£120 per sq ft for the best floorspace.

▼ West End Development Pipeline Source: Savills Research Sq ft

Refurb

Devs

Total

%Pre-let

2020

467,515

1,086,891

1,554,406

63%

2021

1,071,487

2,607,986

3,679,473

43%

2022

1,033,535

2,355,779

3,571,314

3%

2023

142,000

1,102,977

1,244,977

0%

Total

2,714,537

7,335,633

10,050,170

27%

Leeds: Media, Digital, Huge Growth Potential Leeds is the often over-looked success story of the UK regional markets. Channel 4’s decision to locate its new 27,000 sq ft national HQ and digital hub to Rushbond’s Majestic, a former cinema, marked a turning point. The first half was storming (up 41% compared to 2018) and the second half was good.

Total take-up hovers around 1 million sq ft.

McLaren Property’s 330,000 sq ft Wellington Street scheme will provide the next test of Grade A demand and fits into a growing trend for occupiers to move away from the traditional core and into fringe locations. Meanwhile, occupiers from out-of-town locations are moving back into central Leeds.

The result is strong demand and rents at £34 per sq ft (and rising). Pre-lets are the order of the day, with Grade A supply strictly limited until 2022. The consequence is that Leeds is increasingly attractive to developers: expect some new starts, with developers Vastint and CEG expected to jump.

Edinburgh: Brexit Damage Recovery?

The Scottish capital had a thin year, with take-up down from 1 million sq ft in 2018 to 650,000 sq ft in 2019. The Brexit crisis, which all but wiped out take-up in Q4, is largely to blame in a market notoriously vulnerable to international financial shocks. Data from JLL suggests many occupiers simply sat on their hands during 2019, with appreciably more tenants rolling over existing leases rather than moving (around 275,000 sq ft fell into this category – almost half the market and 45% up on 2018). The number of viewings of new properties plunged by 35% as a result, said JLL. If Edinburgh occupiers recover their mojo in 2020, it will be back to normal. If they don’t, it’s going to be grim.

Forthcoming attractions include 2020 completions by BAM at Capital Square (120,000 sq ft) and by Vastint at New Fountainbridge (60,000 sq ft). M&G/Qmile’s Haymarket scheme begins to deliver the first phase of a 370,000 sq ft development in 2021.

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PROPERTY Insight

Bristol: Big Hopes

Birmingham: Steady As She Goes

Whilst every other office market saw a downturn in 2019, Bristol saw the opposite. Data from the Bristol Office Agents Society, covering Q4 2019, shows the final quarter clocked up a total take up of 332,000 sq ft, roughly half the total for the entire year, which was 694,000 sq ft. The figure is well ahead of both the five and 10 year averages thanks to British Telecom, who took 200,700 sq ft at AXA/ Bell Hammer’s Assembly, which is the largest deal on record for the city centre market.

Which is why Bristol needs to be treated with caution: as Shakespeare did not say, a single big deal in a small city does not a bull market make. Exclude BT and the market looks thinner but not anorexic,

A slight sense of anti-climax pervades the Birmingham market, which saw take-up surge up to an unusually high 1 million sq ft in 2017, a number not seen before nor, sadly, since. In 2019, take-up in

with deals to serviced operator Instant Group taking 33,000 sq ft at Temple Point, a sign of the footloose tech sector’s interest in the city. Out-of-town, in the business parks, Bristol had an iffy year, with take-up down to 245,000 sq ft.

City rents are high (£37.50 per sq ft for the best small suites), which piques developer interest. New schemes at The Distillery, 1 Portwall Square and Halo provide over 240,000 sq ft between them.

Tristan Capital Partners and Candour Group have just acquired a site at Glass Wharf for a 220,000 sq ft development, which will start on site this summer for completion in 2022. ▼ Assembly Bristol

34 | Mix 201 February 2020

▼ New Bailey Building, Manchester

the city centre totalled 780,000 sq ft, rather below the five-year average. Like Edinburgh, Birmingham is exposed to financial sector Brexit anxieties, and it is also possible that the relative lack of new Grade A floorspace inhibited the total. These thoughts bring comfort to the developers of the next generation of new build schemes at Three Snowhill, 2 Chamberlain Square, Paradise and 103 Colmore Row. Professional and financial services occupiers continue to dominate, which means Birmingham does well when the economy goes up, but is vulnerable when it goes down.

Professional and financial services continue to dominate, which means Birmingham does well when the economy goes up, but is vulnerable when it goes down

Manchester: Tech Newcomers Still the big-boy of the UK regional markets, and still performing well. The days when 1 million sq ft of city centre take-up was a novelty are now long gone: the city centre scored 1.45 million sq ft in 2019, a shade down on 1.75 million sq ft in 2018 but still above the five-year average of 1.35m sq ft according to figures from the Manchester Office Agents Forum. The entire Manchester market (including the Quays, Old Trafford and the southern airport-proximate business parks) totals 2.34 million sq ft, the equivalent of Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol combined.

The growth of tech and coworking/serviced occupiers, often catering to the tech sector, set the pace in Manchester in 2019 and will again in 2020.

Tech’s unstoppable rise was symbolised by the government’s secret eavesdropping organisation, GCHQ , who signed up for 60,000 sq ft. Coworking and serviced deals included Spaces acquisition of the 121,000 sq ft 125 Deansgate – the largest deal concluded in the city centre last year. Other operators to commit to workspace in the city include WeWork at Hyphen (51,000 sq ft), Huckletree (25,800 sq ft) at the Express Building in Ancoats and Regus (26,350 sq ft) at St James’s Tower.

Rents continue to rise, with a new a record of £36.50 per sq ft set during 2019. Agent speculation says it will be 18 months or less before it reaches £40 a sq ft, still only a third of London West End top prices and looking like very good value to relocators. w

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PROPERTY Horse's Mouth

WHY BROWN IS YESTERDAY’S COLOUR Net zero carbon office design will change the way workplaces get made, and how they work. David Thame talks to sustainability guru, Joanne Holden, about how to turn brown into green.

B

irmingham is about to land its first net zero carbon office deal. The 60,000 sq ft requirement has been live since late last year, and it marks a turning point in the green building story.

With cities like Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham all targeting early dates for their transition to net zero carbon economies, more requirements of this kind are inevitable. It will change the way office buildings are made and how they work.

But behind the glamorous prospect of designing and building new green workplace developments sits the more complicated problem of reducing carbon emissions in older, browner buildings.

Relatively few landlords have taken up the challenge. They can see the costs and the difficulties very clearly, but the payback is much harder to discern. The fact that low carbon buildings do not (yet) attract the premium rents and investment values many hope for adds to the disincentives (see sidepanel opposite).

According to Peel Land & Property Sustainability Director, Joanne Holden, this is just part of the story. As one of the handful of figures in the property industry pushing the case for regreening older buildings, her testimony is powerful.

Peel Land & Property say their portfolio is the first in the UK to achieve net zero carbon status.

The problem with old buildings is that they are old buildings

36 | Mix 201 February 2020

▲ The Vic, MediaCityUK, Salford

Grade A offices across Liverpool and Greater Manchester, and an historic building in Glasgow, have been third party verified against UK Green Building Council’s 2019 definition.

The 11 properties in the net zero carbon portfolio range in size from 25,000 sq ft to over 120,000 sq ft, dotted around Manchester and Liverpool.

They expect energy and carbon savings of 60% annually.

But finding the right moment to re-green older buildings is a headache. There are only so many opportunities to take serious action during a 10-15 year refurbishment cycle, and for most of the time there will be tenants in occupation, limiting the scope of potential carbon-lowering works.

'The problem with old buildings is that they are old buildings. The Vic, the 115,000 sq ft block we’ve tackled at Media City, Salford, was built in 1991 – a different era.'

PROPERTY Horse's Mouth

Net Zero Carbon Offices Like so much in the world of sustainability, 'net zero carbon' makes a lovely slogan but a fiendishly complicated target.

Net zero carbon, zero carbon and carbonneutral – they all mean slightly different things.

Then comes the really tricky problem of deciding what carbon you count – and net of what?

Whilst there is growing demand from occupiers, the developers of new buildings (and landlords of existing buildings) are more cautious – going dark green comes with risks.

What they would like to see is a valueadjustment in the way the market views low carbon buildings. That means higher rents and improved investment values. Today that uplift is not easy to spot on a spreadsheet.

Research by Green Street Advisors showed that green buildings attracted tenants more quickly than their less-green peers, but not by a lot (under 1% improvement in occupancy rates, rising the greener your portfolio got). However, Green Street said it found no evidence that green offices command premium rents.

The big win was on heating, lighting and hydration costs, which could be sharply down.

Unfortunately, because heating, lighting and hydration are relatively small items in a new building’s capital costs, the overall effect was muted. It shaved just 3% off the capital costs – and most of that was enjoyed by the tenant rather than the landlord. And so long as its tenants – not developers or landlords – who benefit from cost savings, but not from higher

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rents, going dark green is always going to be a really big ask.

Even so, most observers expect more net zero carbon development in anticipation of a premium price, and under political pressure.

This trend is increasingly visible in Birmingham, where the city’s new clean air zone and proposals for a workplace parking levy are part of a package of measures intended to green the city centre.

'We are currently working with a number of clients to navigate what net zero carbon buildings mean for their portfolios as it starts to become part of the mix of requirements, as awareness rises and new initiatives to tackle pollution in the cities come into force,' JLL’s Birmingham office agency Director, Jonathan Carmalt, says.

PROPERTY Horse's Mouth

▼ Roberston Street, Glasgow

PropTech Comes To The Rescue?

One of the big hopes of the net zero

'For instance, there were issues ranging from the boiler to the kind of cellular office space that was originally installed. The air conditioning was installed for cellular offices, so take the partitions away and the aircon doesn’t work, you get surprising cold spots, surprising hot spots, which is a nightmare and expensive to put right,' Joanne explains.

'We were lucky at The Vic, we had the kind of opportunity to refurbish that doesn’t come around that often, meaning a building with pretty much all the tenants out.

'We spent £9 million, including £1.1 million on energy saving equipment. It is still bedding in but already it is about 60% more efficient and reduced our carbon emissions by about 600 tonnes a year, as well as using less fuel,' she says.

Landlords looking at these kinds of numbers will be anxious to start retrofitting

38 | Mix 201 February 2020

The Vic refurbishment has resulted in a staggering electricity consumption saving of 1 million KwH The payback is calculated over nine years, to allow for fluctuations (upwards, presumably) in energy costs – but with an energy bill down by £200,000 a year, the maths are convincing. Landlords looking at these kinds of numbers will be anxious to start retrofitting. The difficulty, says Joanne, is finding the right moment.

'Getting possession of the building is the problem.

And then getting control of the energy use, because often it is tenants who manage these issues. We are fortunate to have operational control of the building, and that means we can take a view of everything. Not every landlord is in that position,' she says.

Peel L&P has a long track record of leadership on sustainability, being the first developer to achieve the BREEAM communities standard at MediaCityUK in 2011 and the first major property company to achieve the energy management standard ISO 50001 in 2015.

But newcomers need to be careful, Joanne warns.

'Landlords and their advisors need to be aware of the need for really good communications on design and installation,' she says. 'Every building is difficult and you will inevitably have to tweak the design so it works for your building. If this doesn’t happen, if design and installation are not joined up to provide a bespoke solution, you risk disappointing results, even if you buy the best, most energy efficient equipment.' w

carbon campaign is improved building management systems (BMS). The introduction of real time data, made possible by 5G telecoms, promises to transform the way buildings work (and, in consequence, how they look). But how to do this? Major landlords like LGIM Real Assets (Legal & General) are teaming up with proptech businesses to find a solution.

LGIM have signed up with awardwinning tech start-up, Demand Logic, to monitor and enhance building performance across its property portfolio.

Demand Logic’s cloud-based software provides real-time intelligence to property stakeholders, helping improve productivity, save energy, identify faults and increase comfort and wellbeing among occupants. Whereas previously performance data would be visible only to a building management systems’ engineer, Demand Logic’s software creates an online forum for over 50 potential users, including asset managers, property managers and facilities managers, allowing issues to be addressed quickly and efficiently.

Demand Logic’s software has been deployed across seven of LGIM’s commercial buildings and will now be rolled across a number of other properties within the portfolio. Since June last year, Demand Logic’s software has helped reduce energy need by 1,547,826 KwH (£180,000 per year and a 400-tonne carbon saving), an outcome roughly in line with the Peel experience.

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L E E & P L U M P TO N

DEALER REPORT

THE BIG QUESTION Which property/interiors discipline has had to adapt the most to the significant changes in the workplace sector?

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SPOTLIGHT The Big Question

THE BIG

QUESTION

Which property/interiors discipline has had to adapt the most to the significant changes in the workplace sector?

Rob Hopkins, Regional Director, AHR

Caroline Atack, Sales Manager, Davison Highley

Alex Wateridge, UK & Ireland Contract Sales Manager, Kettal

Awareness of air quality in the modern workplace, which has a major impact on productivity and cognitive function, is a growing issue. With contributing factors ranging from furniture and paint to doors and carpets, architects and interior designers are increasingly looking to specify only products with low volatile organic compounds (VOC). Manufacturers now need to reduce or remove these toxic elements and develop innovative product ranges with low emissions and non-toxic components.

I’m going to be entirely biased and say manufacturers – especially upholstery. We’ve seen huge changes in the workplace, fuelled by shifts in technology, which have allowed people to move away from their desks into more agile, collaborative areas. Our role has gone from designing reception pieces to populating the whole floorplan with upholstered designs – all of which need to meet the latest design trends, technologies and sustainability guidelines

With a complex global environment, change has originated in many locations and therefore all disciplines have had to adapt rapidly to shifts in the market. Whether designer, manufacturer, developer, dealer etc, this requires a working knowledge of market needs and taking a strategic approach and vision to how they can evolve. As trends have emerged and fragmented, some have followed, whereas others have strived to innovate and lead the way. To drive future progress you have to initiate innovation, rather than adapt to the changes made by others.

Simon Rogers, Marketing Director UK & Ireland, Tarkett

Alistair Higgins, Chief Executive, Allgood

Kerry Knight, A&D Manager, Yarwood Leather

There is a growing call for greater materials transparency – the ingredients used in a building’s fabric and its furnishings. This trend has greatly impacted the flooring industry, as it is one of the largest components of a building’s interior. If specified correctly, flooring plays a key wellness role – by improving air quality, sound control, comfort and light reflection. Providing this information on products allows contractors and designers to make informed choices that benefit the working environment.

The role of design is becoming more important in creating flexible environments, which also enhance individual wellbeing and therefore productivity.

More colours and textures are emerging to stimulate our experience of the contemporary office, and we also see the development of biophilic design to keep a connection with the natural world.

Product companies must also innovate to meet these demands, right down to the detail of every fixture and fitting.

All changed mindset and work patterns have to come from the top. Designers have to implement new ideas and changes whilst embracing the company’s values and brand. To accommodate the needs of end users, combining traditional workplace design with hospitality and home features creates productive yet relaxed spaces, giving end users freedom to choose how they work.

Without true buy-in from the start, these new and exciting designs wouldn’t keep pushing workplace design forward.

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SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

THE DEALER REPORT Back in the days when Mix Interiors was in its infancy, the furniture dealer was viewed with suspicion by many, seen as somewhat irrelevant by others and even as the evil exponent of the dark arts by some. Today, the dealer is king in the UK furniture market.

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hy the change in attitudes? Well, once in the grasps of major US manufacturers and therefore acting as little more than regional sales outlets (albeit often very large and influential regional sales outlets), the dealer has today become the well-connected, product savvy (in many ways, the dealer is the new specifier, such is the level of product knowledge compared to the interior designer), independent purveyor of the global market. Even those still affiliated with the US giants have license to offer a one-stop solution.

This is perfectly illustrated by a look at pretty much any dealer’s website, where the word ‘independent’ will

undoubtedly be to the fore. This intelligent (relatively) new business model has even been adopted by a number of the leading design and build firms, who have created or acquired furniture provider arms in order to offer even more of a one-stop-solution.

For this year’s Dealer Report, we’ve handpicked some of the leading furniture dealers from up and down the UK, and asked them to tell us more about how they operate, how the market continues to change and what they feel 2020 has in store for both their business and indeed for the dealer market as a whole.

Read on…

The furniture, and the team to bring your space to life.

Product Sourcing Agile Working Showroom Expert Account Managers Design Support

Office For Interior Designers & Architects

huntsoffice.co.uk/trade

SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

▼ x+why

▲ LOM

What is your biggest frustration?

Hearing the words ‘value engineering’, having worked on something for a long time that you’re really excited about and is coming to fruition.

David Bell Director Bureau

In your view, has the rise of flexible space been created because developers were slow to react to the changing nature of work?

Not necessarily. I think the rise of flexible space has predominantly been driven by the progress made by technology, meaning that we no longer need to work at a desk in an office amongst our colleagues five days per week. Social factors have played a part, meaning that more people benefit from working more flexible hours and in varying locations. To attract the best people, companies need to get on board and embrace this emerging need for their staff. Recently, however, statistics are showing that the big companies are moving into flexible working spaces as it offers many benefits to them – the ability to scale up and down rapidly as the needs of the company change, and the ability to be in around exciting new start-up businesses.

Are clients becoming more knowledgeable and therefore more challenging?

I wouldn’t necessarily say more challenging! I do think there is so much more information available to clients these days – that they are improving their knowledge more. We are seeing more clients pushing the boundaries

more than they would have 10 years ago, which we love.

You’re getting professional service clients competing with tech and media businesses for the top young people.

That’s unearthing some newer outlooks on how to design their next workspace that they probably wouldn’t have considered a few years ago.

Is the desire to create a great workplace for staff being considered earlier in the project lifecycle than 10 years ago?

Most definitely. I think more businesses have a greater appreciation for creating an amazing workspace and its impact on staff retention than 10 years ago. What’s great to see is that businesses don’t have to spend a fortune to create them either. We’ve been fortunate to be part of some amazing projects, with many of them being on a more modest budget.

Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with (in any role)?

I worked for my dad for a short period when I was a student. He’s always been there to pass on his experiences – good and bad. He continues to be the first person I’ll pick up the phone to when challenging circumstances arise or something really positive has just happened.w

Mix 201 February 2020 | 45

SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

In your view, has the rise of flexible space been created because developers were slow to react to the changing nature of work?

Flexible working in conjunction with coworking and shared space has enabled the adaptation of less efficient floorplates to support flexible working. However, developers are now tailoring builds better suited to flexible workstyles from the outset.

What factors have influenced the market to look beyond traditional serviced office space?

Serviced offices were the first rung of the ladder for business start-ups, but the market has become more sophisticated, offering spaces suitable for many business types. The key change has been the introduction of highquality community spaces, which allow people to gravitate to where they feel most comfortable.

What are you working on right now?

Over half of our current work involves coworking space and serviced offices. This is very much a continuation of successful projects completed in 2018-2019 for market leaders such as Huckletree and Gilbanks.

What are the biggest challenges you and your team face?

A key aspect of flexible space is the speed of churn. We can play our part with stockholding of key components, but many manufacturers are not motivated to adapt to these challenging timescales. It would be encouraging if manufacturers could introduce more varied, quick response programmes.

▲ Huckletree, Ancoats, Imaginarium

Are client becoming more knowledgeable and therefore more challenging?

It is part of our ongoing mission to champion the sharing and spreading of knowledge to property professionals and the architectural and design community via regular events and CPDs. In our experience, knowledgeable clients have more realistic expectations and are more receptive to innovative ideas.

Simon Thrussell

Managing Director Corporate Workspace

46 | Mix 201 February 2020

Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with (in any role)?

2019 marked the sad passing of Peter Lloyd, one of the industry’s most knowledgeable, engaging, and all-round great guys. Peter was a key part of Herman Miller’s major projects team and was responsible for countless projects across the globe. He will be sadly missed.w

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SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

Stef Brennan Sales Director Hunters

How are you looking to separate your business from the rest of the market?

We look to culturally align ourselves with both clients and suppliers – this naturally develops into long relationships. Over 60% of our annual turnover is from existing clients, some of which have been with us for the entire 30 years we have been trading.

What are you working on right now?

For 2020 we will continue to streamline internal workflows and processes while we move all systems over to the Cloud. This will allow us to offer a faster and more consistent response to all enquiries. With all the developments in technology and the average workload increasing, we are finding there is more focus on the speed of response.

What have been the key reasons for your success?

We aim to be a great supplier to our clients, to be the best possible employer to our staff and to be our supply chain's best partner. Looking after the client is the obvious bit, but we can’t do that without having highly motivated staff and the support of our supply partners.

▼ Societe Generale

48 | Mix 201 February 2020

What are the biggest challenges you and your team face?

The standard of every aspect of the interiors industry has improved immensely over the past decade and the challenge is to make sure we are ahead of the curve in terms of what we offer and what we do. We constantly aim to improve every year, which is a big ask of our team, but one they have embraced.

Name one thing that will have disappeared from the workplace in the next decade.

Charging points! Next generation wireless charging will hopefully revolutionise the workplace in the not too distant future. Not having to incorporate power into furniture and being able to charge anywhere will make us truly agile.

Is the desire to create a great workplace for staff being considered earlier in the project lifecycle than 10 years ago?

Absolutely. One of the biggest drivers for many of the projects we work on is to create an inspiring and exciting space for the staff, and we have been fortunate to have helped deliver many of the best workplaces in London. The best results are always when the staff are engaged in the process from the earliest possible stage.w

SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

◀ Oodle Finance breakout area

What has been the biggest reason for your success?

Being knowledgeable, nimble and communicative.

We lead with insights and combine our knowledge of trends and products to help people confidently adopt and adapt to new ways of working. We pride ourselves on guiding you through each step of the way.

Jemma Grace

Head of Design Hunts Office

In your view, has the rise of flexible space been created because developers were slow to react to the changing nature of work?

It’s difficult for physical spaces to keep up with the pace of tech and the impact it has on the way we work. It’s allowed us to be mobile, accelerated the speed at which we communicate and, in turn, the lives we lead. The space we have is finite – we need to be smarter about how we use it.

How are you looking to separate your business from the rest of the market?

We question! How you can know what you need if you’ve never had or seen it before? That’s why we offer a fully immersive experience. We host

people on site and welcome them to carry out their work from various settings – often supporting them during their transition.

What factors have influenced the market to look beyond the traditional serviced office space?

The workplace is drawing more parallels with home. It’s demanding an identity, a home for a brand, perhaps a space to host. It needs to offer a reason to not work from home, such as the opportunity to network and a sense of belonging.

Is the desire to create a great workplace'for staff being considered earlier in the project lifecycle than 10 years ago?

We have learnt from leading organisations that valued staff are the centre of any great success.

Putting them first has made those organisations successful and desirable. There has been a definite shift towards creating staff-centric workspaces as forward thinking organisations have followed suit.w

Mix 201 February 2020 | 49

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SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

▼ K2 Space Barnsbury Square office, London

What has been the key reason for your success?

Our passion for not just furniture, but also going the extra mile for customers. K2 Space began life as a furniture company but, as clients requested more, we adapted to offer a full design and build service. Furniture is still a major part of our DNA but, today, our team work with clients to select furniture, install furniture and also to design and fit out amazing spaces How are you looking to separate your business from the rest of the market?

We like to think that our transparent approach, coupled with the fact that we don’t compromise on quality, sets us apart from others. We strive to create workplaces that we are proud of and, when we are reviewing potential projects, we like to ensure that it is a project where we can add value.

If you had to choose, what is the one major current theme in the workplace?

For us, it centres around one word – choice. Modern workplaces need to be adaptable and to provide staff with a choice of worksettings where they can work effectively.

Companies need to have spaces where employees can work collaboratively, where they can concentrate and where they can relax and unwind.

Mark Phillips

Managing Director K2 Space

What are you working on right now?

It’s an exciting time at K2 Space and we are working on some really interesting projects across the UK and also in Europe. We’ve recently furnished fantastic new offices for financial clients like PJT Partners and Platinum Equity, and for one of the bestknown entertainment companies in the world.

Is the desire to create a great workplace for staff being considered earlier in the project lifecycle than 10 years ago?

Absolutely – in fact, many briefs are centred around creating an inspirational workplace; a workplace where people want to work and which make it easier for companies to recruit and retain the very best talent.w

Name one thing that will have disappeared from the workplace in the next decade.

I’ll be controversial here, but I think some of the more traditional mainstays of the workplace, such as the boardroom and reception, will evolve over the coming decade. At present, they take up a large amount of space and, as technology integrates even further into the workplace, this will become harder to justify as alternatives become apparent.

Mix 201 February 2020 | 51

SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

▼ IM Group boardroom

▲ IM Group café

What is your biggest frustration?

Inadequate and useless frameworks. We need people to take decisions, not hide behind bad ones.

PJ Statham

Managing Director Momentum

What is the single most important thing the Government could do for the commercial interiors sector?

Remove all frameworks and give real buyers a chance. Also, set up a degree course in Facilities Management that includes FF&E buying.

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

That they be under less pressure from their customers and be given more time to research the industry.

So many tell me they have too little time and just recommend whatever they know. There is too much safety first, using the tried and tested boring manufacturers when, with a little more time invested in research and seeing salespeople, they could be making schemes so much more interesting.

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

Bidding for jobs knowing that others are undercutting in order to then attempt to increase the margin later. It is dishonest.

52 | Mix 201 February 2020

How are you looking to separate your business from the rest of the market?

Working with different manufacturers. The clever use of products that others don't have access to.

Are clients becoming more knowledgeable and therefore more challenging?

This is where I feel that whoever wrote 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' was so accurate...too many people just follow the big manufacturers and fail to see new technologies, great ideas and perhaps even better value elsewhere.

Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with (in any role)?

Ray Atkinson at Atkinson Design Services. He trained me to build the original Steelcase Strafor 9000 series and other furniture in 1981, helped many young salespeople who made errors to cover them up when the furniture reached site (we all make mistakes), saved and encouraged so many people – and he is an absolute gentleman in every sense of the word. w

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Spotlight A-Z ofReport Trends SPOTLIGHT The |Dealer

▼ M247

What has been the key reason for your success?

A great team and a willingness to analyse our losses in granular detail, ask for feedback and use any mistakes as a way to steer development and evolution of what we can offer.

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

Being able to get involved as early as possible in the project so that the customer’s dream aesthetic can marry with product expectations and budgets from the very beginning.

If you had to choose, what is the one major current theme in the workplace?

Inclusivity – catering to a more diverse workforce and the extra flexibility that is required as a result. The modern workforce is diversifying further every day and different modes of teamwork are emerging. The workplace needs to respond by providing ultra-flexible micro-environments, technology and furniture, as well as an inclusive company culture.

What factors have influenced the market to look beyond traditional serviced office spaces?

Serviced offices can’t take the daily running and unique requirements of a business into consideration.

Exploring alternative avenues means workspaces become more bespoke and tailored to specific users through personalisation and strategic space planning.

Name one thing that will have disappeared from the workplace in the next decade.

Paper and humans! Serious answer – single use plastic. Sustainability and a responsibility to reduce environmental impact are growing and something we’re focusing on a lot in 2020. It’s going to be a learning curve for designers who now have demands on them to provide sustainable spaces created using sustainable sources.

Are client becoming more knowledgeable and therefore more challenging?

Yes, 100%. Social media and digital innovation mean awareness of things like wellbeing and knowledge of how to improve things like productivity and attraction and retention is now much more accessible. People are now more awake as to how this can be fostered through the physical working environment. w

54 | Mix 201 February 2020

Chris Penketh Sales Director Penketh Group

SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

What is your biggest frustration?

Bad workmanship and shoddy service drive me up the wall. As a dealer we rely on supply partners who offer great quality and value to our clients – on time, on budget. That’s why we have a stringent supplier selection protocol that rates manufacturers on a variety of metrics – if they don’t pass, they don’t get in…simple. That’s why we have partners such as Herman Miller who we don’t hesitate to propose.

Garry Mason A&D Manager Tsunami Axis

What has been the key reason for your success?

People, people, people. From day one – over 20 years ago when there were just three people in the Tsunami office – to today with a ‘family’ of over 78, Tsunami has built a core team of experts in every field with a sense of hard work, duty of care and fun. From that, everything else follows – relationships, service, detail.

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

We asked our colleague, James Martin, in our Edinburgh office, what was keeping him awake (apart from the amorous couple in the flat upstairs). He said it was those little details in the middle of the night that have you reaching for your phone in the dark to leave a reminder for the morning. It’s always the attention to detail that make a huge impact for the client on a project.

What are you working on right now?

Expanding the presence of Tsunami Axis in Scotland and within Europe through our new offices in Glasgow, Frankfurt and Luxembourg.

What are the biggest challenges you and your team face?

The idea, in some quarters, that great service, value and quality come at bargain basement prices. They really don’t. Oh yes, and organising the annual A&D Poker Tournament – when there’s a trip to Vegas as first prize at stake, it has to be right!

Are clients becoming more knowledgeable and therefore more challenging?

Absolutely – and it’s great. To have that informed dialogue about all those elements that elevate an office interior from good to great – whether it be SKA, WELL, futureproofing technology – with the client is a welcome challenge that can only ensure they get the workplace environment they need, deserve and that can help them thrive.w

▼ Houlihan Lokey

▲ Noah's Ark Children's Hospice

Mix 201 February 2020 | 55

SPOTLIGHT The Dealer Report

▼ Nilorn UK

Mark Hickey

Owner/Director Ultimate (Commercial Interiors)

What has been the key reason for your success?

We have over 20 years of solid foundations, strong relationships and are constantly recruiting key individuals who have the talent and desire to deliver first class services to our stakeholders. We strive to be true to our word and to deliver what we promise to our clients at the initial meet. Our talent is listening, then delivering!

Name one thing that will have disappeared from the workplace in the next decade.

Definitely fixed/permanent workstations.

Employees no longer see the attraction of having a restrictive work regime that ties you to one desk, all week. The introduction of flexibility is key for attraction, retention, knowledge sharing and collaboration.

How are you looking to separate your business from the rest of the market?

We have recently invested in, and created, what will probably be the North’s largest and most comprehensive dealer showroom. The 16,000 sq ft showroom and head office has been purposedesigned so that projects can be planned from start to finish with clients – including architects and designers, scheme managers, consultants and end users. There will be zones showcasing current trends within the industry, including the latest office furniture ranges, and a materials lab with samples of interior finishes. Other features will include a working open plan office and café, with presentation areas, operational zones, a mock-up hotel bedroom and bar area.

Is the desire to create a great workplace for staff being considered earlier in the project lifecycle than 10 years ago?

What are the biggest challenges you and your team face?

One of the biggest challenges our industry faces is skill shortages. We have a large, directly employed delivery team (office and trade) and delivery partners, who are very key and instrumental in what we do. They can be as important as the client itself, because without both we do not exist – nor can we deliver the 'ultimate' project.

56 | Mix 201 February 2020

Absolutely – a recent example is where one of our client’s project team agreed to change the shape of a two-storey building to accommodate key internal features that benefit the employees, such as the inclusion of cafés, gyms, shower facilities and agile working options. 10 years ago, we would be given a fixed dimension building to make the client's brief work, often with compromises.

Who is the most inspirational person you have worked with (in any role)?

My old boss from 30 years ago. He was a great motivator of people and often used cliché quotes such as 'the harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it', but then again he used to say 'there are 24 hours in a day and you only need four for sleeping!' He was a great unknowing mentor – and I will be forever grateful to him.w

Celebrating Celebrating 30 30 years years of of helping helping organisations organisations specify, specify, procure procure and and install install furniture furniture

To find out how we can help you and your project drop us a line or visit our website Credits – Client: The Boutique Workplace Company Design: Create Interior Design | Photo: Dave Parker Photography

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Roundtable ROUNDTABLE

Is Cat A+ the future?

As almost all elements of the commercial workplace are being questioned, to some degree or another, it’s perhaps not surprising that the developers are assessing the products they are taking to market. Threats from coworking operators have awakened the developers to provide options for tenants who don’t want the cost or hassle of creating their own workplace. Is this merely a trend or will it continue?

THE DISCUSSION

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ill it even dictate how designers and developers work together in the future?

If so, who will be the winners and who will not? We will assess not only the rise of so-called Cat A+ but look at why this trend has arrived. We will also take this opportunity to look forward to 2020 and assess how else the workplace landscape will change and how much will be driven by developers and clients.

We’re at Forbo’s St. John Street showspace, where a crack panel of industry experts is chomping at the bit to discuss this hottest of subjects. Firstly, for those not fully aware of the Cat A+ phenomenon, let us tell you what it’s all about.

One of the pioneers of Cat A+, Thirdway Group explains that it is positioned between Cat A and Cat B – requested by a landlord but almost as comprehensive in design as a tenant/occupier’s instruction.

Existing buildings face different challenges and therefore there’s more pressure on making those f inal spaces – those working floorplates – presentable.

58 | Mix 201 February 2020

Renovating empty office space is becoming increasingly popular amongst building owners looking to offer prospective tenants a ready to use, ‘plug and play’ workplace. This makes the property more attractive to new occupiers, which in turn ensures that a tenant can be secured quickly and profitably.

So why is Cat A+ making waves? Well, it appeals to tenants who struggle to see beyond a standard Cat A finish and wish for their own, private space but with the flexibility coworking offices provide.

There is a lot of noise around the speed of growth of coworking and though the biggest provider only caters for about 1% of London’s working population, there is scope for them to gain much more. Traditional landlords are looking for new ways to market their

The problem for me is that, as a small business we do a lot of small works, and I can’t tell you the number of Cat A+ spaces I’ve gone into where nobody can hear each other

properties to challenge the coworking phenomenon.

The threat of losing tenants to these providers has highlighted a change in the market, driven by a younger generation with a more entrepreneurial spirit than previous generations. Traditional Cat A space is often not what future occupiers want, but Cat A+ is a solution that seems to meet their demands.

Cat A+ makes it possible for small businesses, that might have struggled to fund their own refurbishment and whose only other option would previously have been to share space in a co-working environment, to move into their own fully finished and functioning office.

So, we start by asking our panel about where the rise of Cat A+ began and, indeed, why?

Dominic D: We were struggling a little with justifying why this thing came about – but actually it’s a really healthy thing. It’s a really creative thing. The market is fairly traditional and has stagnated somewhat in the way it has been presented. I remember being asked a while back about doing Cat A work and my response was, ‘Isn’t that just a bunch of white boxes with fancy reception foyers thrown in?’ If you were to ask me that question now I’d probably throw my whole team at it – such is the level of interest from a designer’s perspective and the challenges that it brings; the responsibility it has to entice clients into those spaces. When I saw this question about Cat A+ my first thought was where do you stop – because there are so many levels and layers to it. If you go right to the front door of the building, it really starts with what the building does from a foyer and amenities perspective – which actually justifies the need to do a Cat A+ on an office floor. That’s about really enabling good buildings. With new builds, there

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is always that opportunity to be designed out of the ground, to provide all those amenities and spaces – so there is less pressure to do a Cat A+. Existing buildings face different challenges and therefore there’s more pressure on making those final spaces – those working floorplates – presentable. This is not just about making the deal easier – it’s about the versatility of the market and how coworking has effectively cornered the market, providing a range of scalable offerings. We, as designers, really enjoy this process.

Jamie: I think the term Cat A+ is a fairly new thing to the market, yet clients have been doing this kind of thing for years; they’ll take space then look to sub-let it, so they build the space and put in the basic finishes and some cellular space maybe…I just think that it’s been around a lot longer than people assume – just in a slightly different form. It’s going to be interesting to see where it goes.

Kristoff: I have a real love/hate thing with Cat A+, partly because it makes sense to leave ceilings blank and take all that stuff out and celebrate the services as a trade in its own right. Usually people are really sloppy when it comes to what’s behind the ceiling, so if you ever want to expose the ceiling it becomes a huge problem. Also, what’s the point of building a whole ceiling that’s only going to get ripped out again when you do the Cat B – so, in terms of sustainability, that’s a big tick. The problem for me is that, as a small business we do a lot of small works, and I can’t tell you the number of Cat A+ spaces I’ve gone into where nobody can hear each other. Nobody can talk on the phone – because all everybody’s thought about is how it looks, with the stunning black ceiling, white walls, timber floors and all these hard surfaces – but nobody’s thought about the acoustics. That’s one of the biggest problems in terms of the wellbeing of the people in

So, basically we design the space and then create a VR experience so that tenants can walk into a blank canvas and still see potentially what they could have

these spaces – especially as they continue to grow and get bigger. These people then get frustrated and they don’t really know why because they are not part of this industry. They’ve no idea why it is that people suddenly can’t hear them! There does need to be greater considerations when it comes to how these spaces are used – how these spaces are pulled together. This can be through really simple moves – a bit of acoustics, a bit of baffling on the ceilings. It’s just about taking one extra step on the chessboard.

Is Cat A+ a fad – or a name given to a ‘new’ trend to help developers shift property?

Colin: If you look at the history of Cat A and why it’s there, it’s there for the agents – tenants don’t ask for it, they just want to rip it straight out and landlords don’t want to put it in because it’s wasteful and expensive.

What we’ve seen over the past few years is that the

What we are seeing is that a lot of traditional Cat A space has been sat on the market for quite a long time – and as it has flipped into Cat A+ it has massively reduced that void time and made the space more desirable

reduced that void time and made the space more desirable. It has forced landlords to relook at the offer.

Kristoff: You’ve got to have a bike rack these days!

space has become more focused on the tenant than it used to be. You get the box provided by the landlord, then the agent puts some Cat A in so that the they can walk the tenant around and they can visualise what the space will look like.

Olivia: One of the things that we do to avoid that – so we don’t do the Cat B or the Cat A+ and then go and rip it apart because the tenant wants something else – is we use technology. So, basically we design the space and then create a VR experience so that tenants can walk into a blank canvas and still see potentially what they could have. We will then co-design the space with the tenant to make sure they get what they need.

Colin: I think that’s a good point. Technology is changing things from that perspective and now allows you to visualise things more easily. If you look at the rise of coworking and flex office…the popularity of that has been driven by tenants who want flexibility in terms of lease terms, the amount of space they take and the provision of amenity space. What that’s done is really force landlords to really take a look at their own offer. What we are seeing is that a lot of traditional Cat A space has been sat on the market for quite a long time – and as it has flipped into Cat A+ it has massively

Dominic A: We do a lot of work for landlords and also a lot of work for end users as well. It struck me, looking at this with fairly fresh eyes, that it is quite easy to see how this fits in between a tenant who has the capital, the resources and the confidence in their business in the long-term to commit to a long-term lease and invest in that full Cat B, and somebody who’s a little more developed and a little more mature as a business but doesn’t want to sit in a WeWork – I can see how they fitted into that niche. I do think this is something that’s limited to pretty small floorplates. It’s probably something that landlords can use to push floors that they are struggling to shift. It then started me thinking whether it’s possible to offer a blend of these spaces. If I’m a business and want a bit of flex, I might want four floors in a building, two of which I’m going to fit-out to a full Cat B – with the café, the meeting suite etc – and two floors that are going to be my work floors – open plan offices with rows of desks. So could landlords get that balance of offering combinations of space – possibly with flexible lease terms?

Jamie: I think this is a cap-ex thing as well. This is really catering for the UK market – the majority of which are predominantly SMEs. This really reduces the capital outlay.

Colin: Even some of the bigger clients we are working with really like the flex model.

Olivia: What the Cat A+ model is missing is the service part, which comes afterwards. A lot of these

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When somebody has already made their mind up that they want to do something in a specif ic way, have complete control, develop the brief with the right third party – then Cat A+ is not for them.

smaller businesses, who graduate from the WeWorks and want their own identities, don’t really want to take over the management of their spaces.

Max: What I really worry about is the brief. If you are speculatively doing this, you’ve got to be very sure of your market before you move into a Cat A+ scenario.

Jamie: There’s no one-size-fits-all scenario here.

Dominic D: I think we’re talking about something quite specific here. When somebody has already made their mind up that they want to do something in a specific way, have complete control, develop the brief with the right third party – then Cat A+ is not for them.

Colin: Where did this genuinely start? Did it start from a genuine demand for plug and play space or is it

the result of landlords who are fed up with space that simply won’t shift?

Kristoff: I think it goes back to the point that a lot of companies don’t want to just walk into a white box.

The Cat A+ really became a viable route to market for landlords in this town when tech showed up in a big way. Five years ago it was still difficult to convince people to take the ceilings out – now it’s more of a risk to put ceilings in! That has completely flipped.

We move on to talk about sustainability targets and certifications – a subject our panel regards as still red-hot for 2020.

Dominic D: If you look at the data, BREEAM is better than LEED, but both have been corrupted somewhat by the manufacturers – they have been corrupted in their principles by manufacturers who were upset when people said that vinyl flooring is the same as one that is carbon negative. Just look at the data, question it – don’t take my word for it.

The environmental side of things will continue to be massive – and not just because of Greta! I don’t think BREEAM and LEED will be at the heart of this – I think there will be something else…

Paul: We hear this from every person who walks through this door – and it’s the first question we’re asked. They look at the bamboo we have, for example, and immediately ask where it came from.

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Jamie: When we’re talking to clients we suggest that they just pick the best bits from each – whether that’s LEED, BREEAM, WELL… Paul: I recently spent 45 minutes standing right here, talking a designer out of vinyl flooring and into Marmoleum – because it is carbon neutral. I was on the verge of getting myself into trouble! But this is my personal belief – and, in this case, I believed this was the best thing for the project. I think you’ve got to take a stance on this.

CONCLUSION Just like the majority of the topics we discuss at our Roundtable sessions, Cat A+ will divide opinions. What is for sure is that, for certain businesses, of a certain size, in certain sectors, this is an exciting and more than viable option when it comes to their maturation. And, let’s face it, more choice and greater flexibility can only be a good thing for the tenant. w

ROUNDTABLE

OUR GUESTS

KRISTOFF DUBOSE

DOMINIC DUGAN

JAMIE COOK

COLIN WOOD

CEO, CIRKULARIS8

DESIGN DIRECTOR, OKTRA

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, AECOM

DIRECTOR, COLLIERS

Kristoff’s unrelenting dedication to his clients has always been his calling card. After 15 years in the London industry, he identified a major gap and

In the past four years, Dom has progressed from Senior Designer to Design Director at leading office design and build company, Oktra. With 20 years’ experience in the industry, he values workplace design for the level of creativity it involves. But for Dom, it’s the thinking stage – the strategic bit – that adds value to his projects. 'That’s how you build the brief,' he comments, 'and by doing that, you’ve virtually designed the space.'

Jamie's role is focused on creating and driving innovative design solutions for a wide range of projects across multiple sectors. An award-winning designer, a diverse background in retail, hospitality and commercial workplace allow him to approach projects from multiple angles to create original and engaging schemes.

His recent award-winning projects include Unity London and Informatica Dublin, which was recognised as Ireland’s Best Workplace 2019.

Colin has over 20 years’ experience working in the commercial office sector, helping to deliver innovative and functional spaces where people

OLIVIA SAXEN

MAX LISHMUND

DOMINIC ANSTEY

HEAD OF INTERIOR DESIGN, KITT OFFICES

DESIGN PRINCIPAL, UNISPACE GLOBAL

COMMERCIAL EXECUTIVE, MACE INTERIORS

Olivia recently joined Kitt Offices as Head of Interior Design, having worked predominantly in workplace design at traditional architectural consultancies, before then taking a shift towards the serviced office industry by moving to WeWork. Olivia has a truly international background; she comes from Finland and completed her design degree in Australia. She is passionate about changing the way people experience going to work and, through that, having an impact on their daily lives.

Max has worked in a broad range of construction markets, from health and sciences, education, Government and commercial workplace during a 22-year period. Max joined Unispace in 2014 and focuses on getting the best technical design output and quality from the team across Europe. He loves to bring a human and professional approach to working with clients and he loves seeing a wide range of project types on the plate.

Dominic has worked in construction for over 20 years and has spent the last 13 of those working for Mace. For the last 10 years Dominic has focused on fit-out projects, where he now leads the commercial team within Mace Interiors. Dominic has worked on a variety of projects and enjoys the fast paced, collaborative, and professional environment of the fit-out industry.

Cirkularis8 was founded. Kristoff’s team brings innovation, risk-control and outstanding design to every project and client. With Cirkularis8, the commitment to improving, learning and growing is embedded in its very DNA: Better by Design.

PAUL PENNINGTONMARSHALL CENTRAL LONDON SPECIFICATION TEAM MANAGER, FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS Paul has over 27 years’ experience in the interiors/architectural sector. He has worked on numerous large-scale projects across a variety of applications, working with architects and designers, through to contractors and end users. As the Central London Specification Team Manager, Paul is passionate about supporting the needs of the specifying community, helping them find the right flooring solutions for every aspect of their building.

can thrive. He is a cost management specialist and enjoys being part of the creative design process. As the Head of Occupier Cost Management for Colliers UK, he is helping to deliver great workspaces for clients, which inspire their people to do great things.

In Association with

CASE STUDY arm technologies

arm’s house In business terms at least, Cambridge is red hot right now (very much unlike today’s bone chillingly cold weather). Just to prove how hot Cambridge is in terms of construction and workplace design, we bump into a couple of industry friends from Birmingham at the railway station. But we’re not here to see them (and, indeed, they’re not in town to see us). Instead, we’re here to see Scott Brownrigg’s incredible 200,000 sq ft project for arm technologies.

64 | Mix 201 February 2020

▼ First floor atrium

F

rom providing the IP for the chip to delivering the Cloud services that allow organisations to securely manage the deployment of products throughout their lifecycle, arm delivers a complete Internet of Things (IoT) solution for its partners and customers.

Our guides for our tour of the space are Scott Brownrigg Directors Ed Hayden and Beatriz Gonzalez. Heading out of the centre of Cambridge, we soon reach the leafy, attractive business park that it rapidly becoming the arm campus with, as Ed tells us, the original HQ building to our left, plans for a further building to the right and the impressive new HQ facility right in front of us.

‘The building itself is only two stories tall – and that’s really to lessen the impact on the residential

properties, which are all around here,’ Ed points out as we stand and admire the new structure. ‘As you enter the park, you really can’t see the building even though its is 200, 000 sq ft.

'The whole building is wrapped in this brise soleil, which is based on the structure of silicon – the science behind integrated circuits. When an electron beam strikes crystalline silicon it produces a pattern of intersecting ‘Kikuchi’ bands. This pattern is incorporated throughout the building and every aspect of the project.’

We’re told that the silicon structure has been used to inform the design of every detail of the building, from the external appearance of the shading fins, through to the atrium soffits and interior design, down to the bespoke door handles.

The whole building is wrapped in this brise soleil, which is based on the structure of silicon – the science behind integrated circuits

Mix 201 February 2020 | 65

CASE STUDY arm technologies

▼ Atrium

Project Team CLIENT

arm technologies ARCHITECT & INTERIOR DESIGNER

Scott Brownrigg

FURNITURE PROVIDER

Sketch, Martek

FLOORING SUPPLIERS

Shaw Contract, Domus, Reeve FURNITURE SUPPLIERS

Sketch, Herman Miller, Interstuhl, Davison Highley, Interface, Humanscale, Brunner, Knoll, Vitra SURFACE SUPPLIERS

Arte, Martek, Kvadrat, Domus, Johnson, LTD, Squiggle STORAGE SUPPLIERS

Sketch

OTHER SUPPLIERS

Optima

▲ Exterior view

66 | Mix 201 February 2020

The design wraps the building in a delicate lattice of aluminium – diffusing the light, reducing energy loads and responding to the passage of the sun.

‘The building is split into two halves – arm A and arm B – with the reception and atrium creating this central element. The idea is that, even from outside, you can see straight through the building to the landscape beyond. You never feel as though you are disconnected from nature.’

We head into the incredible, buzzy atrium, where we are joined by arm’s Ellie Lamberti, who tells us about the origins of the project. ‘The whole process was quite a new thing for us. We’d previously only really done refurbishment projects rather than to start from scratch with an entire new building. It’s been a very exciting process. We worked closely with Ed, looking at how we were working and how this could and would affect all our people here in Cambridge.

‘We were previously in a number of other buildings on this site and throughout Cambridge. We’d become really fragmented as a business. The main driver, therefore, was to bring everybody back together.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t completely worked out as, while this project was underway, the business was acquired and we continued to grow, and therefore cannot fit into just the one building! Hence, we are already looking at the next phase of the campus.

The idea is that, even from outside, you can see straight through the building to the landscape beyond. You never feel as though you are disconnected from nature

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CASE STUDY arm technologies

▼ Lighting display on first floor

The Client arm technologies is a global software design company, now owned by the Japanese SoftBank Group.

The company was founded in November 1990, structured as a joint venture between Acorn Computers, Apple Computer and VLSI Technology.

While they might not be a household name, many products rely on the company’s tech, from iPads and smartphones to cars and drones!

‘We looked at how we wanted everyone to work together. One of the big drivers for this building was to use these social spaces to foster those impromptu conversations – I really believe that these are things that can drive our business. When everyone is within individual teams and people are tucked away and separate, we know that some of those great brainwave moments aren’t happening. So the whole design of the building encourages people to come into these great atrium spaces, pushes them together to really drive those conversations. We were able to see this happening from the very first day. These were the things that had stopped happening when we were so fragmented, and to have all these teams together is hugely beneficial.

‘We’ve always had a genuine space problem in the past – these social spaces were a luxury we just haven’t had. Even our meeting rooms had started to be turned into office space. What we do know here is that the design of this atrium space can never be turned into office space – not that we’d want to! This will really keep us on the right track and allows people to interact in a way they’ve not be able to previously. It really does drive everyone together. On that first day, we saw one or two people sat on one of the long tables – but almost instantly people started coming together and chatting and eating with each other.’

Communal space ▶

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CASE STUDY arm technologies

▼ First floor breakout space

Each ‘arm’ of the building provides high quality food and beverage offerings, together with a variety of communal social settings. What Ed and the design team have done here is really smart. Once beyond the reception (and first layer of security), there is a great, open feel to the space, with amazing transparency throughout, despite the almost invisible second level of security, necessary for the working spaces, of course. ‘We have the central collaboration space – the street, if you like,’ Ed tells us, ‘but all of the spaces beyond are actually quite cellular. Everyone here tends to work in small groups and small teams. Focused working space was key here.

‘The atrium is column-free. There is a giant screen that can be dropped into this

One of the big drivers

space so that the CEO can address all 3,500 employees, with people stood in the atrium or lining the balconies. ‘Beyond this we have a bank of teapoints in each of the wings, then we have the lightwells – which are about

for this building was to use these social spaces to foster those impromptu conversations – I really believe that these are things that can drive our business

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CASE STUDY arm technologies

▼ Interior view of the atrium

It’s so important that people aren’t struggling to focus and that we have this incredible variety of working and meeting spaces available to everyone

free and easy working space and informal meetings – and beyond these we have what we call the diamond spaces, which are the huddle spaces for breakout working and semi-formal meetings.’

We notice the silicon theme is continued through to elements such as the smart manifestations on formal meeting rooms, which also allow for another level of openness and transparency. ‘It’s so important that people aren’t struggling to focus and that we have this incredible variety of working and meeting spaces available to everyone,’ Ellie enthuses.

Beatriz tells us that an awful lot of attention was given to wellbeing and neurodiversity issues, pointing out simple yet effective elements such as pushplates on doors rather than ‘pull’ handles (of course referencing silicon once more). Indeed, arm now provides a variety of impressive facilities for its people, including an on-site physiotherapist, retreat rooms and recreation points. ‘We do have a lot of neurodiversity and we

were really keen to look after this and provide the right facilities,’ Ellie says. ‘This has made a huge impact.

We want our people to feel wanted, we have a lot of social activities and if people want to stay late or come in over the weekend they are free to do so. We want people to use the space as they feel they need to. It’s about their wellness.’

‘I think it’s really interesting to see an organisation move towards this way of thinking and allowing these spaces and facilities to be given to the social aspect rather than just work,’ Beatriz adds.

‘We needed this building to provide us with all of this,’ Ellie concludes. ‘And it really does!’w

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▼ Milan

Campus is the Future WPP is bringing landmark buildings back to life – and, in doing so, revolutionising the workplace. Five years ago, BDG architecture + design (a part of WPP) completed arguably the most innovative (it did win the BCO’s National Award for Innovation that year) workspace in London. Sea Containers in Blackfriars is a flagship scheme of 235,000 sq ft that brought together businesses from Ogilvy & Mather, media agency MEC and gtb, which had previously been located in different sites.

T

▲ Exterior of Milan office

72 | Mix 201 February 2020

his prominent building on London’s burgeoning Southbank has been reimagined and configured to create a diverse collection of appealing spaces including an amphitheatre, winter garden, restaurant and café; all designed to promote a high level of interaction and communication. Its success largely set the tone for the pioneering real estate strategy to co-locate WPP offices around the world through major retrofit projects, with over 35 projects planned.

Both BDG and its parent company, WPP, are leading this groundbreaking approach to transform the way its circa 200,000 employees are accommodated through evidence-led design that puts culture and business purpose at the core of the workplace.

CASE STUDY WPP

The environments we’re creating, with great hospitality areas, great daylight, a variety of settings and space, are about getting people up, moving around and communicating

Several years ago, WPP introduced the concept of cross agency client teams, whereby a client – such as Ford or Unilever – would be served by a single WPP team working across several agencies. This strategic priority is about offering clients a better service through collaborative working, so having all that expertise and talent under one roof makes perfect sense, and it is proving to be a winning formula.

In addition to Sea Containers, BDG has reinvigorated ‘The Garage’ in Lisbon, a former car showroom located on the fast regenerating riverfront of the river Tagus; Rios Rosa, 26, the former telephone exchange (the Telefónica headquarters) on Calle de Ríos Rosas, in the Chamberí neighbourhood of central Madrid; and Amsteldok in Amsterdam – formerly the Rivierstaete building.

Other key locations in the pipeline include Milan,

▼ Exterior of Rose Court

Prague, Paris, as well as Detroit and Santiago even further afield. All of these developments are unique and of a significant size.

WPP companies want to be associated with interesting, thoughtful environments rather than glazed, contemporary buildings. Environmentally too, this is absolutely the right thing – re-use and regeneration.

The satisfaction of breathing new life into an old, neglected building is extremely satisfying, as is the challenge from an architectural and design perspective of working with buildings that do not confirm to institutional standards.

▼ Rose Court

Mix 201 February 2020 | 73

CASE STUDY WPP

▼ Exterior of Detroit office

The environments being created here, we're told, with great hospitality areas, great daylight, a variety of settings and space, are about getting people up, moving around and communicating. This is about how to make buildings work harder for the benefit of the employees. It’s also about maximising net internal area, minimising floor-to-ceiling heights.

The Amsterdam building was built in the 60s and Madrid in the 50s – and there was a different perspective on architecture then, of course. In Madrid, for example, the floor to-ceiling heights are 5m across the whole building.

▼ Exterior of Madrid office. Photo: Phil Hutchinson

▼ Madrid.

Photo: Phil Hutchinson

74 | Mix 201 February 2020

Madrid Exchange In the very heart of Madrid sits a vast, former telephone exchange, empty for the past 10 years, derelict and gloomy. It has now been transformed from an eyesore to a vibrant hub of activity The most obtuse change is the façade; the concrete mantle has been reskinned with glass.

The street-facing side looks north so the glass is light and very transparent, and this openness and airiness guides the entire design.

A stunning defined entrance opens into a newly double-height reception, and provides a link – both physically and visually – to one of the building’s previously unused assets, its 3,000 sq m of split-level outdoor space.

These changes have required both a refurbishment of the existing core, and the addition of a new core. The latter has provided the opportunity to add dedicated lifts to the building’s top floors, where another major transformation will take place as it makes space for a 150-seat theatre and conference facilities – a destination both during and outside work hours.

The building represents a huge amount of space, which – since its construction in the 1970s – has never acted as a porous or contributing part of the street or city. This next iteration very much reverses this, inviting the outside world in, visually and physically, while providing a thoughtful and adaptable modern office space. Yet, despite its very contemporary look and functionality, it remains sensitive to its context.

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CASE STUDY WPP

▼ Sea Containers, London

There’s a real buzz here throughout the day – and it really helps bring together people who

Milan Milan is renowned for many things: the heart of Italian design, often considered bolder and brasher than other European cities but also home to commanding architecture.

The new Milan WPP facility is a transformation of a ceramics factory into a multiple tenant office with a covered street in which to animate it. At either end, its uses will be public – at one, a spacious and open reception, and at the other a restaurant and terrace.

The spatial arrangement does more to make this middle zone active, placing common spaces – conference rooms, a library, project rooms, reprographics – in one building, and all the tenants’ main workspaces in the other, larger building.

This creates a need to cross back and forth between them, creating a place to encounter neighbours, or just provide an excuse for a contemplative stroll.

This powerful intervention is nonetheless sensitive to its context. The new internal streetscape, its roof hidden from the outside by the buildings on either side, does nothing to disrupt the area’s historic integrity. ▲ Sea Containers, London

Rose Court In a prominent position in the heart of London, Rose Court has had no significant upgrade since 1989 and is now badly in need of modernisation. BDG’s design for the refurbishment replaces the existing cladding with a new high-performance brick and glass façade system, which will increase visibility and transparency of the building.

76 | Mix 201 February 2020

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CASE STUDY WPP

▼ Lisbon exterior.

Photo: G Gardner and J Vincente

▼ Lisbon.

Photo: G Gardner and J Vincente

▲ Amsterdam. Photo: G Gardner

A stunning defined entrance opens into a newly double-height reception, and provides a link – both physically and visually – to one of the building’s previously unused assets, its 3,000 sq m of split-level outdoor space

▲ Amsterdam exterior. Photo: G Gardner

Amsterdam The Amsteldok building brings together 15 WPP agencies, from 11 locations, into a single location.

The previously vacant Rivierstaete building (as it was formerly known) has been transformed from a

Detroit BDG has also been appointed to design the new campus for WPP in Detroit, which has a target of reaching a ‘Gold’ LEED rating. The historic Marquette Building in downtown Detroit was recently

large traditional office building into a 19,000 sq m innovative and creative workplace to support the 1,500 people that work there.

announced as WPP’s latest co-location campus, allowing the company to benefit from and contribute to the ongoing economic and cultural regeneration of the city. The new space, which is expected to open in late 2020, will accommodate up to 1,000 of WPP’s people over 150,000 sq ft across nine floors. w

Lisbon BDG developed a thoughtful design to reinvigorate the 7,130 sq m modernist ‘The Garage’. The former car showroom, located on Lisbon’s fast regenerating riverfront, now accommodates 14 of the group’s companies, that are spread across eight floors, with shared spaces that support the creative activity of WPP. BDG ensured that each of the group’s own spaces within the building were designed within a defined palette, to allow for the personalities of each group company to resonate through their own area.

Mix 201 February 2020 | 79

Taking Flight As regular readers will be aware, we don’t tend to byline our major features.

There is, however, a genuine reason for doing so in the case of this project review.

Our very own Chloe Petersen Snell is in the heart of London to reveal all.

80 | Mix 201 February 2020

CASE STUDY The Wing

▼ Soft seating area

B

link and you could miss the small branded door just off Oxford Street. From colour coded books (from female authors), shelving filled with hand-picked objects from Parisian flea market, Clignacourt, to a floral-drenched beauty room stocked with woman-owned brands, first impressions of The Wing’s first UK space are that of a feminine utopia. A mix of contemporary and vintage inspiration is clear and, as we walk up the stairs of the five-storey townhouse, it seems like we’re in an airy, calm pastel-upholstered haven, sheltered from the chaotic high street outside.

The first Wing opened in New York in 2016, and has quickly becoming the biggest (and certainly the most talked about) coworking space and social club aimed specifically at women – partially due, as The Guardian aptly described last year, to the fact that the brand was founded upon a paradox: the brand emphasises feminist values such as emancipation, empowerment and equality, while the business is based upon the elite institution of a private members' club.

Originally set to be called Refresh, founders Audrey Gelman and Lauren Kassan wanted to create a space for women to network, freelance and socialise, and were inspired by womens' clubs of the early 20th century. Since then, eight locations have opened across the US and now the UK. Niche coworking has, of course, seen a huge uplift in popularity as operators find new ways to differentiate themselves from the increasingly crowded coworking market. With the total number of coworking users set to reach 5.1 million people by 2022, the competition is tough. But is the appeal too generally focused? The audience for the majority of coworking spaces isn’t tailored enough to be significant to anyone – and, with that, niche coworking takes to the stage. By offering bespoke services to their community, these spaces are growing in number and don’t seem to be slowing down.

‘What really differentiates us from other workspaces is our community – and so while we have many members who use our space to work and run their businesses, we have just as many members who work

Mix 201 February 2020 | 81

CASE STUDY The Wing

▼ The Dashwood Tea Room

▲ Rooftop terrace

82 | Mix 201 February 2020

traditional 9-to-5 jobs, and join The Wing to be part of our community and programming,’ says Yasmin Shahida, The Wing’s Communications Manager.

‘The Wing is defined through the lens of the member experience, which can be both coworking and community.’

Heavily influenced by European and British design, each floor of the 12,000 sq ft property has a unique character and aesthetic – as is the case with all of the business’s locations.

Designed by The Wing’s in-house interiors team, led by designer Leatitia Gorra, the space features a café and tearoom, as well as plenty of workspace and private meeting rooms, each of which is named after a famous fictional British character. The palette throughout is soothing, bright and fun, with plush padded furniture and eclectic, clashing fabrics used throughout to create a relaxed and informal vibe. Plants and soft seating are abundant, and what really stands out here is how thoughtfully designed the space is. The majority of furniture is customised and created with shorter legs to better suit the female body. It’s these touches that truly make The Wing one of a kind.

‘What we’ve created at The Wing is answering to a very specific need, and one we’ve seen many women interested in,’ says Yasmin. ‘First and foremost, we are designing specifically for women. This means everything – from the way the furniture is built, to the temperature in our spaces, to the nursing rooms and childcare facilities – is unique to The Wing.’

Project Team CLIENT

The Wing ARCHITECT

David Miller Architects INTERIOR DESIGN

Laetitia Goora, Head of Interior Design, The Wing FURNITURE SUPPLIERS

The Wing, TON, Munna LIGHTING SUPPLIERS

Sabrina Landini

SURFACE SUPPLIERS

Solus, Soane Britain

CASE STUDY The Wing

▼ The beauty room

▲ The Perch Café

Outside, the rooftop terrace features chequerboard grass and carries through the interior theme with a mix of soft seating and tables in coordinating soft tones, ready for better weather. The beauty room features a nursing room, and was designed in collaboration with Soane Fabrics.

The in-house Perch Café, which debuts in London and uses produce from women-owned bakeries, restaurants, wine makers and farmers, is inspired by architect Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Batllo building in Barcelona. The flooring is the main star here, with bespoke flower tiles from Solus complementing rattan chairs and scalloped lampshades from designer de rigueur, Matilda Goad. Further bespoke tiles feature alongside green trellis walls in The Dashwood Tea Room, which is also unique to London.

So, what makes The Wing so successful? It’s about female empowerment, not entitlement, according to Yasmin. The spaces offer an incredibly diverse array of programming, hosting over 80 events a week throughout the entire Wing portfolio, ranging from support circles to celebrity panels. ‘We are creating an economic ecosystem for women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, whether it’s by empowering women to start businesses, hire each other or supporting other women-owned and -led companies.

The combination of all these elements and the way the space is designed has created an incredibly unique environment that ultimately sets us apart.’

Initially launched as an exclusive space for women, The Wing recently changed their no-men policy after

▼ The library /communal workroom

a series of complaints and a legal investigation into whether this gender specific rule violated various laws.

Since, the membership policy has changed (albeit controversially) to accept members with any genderidentity – as long as they align to the company’s mission.

Founding members include a flurry of equally hip London socialites, including Alexa Chung and Cara Delevingne, through to writer Scarlett Curtis – author of the aptly named Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (and Other Lies). Everything about this space screams female empowerment and progressive thinking, including a pin button we’re offered on exit, with a choice of preferred pronoun.

Above all, this space spells out FUN in capital letters. Use of colours, textures and thoughtful accessories make us feel like we’ve fallen down a rabbit hole into some sort of millennial wonderland. Where do we sign up?w

Mix 201 February 2020 | 85

Hej Fever It was a feast for the eyes and the ears at this year’s Stockholm Furniture and Lighting Fair, as exciting new products and talk of sustainable practices came hand in hand. Celebrating an impressive 70 years, the fair is still the biggest meeting point for beautiful Scandinavian design, as well as featuring a few new faces and innovative standout pieces.

▲ Maki Easy Chair

OFFECCT The star of the show at Offect was an exciting fusion of the minimal styles of Scandinavia and Japan through collaborations with Tokyo designers Teruhiro Yanagihara and Jin Kuramoto. ‘Maki’ – by the latter – was a particular highlight; a striking and fun shape created to stand alone and as part of a system in different formations. Inspired by a Maki roll, the unconventional shape, with an open hollow in the back, was a production challenge, and a testament to Offecct’s craftsmanship. ‘The form is based on minimalism and rationalism, a design culture that is common for Japan and Scandinavia, while its scope of use is expanding towards a free diversity that is increasingly sought after in various public environments,’ said Jin. Offecct also introduced a re-edit of the classic Speigel Panel from Verner Panton, as well as collaborations with David Trubridge, Mattias Stenberg, Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri.

86 | Mix 201 February 2020

REVIEW Stockholm Furniture Fair

A

▼ Part of the Herman Miller stand

s the industry grapples with the everincreasingly significant topic of climate change, there was a noticeable sustainability theme once again throughout this year’s fair. However, for many designers there was a genuine sense of authenticity when asked about their plans around sustainability and carbon-efficiency. Several designers we spoke to talked of moving away from presenting new collections and instead focusing on the extension of existing lines and improved production methods, as well as the resilience and longevity of their products.

We also noticed plenty of versatile and multifunctional furniture, as well as multi-purpose and collaborative workspaces.

There was a new layout for the fair this year, as design and contract furniture moved to an expanded Hall C – an obvious sign that Scandinavian design is as popular as ever, thanks to its craftsmanship, focus on materiality and deep-rooted style.

While there are not enough pages allocated for the amount of beautiful and exciting products and messages we saw as we walked around the fair, here are some eye-catchers that we couldn’t resist mentioning…

▲ Sam Hecht & Kim Colin

Herman Miller At this year’s fair, Herman Miller created four zones – Work, Meet, Lounge and Host – to showcase their diverse and iconic range of products, as well as introducing the new universal and customisable Civic table from Sam Hecht and Kim Colin.

Speaking to Sam and Kim, they explained that the new collection focuses on harmony across the workplace, home and hospitality, as well as answering the need to create a unique identity for each client. Customisation options for the table are expansive, including a new trapezoidal-esque shape for screen sharing and desk collaboration.

‘It’s nice to have congruency across open floorplates – usually, the way in which tables are now specified, is that a designer goes to a company for coffee tables, another for conference tables and another for café tables: they all come from different places. Their job is to try to get them all their work together as one identity,’ Kim explains. ‘What we did here is create enough variety to get the desired shapes and materials, but the tables can work in all those different environments – so in an open floor plan you have continuity.’

▼ Civic table

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REVIEW Stockholm Furniture Fair

▼ Nowy Styl Stand

Skandiform Skandiform introduced four new collections at this year’s fair, each a lesson in minimal scandi-design, with a twist. Highlights were Twig by award-winning designer Johannes Lindner – a modern chair with a curved seat topped with a dowel, giving the option to stain and upholster. Bolero by Nina Jobs is a soft seating range with soft, wide shapes and customisable options that wouldn’t look amiss in hospitality, office or at home. ‘I created Bolero with forms of expression such as dance and fashion in mind. The name is a nod to the little jacket that is worn outside your clothes – functional and practical with the chance to create your own look in a room,’ said Nina.

▼ Bolero sofa collection

Nowy Styl Polish giant Nowy Styl focused on how people experience workspce in a very authentic (and almost spiritual!) way. Nowy Styl showcased collections from their recently acquired brand, Kusch+Co, each created to respond to changes in the modern office environment.

We spoke to Justyna Hodurek, Global A&D Manager. ‘When we take a mindful look at our everydayness, it turns out we are living our lives in a constant haste of an overstimulated urban jungle responding to omnipresent technology.

We need to stay motivated and productive. And of course, there is nothing wrong about being motivated or productive, but still, we do seek some balance, connection with nature, with surroundings, with inner selves.

‘Workspaces are now designed for agility, for flexibility, for triggering creativity, but we wanted to create a space that would be a soothing experience empowering people.

'With the Creva table, Nowy Styl didn't want to create a usual formal meeting table. Instead, they wanted to offer a solution that would be inviting, providing a facility where people would love to come together and collaborate. At the same time, whenever somebody needs some privacy to concentrate and work on their own, it is possible to create a sheltered microzone by changing the position of the table panels.' An antidote to the open plan office dilemma? ▲ Twig chairs

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Seasick of plastic?

Explore our new Oceanic fabric.

www.camirafabrics.com

REVIEW Stockholm Furniture Fair

▼ Arper stand

Arper

▲ Juno chair

Arper focused on their sustainable journey, introducing two chairs created from recycled post-industrial materials: the Duna Eco and Juno Eco. The message from the Italian brand is honest and realistic – with the hope of creating an open dialogue and transparency with their products and production. The end result is intended to reduce the environmental impact of the whole process – from material extraction to manufacturing and eventually recycling.

‘We want to explain our journey: what we’re discovering and our achievements (and failures!) in sustainability – above all we want to be transparent about what we’re going to do – it’s the only way to talk about sustainability,’ said Giovanni Peracin, Global Marketing Director at Arper.

The Duna Eco is made of 80% recycled post-industrial material with wooden legs, and the Juno Eco is a fluid chair cast from a single form and made from 70% recycled post-industrial plastic. ‘At the same time, it’s not only about materials – not all of our products are made from recycled materials but the way we are producing consumes less energy and we produce products that last 20+ years,’ explains Giovanni.

▼ Materia

Materia Materia had a wealth of fun and flexible furniture to introduce this year, including a stool that encourages the body to move and keep active. The Rocca stool has a colourful and simple design, as well as being easy to carry around the office, allowing for easy collaboration and flexible working. Designed by Alexander Rehn, the stool was created as part of Materia’s Newcomer award.

‘Nowadays we really spend a lot of time sitting at our desks, often working all day without moving very much – I wanted to change that,’ said Alexander.

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REVIEW Stockholm Furniture Fair

Camira Created entirely from post-consumer recycled plastic, Oceanic from Camira has been created in collaboration with SEAQUAL, using the initiatives yarn, created from plastic debris sourced from the sea, as well as bottles from landfill. ‘Oceanic is our very first fabric to contain recycled plastic marine waste. Building on Camira’s stance around designing for a better tomorrow, we are thrilled to be working in partnership with the SEAQUAL initiative to combat marine plastic pollution,’ says Lynn Kingdon, Camira’s Head of Contract Design.

◀ ▲ Camira Oceanic

▼ Kinnarps

Kinnarps This year, Kinnarps did not present new products or collections in Stockholm, but instead focused on the sustainable process and circular economy that goes into their production and design. The focus for the leading Swedish company this year was to show the resilience and longevity of their products. ‘If you create the right products and use the right materials that are suitable for that environment, you can use the product for a longer time and expand the sustainability circle,’ said Ann Cederwall, Director of Global Marketing and Communications at Kinnarps, showing us a chair used since 1994 that had definitely withstood the test of time.

‘We are working towards our climate neutrality goals for 2030, but we also want to show how we work with sustainability every day.'

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All our shown and mentioned decors are reproductions.

Discover the power of more.

Egger Decorative Collection 2020 – 22

Fennella Nkansah Designer Stefania Chalakatevaki Architect

More choices, more textures, more services, more opportunities, with the new EGGER Decorative Collection. Discover the power of more via the new EGGER app, helping you create new designs and amazing spaces. Âť Bring your ideas to life egger.com/decorative-collection

REVIEW Stockholm Furniture Fair

▼ The Pair

Jess Design Designers Jesse Visser, Robert Bronwasser and Studio Suolle have been working with the design team at leading Dutch company, Jess (now available in the UK through Jam Junction), the results of which are new models Jazz, Tray, Shuffle and Zipp. The (already) award-winning Shuffle range, which consists of sofas, a new dining chair and a chaise longue, really caught our eye in Stockholm.

'It was designed by Robert Bronwasser and provides our collection with an invigorating twist,' Maarten van de Goor, Director at Jess Design says. 'The Shuffle has its own striking look and it fits in perfectly with our existing and continuous collections.'

Møbel Copenhagen The Danes (the clue was in the title!) launched The Pair, by Studio David Thulstrup, at this year’s fair. This stylish side table collection consists of three variations of a pair of tables – with one table overlapping the other to create a contrast of solid materials and surfaces. The lower base table is uniquely crafted in glazed ceramic, while the higher table is made of matt powder-coated steel.

The base table can be placed either beside the higher table, providing an additional surface, or to create storage in between. We like. ▲ Shuffle range ▼ Rope chair

Artek

For additional content on the Stockholm Furniture Fair, visit the Mix Interiors website: www.mixinteriors.com

Designed by brothers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, the Rope chair from Artek was one of our personal highlights of the fair, resembling a 3D line drawing rather than a solid structure. The rope is created for marine use, and is the main focus of the chair (which is unexpectedly comfortable!) and is the weightbearing part of the construction, allowing the chair to adapt to the user’s frame.

Commenting on the chair, Artek said: ‘Where other chairs dictate a specific way of sitting, the Rope chair invites creativity in posture, encour­aging dynamic movement and changes in position. When the sitter rises, the chair’s frame bears the traces of the body it last supported, the imprint of a user who co­defines its shape.'w

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SELECTIONS

Modular takes centre stage at Domotex Visitors to Domotex, the annual European flooring exhibition, were treated to the unveiling of Modular – the latest range from Granorte. Known for its clever use of cork, Granorte guided visitors through how this organic material can be used within interiors as a stylish and sustainable solution. Influenced by the modernist Swiss/ French styles of Le Corbusier, who recognised the importance of providing better living conditions for crowded cities, Modular was designed by Carlos Mandonca with this focus in mind – and so cork was the material selected due to its calming aesthetics, as well as its practical and sustainable attributes. www.granorte.co.uk

Shift through colour with IVC Featuring gradual and organic colour transitions, Art Fields is the latest carpet plank series from IVC. With a colour flow that’s peaceful and soothing, as well as an excellent border between functional spaces, Art Fields combines three level loop designs to achieve its effect. Starting with the surface of Shared Path as the base, Organic Shift mixes this mainly grey texture with sporadic colour accents before Full Shift takes over and turns these into the dominant colour. Using the three carpet tiles in conjunction, cycling through a coordinated palette, brings a tonal shift that zones without abrupt transition. www.ivc-commercial.com

modulyss completes the level at Curve Digital An array of modulyss carpet tiles have been used in the CAT B fit-out of rented London workspaces for video games publisher, Curve Digital Publishing Limited.

Turning to the comfort, acoustics and durability of modulyss carpet tiles for desking areas, fit-out and interior design practice, Base Interiors, mixed colour and fluid, dynamic pattern for feature areas in the combination of steel hued Motion 578, Vision 578 and the purple of Motion 410, Vision 410, as well as the deep green of First 684, for general cover.

Comforting nature for the modern soul UNILIN, division panels, has unveiled four new decors in its Evola range that work together to bring comforting, calm of nature into commercial interiors. The 'Into The Woods' theme takes the reassuring warmth, cosiness and shelter that are associated with the depths of a forest. Barnwood Bark Brown provides the subtle nuances of natural wood through its grain, colour variation and wood feel. Green Shadow provides the dappled hues of vegetation, while the brilliance of Peacock Green recreates the fresh emeralds of grass and moss.

www.modulyss.com

www.unilinpanels.com

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REVIEW

It's oh so quiet Prolonged exposure to excessive noise can trigger stress responses in our bodies.

In the office environment, this affects focus, productivity and overall wellbeing. A number of Quadrant's flooring products are now available with Noise Reduction Backing – sound-absorbing floorcoverings that contribute to a calmer soundscape.

Made from dense polyester felt with 80% recycled content, NRB-backed tiles reduce impact noise by 32dB–36dB and airborne noise by αw0.25–αw0.30.

Upping the Mood at Ori Café IVC’s award-winning Studio Moods LVT concept has been chosen as a striking feature floor at John Lewis Partnership’s Ori Café, at the retailer’s busy Bluewater store in Kent. Looking for a floor that stood out in the space, specifier Design Management Solutions opted for the multi-shapes and numerous laying patterns available in the Studio Moods concept, creating a patterned floor using wood and stone effects.

www.quadmod.com

www.ivc-commercial.com

Parkside provides for Juno Rooms A range of striking porcelain and handmade ceramic tiles from Parkside have been used in the Juno Rooms, a lively entertainment venue in the heart of London’s financial district. Parkside supplied approximately 250 sq m of tiles for the project, with the main floors in the bar area and toilets using the award-winning Kaste01.

This concrete-effect porcelain tile offers high slip resistance and was used in standard large format for the bar surround and in rest rooms, as well as waterjet cut into a multi-tonal geometric design for the seated dining area.

KI’s next generation sit/stand solution The Work2.1 sit/stand range features sophisticated cable management options, sliding tops and rear tool rails. The three-stage actuator is smoother and quieter and features built-in anti-collision technology as standard. The collection can be specified with different worktop and under structure finishes, while full-width or inset screens and modesty panels are also available. Designed and made in the UK, the system is available as single or back-to-back desks. www.kieurope.com

www.parkside.co.uk

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THE LAST WORD Opinion

GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES? I was recently asked to be a speaker at an internal event aimed at sharing knowledge across the company and, as we are about to embark on a redesign of a number of our sites, I chose to speak on the subject ‘The Future of Workplace’, Criteo’s Mike Walley tells us.

Technology has facilitated that change, but in reality it is the huge cultural shift in the way we all think about work that has been, and will continue to be, the future of workplace

Mike Walley is Criteo’s Head of Workplace Experience EMEA

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I

thought I could float a few new ideas about and gauge the reaction of the audience to them. It was an interesting venue. A single large space with multiple small stages set up around its cavernous interior, each one identified by a large balloon with a letter printed on the side. There were 1,500 people milling about and the buzz and hum of conversation was loud. To cope with the noise and make this workable for those attending the talks, every seat had a headset that connected to the microphone of the speaker for their particular talk. It allowed the audience to hear the talk they had chosen with no distractions. It was rather like a silent disco, just nowhere near as much fun and with only one person at risk of making a fool of him- or herself.

I wandered over to the corner of the hanger in which I was due to speak and was rather flattered (and not a little smug) at the large number of attendees for my talk, until a colleague pointed about that all the other talks were on the more arcane points of coding or machine learning and, as only 30% of the company would understand these topics, the remaining workforce had opted for my talk in the hope it would be a little more engaging. But hey, a win is a win.

As most of the audience were new to the subject of workplace, I elected to walk them through a little of the history surrounding the concept – and that’s when it got interesting (for me, at least). I took them from The East India Company constructing the first purpose-built office space in London during the 1700s, through Taylorism in the early 1900s, with its row upon row of tightly crammed desks and segregation of the sexes, then into Frank Lloyd Wright’s beautiful space for The Johnson Wax Company.

We picked our way through the similarities with today’s spaces, chuckled at the hierarchical separation built into the designs and marvelled at the beauty of the FLW space, and had another good chuckle at his disastrous foray into chair design (a three-legged chair that was to assist in keeping a good posture, except everyone fell off it – including the designer).

From there we wandered into the Action Office of the 1960s, seasoned with a bit of Burolandschaft (the democratic office space) and clearly saw how these have

created the Activity Based Working of today’s office landscape. The faces of the younger generation were a picture when they saw the images of the enormous Cube Farms of the 80s and a lively discussion followed as to why workers would allow themselves to be cooped up in such appalling conditions. Ah, the idealism of youth.

A couple of chaps from our computer science division, who had joined the audience, seemed convinced that the Cube Farm images were simply proof that we are all living in The Matrix.

With that, we arrived at today’s office design. This was the moment I was supposed to come up with a fabulous new concept that would take us into the new decade and lay the foundations for a happy and fulfilled workforce.

Yet, all I could think to say was that nothing much has changed and that design is a circular process, with the same ideas coming around again and again. Although, much like flares and platform shoes, we all hope like hell that no one will resurrect the Cube Farm.

What has changed is us. Sure, technology has facilitated that change, but in reality it is the huge cultural shift in the way we all think about work that has been, and will continue to be, the future of workplace. There are many questions left to answer, such as…’what kind of space does a business need now we can all work from anywhere with a network connection?’

‘What part does social contact play in the productivity of a business?’

‘How do you build a team in a virtual workplace?’

I don’t profess to have all (or any!) of the answers, but I think what is clear is that the future of workplace has moved out of the physical and into the cultural and societal. Until we can fully answer the questions about how we want to work in the future, and what the definition of work actually is, we simply cannot know what kind of spaces to build.

Until then, it is great fun having the conversation about it all (except when I have to explain that the room occupancy sensors are not hardwired into the Hive brain of the Government Industrial Complex to monitor all our movements). Sigh! I watch with interest as to where it will take us next.w

Martin*

Designed for Real People

*Great things are

never done by just one person...

+44 (0) 1494 448 000

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