Mix Interiors - #187 - September 2018 by Mix_Interiors

Mix Interiors 187

September 2018

INSIDE UPFRONT 8

PERFECT LIGHT ANY WHERE

Seven... 26 Material Matters 31 Deser t Island Desks 32 Proper t y Matters 34

SPOTLIGHT 4 3 Big Question 45 Wellbeing Repor t 46

CASE ST UDIES 68 Havas, King's Cross 68 The Depar tment Store, Brix ton 76 Kellogg's, MediaCit y, Salford 84

DISCUSSION 92 With Scott Brownrigg

PRE VIE W 99 London Design Festival

L AST WORD 112 Criteo's Head of Workplace E xperience, Mike Walley

68 CASE STUDY – HALKIN, LONDON We take a look at Halkin's amazing new ser viced office space in the iconic blue Nor thern & Shell Building on the outskir ts of the Cit y of London.

The VITAWORK® floor lamp provides the ideal lighting conditions for every workplace. Its adjustable features allow it to adapt to any room setting and ensure a healthy, fatigue-free environment.

76 www.luctra.eu

84 Mix 187 September 2018 | 1

Upfront | Welcome

THE COVER The logo Boundary Metallics, the latest Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) range from global modular flooring manufacturer, Interface, is inspired by manmade, wrought iron and industrial materials aged by the elements. It serves as a striking counterpart to the natural textures of many of Interface’s carpet tile collections and works seamlessly with these products to create a natural flow in multi-use spaces. www.interface.com

The cover The inspiration for the front cover comes from the core principles of our studio – ‘To work anonymously and relish the creative freedom this gives you’. The logo reveals itself from Boundary Metallics range by Interface and allows the product to take centre stage. Courtesy of Simon Millington, Incognito Mix Interiors 187

September 2018

A WORD FROM MICK When you were a kid did you, like me, get back from your holidays hoping/fearing that, in those two months you’d been away, everything had changed? Of course, when you’re a kid, everything means a circle of approximately half a mile radius from your house. And, of course, nothing had ever changed. It was just the same. Now we’re ‘grown-ups’, most of us have lost that sense of hope/fear. There are reasons for this – not least the fact that we’re semi-permanently attached to a phone. It’s been strange, therefore, to return from the summer break and discover that things have changed. It’s only weeks ago that temperatures of 25 degrees were greeted with tabloid headlines of ‘Phew! What a Scorcher’. Now we’re tempted to reach for a sweater when the mercury ‘only’ hits 25!

We’ve also suddenly got an England football team that people are proud of and like. From a personal point of view, I’ve walked into a remodelled Mix office in Manchester and, for a sec, wondered where my desk was – before remembering that said refurb allows us to be a more agile, forward-thinking business and I can plonk myself down wherever I please! I should say a massive thanks to all those who contributed to the refurb. So things have changed – but we’re the last people who should fear that. After all, change is essentially what we talk and write about. Your clients are all going through change – that’s why they require your services and your products. If we had a Spotify playlist, we’d have Bowie playing. That’d be a good ch,ch.ch,change!

GET IN TOUCH BACK ISSUES Contact us to buy back issues: rebekah@wearemixgroup.com Mix Interiors 186

July 2018

Editor Mick Jordan mick@wearemixgroup.com

Contributors Steve Gale

Editorial support Rebekah Chapman rebekah@wearemixgroup.com

Mike Walley

Sales director Gary Williams gary@wearemixgroup.com Director David Smalley david@wearemixgroup.com Designer John Hope john@wearemixgroup.com

Mix Interiors 185

June 2018

David Thame

Address Mix Media Limited 2 Abito 85 Greengate Manchester M3 7NA Telephone 0161 946 6262

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Founding publisher Henry Pugh

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Printed by S&G Print ISSN 1757-2371

22 - 24 MAY 2018

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Upfront |

OUT-OF-TOWN IS BACK IN St. Modwen has submitted a planning application for 20,000 sq ft of office space just off the A38, at its Longbridge regeneration project. The application follows the successful letting of a 62,000 sq ft office building, 2 Devon Way. If approved, the new office build – 3 Devon Way – would be completed and ready for tenancy by October 2019. Chris Newsome, Development Director at St. Modwen, said: ‘Longbridge is an ideal location for offices as it’s easily accessible from the Bristol Road and is just a stone’s throw away from the M5 and M42. ‘The swift take-up at 2 Devon Way and the Innovation Centre has proven that there’s a high demand for commercial space in this area and we’re pleased to be creating more jobs and attracting more businesses to an area that is very special to St. Modwen.’ The development comes as out-of-town office demand in the West Midlands surges. The M42 and

Solihull office market has become a victim of its own success, say local agents, as a shortage of available space led to the lowest take-up of office space for the past four years. ‘With availability of office space at a record low, particularly at Birmingham Business Park and Blythe Valley Business Park, a number of occupiers who first looked at the Solihull office market have delayed their acquisition, or extended their existing lease, as

HARVEST FESTIVAL

A NEW ERA When you think of Era you probably think screens, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. This year alone has seen the bespoke furniture company launch five new products (Carnival, Zen, Lily, Gemini and Minoro), of which only one is a traditional panel system. In May the business refurbished the London showroom to great acclaim. It is easy to determine space with just the footprint of a building and, more often than not, vertical space is completely overlooked in contemporary office design. Era has been consciously developing sound absorbing wall and ceiling tiles to fill this void, to improve the acoustics within the working environment, which we all know is crucial for a happy working life. But who says acoustic tiles

Tarkett has launched DESSO Harvest – a new carpet tile collection that uses light and shade to inject texture and quiet movement into workplace design. Harnessing a two-tone yarn effect, Harvest cleverly captures the windswept wheat fields and rustic wood looks that inspired its design. Each tile within the range differs to the next and the contrasting colours add rich depth. The finished result successfully reflects the beautiful irregularities seen in nature. The 50x50cm structured loop carpet tile may be used on its own, in a single colour or in two or more colourways to intelligently ‘zone’ any space. w

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they have been unable to find the perfect alternative,’ says Mark Robinson, director at consultancy KWB. ‘There is a healthy pipeline of demand, but often with quite specific requirements, for which we need landlords to work with occupiers and be pragmatic in negotiations, otherwise occupiers may continue to look to Birmingham and Warwick as alternative locations.’ w See full analysis on page 34.

have to be dull and purely functional? Not Era, who has broken this mould by creating bespoke sound absorbing art using its Eden range. Furthermore, the Carnival Poppies pictured below focus on upcycled fabric and sound absorbing foam to create 3D baffle hung art, bringing colour and design to a focal point whilst being green at heart. These new ranges ooze flexibility, from the shape, size, colour – you can even add lights, making them the perfect addition to any unused space. Design Principal, Ashley Romain, explains: ‘We are focusing on ensuring our new products are design-led and breaking the stereotypes of what office furniture should be, whilst keeping the user’s needs at heart. We are looking to optimise space without compromising on comfort.’ w

EW N

TARALAY IMPRESSION

Create a stunning & lasting impression...

Upfront |

Be inspired with the NEW Taralay Impression and Uni Collection. A stunning set of unique designs and colours that surpass the expectations of designers, architects and specifiers. There are endless design possibilities for your creative mind and for your innovative projects.

*This image has been created using references from the collection.

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WHAT NEX FOR BRISTOL?

Let More Originality In.

portfoliodoors.co.uk 0844 209 0008 Part of the Masonite Group

Contemporary Clean. Modern. Minimal Featuring Portfolio’s Charcoal Grey Vertical and Performance Doorset Solutions’ Bespoke Windows.

Portfolio doors are more than just ‘doors’.

With their lease ending at Temple Studios and the team outgrowing their existing space, NEX (technology company who are experts in financial markets who set the standard for range, quality and value of trade and transaction) chose a new 7,946 sq ft refurbished space at Programme. They tasked Interaction with the CAT B design and fit-out – the first at the landmark development in Bristol. The brief for the project revolved around designing and creating an inspirational space that reflected the reputation of the firm, as well as the Programme development. Vital factors included enhancing collaboration and flexibility, helping the

team to retain and attract new talent and making a great first impression for clients. This was all achieved in just six weeks. Alice Wolff of NEX tells us: ‘We’re already seeing the positive effect that the office is having on our business. Staff members are collaborating more and making use of the varied working spaces – which is great for productivity and flexibility. When it comes to clients and visitors, the general consensus is ‘Wow!’ Anyone who walks into the space can’t help but be impressed, with particular talking points being the LED lighting and the Cray computer.’ w

INTERFACE GOES CARBON NEUTRAL ACROSS ENTIRE RANGE

CORPORATE TO CAREFREE – HOW NEW WORKPLACE DESIGN IMPACTS WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY

In line with our Spotlight feature on Sustainability and H&W, Interface has announced that it is the first global flooring manufacturer to declare that all of its products – including all carpet tile and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) – are carbon neutral across the entire product lifecycle. The company is now offering its Carbon Neutral Floors programme as standard to every customer at no extra cost to help them meet their own sustainability goals, while also allowing them to reduce the emissions impact of their projects or spaces. Interface estimates it will offset 400,000 metric tons of carbon emissions in 2018 as part of the programme, equivalent to the carbon absorbed annually by nearly half a million acres of forest. Interface is committed to reducing carbon emissions from building materials and products, known as ‘embodied carbon,’ which contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment. The company also intends to initiate a new conversation in the industry and create opportunities for customers to directly address global warming with a flooring specification decision. w

Quentin Petrykowski, interior designer at Absolute Commercial Interiors, discusses workplace wellbeing and how the redesign of Harrogatebased Neom Organics’ office helped staff destress and relax at work… A report last week from Capital One identified 85% of employees felt design to be intrinsically linked with their workplace happiness. A fact not lost on cosmetics brand, Neom Organics, who employed Absolute Commercial Interiors to inject a £100,000 wellbeing boost into its sterile offices. Absolute collaborated with the whole workforce to redesign the 5,000 sq ft offices, from ceiling to

floor, in just four weeks. The resulting space exudes a confident calmness, with ‘living’ walls, creative and inspiring breakout areas and chill-out zones. The light and airy spaces are all designed to help increase productivity and workplace happiness. The communal kitchen area encourages teams to work collaboratively, sharing ideas over a coffee or two. The space also has a pop-up shop for visitors and employees to test out the company’s products. The teams are also encouraged to make the most of and take in the green surroundings of North Yorkshire in alfresco meetings in the site’s grounds. w

Mix 187 September 2018 | 11

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HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY HERR DAUPHIN Whilst not something we normally do, we felt it was the right thing to include the milestone birthday of one of the visionaries in furniture. Courage, hard work and an innovative spirit are the key pillars on which Friedrich-Wilhelm Dauphin’s impressive life’s work has been built. The founder of the internationally successful Dauphin group of companies turned 80 in July. ‘We are a performance-driven community based on people showing personal initiative and mutual appreciation,’ he says. With this modern corporate philosophy, Friedrich-Wilhelm Dauphin was well ahead of his time when he founded his office seating factory in 1968. The passionate entrepreneur and creative inventor remained true to this guiding creed even in a market which is shaped by economic fluctuations. He has been successful; today he employs around 740 workers around the world and, with 23 sales and production companies in Germany and abroad, he owns one of the leading office furniture companies in Europe, an exclusive home collection, a large collection of vintage cars, a sought-after location for events and a flourishing vineyard in South Africa, where internationally award-winning wines are produced and marketed. Happy birthday! w

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A NEW LANGUAGE IN FLOORCOVERINGS Launched in Paris earlier this year, Flotex By STARCK is the new revolutionary flooring collection from Forbo Flooring Systems, following its collaboration with visionary creator Philippe Starck. Using high definition digital printing techniques, Flotex By STARCK challenges tradition through unique patterns that play on scale and transition. The collection consists of three different design systems, Artist, Twilight and

ARRESTING DEVELOPMENT

Vortex, all of which can be adapted to suit each individual project’s needs. The pattern of each full design system stretches 10m in width and is made up of four different 2m-wide components: a central design, a left and right transitional design border and a neutral, semi-plain texture design, which features a variety of accent colours. For smaller rooms, the components can be mixed and matched to create unique floor plans. w

If you aren’t already familiar with The Office Group (TOG) – and if not then you should have read last month’s Mix Interiors – it is the leading flexible and shared workspace companies, with 15 years’ experience in London. In August the business opened a new flexible workspace – its largest yet – a 12-storey iconic building and the former Metropolitan Police building in London on Albert Embankment. The post-war building has been overhauled in a major refurbishment by Universal Design Studio, together with architects Stanton Williams, using contemporary materials with a nod to the era

of the building. The influences behind the new interiors reference the previous life of the building and its rich heritage – including a Secret Room, a speakeasy-style members-only space concealed behind a cleaner’s cupboard door entrance. TOG’s approach is to take buildings of character and closely oversee design with leading architects and designers to tailor their workspaces to the buildings they inhabit, and also to the type of occupants the neighbourhood is known for – meaning all the buildings in the wider portfolio are designed differently. Look out for our major Coworking Spotlight feature in October . w

FEELING GOOD Each year over 30 million working days are lost as a direct result of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in the UK. Through the design of their new workplace and practices, Arthritis Research UK wanted to create an environment that would promote collaboration, flexible working, inclusion and support health and wellbeing, particularly MSK health. From the very beginning, it was clear that this project represented more than your typical office fit-out. For the team at AIS it was an opportunity

to develop a workplace that placed inclusion and users’ wellbeing at the heart of the design. The result was a refreshingly unconventional vision for modern workplace wellbeing. The team focused on creating spaces that would complement the team’s differing working needs and identified a need for both privacy and collaboration, physical activity and quiet reflection. Key to the design was a ‘wellness room’ – a semiprivate, non-working area dedicated to stretching and exercise. w

Design

Management

Delivery

PEOPLE FOCUSED OFFICE DESIGN 12 | Mix 187 September 2018

T: 0161 402 3340

W: www.opus-4.com

E: hello@opus-4.com

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WILLMOTT DIXON CONTINUES MIDLANDS EXPANSION Willmott Dixon is continuing its expansion in the Midlands by introducing Willmott Dixon Interiors to the region. The launch follows the opening of its new office at Two Snowhill as Birmingham and the West Midlands continues to see a boom in construction and fit-out activity in both the private and public sectors. Willmott Dixon Interiors is one of the UK’s largest specialists in interior works up to a value of £30m. The scope of its work includes brand roll-outs and refreshes as well as property fit-outs and remodelling. It works with large brands such as Travelodge and is behind projects like the fit-out of the Design Museum’s new home in Kensington and

the creation of a new home for the Department for Education (DfE) at the world famous Old Admiralty Building, which acts as a backdrop to the renowned Trooping the Colour parade. Nick Gibb, Deputy Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in the Midlands, said: ‘Willmott Dixon Interiors represents a vital part of our business as a group and the time was definitely right to establish a dedicated presence in the Midlands. This ensures that we are able to service all requirements within the market, creating a level of specialist knowledge that greatly enhances our offering as a leading contractor of choice, offering the very best advice across all stages of a customer’s project and creating a holistic service.’ w

Visit the UK’s leading furniture components show Co-located with

AWARD FOR EGE Sustainability is the backbone of ege and has been for many, many years. No doubt they were extremely happy to receive the Management Award for Sustainable Development from the EU. The environmental awards are granted every other year to the most environmentally conscious companies in Europe. The purpose of the awards is to furtherance innovative and sustainable initiatives within the environmental area. Today, ege has 47 Cradle to Cradle certified products, which account for 87% of the company’s sales to the contract market – including offices, hotels and stores. w

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Elements takes place alongside The W Exhibition which is the UK’s leading dedicated trade exhibition for the joinery and furniture industries.

@Elements_Expo /elements_expo

www.elements-expo.co.uk

Upfront |

SPACEINVADER TO REVAMP LEEDS ICON The Leeds studio of interior design specialist SpaceInvader has secured a contract to design 23,000 sq ft worth of new hospitality suites at the iconic Emerald Headingley Stadium, as the business marks its first anniversary in the city. The contract will see SpaceInvader design the stadium’s new 500-capacity hospitality suite, including bars, boxes and a corporate reception. The design will create suites with panoramic views across both the cricket and

RAPID SELECT

rugby grounds, with the ability to reconfigure the space to cater for conferences and events including weddings to rivals those in the city centre. The new project comes as SpaceInvader celebrates its first year of trading in Leeds. Since launching its studio at The Green Sand Foundry in June 2017, the firm has witnessed 300% revenue growth over the past 12 months. Sarah Dodsworth, Associate Director and Head

MIX WEEK MANCHESTER Mix Week Manchester is the must-attend three-day event, running from 4-6 December, celebrating the best national and international design, incorporating the exclusive MixInspired Manchester event, Mixology North and the first Mix Design Collective. Mix Design Collective will immerse you into a series of six working zones, including New Analogue designed by Gensler, Health & Wellbeing designed by Hassell, Engage designed by FaulknerBrowns, Smart & Connected designed by Michael Laird Architects, Escape designed by tp bennett and Heart Space designed by Incognito. The experiences will be curated using new, industry-leading products. An exclusive preview of Mix Design Collective will be held during the week’s first event MixInspired – with both free to attend! Register your attendance at mixdesigncollective.co.uk. w

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Mix Week Manchester

of SpaceInvader Leeds, says: ‘It feels fitting that, as we celebrate our first anniversary in Leeds, we’ve been appointed to redesign one of the city’s iconic venues.’ SpaceInvader employs 65 people across its studios in Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and London and has a £4.5m turnover. The company is part of Central Square Holdings Limited, which also acquired property service firm Styles&Wood at the end of 2017. w

Mix Week Manchester 4 - 6 December MixInspired Mix Design Collective Mixology North Awards

*Conditions apply.

Mix 187 September 2018 | 17

Upfront |

New DESSO® Harvest from Tarkett uses light and shade to stunning effect.

SPIRIT OF MANCHESTER Earlier this year Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB, the global independent cost management and quantity surveying, project management and advisory services group) moved into brand spanking new space at One King Street, Manchester. RLB wanted to create a fun, working office that encouraged the spirit and essence of Manchester. They looked to keep the Industrial sense of the old Kendal’s building, so decided to incorporate the raw brickwork and exposed steel columns into the architecture of the design, which luckily, contrasted nicely with the clean white lines of the RLB brand. The team focused on subtle elements that challenged existing working habits but, when brought together, made a massive impact, such as desk mounted monitors, collaboration hubs, biophilia, contemplation zones and variable sit/stand workstations, which have boosted productivity and staff morale. Part of the decision behind the office move was to become more centralised within the city centre of Manchester and, as such, they wanted to ingrain Manchester’s industrial heritage and its quirky ‘northern-ness’. They decided to build a theme around each of the new meeting rooms with bespoke graphic wallpapers that encompass a different Manchester based category; Science, Music, Art, Innovation, Engineering and Sport. w

Harvest CARPET TILES

Find out more and order your samples: www.desso.co.uk 01235 554848 service.uk@tarkett.com

Harnessing light and shade to great effect

THE FURNITURE MAKERS’ COMPANY INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABILITY AWARD The Furniture Makers’ Company is inviting UK furnishing manufacturers of all sizes who are blazing an environmental trail to apply for the 7th annual Sustainability Award. The award considers all aspects of sustainable business practices, including waste and energy management, design process, product improvements, packaging, transportation,

procurement, end of life management, client relationships, supplier management, employee engagement and corporate social responsibility. The deadline for entries is September 2018. Previous winners of the Sustainability Award include Silentnight, Godfrey Syrett, Hypnos Beds, Orangebox, Premiere Kitchens and Senator International.

Shortlisted companies will be invited to make a brief presentation of their application to the judges and to answer any questions at a meeting to be held at Furniture Makers’ Hall on 19 September 2018, with the presentation of the award taking place at the Royal Charter Dinner at the start of November. w For more information contact Doreen Oddy at guildmarks@furnituremakers.org.uk

CAMIRA BRINGS THE COLOUR

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highlights different layers and depths of colour, and the detail beneath each individual shade. The intricate detail of the dobby weave is enhanced through the unique dyeing process. Using two types of dyestuffs – which dye the disperse

and cationic parts of the polyester yarn – means the fabric achieves two different hues of the same colour, but in some cases two different colours, allowing greater flexibility with colour matching and selection. w

Harvest 9031

Colour is at the heart of Camira’s fabrics, and the global textile manufacturer continues to demonstrate this with the launch of an extended colour palette for one of its polyester ranges. Era is a subtle, two-tone fabric with a discreet, baby herringbone weave offering an understated contemporary texture, while the colouring technique provides close-up intrigue and detail. The range has 24 new colourways bringing the total colour offering to 44. Era’s colour palette has been balanced with the addition of ‘in between’ shades, consciously working in pairings to bring fresh combinations to meet the brighter end of the palette, with delicate tones and gentle options as alternatives. The versatile palette

The collection is testament to the beautiful irregularities found in nature. Each two-tone carpet tile differs to the next and the contrast between the yarns injects texture and quiet movement into the design. The finished result reflects the rustic wood scenes and windswept wheat fields that were the creative inspiration for Harvest - conveying a calm energy that breathes new life into commercial spaces.

Introducing Flexilink 555, a versatile multi-functional shelving system

MIXINSPIRED LONDON

Continuing the series of MixInspired seminars, the Mix team are heading to Turner & Townsend’s London office on 18 September to host the next event. The guest list for the event is full of leading names, such as Gensler, Aecom, Perkins + Will, Como, MCM, Overbury and BDG. The lucky architects, designers and property professionals who registered in time to get themselves on the guest list will be learning all about The People Shaping Tomorrow’s Workplace from our industry-leading speakers,

including; Tahera Hammond, Global Head of Workplace at Investec Asset Management, Health & Wellbeing Lead at Unilever, Nikki Kirbell, Turner Broadcasting Systems’ Director EMEA Facilities Sarah Lodge and Karen Rogers, Project Design Executive at Canary Wharf Group. Look out for the full write up of the event in October’s issue! We’d like to thank our sponsors of the event – Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Interface and Specialist Joinery Group – for their support. w

KI’S RECORD SALES DRIVEN BY EXPANDED EMEA PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Since entering the UK market in the 1990s, KI has steadily grown a diverse portfolio of products across the workplace and education sectors in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa). In recent years, this strategy of product development has come to fruition, with the company registering all-time record sales in July 2018. Supported by an ongoing programme of investment in skills, customer service, in-house design capabilities, tooling, supply chain and distribution partners, these strong results underline the

company’s long-term strategy for expansion. Jonathan Hindle, Group Managing Director, KI EMEA, comments: ‘Specifying furniture that enhances worker and student wellbeing has been a critical driver for KI’s recent success. Our investments in product development over recent years have focused on helping organisations meet these evolving needs, whilst offering products that remain true to KI’s reputation for quality design and engineering, reliability, robustness and versatility.’ w

INVESTOR CAUTION Some of the property investors who turn the tap on the UK’s office supply pipeline have paused their investment strategies due to economic uncertainty. Concern about rising interest rates – and uncertainty about Brexit – are to blame. ‘Investors of all kinds say they feel the UK economy is late-cycle – that’s the view in the capital markets. Investors are waiting for interest rates to rise, and waiting for the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee to make announcements,’ says GVA National Offices Director Charles Toogood.

www.flexiform.co.uk/flexilink

Investment yields – which determine how far investors are prepared to risk their money – have hardened to levels not seen since before the 2008-12 recession. Some investors see this as an alarming sign and have called the top of the market – suggesting they expect progressively worse news from now on. ‘Many investors are sitting on their hands, waiting for clarity,’ Charles says. For a full report on the mood among the funds and investors supporting the UK office supply pipeline, see page 34. w

Upfront |

Massive flipping table

STRIVING FORWARD Design consultancy SoVibrant is to relocate to Leeds as part of its ambitious growth plans. Taking over 2,500 sq ft of the newly refurbished historical Calls Landing building, with riverside views, the relocation is set to be a catalyst for growth and further recruitment for the business. The business, which was established nine years ago in Harrogate and now boasts a team of 18, made the decision to relocate to a flagship office in Leeds city centre to create a centre of excellence for collaboration, innovation and partnership working with other strategic consultants. This is the first step in a plan to achieve a growth target

of £3m turnover with 25 staff, while the business plans to open offices in Manchester and London in the next three years. As part of this growth strategy and a desire to develop a more mature brand identity, Joint Managing Directors, Mike Carter and Helen Nicol, felt it was necessary to redefine and clarify the business proposition, which has resulted in not only a new brand but a new name. SoVibrant has now become Strive, the new brand name is a reflection of a more holistic approach to projects, demonstrating their end to end capabilities: STRategic + creatIVE = STRIVE. w

OFFICE PRINCIPLES HITS 30 Award-winning design and workplace consultancy, Office Principles, is celebrating 30 years, recording an average of 10% year on year growth in the last five years Joint Managing Director, Cyril Parsons, is delighted with the steady growth of the company he co-founded three decades ago: ‘It’s always been important to us to stay connected to our clients and we have forged our path based on the working ethos

that creating spaces that really make a difference can be achieved if we can develop a very real and detailed understanding of our clients’ needs. ‘No two businesses are the same and nor should their office spaces be. By taking a consultative approach, we work with our clients to create spaces that measurably impact on wellbeing and productivity, while providing significant cost and space-saving solutions.’ w

MODERN MONOCHROME Officescape has used two of Modulyss’ carpet tile designs to create a layout that pops, but that also takes the brunt of life in breakout and desking areas, where spills from cups of creative fuel are commonplace. Linsey Hart, Design Director at Officescape, tells us: ‘We wanted to achieve a modern monochrome look as a base design and add a few interesting focal points.’

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Rather than opt for typical square tiles, Linsey created a modern, geometric look by cutting the tiles into end-to-end linked triangles in the bright yellow of Vision, a move driven by needing to deliver on value. ‘We had to meet the constraints of our budget, but wanted to incorporate a flooring feature that popped, so came up with this design as it allowed us to cut standard tiles onsite, without the need for a specialist service' w

ISG TO REFURB HOGAN LOVELLS ISG’s Agility business has secured a project to refurbish the London headquarters for global law firm Hogan Lovells. The 260,000 sq ft fit-out will take place whilst staff continue to occupy the building. ISG Agility, which specialises in agile and responsive fit-out projects, will transform 12 floors of existing office conference and support space in partnership with tp bennett. The fit-out will involve upgrading the existing cellular office and open plan working environments, and introducing new collaboration areas on each floor. This will be complemented by the introduction of an open plan/agile working fee-earning floor that incorporates meeting rooms, quiet rooms and a variety of space tailored to support modern working practices. On the 4th floor, ISG will install a completely redesigned reception area, introducing a new clientfacing business lounge. On the 10th and 11th floors, the existing auditorium will be refurbished, together with upgrades to the client conference facilities on levels 11 and 12. Level 12 incorporates a spacious and high-specification bistro that offers extensive views across the city. Lee Phillips, Managing Director of ISG’s Agility business, comments: ‘Rapid technological innovation and the changing nature of how we work presents organisations with opportunities to make transformational change to their workspace and drive a range of positive behaviours that enhance productivity, wellbeing and collaboration. Hogan Lovells’ new office space will reflect the firm’s corporate values and spirit, but is also a vibrant and dynamic environment for its people, setting the conditions for the firm’s continued success.’ w

Everything is getting bigger these days. Cars. Train fares. The number on the bathroom scales. And now, thanks to our engineering know-how you can get your hands on a truly colossal flip-top table. It’s an extra-large version of our regular sized Cirrus table, so after several hours brainstorming for a name we baptised it “Cirrus XL”. As is customary with Cambridge Park boardroom and conference tables, it’s manufactured to the absolute highest quality. It is available in four standard sizes, all the way up to 2,600 x 1,400mm. Now, if that isn’t big enough for you, you’ll be delighted to know it’s available with all-round linking so that you can connect the things together and engulf your entire vista with this triumph of a flip-top table.

Up to 2,600 x 1,400mm Flip-top Matching fixed-top available Power & data friendly Brilliantly designed in Blighty

Don’t be a stranger. Get in touch. You never know, it could be the start of something beautiful. +44 (0)1427 677 556

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A proud part of:

a desk is…

Upfront |

… a table that works really hard. So we called ours, ‘Worktable’.

NORTH FACES Despite the fact that the thermometer has only just dipped below the unbearable, we’re (and when we say ‘we’re’, what we really mean is our expert colleagues in our events division) already well underway with preparations for the Mixology North Winter Ball – and, of course, awards. That includes the exciting task of selecting our awards judges. As many of you will be aware, we now split our panel into two, with one set of industry experts judging the projects and related awards, and the other judging the products and their related categories. Here is our first Fab Four – who will be tasked with judging your projects. More judges to come next month… Stephen Hodder, Chairman, Hodder + Partners Stephen joined Building Design Partnership in 1981 and became a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1982. He has been in practice since 1983 and formed Hodder Associates in 1992, which won the Royal Fine Art Commission / Sunday Times Building of the Year Award for Colne Swimming Pool in Lancashire later that year. In 1996 Hodder Associates received the most important award in British Architecture for a single building, the inaugural Stirling Prize for Architecture for the Centenary Building, University of Salford. The Practice has now won over forty major awards. He was awarded an MBE for services to architecture in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 1998. Samantha Addison, Director, Colliers Samantha Addison is a Director within the Project & Building Consultancy division at global real estate advisor, Colliers International. She has over 25 years of Project Management experience, successfully delivering new build and fit-out schemes for occupiers across the UK and Europe. These include corporations such as Shell, Microsoft, Nokia Networks, and Sky. Previously, Samantha spent two years working for Tower Eight, where she spearheaded the company expansion into the commercial sector, winning and delivering projects for Centrica, Whitbread and Unite. She also held positions at JLL for 18 years.

Atul Bansal, Co-Founder, Sheila Bird Group With 30 years’ experience in interior design and fit-out, Atul takes an innovative approach to design, which stems from an understanding of interaction and use of the workplace and how it is directly linked to productivity and the thought generation. He hates ‘trends’ and is passionate about breaking habits that restrict how people work. Offering truly independent interior design advice, Atul is driven by the challenge of the brief rather than the size of the client, therefore engaging with small start-ups through to large PLCs. Atul advises well-known companies across the UK, including Manchester Science Partnerships, Bruntwood, Alliance, Dentsu Aegis Networks and Patrizia. Atul has a passion for travel and architecture and is a keen freehand sketch artist.

Rawside Furniture is a London-based, designer, builder and lover of the most practical office furniture on Planet Earth Winner of the Mixology 2018 Manufacturer of the Year Award www.rawside.co ~ hello@rawside.co ~

Paul Munro, Regional Director, ISG Paul is approaching 30 years of major construction project experience. Paul joined ISG in 2017 to lead the North West business, which carries out new build, refurbishment and fit-out projects across the region. Recently completed projects include the £13 million refurbishment of Manchester Corn Exchange for hotel operator Roomzzz and the £39 million redevelopment of Liverpool Lime Street. ISG is a global construction services company, fuelled by an ideas-driven culture to deliver places that help people and businesses thrive.

@rawside

Studio: The Undercroft, Kennington Park, 1-3 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DE Factory: The Old MOT Centre, 17 Cranmer Road, London, SW9 6EJ

Mix 187 September 2018 | 25

Upfront | Seven

D AVISON H IGHLEY

5. Flotex by Starck A collaboration between Philippe Starck and Forbo Flooring Systems, the Flotex by Starck collection challenges traditional perceptions in terms of flooring design. Thanks to advances in technology, this unique composition offers both textile elements and acoustic properties. Starck’s designs bring a human element to a technical product where the whole graphic and visual work is focused on developing a movement. The unique flooring, in three different designs – Vortex, Artist and Twilight – offers a multiplicity of patterns and possibilities, colours and combinations.

GREAT PHILIPPE STARCK DESIGNS

Renowned French creator Philippe Starck has been drawing up unconventional ideas for the last four decades. One of the most influential designers of the modern era, his creative vision has led to thousands of cutting-edge interior, product, industrial and architectural projects. Here, Forbo Flooring Systems explores seven of Starck’s most iconic creations. EL

1. Kartell La Marie Chair As the world’s first completely transparent chair made from a single polycarbonate mould, La Marie combines ergonomic design with an exceptionally robust structure to produce a strong, simple, lightweight and shock resistant chair. Designed for use both indoors and outdoors, the La Marie brings airiness to a clean, modern space with the vibrant shades adding a pop of colour to any minimalistic scheme.

WUND E RWAL L

3. Asahi Beer Hall Also known as the Super Dry Hall, one of Tokyo’s most notable landmarks is famous for the golden ‘Asahi Flame’ on top of the shiny black building. The unusual but striking piece of architecture is located close to Asakusa, on the east bank of the Sumida River, where it is impossible to miss. The golden structure is said to symbolise the burning heart of Asahi Beer, with the gold leaf finish of the flame gleaming by day and illuminating by night.

2. Maison Heler Metz, France In the heart of the newly developed Quarter de l’Amphithéâtre, Maison Heler Metz will be the first hotel entirely created and developed from the ground up. Maison Heler will be part of the Hilton Group’s Curio Collection, a portfolio of nearly 50 upscale hotels handpicked for their character and personality. The unique phantasmagoric 14-storey hotel will compromise a monolithic building topped by an 18th century traditional Alsatian home. The 119 guest rooms and suites are accompanied by a rooftop terrace with a garden and have views overlooking the city.

26 | Mix 187 September 2018

4. Alessi Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer The pioneering citrus squeezer remains one of the most popular and recognisable items from the Alessi range. The distinctive elongated shape of the product comes from an intuitive idea that came to Starck while he was on holiday in Italy. Squeezing lemon juice onto his calamari, Starck started doodling on a napkin – it was a lemon squeezer in the shape of a squid! The drawing was very similar to the finished product and now that napkin sits proudly in the Alessi museum.

6. Microsoft Optical Mouse Microsoft’s first designer mouse is an innovative combination of both performance and art. The stylish optical mouse features two buttons separated by a lighted strip, a scroll wheel and a unique, curving hemisphere. The ambidextrous design delivers comfort for both left and right hand users, while the aim of the designer mouse is to allow users to express their personalities through the products that they use each and every day.

7. Sailing Yacht A The 468ft-long vessel with three 300ft masts makes Sailing Yacht A the largest of her kind. Worth over £360million and described as ‘the most futuristic yacht ever built’, this ultimate embodiment of German super yachts was built for the 22nd century. The ship design challenges the expectations of conventional aesthetics with unique features such as an underwater observation pod, state-of-the-art navigation systems, a helipad on the bow, garages for four vehicles and a glass hall.

CLOVERLEAF BLOID

A LLSORT S

Davison Highley London, Lower Ground Floor, The Old Brewery, 16 Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 4LJ

www.davisonhighley.co.uk +44 ( 0 ) 207 871 1089

magic@davisonhighley.co.uk

Upfront |

WHO PAYS FOR THE FREE LUNCH?

Steve Gale asks if corporate kindness is killing the community

These tech companies have decided to leave their suburban campuses because their employees want to be in the city, and yet the irony is, they come to the city and are creating isolated, walled-off campuses

t the beginning of August this year Nellie Bowles wrote in the New York Times: 'The corporate campuses of the Bay Area’s technology companies have

become independent fiefs with dry cleaning, gyms, doctors, shuttle buses and bountiful free meals, made by the best chefs poached from the region’s famous restaurants.' In the technology sector this is common to the point of being normal in Silicon Valley, and many campuses are relocating into the city, away from the leafy suburbs. We see it now in the UK – and particularly in London. The reason for these benefits is partly to encourage people to spend more time at work, and partly to persuade people to join up and stay once enrolled. Journalists usually trace the origin of the tech free lunch to Google, and now any firm wanting to compete for talent has adopted a version of the high quality food offer and other services normally found in the high street. What could possibly be wrong with such kindness? As a potential employee, it is hard to imagine a downside. When I discuss this with colleagues at work, especially single people hovering under and around 30 years old, they usually express envy and would love not to pay for food, waste time finding a gym, or cook lunches at home. However, people outside see real problems – and there is a growing reaction to the idea. In the workplace, community usually means the collection of employees in one location, but outside it means the people you share your living space or town with. Now members of the greater community are feeling unwanted pressure from the isolated workplace version. A regiment of several thousand workers fed handsomely for free are not going to leave the office to pay for the same on the street. When a campus is a long drive from the nearest town, these perks make sense, but in a city, local businesses lose out. An early adopter of the inner city HQ in San Francisco was Twitter in 2011, and other big names have followed. Generous tax

But the optimism has ebbed as businesses that invested to serve the mainly young workforce have struggled and failed. Restaurants, bars and markets glean slim pickings from subsidised workers. It is hard to compete with free. This imbalance has become a voting issue in some places to the point where Mountain View in the Bay Area has granted planning permission to Facebook on condition that it severely limits the provision of subsidised food. They have barred free meals to give local stores a sporting chance. In San Francisco itself, a much wider ordnance has just been introduced to persuade tech companies to do the same – to force workers out of their subsidised or free cafeterias and onto the street into local restaurants. Not all tech companies indulge. Zendesk holds back and recommends local eateries, and each week pays a team to try out a new neighbourhood restaurant. Salesforce, one of the first and biggest tech employers in San Francisco, has resisted subsidised cafeterias but is worried about the effect on recruitment. On top of these rather commercial issues are more spiritual questions about how desirable it is to remove so much risk from adult workers, treating them like school children who need looking after. The word 'institution' sounds a bit derogatory, but they do have many institutional characteristics. A San Francisco city supervisor put it nicely, 'These tech companies have decided to leave their suburban campuses because their employees want to be in the city, and yet the irony is, they come to the city and are creating isolated, walled-off campuses.' Leslie Berlin, Project Historian for the Silicon Valley Archives at Stanford University, wonders if employees are losing out because of a reduced engagement with the city community they claim to love – and calls the campuses 'siloed monocultures'. Most historians view the 19th century worker communities in the UK as relics of authoritarian utopia, powered by religious and social ideals, but restricting freedom and choice. Can we learn from these and the experiments in Silicon Valley? w

breaks encouraged new blood to seed the area’s run-down commercial scene, and even promote apartment building.

28 | Mix 187 September 2018

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates. SteveG@mmoser.com

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Upfront | Material Matters Come and see them the right way up in our Clerkenwell Showroom, 25 Britton Street, London EC1M 5NY

MATERIAL MATTERS In this month’s Material Matters, the team of experts at Material Lab focuses on surfaces inspired by nature and materials that bring the external environment into our interiors. www.material-lab.co.uk 1. Eve Campbell Printed textile designer Eve Campbell captures the transient nature of surface and form of Scotland’s West Coast. Eve’s designs were inspired by the Scottish ‘tundra’ – with lichens and mosses growing on rocks and plants, revealing a delicate intricacy and demonstrating a resiliency to survive and thrive. The work creates surface pattern that is designed to exist in man-made environments and bring nature as an abstract form to people’s lives. evecampbell1@hotmail.co.uk

Treehouse by 1

2. Innerspace Cheshire Helping to deliver biophilic design solutions is Innerspace with its range of natural mosses. Made by hand in the company’s workshop in Cheshire, the real preserved moss can be adapted to different projects by adding other preserved plants and materials, such as bark or flowers. Another added benefit is that this amazing material does not need any maintenance or watering and won’t harbour insects or pests. www.innerspacecheshire.co.uk

3. Buckingham Inspired by the beauty of natural stone, Buckingham allows for stunning wall and floor finishes but with the durability and maintenance free characteristics of porcelain. The material is characterised with striking veins, which adds subtle detail to the overall aesthetic. Available in several sizes up to 1,200 x 1,200mm, the product is perfect for residential and commercial project alike. www.johnson-tiles.com

The right option whichever way you look at it 2

4. Jessica Gray – Siam Botanicals Siam Botanicals is inspired by Jessica’s experiences and memories of growing up in Bangkok and extensively visiting the country of Thailand. The project incorporates Buddhist architectural geometrics and textures with the flora and fauna of Thailand. The luxury interior collection consists of striking imagery and an intense use of colour and scale. jessica.gray10@hotmail.com

MAXFURNITURE.CO.UK Mix 187 September 2018 | 31

Tel 01925 850500

Upfront | Desert Island Desks

Email info@sixteen3.co.uk

DESERT ISLAND DESKS Tony Antoniou has been in the office furniture industry since 1987, founding Rainbow in 1990. He has worked with many global corporate brands and SME’s over the years and delivering a successful project is still as exciting for him now as it was when he started. Tony believes in long term business relationships, not short term profit, and the fact he has many clients who have worked with him for over 18 years is testament to the fact he delivers on that promise.

My Wife

I am not sure if I am allowed but my wife would be my first choice without question. I married my childhood sweetheart and we have been together for 33 incredible years now. She has given me three wonderful children and we’ve been through so much together. I can only really enjoy an experience or an event if I am sharing it with her.

Foukou

Being half-Greek, eating is my life and a Foukou is what the Greeks use to BBQ. It’s a rite of passage that all Greeks must know how to prepare a good charcoal BBQ – gas just doesn’t cut it – to cook the perfect and most succulent food on it. Contrary to popular belief it’s not just meat we BBQ (although it is mostly!), we also use it for Haloumi, corn on the cob, mushrooms and fish – perfect for a desert Island!

Apple iPod Mini 2nd generation

Beautiful piece of design and engineering, it’s amazing. Whilst I appreciate the convenience and benefits of the new smartphones and tablets, I don’t like the fact you are always in touch and online. The iPod Mini holds so many songs, it can also catch videos, it’s extremely light and portable and it’s also very reliable. I have to have something to play my music on – although it will have to be via a cable connection!

32 | Mix 187 September 2018

Large Maglite LED torch If I am being practical then I can’t go away without one of these and I think they make the best torches. Well designed, so easy to hold, very bright, plus they are extremely sturdy, so I can use it to dispatch the fish once I’ve caught them – ready to go on to my Foukou. I have tried to think about this!

B&O PLAY Beolit 15

This is a fantastic Bluetooth speaker. It has such depth of sound for a relatively small speaker. It’s so clear with great bass, is totally portable and it looks amazing. I often use this at home in preference to turning on the larger sound system, plus I can just carry it into the garden. I love it!

Pen and Paper

So important to keep my sanity and being able to write things down helps you feel better, whether it’s your thoughts, your feelings, drawing, making lists, writing a novel, making a diary, making notes of things to do or things you’ve done, playing hangman or boxes with my wife – if she’s allowed on the island…and, of course, how can I put a message in a bottle without a pen and paper? Sadly, it will most likely be a plastic bottle that washes up on shore!

Pack of Cards

Even with all today's tech gadgets and computer games, I never go away without a pack of cards. They don’t need charging, are instant and provide hours of fun. It’s always better with two or more people of course but there are so many patience games you can play, so even if my wife’s not allowed to join me, they can still occupy my time. I made a point of ensuring my children appreciate the joy a pack of cards can bring and we are always playing card games at home – not for money though!

Kindle

I love reading books, especially when I am away relaxing. I’m not the fastest reader but if I’m trapped on an island then I’ll have plenty of time and so will need plenty of books. Totally impractical to take a lorry load, much better to take a single Kindle, which will provide me with loads of material. I’ll be sure to load up a couple of Bear Grylls books before I go because they will definitely come in useful!

My tracks: It’s extremely difficult for anyone to narrow down 50 years of listening to music down to just five tracks. I have spent a long time thinking about it and got nowhere, so I decided to write them down quickly instead! Samuel Barber – Agnus Dei, Adagio for Strings (choral version) – Probably the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard. Everyone knows the original but this piece proves that the human voice is the most wonderful instrument on the planet – when used properly! Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock – takes me back to my school days. Coldplay – Fix You. George Michael (with Mary J. Blige) – As – my favourite male singer. Sade – By Your Side – my favourite female singer, simply amazing.

London Showroom The Gallery, 21-22 Great Sutton St. EC1V 0DY / Manufacture/Showroom Chesford Grange, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 4RQ

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Upfront | Property Matters | Pipeline

PARKLIFE

The workplace revolution hasn’t been kind to business parks: isolated, lacking shops, restaurants and big city amenities, out-of-town office locations have suffered. Until now. David Thame reports on the return to fashion of the campus office. Nothing dates more quickly than the future. No

in 1989) prospered in the hectic ups-and-downs

– distance from the town centre and their amenities

part of the property business has suffered more

of the 1990s. They felt modern, clean, streamlined

– were suddenly a huge disadvantage. The story of

grievously from this piece of wisdom than the

– just what was needed in the age of the desktop

the last 10 years has been how to put this right.

business park. Inspired by the low-rise campus style

PC and the fax machine. Their motorway-friendly

office parks of Southern California, the business

locations ensured a steady flow of companies who

in London, is closely involved with the massive

park made its first tentative appearances in the UK

valued their cars.

Thames Valley business park market, stretching

in the 1980s. Two-storey pavilions dotted among

Business parks entered the new millennium as a

trees and car parking were – everyone agreed – the

regular and respected feature of a diversified office

absolutely guaranteed future of office space. At a

scene.

time when city centres were dirty danger zones,

And then it all went wrong. Since the 2008 crash,

Rob Pearson, Head of Office Agency at Savills

from Oxford Properties’ Chiswick Business Park out to distant Reading. Rob explains: ‘Business parks are catching up on amenities. Places like Chiswick have pioneered

most office occupiers could not wait to escape –

business parks have suffered badly, with rents

a new approach about bringing tenants together,

and who would disagree?

tumbling and new development ceasing. Suddenly

creating a community into which tenants want to

what mattered was not car parking, but amenities.

plug their HR departments – because recruiting and

The very things that made business parks appealing

retaining staff is what it’s all about.’

Pioneers like the Birmingham Business Park (opened in 1988) and Bristol’s Aztec West (opened

34 | Mix 187 September 2018

Pure Retirement has agreed to take 12,575 sq ft of office space in Paradigm at Thorpe Park Leeds, a major regeneration scheme which is being developed by partners Scarborough International Properties and Legal & General.

Below Duchy Homes has moved to Thorpe Park, Leeds. After occupying temporary premises at Thorpe Park since last July it has now agreed lease terms with Scarborough International Properties and Legal & General Capital for a 3,864 sq ft headquarters

Upfront | Property Matters | Pipeline

INTRODUCING TAKE5® LOUNGE COLLECTION

Chiswick has its #enjoywork programme, whilst Reading’s Green Park has also moved rapidly towards more amenity – and Thames Valley parks with amenity are able to nudge rents up to match town-centre rents in the mid-to-late £30 per sq ft. The difficulty is that much business park floorspace – built in the 1980s and 1990s – is now nearing the end of its expected commercial

Business parks are catching up on amenities. Places like Chiswick have pioneered a new approach...

Chiswick Park - #enjoywork Images: https://enjoy-work.com/

At the same time, the rent-free periods on offer to

lifespan. With rents now bobbing up, refurbishment

tenants have shrunk from 24 months to just six.

has begun to seem like an appealing option to

Memories of the 30-40% slide in rents during the

many landlords who hope fresher-looking buildings

last decade are now – thankfully, in the opinion of

will help retain tenants and differentiate their product from that of local rivals. Yorkshire’s business park market – whose ‘big hitters’ include the likes of White Rose and Thorpe Park – shows the extent of the turnaround. Ross Firth, Associate in Cushman & Wakefield’s Office Agency team in Leeds, says the business park scene has recovered sharply after 10 years of decline. ‘It’s been a fantastic quarter for the out of town market,’ he says of the spring quarter 2018, for which data has just been published. ‘We saw take up figures of c.167,000 sq ft. This is some 22,000 sq ft more than the c.145,000 sq ft city-centre take-up in Leeds, and means half-year out-of-town take-up is around 250,000 sq ft. If you add deals now in solicitors hands out of town, take up should well surpass the 10 year average of 307,539 sq ft at year end.’ Extra amenities – White Rose, near Junction 1 of the M621 motorway, will soon have its own railway station – have added to the momentum. Rents there are £20.50 per sq ft. Thorpe Park, close to Junction 46 of the M1 motorway, is getting a 323,000 sq ft retail and leisure scheme and it too will get a railway halt.

36 | Mix 187 September 2018

Eamon Fox, Partner at Knight Frank in Leeds, is watching with interest. ‘Demand has grown notably in the last year. Take-up for business parks is back to pre-recession levels, he says. ‘Business parks like White Rose and Thorpe Park, which have embraced connectivity, will do well.’ Refurbishment is now in prospect at both parks. ‘You’d have laughed at that idea two or three years ago,’ Eamon confides. Rents are – just about – sufficient to justify developer activity. ‘Existing stock is rented at £18-19 per sq ft, but for new build you need it to be £22-23 per sq ft. I think occupiers realise they will have to stomach raises in rents, but they will if they think the new floorspace can deliver the experience and the efficiency they want – whether that is zen rooms or yoga studios or whatever – because their main focus is not on the rent, but on recruiting and retaining staff.’ The mood is similar around Birmingham’s major business parks, says GVA director Adrian Griffith. Demand from the auto sector, professionals and the gaming industry have helped eat away at the supply and push rents up from lows of £10-12 per sq ft, up to more respectable £18-19.50 per sq ft.

landlords – beginning to fade. ‘Vacancy levels are improving, which is helping to push up rents. We’re now seeing vacancy rates on business parks of about 8% – that compares with 25% in 2012.’ Adrian reveals. The result is refurbishment at the Birmingham Business Park and a rash of new building at IM Properties’ Blythe Valley site in Solihull. ‘The kind of refurbishment we’re seeing isn’t just ‘tarting up’ the reception area – this is taking the building back and starting again. And that has started to drive rents. We’re looking at £25 per sq ft at Blythe Valley,’ says Adrian, who predicts ‘serious’ refurbishment is going to be the rule in the better West Midlands business parks.

KI’s new Take5® lounge collection instantly invites you to feel comfortable and relaxed. Inspired by Mid-Century styling with a modern twist, the collection includes low or high back single, two-seater and three-seater sofas, ottomans and tables.

‘We’ve got about 100,000 sq ft of refurbishment in the pipeline in the M42 corridor. With business parks still renting at a discount to Birmingham city

Available in numerous fabric options, including an exclusive collection by Natasha Marshall.

centre – £34 per sq ft in prime city-centre space, knock £10 per sq ft off for the business parks – the gap is narrowing but the business parks remain appealingly good value. ‘We’ve recently had several occupiers take a look at both city-centre and out-of-town for requirements in the 10-30,000 sq ft bracket,’ Adrian concludes. w

Furniture for happy, healthy, high performing working & learning environments KI Europe New Fetter Place, 8-10 New Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1AZ T: 020 7404 7441 | E: workplace@kieurope.com | W: www.kieurope.com/Take5

Upfront | Property Matters | C-Suite

HEADING UPSTREAM

At the top of the office development pipeline is a very real tap: it isn’t marked hot or cold, it’s labelled ‘money’. David Thame explores what is turning the funding tap on – and off – in today’s tricky office market.

Every single square foot of office floorspace represents somebody’s calculated gamble. Of course, some property market gamblers are playing with higher, racier odds than others – but they are all taking a risk to some extent. Grasp this – and the extent to which the men and women with the money are risk-averse or risk-friendly – and everything in today’s spluttering UK office development pipeline becomes as clear as water. There are three property investment types – the core investors, the value-adders and the opportunity-seekers (see sidepanel over the page). But with an uncertain Brexit coming up, workplace trends in flux and memories of the last catastrophically over-optimistic property boom still too fresh, nobody (much) is interested in the high-odds office schemes. The risk profile has shifted up a notch: yesterday’s opportunityseekers are now today’s value-adders. For an insight into the way the value-adders are thinking – and, in turn, how they are controlling the flow of office floorspace in the development pipeline – turn to Liverpool. Earlier this year, CERT Property – which owns office and residential spaces across the North and Midlands – acquired 27,000 sq ft at

Centric House, right in the heart of the central business district, next to Moorfields underground station. They paid £3.3 million after the previous owners fell into administration. The aim is now to add-value by bringing the building up to modern workplace standards – and embracing the changes in working practices that are shaping today’s office market. Refurbishment will produce suites from 86 sq ft to over 11,000 sq ft as CERT dips its toe into the flexible short-term office market, with prices starting at £149 per desk for fully serviced accommodation, and the offer of more traditional deals for those that want them. ‘As the working world continues to evolve, we have recognised the growing demand for adaptable and serviced office accommodation,’ says Howard Lord, Managing Director of CERT Property. ‘The working world has evolved and we’ve seen a huge shift away from the same old carpet tiles, white walls and bland corporate office spaces. The demand now is for more stripped back, clean, contemporary styles. What we and our clients look for are office fitouts which use natural materials, incorporate heritage of the buildings and local areas as well as showing a touch of quirkiness. Investors and tenants want an impressive reception when

they walk into the building and communal areas that are more than just a place to make tea and coffee.’ Value-adders like CERT are the dominant force in today’s office supply pipeline, says GVA National Offices Director Charles Toogood. ‘The value-adders are the people behind the office refurbishment sector, taking buildings that don’t meet today’s market, investing to improve them, and then letting. A classic example would be Ashby Capital’s acquisitions of the 300,000 sq ft Colmore Building, which, before they took control, was a bit of a disaster,’ he admits.

Every single square foot of office floorspace represents somebody’s calculated gamble.

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www.bancroft-fabrics.com / T 01274 518888 enquiries@bancroft-fabrics.com

Upfront | Property Matters | C-Suite

Ashby paid £3.5m to refurbish the common areas and add modern amenities like a coffee shop and treatment rooms. Today just 40,000 sq ft is still to let, with rents up around 10%. ‘Importantly for investors like Ashy – and all value-adders – what the refurbishment achieved is to improve the weighted average unexpired lease term – WALT – which is how one measures success. That’s because existing tenants were inspired to extend their leases. In effect, it makes the property more valuable,’ Charles says. Value-adders are prepared to take a calculated risk: core investors, who currently power most of the highend Grade A market, don’t like the word ‘risk’ at all. Stable long-term cash-flow and capital growth are the priority of this group – and they only turn on their money-tap for the surest of sure things.

‘These are the investors who want very risk-free, very prime, long-term income. A good example would be Legal & General who have done a series of lettings around the country to HM Revenue & Customs. At Arena Central in Birmingham, Legal & General funded a 240,000 sq ft office scheme with HMRC as tenants. This is as secure as property income gets – and, even better, it means inflationlinked rises in rental income every five years. This makes it less like a property deal, more like an annuity,’ Charles explains. For now, all three investor-types are playing a cautious game. The UK economy is hard to read – and Brexit, Trump and the slow unwinding of the low interest rate regime of the last decade all make it much harder to read in the future. The three investor tribes have largely taken their hands off the money-tap at the top of the office supply pipeline. And if, this long, hot summer, the market feels a little dry, this is why. w

Upfront | Property Matters |

THE THREE TRIBES

After a successful seven years at Como, Zoe Moss – friend of Mix and all-round person with an opinion – is now Divisional Director at Charles Edward Limited. Recently, Zoe sent us an email to say she had written a piece on LinkedIn and we felt it worthwhile repeating in printed form!

Opportunists: The risk takers. Opportunistic properties tend to need significant rehabilitation in order to realise their potential. These assets will often be fully vacant at the time of acquisition or the operator will seek to develop raw land from the ground up. These types of projects offer the highest level of return if the business plan is successful, but also bear the most risk as the properties have little to no inplace cash-flow.

3 Arena Central

40 | Mix 187 September 2018

CAT A – THE USELESS INDUSTRY HABIT?

Value Adders: If a building already has cash-flow (meaning, paying tenants) but that cash-flow could be increased, either by letting more floorspace or nudging rents up, then the valueadders are the guys to talk to. Improving the WALT is a key variable, generating fast returns on funds often borrowed on medium to high leverage, and selling the block once the good work is done are all typical valueadder strategies.

Core investors: They want to play safe with Grade A buildings in the best locations – and they want the best, most reliable tenants, too. Their aim is to hold property long-term and they hope to preserve capital value (better still, to grow it). Predictable cash flow over decades is what they prize most.

k so raise your hand if you've ever ripped out a perfectly, if not over engineered Cat A to make way for an end user's Cat B fit-out that was designed in, at least part, absenteeism of the Cat A? I doubt there are many of you with your hands left in your pockets. The market is seemingly happy to spend time and money installing a Cat A only to have a contractor come in and take most of the high level out while still having to make a contribution to a rent free period or the end user’s fit-out costs. The ultimate goal of any landlord has to be 'floorplate occupation', but we must change the way we think. I challenge the market – both client and contractor side – to think differently and come up with a less wasteful, more innovative and smarter way of getting office space occupied! 'Voids' is a dirty word in those circles and yet the answer, to me, seems so obvious. Let me elaborate… Who has filled the ‘Voids’ well thus far? Well, WeWork were

ultimately the first to capitalise on a solution for the dreaded 'void' – only not within their own buildings but preying instead upon the notable empty spaces, often in prestige buildings in and around London and filling them with collaborative, well designed and thought out office space. They doubled down by ensuring that the SME's could acquire this funky workspace through a quick and easy to read/ sign contract on an entirely flexible basis. It made complete sense and so we now see the domination of their brand in a serviced office market that Regus, by age alone, should really own had they innovated; but instead has seen WeWork revel in their style of cool. Now the corporates use WeWork as an overflow – as the SME's do to grow. Shouldn’t all landlord’s attempt to emulate a level of this success and tailor a solution to their own buildings?

Building owners be bold – really bold! I call upon building owners to forget the concept of total Cat A Buildings. Of course I am not suggesting you don't complete your common parts and shared spaces – bicycle racks and showers a plenty. Wow the world with your entrance by all means but be daring enough to not fit out your floorplates from top to bottom with a Cat A – hold your nerve, try something different!

How different, you say? Fully appreciating that shell and core is an agent's nightmare to market; let's consider fitting out a single floor out to Cat A and use it as a demonstration of a blank

move – but let's offset that for the 'forgotten middle' and fit a floor/half floor out to a fully furnished Cat B space in real ‘Plug and Play’ terms and use it as a speculative platform. We have, for years, targeted a one-size-fits-all solution to a totally variable challenge. It may appear that I am doing myself out of work by promoting such a bold market change as a contractor, but I feel the opposite – we cannot talk endlessly about reducing waste and then bin a brand new Cat A, we cannot talk about collaboration between contractor and landlord and instigate a Cat A fit-out that we know will never be utilised and we cannot talk about our clients without appreciating the ‘middle’ position. w

canvas for the more discerning and larger incoming tenant with more time on their hands to make the

My thought of the day: Make way for 'Plug & Play'!

The forgotten 'Middle' (SME) There are some 4.5 million SME's across all industries in the UK and whilst the obvious 'fit-out contractor' prize would be the 500,000 sq ft office fit-out, haven't we forgotten about the 'Middle' – given the proportion of the market these businesses take up? They invariably move every 3-5 years, grow when successful and don't have the internal resources it takes to manage the design and delivery of a workspace. Aren't these our best customers?! This is repeat business epitomised.

Mix 187 September 2018 | 41

Spotlight | Wellbeing

SPOTLIGHT

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THE BIG QUESTION 41 What is the biggest change you have seen, first hand, that has come as a direct result of implementing wellbeing and sustainability practices?

Spotlight : Wellbeing 46 Mix 187 September 2018 | 43

superior seating

Züco Signo The executive and conference chair from the Swiss manufacturer Züco combines design, comfort

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ergonomic synchronous technology create a feeling of sitting par excellence. To get your copy of the Signo catalogue, please call +44 (0) 7775 798 877 or email at d.sellars@dauphinuk.com.

Design: Jessica Engelhardt

Or come in and see us at any time.

MICHELLE WILKIE, DIRECTOR, TP BENNETT

GARY HELM, FOUNDER, OBO

NAOMI JONES, ASSOCIATE PARTNER, SHEPPARD ROBSON

In a world where we are always connected, designers are working with clients to help them switch off. Gone are the days of a token plant in the corner to symbolise sustainability – clients are now actively seeking spaces that inspire wellness and contemplation, creating a conscious reconnection back to nature through embracing biophilic design principles – but, most importantly, creating a culture of wellbeing, led by the top down. Hopefully, soon, we will all be leaving the office healthier than when we arrived!

We are increasingly realising that improving the physical environment of a person is proving to be a more effective and economical path to improving health. Intelligently and thoughtfully designed spaces can ‘nudge’ people into making healthy choices. This has to be more sustainable than trying to force people to adopt new behaviours. Behaviours that are, after all, in the best interests of their own physical being.

For me, a big change is that it’s not only creative companies and professional services clients who now see the value in ‘other’ workspaces in the office. It’s not just about a desk or an office anymore. We are asked to think much more broadly about health in offices: how do we encourage physical movement? What facilities help people live/work more effectively and in a healthier way? We are challenged to think about how surfaces and materials can have a calming effect on the users.

MAXINE BENNETT, DIRECTOR, WYLDE IA

SIMON HART, HEAD OF DESIGN, AIS

TIM GLEDSTONE, PARTNER, SQUIRE AND PARTNERS

One of the biggest changes in workplace in recent years has to be the implementation of wellbeing strategies by employers. We are now designing spaces that support wellbeing and consider different issues as a strategy for organising space. Our annual ‘Happiest Workplace’ competition has seen a real shift from the usual ‘perks’. We have partnered with MIND this year in recognition of the importance of mental health as well as physical wellbeing in the world of work.

Post project handover, clients have been reporting real increases in staff productivity through measurable data sets such as absenteeism, staff turnover and a reduction in email traffic. All of which serve as strong indicators of the benefits of applying wellness principles to the workplace. Whilst the importance of environmental considerations is undeniable, when it comes to working with building occupiers, these short- to mid-term measurables offer a real financial benefit.

Wellbeing is by far the greatest changing component of the workspace environment, being driven by the demands and needs of users. The better the facilities on offer, the more desirable the workspace. User requirements range from pragmatic needs such as bike storage and showers, to calm meditative spaces and areas for stimulating social interaction. Uses need to be carefully considered and curated to design for every sense and every moment.

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors September 2018.pdf 1 28/08/2018 11:52:06 C

LONDON OFFICE Dauphin HumanDesign® UK Limited 1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 www.dauphinuk.com

19-22 September 2018 OLYMPIA LONDON

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Mix 187 September 2018 | 45

Spotlight | Wellbeing

NET GAIN While in Chicago earlier this year (at the NeoCon furniture fair) we had a chat with Humanscale. More specifically, the company’s Sustainability Officer, Jane Abernethy, and newly-appointed Chief Marketing Officer, Leena Jain. We were drawn to speak about the brand new Smart Ocean chair, made partly from discarded fishing nets. We also caught up with David Stover from Ben Knappers, who supplied the nets.

What have you been most surprised about – both negatively and positively? ‘Beginning in 2012 with a simple idea to collect and recycle nets, we continue to be caught off guard by the level of traction the brand and story continues to gain. While we have been fortunate enough to work with amazing brands on products to inspire, we continue to learn how difficult it is to go against the grain to integrate a non-traditional material into an existing supply chain.’ What is your dream? ‘A healthy ocean that is free of plastic pollution.’

Are you Well? Wellbeing is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy’. Over the next few pages we hope to show you just a few of the fantastic comfort – health – and joy-inducing initiatives being undertaken by some of our leading manufacturers, designers, organisations and individuals.

e asked a group of experts from the ‘Mix Family’ to tell us what the biggest change they have seen, first hand, that has come as a direct result of implementing wellbeing and sustainability practices is. On page 45 you will see six fascinating responses. There is no doubt that the subject of sustainability and health and wellbeing are tricky ones. The cynical just wonder if all this interest in betterment is a simple ruse to sell; sell more consultancy, sell more products or simply charge more. Others would suggest the general wave of interest in mind and body at work is long overdue and are completely convinced we should have a better world of happier and healthier people. Whichever your stand point is, there is little doubt that, like many contentious subjects, the tide of interest is growing; in much the same way as the general distrust of politicians and train bosses, admittedly in a slightly less angry way. Naomi Jones, Associate Partner at Shepard Robson, told us that ‘the lines are blurring in the corporate world: more and more we are taking inspiration from the hospitality and residential worlds. The next question is how we can push this even further. Perhaps this will

be the development of a UK-specific criteria and accreditation that will look at the care of a company’s biggest asset – its people – from new perspectives’. Michelle Wilkie, Director at tp bennett, says: ‘A workplace design that aims to increase the wellbeing of staff is becoming a vital element of business strategy across employment sectors. Increasingly, CEOs are consulting workplace and wellness specialists to help them develop a robust workplace strategy that supports their employees and considers their physical and mental wellbeing.’ Michelle highlights the need to accommodate multi-generational behaviours and provide a flexible workplace design, which strikes a balance for all.

Michelle also suggests designers should not be looking at the differences but what we have in common, suggesting that our commonality could be our affiliation to nature and that, due to the length of time spent indoors, biophilic design offers an opportunity to ‘increase our interactions with nature by introducing internal planting, natural daylight and circadian lighting, earthy tones and natural materials to our interior landscape’. She concludes: ‘A working environment that is designed with a ‘human-centred’ approach, and that nurtures physical and emotional needs, will encourage employees to develop positive working behaviours to the benefit of themselves, their colleagues, their employers and their home lives.’ Food for thought. Over the following pages, we have brought together a delightful mix of views on this ridiculously broad subject. We hope you pick up something you didn’t already know.

Generation Z – (post-1997) Millennials – (1977-1997) Generation X – (1965-1976) Baby Boomers – (1946-1964) Traditionalists – (pre-1946)

How did you first have contact with Humanscale? ‘We connected with Humanscale at a Living Futures Conference, where we were discussing positive impact products. Jane Abernathy (from Humanscale) met with Ben Kneppers (Bureo co-founder) to explore the opportunity of integrating recycled nylon into Humanscale products – it was a natural fit!’ If you remember just one thing from this article, consider what David says here: ‘In nature, there’s simply no such thing as waste – everything has a purpose. By taking this as our inspiration, we can create opportunities for reinvention and establish a better future for generations to come.’

David and Ben from Bureo are your archetypal healthy-looking young men. They have a passion and an opportunity, and they are seizing the day. Their business is based on an issue that most of us have been fearful of for some time and has now, fortunately, been brought to the surface by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet series – plastic in our oceans. It has been estimated that there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste in our oceans and that fishing nets account for almost 10% of that. Like Humanscale, Interface are renowned for their efforts, including the latest carbon neural initiative. When they launched BeautifulThinking, a collaborative formed by Interface and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), their aims included providing financial opportunities for poorer communities, whilst cleaning up our oceans and beaches. The partnership was born out of a shared ambition to redesign a supply chain to benefit communities and the natural environment. The nets are regenerated into a nylon yarn, which provides a continuous source of fully recycled materials for use in carpet tiles. Whilst David Stover (former Ernst a Young manager) and Ben Kneppers (who seems to have spent his life involved in environmental projects) are achieving great things, they are keen to ensure this is just the beginning. Now some five years in to the project, we asked David to give us an insight. Are you on track to achieve your big plans? ‘We are working towards reaching an annual recycling volume of one million kilograms (1,000 metric tons) within the next five years. In line with the goals of the Humanscale project, we are aiming to rapidly scale impacts through replicating the collection and recycling of fishing nets in South America. The track we are on continues to evolve, but now more than ever we have a clear focus to expand our recycling programme and find partners to support these efforts through integration of recycled fishing nets. What is the biggest issue getting in the way right now? ‘We are working with an immature commodity. There are still issues to work through on the processing, delivery and price levels of the material. As we are able to scale the programme and volumes, we will gain efficiencies that will enable wider adoption of the material.’ Upholstery

Aviation

Hospitality

Ofﬁce

Automotive

Healthcare

Marine

Yarwood Leather has you covered. 46 | Mix 187 September 2018

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LVT meet carpet

Spotlight | Wellbeing

THE SLEEP DOCTOR We were fortunate enough to spend some time with Dr Neil Stanley – the Sleep Doctor (our name, not his). Neil is a consultant at lighting specialists FUTURE Designs and the author of ‘How to Sleep Well’ – and he might just change your life! Here, he reveals a number of commonly held sleep myths… ‘Blue’ light is bad for us. We’re often told that ‘blue’ light is bad for us. This is due to the connotations with the light emitted from smartphone, tablet or computer screens. Light, particularly daylight, has a profound effect on sleep and alertness. When it is dark, the brain produces melatonin, which signals to the body that it’s time to sleep. Light, particularly in the blue part of the spectrum, signals to the brain that it is daytime. So it is true that high levels of cool, ‘blue’ light are bad for us when we’re preparing to or trying to sleep. But during the working day, when it is necessary to be alert, blue light is our friend. I helped lighting experts FUTURE Designs demonstrate these effects through a monitored sleep experiment at FUTURE’s new Clerkenwell technology hub earlier in the summer. We created two rooms, each with a controlled lighting environment. One was lit with cool white light (regularly referred to as ‘blue’ light) and one with warm white light. Two volunteers spent 24 hours under these lighting conditions – one in the warm and one in the cool light. Both were assessed throughout the 24 hours on their levels of alertness and on their mood. As predicted, both were affected by these lighting conditions – cool white light made it difficult to settle for the night. Warm white light made concentration on work during the day a little challenging. The volunteer here would have benefitted from cool white light to enable higher levels of alertness and concentration. So ‘blue’ light is bad for us if we’re attempting to sleep. In fact, all light is. Studies show that even ‘blue’ light filters make little difference. Turn everything off and get blackout curtains to sleep well. But during the day, cool ‘blue’ light keeps you alert, awake and functioning at your best. Eight hours a night is essential for quality sleep. There are no hard and fast rules about the amount of sleep each of us needs. We all have our own individual need. The normal range is anywhere between 4-11 hours and, like height, is genetically determined. Therefore, you need to get the right

50 | Mix 187 September 2018

amount of sleep for you. This is the amount of sleep that allows you to feel awake and vital the next day. If you are sleepy during the day, you are probably not getting enough sleep at night. There is no such thing as too much sleep. Like anything else, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, scientific evidence has shown that too much sleep is just as harmful to your health and wellbeing as too little. You can train your body to need less sleep and reduce your need to four or five hours a night. Some people naturally need less sleep than others but while you may ‘get by’ on less sleep than you need, you cannot train yourself to ‘need’ less sleep. Just one hour less sleep than you need is likely to negatively impact your health, performance and mood. Longer-term partial sleep deprivation is associated with a greater risk of a number of diseases including heart disease, depression, diabetes and obesity. Sleeping in separate beds/bedrooms means the relationship is in trouble. Many people sleep better with the warmth and security of another person next to them, however, much of your sleep disturbance is caused by your bed partner – so some prefer to sleep alone. This is a perfectly natural thing to do and might even improve your relationship because by sleeping better you will be happier, less tired and less resentful of the other person.

If you miss out on sleep during the week you can catch up by having a lie-in at the weekend. Catching up on missed sleep is important but a lie-in on the weekend can actually add to sleep disruption and increase sleepiness. Our bodies respond better to regular sleep patterns and the weekend lie-in is disruptive to this pattern. This is why getting up on Monday morning can be so difficult! People need less sleep as they get older. Older people don’t need less sleep, but they do find it more difficult to get the sleep they need and therefore will find their sleep less refreshing. This is because, as people age, they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep – so their sleep is lighter and consequently they are more easily awakened. Older people are also more likely to have insomnia or other medical conditions that disrupt their sleep. FUTURE Designs is developing concepts based on Human Centric Lighting, which puts emphasis on the visual and non-visual effects of lighting design. The WELL Building Standard promotes buildings designed specifically for human wellbeing and the betterment of human health. Light is one of the seven areas that WELL covers, and Human Centric Lighting will be one of the future trends to emphasise wellbeing in the workplace. Dr Neil Stanley will be signing copies of his new book How to Sleep Well on Tuesday 25th September, 5-7pm, at Future Designs new technology hub, The Clerkenwell Lighthouse, Dallington Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 0BB.

We’ve designed our LVT and Carpet Tiles to work together – seamlessly with no transition strips. Because we like to think of the floor as a blank canvas, allowing you to make your space unique. Hard surfaces, soft textures, and endless pattern and colour combinations – all you need is a vision. interface.com/lvt

LVT meet carpet.

Spotlight | Wellbeing

MILLENNIAL WELLBEING As workplace design specialists, BroomeJenkins are interested in the growing realisation that wellbeing is a crucial part of making a safe, attractive and effective workplace. Those entering the workforce from school and university have an affinity with digital technology and a different set of values to their parents. We thought it was interesting, therefore, when Barry Jenkins of BroomeJenkins to set a project and work with the second year Product Design students at Bournemouth University earlier this year to explore workplace wellbeing. Working in eleven teams, Barry worked with course tutor Franziska Conrad to provide a background to the workplace and objectives for this short project. As a group, the students were quick to identify a series of core issues faced in the modern workplace. As a peer group, they were keen to create healthy environments that nurtured physical and mental wellbeing. As designers, they knew that technology would play a part, and that comfort and wellbeing is largely a physical problem. Then, drawing on their own research, experience and perceptions of the workplace, they identified a range of topics including noise control, nutrition, social cohesion, comfort, rest and air quality. It has been reported that 30% of millennials do not consume instant or machine made coffee, in favour of freshly made beverages and herbal infusions. It was no surprise therefore, that one team presented a well researched analysis

32.Play tackles loneliness in the workspace

of the health benefits of drinking herbal infusions, and designed a modular station that used food waste from, say, packed lunches to provide nutrients to grow herbs like mint and camomile. Their aim was to create an amenity that addressed the issues of recycling food waste and to provide fresh sustainable ingredients in the workplace. Several groups were concerned by air quality and the psychological benefits of having some degree of personal control over one’s immediate environment. This led to proposals for creating localised airflow and ventilation. The ideas ranged from an organic vertical blade-like fan, designed to be scalable and described by the designers as a ‘modern twist on biophilia’, through to a slim wearable device that sat around the user’s neck, recharged using a USB socket. Turning towards emotional needs, the idea that community and social engagement is important for mental wellbeing came through in a number of proposals. One used digital display technology

Our research confirmed that current recycling solutions don’t engage employees, despite their desire for a more sustainable office.

to create ‘collaborative office art’. Designed to change through user interaction, it was a playful idea that had some symbolic benefit in graphically representing co-workers that may otherwise be dispersed, possibly working remotely. As an idea, it took the form of a large pixelated display tile, although it could equally become an app for a mobile device or screen saver for a PC or laptop.

Much has been written about the way the millennial workforce is impacting corporate cultures and the style of workplaces. One aspect of this narrative is that the workplace is characterised by a relaxed style of interior design and all kinds of props. However, in a recent study of 8,000 millennials by Deloittes, flexible working was rated as being the most beneficial and attractive aspect of a modern workplace, and facilities like foosball tables, beach huts and slides, generally seen as distractions. Although new ways of working and open collaborative workplaces benefit both employer and employee, is it patronising to think that graduates and school leavers need to be ‘coaxed’ into work by what could be regarded as gimmicks, when all they really want is meaningful paid employment in an effective and safe work environment?

52 | Mix 187 September 2018

Each team involved in the project had their own approach and executed their designs differently. Their motivation and values were consistent and evident in their ability to work in teams to quickly identify a problem to be addressed. Their approach confirmed some of the demographic traits expected of ‘twentysomethings’, and was also clear that, for this generation of designers, the scope of possible design solutions is limitless. In terms of execution, their knowledge of new sustainable materials and efficient additive manufacturing expands the realm of realisation. However, the overriding consideration was the importance of the user, and whether the design proposals would be beneficial and valued.

Mix 187 September 2018 | 53

Spotlight | Wellbeing

'MEET THE FUTURE HUMAN' Over the three days, the programme explored how evolving end-user needs may shape working environments in the future. Up to now, the ‘Future of Work’ dialogue has largely been focused on technological advancements. At CDW, Tarkett took the conversation in a different direction - honing in on the human response to the commercial settings of today and tomorrow. Importantly, considering how changes in work and lifestyle habits may impact our interpretation of health and wellbeing moving forwards. Drawing on the UK findings of a European-wide survey of 2,500 office workers, Tarkett invited leading futurologist, Tom Cheesewright, to take these insights and reimagine a new way of thinking, acting and functioning in a workplace context. The research was conducted by OnePoll across five European countries (500 respondents in each territory): UK, France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. We caught up with the Cheesemeister Applied Futurist Tom Cheesewright is one of the UK's leading futurist speakers, commentators and consultants on technology and tomorrow. We were able to sit and chat with the man from the future… What has changed? We were trying to put this transition, the changing nature of work, into context. Not what’s happening but why it’s happening. It comes down to what businesses need/want to get out of people in the workplace that has changed. If we rewind to the last century, it was about input and output – the more work you put into people, the more you would get out of them. That isn’t the case anymore. A classic cliché now is that companies who were once at the top of their game are, a few years later, going nowhere – ie. Nokia and Blackberry. They’ve reinvented themselves as service organisations and are now reinventing as artificial intelligence organisations. They’ll probably do it quite successfully and have a good track record, like Microsoft – the biggest company in the world, having successfully reinvented themselves. When did this significant change occur? With the shift from global corporations operating primarily face-to-face and by telephone, to operating digitally. They can stop operating as a single organisation and start operating a network. Management theory books from the last century are all about optimisation – the theory that we can make more for less. This is still the theory for many managers now, squeezing more out of people. The lesson for companies such as Blockbusters and Nokia is that, if you abide by this theory, you will run yourself into a brick wall. You should focus instead on what you will do differently tomorrow. Prioritise agility over optimisation, which drives many types of changes in how you work. 70% of people work more hours than they are contracted for, paid or unpaid – which is a hangover from people trying to squeeze more out of employees.

54 | Mix 187 September 2018

If I have to work beyond the hours, I’m either being inefficient or there will be no result. If you look at Scandinavian countries and how they operate, they are much stricter on their working hours and much more flexible in allowing workers to do what they need to get things done. That’s changing now, isn’t it? The design of the workplace is impacted by the flexibility of working hours. Productivity works best when people are focused on outcome rather than the typical, rigid work hours. Different behaviours come at this point, when the company’s strategies are being met and understood. Changing design around flexibility is often driven by costs. When you focus on maximising creativity and being agile, you should change the design of the workplace to fit with this.

pools, labelling this as necessary for ‘productivity’ and being a coworking space. That does not, sadly, translate into law firms or accountancies, where the demand may not be as high. What might change this? The realisation of what we need to get out of people will spread slowly. We need an environment that gives the inspiration to increase flexibility, instead of one that focuses on optimising the amount of work done. Once companies begin to focus on these important things, the design of the workplace and how it should be used will become clear. Also, the workforce is now starting to demand more from their management. Tom: There is now a lesser belief that you accept what you are given, accept the rules and accept that you have to abide to by those – and the hierarchy above you. So there is a bigger appreciation of the economical value of design? It’s a bigger part of culture – value-based appreciation.

How do you maximise interactions between people in different functions/departments? My core working hours are 6am-11am. I believe that having this flexibility makes me more productive – this is something you still would not get in 90% of workplaces. The reality of this is enormous and these conversations are a long way away from being adopted by the less open tiers of middle management. One of the drivers for change for workplace transformation has been, ‘look what they’re doing!’ In your view is this an acceptable route for developing the workplace environment? People need to acknowledge the need to do things differently. So this is something you think will filter down naturally? Yes, in particular areas, such as software developers. Google and Facebook, for example, have a clear motivation to create environmentally friendly workplaces, which existing companies may ridicule for being colourful and filled with ball

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w 58% of employees work in an open plan

setting - yet 57% would prefer to work in a quieter environment

w 60% of people work additional hours to what they’re contracted to

w Less than a third (31%) feel as though they are able to meet their full potential at work

w Indoor air quality is the number one

workplace concern (for 26%). The UK was the only surveyed nation that put this issue in poll position (noise was the greatest concern across the board)

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Spotlight | Wellbeing

WELLNESS MATTERS The British Council of Offices (BCO) recently embarked on a major study. The study was initiated against a backdrop of rapidly increasing awareness of the connection between the office environment, the health & wellbeing of building occupants and, in turn, the impact on measures of business performance including productivity. As the survey undertaken by this project shows, there is a lack of awareness presently about how health & wellbeing should be addressed and who should take the lead across the distinct points within an office building’s lifecycle – from site acquisition, through design, construction, operation, refurbishment and eventual repurposing and recycling. The sector is faced with competing frameworks for assessment, a raft of new processes, new disciplines to swell the ranks of project teams, uncertainties around the strength and relevance of the evidence base and concerns around the cost to respond. In the face of unprecedented complexity there is a genuine risk that projects will disengage and the benefits of a proactive approach to health & wellbeing – to businesses and office workers – will be lost. The study critiques existing health & wellbeing measurement and certification, identifies the most recent and relevant medical evidence justifying a proactive approach to health & wellbeing in the built environment, and articulates the business case for investment in this space beyond simply improving productivity. Most significantly, this research delivers a practical and professional guide to creating a healthy environment across the different stages of a building’s life cycle, from design, construction and leasing to the most important aspect by time and value; occupation and asset management.

The report was previewed at the BCO conference in Berlin, this May, having been led by a consortium of Sentinel RPI, Elementa Consulting, Perkins +Will and Will+Partner’s, backed by medical and academic input from Royal Brompton, Imperial College and Queen Mary University. Evidence was reviewed from the USA, Europe and globally. The findings inform the next BCO Guide to Specification, which is the industry-recognised standard for best practice in office development across the UK, also due to be published in early 2019. Elaine Rossall, Chairman of the British Council for Offices’ Research Committee, commented: ‘The health & wellness agenda is, rightly, growing in importance and prominence. ‘Wellness Matters’ responds to this, and provides practical advice to BCO members on the issues surrounding health & wellbeing in offices and what they can do about it. ‘There is still a perception in the industry that health & wellbeing is ‘just something an occupier does in its fit-out and staff management’ and, by association, investors, developers and designers need not concern themselves. We fundamentally challenge that – there are opportunities throughout a building’s lifecycle to enable change. Successful intervention should manifest in shorter voids for developers; greater income retention for investors and healthier, happier staff for occupiers who will gain from better recruitment and retention.’

There is still a perception in the industry that health & wellbeing is ‘just something an occupier does in its fit-out and staff management’ and, by association, investors, developers and designers need not concern themselves

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Mix 187 September 2018 | 57

Spotlight | Wellbeing

Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, said: ‘The work achieved in this study will represent a significant step in the industry’s understanding of health & wellbeing. The team has provided real academic rigour and engineering know-how, along with enthusiasm for the subject matter and its impact. We are delighted with the initial peer review and government response. It is one of the BCO’s most significant studies.’ Highlights from the study include its lessons for government. In creating the Wellness Matters Roadmap it became clear that the benefits from improved office wellness – and the costs of a failure to act – flow not only to individuals and organisations, but also to communities and the country as a whole. These impacts can be quantified, for example, through reduced costs of health and social care and increased productivity. With wellness standards largely emanating from the USA and a low profile afforded to the research and guidance developed in the UK, we risk undervaluing the deep expertise in British public health, workplace wellbeing and medical research. Yet substantive national guidance on workplace health & wellbeing exists – published by bodies such as the NHS, Public Health England and the Health & Safety Executive.

The Future – Wellness is Changing

w Our understanding of wellness is constantly evolving, the pace of change has been accelerated by the revolution in data collection and analysis.

w Transparency and disclosure is driving the industry towards refurbishment of the worst performing existing buildings to move them from sickness to health.

w Businesses that invest in health & wellbeing are reaping the rewards of increased productivity, lower costs from illness and enhanced reputation.

w Legislation and regulation will evolve, closing the gap between best practice and business as usual. w Greater awareness of the health impacts of materials within buildings, and upon those that produce them, will transform supply chains.

RECYCLING – from the Manufacturer’s Point of View We asked the question as to which organisation is up there at the top of the league of manufacturing recyclers. Many named Senator. With over a dozen environmental and sustainability awards in the last seven years, they have created their own business called Sustain, with two recycling centres in the UK that help with recycling and remanufacture of old furniture. We spoke to Oli Clarke at The Senator Group, who is the man who drove much of their environmental policy. What is your role at Senator? ‘Previously my role was the manager of our Sustain department, now I’ve got a broader role in the business. My job title is Strategic Business Projects, where I get involved with all sorts of fun things, from our ISO/Audit/ Governance teams through to big capital projects, and I’m still responsible for Sustain.’ Have you grown to appreciate ‘sustainability’ or is it something you have always been interested in? ‘Being truthful, a bit of both. We’ve always had an interest in it, as it’s the right thing to do for any business (in our eyes), but it’s like a never ending journey, so as soon as you do some work on it, you realise how much more is possible.’ Can you give us some numbers in terms of Senator's sustainability? ‘Our view of sustainability is more focused on material and energy usage, as we’re a manufacturer (I guess other companies/ industries have different focuses). From an operational point of view, we typically report on our recycling rate (the percentage of our waste that is recycled) and the amount of different types of material that is recycled

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in-house. From a product point of view, we produce Environmental Product Analysis sheets which show all the sustainability info about products, which mainly focuses on recycled content, recyclability and carbon footprints…which is another minefield!’ In simple terms, what is Sustain and what part do you play in it? ‘Sustain is a part of and brand within The Senator Group, which deals with all sustainability and environmental issues. It is where all the materials are recycled and where our remanufacturing service is run from. My role was to set Sustain up 10 years ago, and now we’ve got a team that run it on a dayto-day basis, but they report to myself, so ultimately it is my responsibility.’ How successful has Sustain been? ‘Quite successful. It’s gone from strength to strength each year. There are 16 staff fully employed working in Sustain, and turnover is around £1.2m. Obviously, nothing is ever perfect and everything could be improved, but we’re really pleased with how much it’s achieved.’

You have a high recycling rate of 97.7% and nothing from your desking or seating factory ever goes to landfill. Where do you go from here? ‘First and foremost, we’ve got to maintain these high standards, which takes a lot of effort from a lot of people. Looking longer term, reuse is next up from recycling. Although we reuse a lot of packaging as a business (200,000 items each year) we should be looking at how other items could be reused. It’s inherently difficult with office furniture though, as the market isn’t really set up for reuse.’ It’s difficult to know what the other major UK manufactures are doing but how do you think they compare? ‘There are lots of ways we can find out – we share a lot of the same supplier and customer base, so you can always hear things through the grapevine and you also get a good idea from the questions being asked on contracts and tenders. We’ve got a lot of good sales managers as well, who will pass on information to us as and when they find it. There are industry initiatives like FISP, where us and other manufacturers get

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Spotlight | Wellbeing

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together, so you can get a surprising amount of information if you look around. From what I know (not very much!), other manufacturers do a fair bit of recycling, but I think Senator does the most by volume.’ What surprises you most about the lack of recycling knowledge in this industry? ‘Two things really: when people say things like ‘you can’t recycle material X’ when I know we’re doing it in-house (polystyrene is a great example of this) or when people don’t want to pay for a recycling service as they want it for free, as they’re unaware of how much landfill skips and waste disposal costs these days.’ What gets on your nerves? ‘Personally, people not doing what they say they’re going to do or lying about things.’ What is a realistic hope in 20 years’ time regarding furniture manufacturing and recycling? Recycle less? ‘Yes, this should be happening in 5-10 years really – we’ll start to recycle less as we’ll be reusing more. Like most industries, everything has to get linked together better for it to work though. The recycling industry has to be able to provide better recycled materials for component manufacturers, furniture manufacturers have got to be committed to using recycled/ reused components and offer take back schemes, as do their suppliers, customers have to change their buying habits and accept that the quality of reused components and new are the same, the testing and accreditation houses need to help make this happen and push these standards through. Nothing is impossible, but it will just take time for the industry to shift how it operates.’ Do you think the government should impose more pressure on the manufacturing industry? ‘This is a tricky one, it’s too simple to just say ‘yes’, as there are lots of implications for the current supply chain, and too much pressure too quickly will have a negative impact,

in my view. Over the longer term then there will have to be some kind of incentive or dis-incentive to promote or push it from Central government. There have been a few examples of where pressure was put on from government, which had the opposite effect of what they’ve set out to achieve. I think the manufacturing industry is more than happy to be consulted on the issue, and if a proper thought out and agreed plan was put into place then it has to be the right thing to do.’ What are your thoughts on carbon offsetting? ‘I think it’s a great idea as, in theory, it balances out the ‘bad’ activities with ‘good’ activities. However, I’ve got two major issues with the theory – why aren’t we doing more good activities anyway ourselves (not another company on the other side of the world) and why aren’t we looking at fixing the underlying problems (the bad activities) rather than the symptoms (producing more carbon). That’s why our view as a business on carbon offsetting is quite strong, we don’t want to use it as a marketing activity or as a ‘get out of jail free card’, we’d much rather put our time and effort into something we can and should control, which are our own daily activities.’

Do clients (A&D, dealers, end users) really care about your sustainability credentials? ‘From a personal point of view, yes. The people I speak to seem to take it very seriously. That said, the people I speak to probably have an interest in it and that’s why they’re speaking to me (if that makes sense?). I do think people do consider sustainability a lot more now than, say, five years ago, which mirrors how people act at home (recycling and sustainability in the news a lot more, councils changing their general waste bins collection etc). ‘From a company point of view, I really hope so, as it shows that all our hard work for the past 10 years means something to other people as well as to us.’

‘We do more than anyone in the industry’. That's a bold statement. How do you achieve that? ‘There are the obvious things, like winning industry awards and accolades, but it goes a lot deeper than that. We’ve got a culture of continuous improvement and a ‘never completely satisfied’ attitude, which means we always strive to do more. At Senator we talk about the ‘but’ a lot in meetings, for example, ‘we did really well last month, but how could we do it better?’ or ‘recycling is up to 98%, but what do we need to do to get up to 99%?’ That line of thinking means you never settle and constantly push on. ‘It's very difficult to directly compare to other companies without the raw data, but customers tell us we do more than anyone else.

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Spotlight | Wellbeing

Natural Accents

CUTTING OUT THE COMMUTE With more millennials joining the workforce – a generation that places a premium on wellbeing, seeking both stimulation and sanctuary from their environment, blurring the boundaries of work and play – the appetite for a rigid work/life balance intersected by a commute has all but disappeared. Mark Cannell, Partner at London & Oriental gives us his take…

As work/life distinctions have merged, many hard-working professionals, including those with families, don’t want long commutes. Low maintenance living near workplaces is the new lifestyle choice for a wellbeing-conscious workforce. Demographic and cultural shifts have combined to generate a desire among the workforce to live in urban areas, where people naturally want to gather together, encouraging a culture that’s conducive to collaboration, allowing for connections to be made and shared across networks. These networks are more valuable if they include people from other organisations and sectors – and are far easier to foster in an environment in which the personal and the professional spheres of life are inextricably intertwined. What’s more, with more millennials joining the workforce, the appetite for a rigid work/life balance intersected by a commute has all but disappeared.

Yet, while millennials are at the forefront of a new way of thinking, they’re not the only ones making the most of it. Those with children, and indeed those thinking of starting a family, often assume that a house move to the suburbs is a prerequisite – but this is no longer the case. By living near their place of work in the city, professionals can cut out the commute in favour of more quality time at home – or even indulging in a post-work trip to the pub with colleagues. Attracting and retaining talent is a crucial consideration for a business. Companies are beginning to recognise this shift in culture, and they too are embracing city life. Smart leaders are recognising that the workforce is drawn to the dynamism that an urban environment offers and, in response, are integrating these influences back into their businesses. But how best to make the most of this new lifestyle choice? Mixed use. According to an insight from JLL, there is a trend towards mixed used developments – with people in search of a sense of place, curated around a strong retail and leisure offering. We’re proud to be among the developers catering to this demand. Our new Buckingham Green development is a comprehensive rebirth of 64-65 Buckingham Gate, once the HQ of Rolls Royce, to create a new mixed use community situated between Victoria and St James’s in Westminster, London SW1. When complete, it will comprise three distinctive buildings, designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, set within a vibrant new public realm – destined to become one of the capital’s most appealing residential addresses, as well as a premier office and leisure location. Each private rented sector apartment within The Tower at 64 Buckingham Gate will be unique in size and lay out, with carefully curated interiors, designed by industry experts TH2, benefitting from 24-hour security and concierge services, as well as basement car and cycle parking. At 65 Buckingham Gate, office occupiers will be able to create the spaces they need, thanks to the flexible layouts. The double-height, fully-glazed

with the Timber Collection from Godfrey Syrett Demographic and cultural shifts have combined to generate a desire among the workforce to live in urban areas, where people naturally want to gather together, encouraging a culture that’s conducive to collaboration, allowing for connections to be made and shared across networks

lobby, featuring the finest Italian Carrara marble, will provide an appropriately elegant entrance. Buckingham Green also includes The Caxton at 1 Brewers Green, which will provide over 28,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and prime retail units in a newly constructed building of richly articulated, handmade red brick – inspired by the area’s rich architectural heritage. In addition, we’re creating a large roof garden and private terraces exclusively for occupiers’ use. Further office accommodation and retail space will be available in the Gate House, with its rounded exterior curves and intricate trellis façade. We’ve created the framework for a community with an emphasis on wellbeing at its centre; where people enjoy living, working, shopping and spending time. By the end of the year, our community will experience the full benefit of life at Buckingham Green – with minimum maintenance and easy access to exceptional leisure opportunities in this new London neighbourhood. Additionally, we’ve invested in outstanding architecture and public realm design, to create an engaging space where people from the wider area will want to get together too.

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62 | Mix 187 September 2018

Spotlight | Wellbeing

FIT OUT

CONSULTANCY

THE CASE FOR COUNTERBALANCE SIT/STAND DESKS The case for sit/stand products has been widely discussed and, in our view, is in danger of becoming both an obsession and even a little divisive. We are grateful to Dale Higgins, Sit/Stand Sales Director for Humanscale International for giving his fulsome view. It goes without saying that other manufacturers would be equally capable of putting across their case.

Time Savings The one key factor most organisations in search of a healthier workplace for their staff overlook is time. Time to activate anything in the workplace needs to be minimised to maximise user efficiency. Efficiency, after all, is the key driving force behind the sit/stand movement. Maximising the amount of effective time users have at their workstations, doing what they are paid to do. The number one ‘Achilles Heel’ of the e-desk is time to activate. Imagine if the main doors to the office took 15 seconds to open and another 15 seconds to close, whilst producing 50-60 decibels of noise in the process. Over time, the motivation to use that door to walk through would dwindle and, eventually, no one would use it in favour of easier, less disruptive avenues. The same applies to any sit/stand workstation. Regardless of the positive health benefits, if it takes too long or is awkward in any way, the inclination to use it wears off and so does any intended benefits. Counterbalance sit/stand desks are more likely to be used because they are faster and more natural to the user. As a simple calculation, it is helpful to consider the average salary of an employee in relation to the recommended sit/stand activity throughout the work day. If followed correctly, a user should stand for 12-15 minutes for every 45 minutes of sitting and alternate. Based on 15 seconds up and 15 seconds down, a person would use the sit/ stand workstation eight times per day. That adds up to four minutes per day, 20 minutes per week or 88 minutes per month. Over the course of a year, the basic activity of raising and lowering the desk amounts to over 17 hours – time a company pays users to activate their workstations.

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Electricity Costs Another key consideration is the infrastructure costs. Implementation of an e-desk sit/stand workstation requires significantly more power than a regular static desk. It is for this reason that infrastructure costs on new builds are significantly higher today than in the past. The consumption of energy increases with the more e-desks in use at any given point, leading to higher electricity costs. Environmental Benefits Last, but certainly not least, is the environmental factor. Any company listed on the LSE, EEU, NASDAQ or NYSE, or companies with an association to NYSE or NASDAQ listed

organisations, have a mandatory responsibility to report CO2 emissions. As with anything in a commercial business, whatever heads to a landfill or creates CO2 needs to be reported. This can be from the gasoline required in a vehicle to deliver goods and services to the electricity required for lighting, computers and even e-desks. While the cost-per-ton of CO2 produced are fairly minimal at present, new evidence shows we are a long way from understanding the real ‘social costs’ of CO2 pollution on our environment and economies – a number that could see the current tariff increase by up to 600% in the coming years. Since electricity is not needed to power counterbalance desks, it significantly reduces CO2 emissions.

Counterbalance: Better for You and Better for the Environment The simple solution to all of the above is nonelectric, counterbalance desks. All of the above is negated through the use of this simple technology, allowing for desks that move as fast as you can, with zero electricity consumed or CO2 produced during the action. Counterbalance technology works similar to a playground seesaw, with constant force applied to the counterbalance mechanism. With the simple release of the brake paddle, the desk raises or lowers with minimal force, instantly. This constant activity raises mental alertness, negates any possible ailments from sedentary positions and allows users to spend more time doing what they do best.

The topic of sit/stand has matured into a household discussion. It’s the first remedy that any physiologist or chiropractor will recommend to combat workplace-related injuries, yet the industry is still governed by one key element: cost. As organisations become more aware of the dangers of sedentary positions, they seek to quickly and cost-effectively convert static desks to sit/stand solutions, often selecting an electric desk solution (e-desk) because of its lower initial cost. However, there are a number of hidden costs and downfalls to this option that will be realised throughout the lifecycle of the product.

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Spotlight | Wellbeing

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE WELL STANDARD? Launched with great fanfare and covered this time last year in Mix, we have since picked up a massive variety of views on the WELL Standard and indeed other brands of ‘happy’ building certificates. Some believe that these ‘certificates’ are really not necessary, while others feel it’s nothing but a good thing to raise the issue of health & wellbeing – and then, thirdly, there are others that believe that the whole thing is good but just too many hoops to jump through. For their part, the US-based WELL has just launched ‘version two’ of the WELL standard very much in reaction, we believe, to that third point. We are told that WELL v2 is now more flexible, to address local perspectives, languages and the most pressing health issues in different geographies, particularly in Europe. Since the launch of WELL – billed as the first rating system to focus exclusively on the impacts of buildings on human health and wellness – there has been an explosion of interest in the idea of buildings as health intervention tools. Better data, more research and evidence is demonstrating the impact of buildings and communities on our health. The launch of WELL v2 reflects this latest thinking and knowledge gleaned from our users. This second iteration includes a full suite of enhancements that advance the International WELL Building Institute’s (IWBI) global aim to build a healthier future for all. WELL v2 is informed by key lessons learned from the nearly 1,000 projects that are registered or certified in 34 countries across the world. Users can register for WELL v2 starting today.

Refinements and enhancements to the rating system include:

w A new feature set with fewer preconditions and weighted optimisations.

w A consolidation of multiple pilots into one

WELL, and improvements to the ‘All Projects In’ approach introduced last year.

w New pathways to achieve intents, with a laser focus on feasibility for existing buildings and commercial interiors.

‘Since our launch in 2014, we’ve learned a lot from the thousands of WELL users, practitioners and researchers who have embraced WELL as a tool for making buildings mechanisms to deliver health and wellness benefits for all,’ says IWBI Chief Product Officer, Rachel Gutter. ‘WELL v2 is our effort to consolidate the latest knowledge, leading research, new technology and advanced building practice to extend the benefits of WELL buildings to more people in more places.’ A truly global rating system, the intent behind WELL v2 is to empower project teams to pursue the interventions that matter most to their project and their community without sacrificing WELL’s comprehensive and evidence-based approach and commitment to performance verification.

w An optional early phase review for projects w

wishing to earn a WELL D&O designation that affirms and celebrates progress towards WELL Certification. A new approach to performance verification, allowing projects to contract local providers.

w A commitment to equity through marketand sector-specific pricing, a focus on localisation and the introduction of a dynamic scorecard.

w A comprehensive and significant adjustment to pricing, including a new subscription option.

‘The IWBI team has worked tirelessly to aggregate the expert contributions of our worldwide community of users, researchers and thought leaders, whose hands-on engagement with WELL v2 is evident throughout,’ says IWBI CEO and Chairman, Rick Fedrizzi. ‘The result is a rating system that’s simpler, clearer, focused on the aspects that have the greatest impact, and designed for improved return across every metric. I’m especially excited about the significant cost efficiencies that have been built in, which will help spur uptake and increase accessibility to WELL for more market sectors. ‘With these changes, WELL v2 sharpens our ability to drive far-reaching change to buildings and communities in ways that help people thrive. We’re looking forward to the market’s feedback as we move through this pilot phase.’ w As are we at Mix!

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Case Study | Havas

Vertical Take-Off It would remiss of us not to use Mixology as an opportunity to connect with the night’s award winners – and to attempt to accumulate a great story or two.

Exposed ceilings and a variety of 'non-corporate' finishes create a stimulating working environment for Havas' staff

ence, following MCM’s Mixology Design Practice of the Year award and subsequent stage invasion (a real highlight for us), we had to go find the jubilant team and ask if we couldn’t get ourselves into the very projects that had so impressed our judges. One such project – for Havas, one of the world’s largest global advertising and communications groups – has already scooped numerous design awards and, thankfully for us, both client and design team are more than happy to show it off. Founded in 1835 in Paris, the Havas Group currently employs 20,000 people in over 100 countries. Havas is committed to being the world’s best company at creating meaningful connections between people and brands through creativity, media and innovation. It is this ethos that was the driver for Havas to consolidate all of their London offices in to one central London location. With 26 brands and 1,800 staff spread across 15 London sites, the overall brief was to bring a disparate organisation from various sites together into a new 160,000 sq ft headquarters building, situated at the heart of the King’s Cross development, whilst still retaining brand identity. MCM developed a workplace strategy to inspire creativity within the workforce and unleash the full potential of its people. Through extensive consultation with all of the individual company and brand Chief Executives, core themes were established, which were then used to form the concept of a 'Vertical Village'. Sean Hatcher, Design Director at MCM, is on hand to give us a tour of this amazing space and to tell us more about the design process and concept. ‘Those 26 brands were all separate businesses essentially,’ Sean begins. ‘They didn’t really work together at all. They were all over London – some in pretty good buildings and some in not so great buildings, so really different qualities. Throughout the briefing process we had to almost act like a marriage counsellor! We had all these different leaders who had all these different ideas of what their business was all about – so to start with we had to find some commonality. We had to find something that would bring them together.

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Case Study | Havas

Left 40% of the building is given over to collaboration space Below Dramatic staircases link the 10 floors Bottom Destination spaces created throughout Right Staff are encouraged to work in the variety of settings provided

... we had an amazing opportunity to change a huge amount of this building – which we did, as it was being built

‘This wasn’t about lowering overheads – it was about joining up all these agencies and being able to have a more holistic sales approach and offer. ‘They took the building as a pre-let – so this was essentially a big hole in the ground. In parallel with the briefing process, we studied the building’s plans and started to come up with some big strategic ideas. We started talking about pouring all these brands into this ‘container’ and about bringing the energy of King’s Cross into the building. ‘There were two principle drivers behind the choice of King’s Cross. The first was the communications – and this was not just about London. The owners of Havas are a French company and therefore need to get between London and Paris easily. They are a huge group who also own Universal Music – who have moved in next door. The second reason was that Central Saint Martins is

on the doorstep. They wanted to go somewhere the next generation of creative talent will emerge from. They wanted to be in the thick of that – and this is rapidly becoming the new creative village of London. ‘As it was a pre-let, we had an amazing opportunity to change a huge amount of this building – which we did, as it was being built. So there was zero waste. We effectively cancelled everything. Theoretically, there were a whole series of finishes and services that the developer was going to provide – but we were able to change all that so that they only provided the building in its raw state; no M&E, no finishes, no flooring…’ Set over 10 floors, the Havas experience as imagined and created by MCM starts from the moment you enter the dramatic reception space. Sean points out the fantastic reclaimed timber flooring, which came from Moorfields Eye Hospital, the dramatic low-level lighting and the eye-catching steel staircase. The look and feel is more high-end members club than corporate office building. Working closely with Havas and the developer, Argent, MCM implemented this extensive series of modifications to the base-build to facilitate, amongst other changes, 14 additional flights of stairs to encourage collaboration and movement around the building. These staircases create intersections throughout the whole building, natural in-between spaces for chance encounters, deliberately causing conflict and disruption to

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Case Study | Havas

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enhance interaction, creativity and collaboration between brands. Speaking of brands, Sean tells us that Havas work alongside some of the world’s leading companies and brands. ‘That is a large part of why we wanted this to look and feel the way it does – more like a members club, more informal. There are also no security barriers here. We’ve shown developers around this space, who have palpitations about the lack of barriers! This is a serious business that deals with serious businesses. 'They have the whole of this building – this is not a multi-tenanted space – and at the same time they have all these separate brands working

here, so we’ve introduced more subtle security thresholds rather than barriers. ‘We wanted to create a really warm welcome. They know that this is a commercial building and that they are a commercial business – but they didn’t want this space to feel like it.’ ‘One of the other things we talked about was getting people to move, to walk, to bump into one another – hence all these interventions in the shape of stairs. There are a lot of people in here – and this is a real ‘lump’ of a building. One of the concepts that we came up with, with the client, was this idea of creating the Havas ‘village’, the idea of bringing people together and having a real community feel. One of the challenges was that

we were bringing all these people together from all these different sites, but we’ve still got 10 storeys here. You could have someone on the 9th floor and someone on the 1st floor and they still won’t talk to each other – there’s no connection. If you look at villages, they’ve got a green or a square – a focus. So we started to talk about Greek villages set into hillsides or favelas in Rio. This is where the idea of staircases came up. We wanted people to explore the space and the staircases join up the building to create a vertical village. The major destinations and social spaces lie next to the staircases, so people are naturally drawn towards them. These destination spaces have been created throughout the building to enhance interaction and

In Short Havas SA is a French multinational advertising and public relations company, headquartered in Paris. Operates in more than 100 countries, offering a broad range of communications services. Major clients include Jeep, Durex and Lacoste. Top Left The buzzy 1st floor creative cafe Top Right Intricate metalwork forms a brilliant London map design Right Breakout zones have a member's club look and feel

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Case Study | Havas

Further example of how Havas staff are encouraged to work away from their desks

We wanted to create a really warm welcome. They know that this is a commercial building and that they are a commercial business – but they didn’t want this space to feel like it

collaboration between the brands. They also add an amazing buzz to the environment. In fact, there is a real energy throughout the entire building. The creative café on the 1st floor, civic spaces, various ‘secret’ meeting rooms and the quite brilliant Forum all help to ensure that the building helps unite all the agencies and brands, while still providing a showcase for Havas’ collaborators and clients. The fact that great coffee and food is provided only adds to the offering. The vibrant creative café is usually packed, with people using it to meet with clients, to work, to get away from their desks and to socialise, while the flexibility of the facility also means it can easily be transformed into an event space. ‘We took this from shell, did all the enabling works, we did Cat A, Cat B and Cat C,’ Sean tells us as we admire the variety of furniture and finishes in front of us. ‘We did all the furniture – there are 300 different brands in here! It’s an amazing eclectic mix – some new, some old. 'There’s also a real mix of hard and soft finishes, spaces for artworks – such as local graffiti artists – and nods to King’s Cross throughout.’ Sean takes us up to the top of the building, where Havas’ brands can book the entire 10th floor for what they call the ‘mega-pitch’. With the amazing views, personal touches, immaculate service and beautifully designed spaces, they’d certainly win our

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business! Speaking of meetings, Sean reveals that there are a total of 122 meeting rooms in the building. The aforementioned Forum is yet another space where everyone can come together. Serviced by its own bar and a series of lounges, this event facility features dramatic bleacher-style seating and even more dramatic views over King's Cross and beyond. ‘40% of the building is given over to collaborative space,’ Sean smiles. ‘We talked about settings – about choice. It’s all about choice. Some agencies like to keep themselves to themselves, but people are encouraged to interact and connect with other agencies.’ As we head back down the building, Sean points out one remarkable design feature that we have to admit we hadn’t noticed on our way in. The staircase itself, which we assumed boasted a random, intricate metalwork design, actually depicts the roadmap of London! Havas now has a working home that has been embraced by everyone who uses it. Not only has it succeeded in bringing people together and giving them the opportunity to work more efficiently and creatively, the space is now used as a tool for Havas to win more business, celebrate creativity and engage with the wider King’s Cross community. w

Project Team Client Havas UK Interior Design & Architecture MCM Architecture Project Manager JLL M&E Engineer Troup Bywaters + Anders Main Contractor Structure Tone Furniture Provider Day 2 Furniture La Palma, Spekva (via New Design Group), Ox, Howe, Dare Studio, Senator, Vitra, Maine, Montana Store, Bla Station, Moroso, & Tradition, Emeco, Naughtone, Modus, Walter Knoll, Hay, Radii Partitioning FINA COLLECTION w w w.brunner-uk .com

Case Study | The Department Store

Left Stunning period frontage Top Carefully selected, sympathetic furniture Bottom Fantastic social rooftop space

Super Store

The project we’re on our way to visit is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about of the year. The previous evening, we happened to mention to a couple of design clients that we were heading into Brixton the following morning. ‘Ooh, are you going to see the Department Store?’ was the immediate response from both. We were delighted to answer, ‘Yes we are!’ 76 | Mix 187 September 2018

he Department Store has received unwavering critical acclaim and has already scooped a number of awards, including picking up the award for Large Commercial Interiors Project of the Year category at Mixology – so we already know this is going to be pretty special. Leading design firm Squire and Partners purchased a dilapidated Edwardian department store in Brixton, and entirely reimagined the space. Collaborating with craftspeople and furniture makers, the design of the space has been informed by the existing fabric and layers of history, and provides an array of spaces for the various design disciplines within the practice, as well as a series of external creative and retail units. Externally, the design reverses years of neglect – revealing original brickwork, stone, marble and terracotta – and reactivates the street level through animation and display. Squire and Partners’ Director of Interiors, Maria Cheung, can tell us more about the building’s amazing history, as well as Squire and Partners’ own journey into Brixton. ‘We were previously based in King’s Cross,’ Maria reveals. ‘We were there for 15 years and we really just outgrew our premises. They were designed for about 80 people and over those 15 years we

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Case Study | The Department Store

This Page Old meets new throughout this amazing building including stunning contemporary work from local artists Opposite Feature spaces include the rooftop restaurant and bar, Making Room and model shop.

In Short Squire and Partners is a British architectural firm, founded in 1976, and known for designing and executing buildings on key sites in London and internationally. Leading workplace projects include headquarters for British fashion brand, Reiss, and the UK's largest public trade union, UNISON. Hotel projects include the Bulgari Hotel & Residences and the boutique Rockwell Hotel.

grew to 220! All the services and all our spaces had become really crammed, and King’s Cross had become very expensive, so we decided to look further afield. 'One of the big things that Michael Squire was really keen on was that we stayed on the Victoria Line – a particularly efficient and well-connected line for a lot of our projects and clients. Our staff come from all sides of London – it’s a slightly longer journey for those based further north but shorter for those based further south. ‘Brixton is such a creative, lively area with incredible food, drink and social spaces.. We had looked at other areas, such as Vauxhall, but then we found this particular building and were intrigued by its potential to become a creative community hub. The building was derelict – and had been for a long time. One of the most charming things about it was that this was the first extension to the Bon Marche Department Store, directly opposite – we wanted

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to keep that theme going, hence the name The Department Store. ‘We really treat this now as a building with a lot of different departments as we work across several design disciplines. When we first arrived there were a number of local business that were interested in being part of the development – so we’ve also got a coffee roastery, vinyl store, restaurant and deli – and we moved the Post Office, who were originally a tenant, further along the street into a new more functional space. We worked hard to curate creative and community businesses to draw animation back to the building. From the get-go, we didn’t want to just land in the space – we really wanted to be part of the community. So even when the building was under construction, we engaged with local makers and artists to create temporary galleries and installations, including and a skate park! We're active in our creative community, particularly with the Brixton Design Trail as part

of the London Design Festival, and have hosted events for London Craft Week and London Festival of Architecture here. We are still growing our local connections – our event space downstairs and Making Room on the ground floor are used by the local community – including schools and community groups, for workshops and meetings, which really helps us to be more connected to our area..’ Moving through the amazing, open ground floor reception space, we ask Maria about the concept behind the interior design here – although the name of the building and the nature of the building’s fabric does give us something of a clue! ‘We knew that doing the design for the entire office could be difficult – designing for 200 architects!’ Maria grins. ‘Right from the beginning we involved everyone – people were encouraged to pin up their aspirations for the new space and we then tried to incorporate as many of those

PICNIK BY TRIUMPHFURNITURE.COM TRIUMPHFURNITURE.COM 01685 352222

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Case Study | The Department Store

ideas as we could. Downstairs, for example, you’ll see that there is a lot of bike storage, generous showers and changing areas and a dedicated drying room. Our model shop had always been in the basement at King’s Cross and had no windows – they asked for sunlight and they now have a fully glazed shop frontage. ‘We’ve really tried to keep the department store aesthetic throughout. The reception desk, for instance, we’ve designed as though it is a haberdashery counter. You can imagine that it could be displaying ties and handkerchiefs. The curated display is currently our journey of designing this building, but it will change over time. ‘We knew from historic photographs that the original building had beautiful shop fronts with objects on display – with metal framed Crittall doors and windows. This was an important part of the façade, so we invited Crittall back to manufacture the new doors and windows – and then introduced a glazed wall into the reception space to offer glimpses from the reception into the model shop.’ As we make our way through the impressive model shop and making space, Maria tells us that the building was originally developed by James Smith – a man, we later discover, with a fairly extraordinary story. James Smith of Tooting had no apparent desire or intention to build a department store. A printer by trade, Smith was also a proprietor of the Sportman newspaper and owned a racehorse called Roseberry. In 1876, Roseberry won an almost inconceivable double, by scooping the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire Stakes at Newmarket. The prize of £80,000 funded the construction of James ‘Roseberry’ Smith’s foray into commerce, a department store in Brixton – which he called Bon Marche. ‘We’ve named our top floor meeting room after him –it’s called The Roseberry!’ Maria tells us. ‘This, in 1906, was the first extension of the Bon Marche – this was designed to be the furnishing department. ‘The key strategic intervention here was to cut some voids to connect the different floors. We were over two floors in King’s Cross and we are now over the basement, ground, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors here – so a much larger space. We created these voids and inserted a staircase to connect the floors. We talked a lot about what people needed from the space and were keen to create a sense of community – so we have a social space on the 4th floor, which during the working day is our staff bar and restaurant. We also have a list of about 3,000 local people who are members of the bar – grown from our local community, plus friends and family of the practice. They enjoy the rooftop restaurant and bar in the evenings and weekends – and we created a separate entrance, which is transformed

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We knew that doing the design for the entire office could be difficult – designing for 200 architects! E: INFO@LAGUNARUGS.COM | W: LAGUNARUGS.COM 159 GLOUCESTER ROAD | KENSINGTON | LONDON | SW7 4TH t: +44 (0)20 7373 7471

Top Stunning rooftop social space 2nd Top Meeting rooms combine original features with modern elements and technology Above & Left Beautiful original features have been preserved and reworked – including bathrooms and staircases

elite-furniture.co.uk

in the evening, and a separate lift to differentiate public and private routes into the space.' That’s not all you will find on the 4th floor though. The new social rooftop level comprises a series of oak framed pavilions topped with copper shingle, and a crafted glass dome, which replaces a dilapidated existing cupola. It’s an absolutely remarkable space, which acts as a stunning dining room.

Below Squire and Partners designed their own furniture systems for the space Bottom The furniture and finishes throughout are sympathetic to the building's original features

Original interior elements, such as mahogany and teak parquet flooring, a grand tiled staircase and a patina of colours documenting the building’s history, have all been preserved, while particular attention was also paid to the furniture and furnishings brought into the new workspace. ‘We spent a lot of time thinking about the furniture and were careful with our choices,’ Maria continues. ‘There are quite a few Carl Hansen pieces here because we were trying to imagine, during the period when this was a department store, what kind of iconic furniture pieces would have been on display – and a lot of these could easily have been. Carl Hansen & Son created special bronze plaques for each piece of furniture for The Department Store and resurrected one design out of their archives and produced it as a one-off for us.’

The main office workspaces celebrate the process of craft and making. Again, the furniture and finishes are sympathetic to the original fabric of the building. We’re particularly intrigued by the simple yet brilliantly functional systems furniture, which features overhead tambours and, we are informed, was developed by the smart team at Squire and Partners themselves when they were unable to find anything suitable on the market. Each working floor has its own cloakroom and a series of smart meeting rooms, each of which cleverly combines original features with modern finishes and technology. There’s much more about this space that we simply don’t have the space for. We can see why this scheme has scooped so many awards – and why so many people continue to talk about it. w

Project Team Client Squire and Partners Interior Design & Architecture Squire and Partners Flooring Domus, Henry Booth Furniture Vitra, Knoll, Munna, Carl Hansen, Laguna, Janua, Opus Magnum, Minotti, Viaduct, Fermob, Interior ID, Based Upon, Hay, Naughtone, Benchmark, Day 2, Thonet, Arper, Cassina, Ercol, E15 Lighting Lasvit, Flos, Original BTC, Louis Poulsen, The Urban Electric, Gubi, iGuzzini

TEMPO Designed by Massimo Costaglia and Giulio Mazzanti

Case Study | Kelloggs

Special K It’s been a while since we had a proper look around Salford’s MediaCity. To say the place has changed over that time is something of an understatement. Actually, change isn’t the right word – flourished is a far more appropriate description.

he myriad of bars and restaurants (which weren’t even here the last time we were) are buzzing, with media types enjoying a late lunch, early drink or alfresco meeting, taking advantage of this continued fine weather. Moving from BBC ‘land’ into ITV territory, we find the Orange Building – and our destination for this afternoon’s tour; the new home of Kellogg’s. Kellogg’s recently relocated its UK headquarters to MediaCity, with TSK appointed to deliver the close to 50,000 sq ft space. ‘Kellogg’s wanted a space which would reflect the business’ progressive ambitions for the future, whilst also representing the rich heritage and brand,’ Andy Burke, Director at TSK, tells us. ‘Our aim was to create a workspace that would kickstart a cultural change for Kellogg’s and create a fantastic environment to attract and retain the best talent. We worked in partnership with Kellogg’s to engage employees throughout the process to ensure we were creating a truly people-centred workplace that supports them in the work and enhances the business. ‘The design is focused around openness to inspire collaboration and creativity, with employee wellbeing at its heart. Creating the space provided an opportunity to introduce new ways of working for Kellogg’s. A blend of spaces defined by ‘neighbourhoods’ enables employees to move between different activity-based settings, choosing their work settings dependent on their tasks and working patterns. ‘We worked with Kellogg’s from design through to completion, involving staff from across the organisation to better understand their workplace needs and aid in employee engagement before, during and after the move,’ Andy continues as we walk though the bright, open central public floor. ‘Situated across three floors of this iconic building, the new space and dynamic environment we have created enables employees to work at their best whilst appealing to a new generation of talent. Offering stunning views and natural light, the design is focused around openness, the ability to connect with colleagues, incorporating a variety

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Case Study | Kelloggs

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of different work settings and a move for the organisation towards Activity Based Working.’ ‘Our new office is really enabling us to build a culture for the 21st century for Kellogg’s. It has a variety of new work settings, in a bright, fresh environment, right in the heart of one of Manchester’s most vibrant business communities. It’s really helping our business grow.’ Paul Wheeler, Director of Corporate Communications at Kellogg’s, enthuses. While we’ve got a little of Paul’s valuable time, we ask about the background behind this relocation/working transformation. ‘Kellogg’s UK headquarters moved to Orange Tower in January, we relocated 420 employees. During the move process we had to bring employees on the journey with us, listening and teasing out concerns as well as getting staff excited about our new location.’ What was the primary driver for this move? ‘As we strive to grow to the business we need to be in an innovative environment that inspires great work,’ Paul says. ‘Our Old Trafford HQ served us well for nearly three decades, but it’s now time for a new home, which better reflects where we are heading as a company.’

‘This has been a huge transition for Kellogg’s,’ Andy confirms. ‘They have moved from being an owner/occupier into a multi-tenanted building. This marked the changing of the business – it shows their progressive nature. They had shrunk as a business – they have become more of that global business as opposed to centrally headquartered. This is a real changing of the guards. You always had this perception of Kellogg’s just being about corn flakes, but there’s so much more about them. Their portfolio is much wider than that and they are now moving towards a more nutrition-based message. It’s a big shift in the marketplace for them. I’m not sure they would be able to achieve this if they hadn’t decided to physically move – and to move into a dynamic environment such as MediaCity. ‘They are now able to connect with their consumers. Their former home was a gated building – it was designed to look inwards, with offices on the outside and everyone sat in the middle, looking into a large, central atrium. That naturally led to them becoming an inward looking business. Now they are in touch with the people who eat their products – and they’re even bringing

Now they are in touch with the people who eat their products – and they’re even bringing those consumers into this space to try their products

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Case Study | Kelloggs

those consumers into this space to try their products. That’s a big change in itself for them. It was a big decision to leave Trafford – but they knew they were able to do something special here and also from an investment perspective, so they’ve also been able to leave a whole legacy.’ ‘Our organisation has been through a lot of change and will continue to change – today more than 40% of our head count is millennial, therefore we needed a space that reflects the generational change in how people work,’ Paul continues. ‘Kellogg’s is a people business – we needed a headquarters that reflected our culture, that ensured we retain our talent and enabled us to attract the best new talent. The office has moved us into the heart of the MediaCityUK community and enables our employees be inspired by our vibrant surroundings, bringing the outside in to our organisation.’ What do you hope to achieve through this new working environment? ‘TSK’s design teams have considered tools and technologies to help transition the changing work culture – considering

employee demographic, best practice for flexible working and how to utilise the new open plan office space,’ Paul tells us. ‘The new headquarters has been developed to reflect the business’s ambition and future ahead, whilst bringing to life its strong heritage and brand. The three floors in the new workspace have been developed to foster collaboration and creativity with open, flexible spaces to eliminate silo working and bring people together. ‘Our new home is allowing Kellogg’s UK headquarters to culturally reset our business. The new location is vibrant and exciting, and we hope it will help us attract and retain top talent.’ The aforementioned middle floor has been designed as the public floor, bringing people both internally and externally to the organisation together, this includes dining areas, kitchens, social spaces and a variety of both informal and formal meeting settings. There is no formal reception desk here, instead a concierge-style service, while brilliant, bold graphics show nods to Kellogg’s heritage (including that unmistakable ‘K’) and

Re-Fresh. In Short Founded in 1906 by brothers Dr John Harvey and Will Keith Kellogg, the global brand currently operates 18 factories, with the largest being in Manchester. Kellogg's holds a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales. Leading Kellogg's brands include Corn Flakes, Special K, All Bran, Chocos, Honey loops, Nutri-Grain, Pringles, PopTarts and Cheez-It Crackers. The business is headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA. Kellogg's was the first company to introduce 'prizes' into boxes of cereal.

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We believe that the simplest things make a real difference. Walking into work to the smell of freshly ground coffee. Connecting with nature through green walls and plants. These simple things can make your space a truly great place. For support and samples please visit www.vantagespaces.co.uk or contact our specialist team on 0845 37 111 35 or by emailing sales@vantagespaces.co.uk. Leeds

| London | Manchester

Case Study | Kelloggs

to the local area. Beyond this, there is next to no company branding on show – other than displays of the products themselves, which can be acquired by staff from a discreet concession point. Other standout features of the space include The Gallery – a festival style auditorium space – Brew, a coffee bar, and a customer engagement suite, blending employee space with the customer experience. Enabling international staff communication and a vastly improved employee experience, the latest state-of-the-art technology is built into the space, while colourful, soundproofed glass ‘pods’ allow for those necessary quiet moments, whilst staff still feeling part of the workplace community. We should also mention the brilliant palette of colours and standard of finishes TSK has brought into the scheme. The palette adds a real pop to the floorplates, while the standard of finishes and furniture used throughout all three floors is exceptional. The large, open working floors are cleverly delineated with the use of breakout facilities and storage, while it is also great to see that the perimeter spaces that offer the best views over MediaCity and beyond are given over to further staff breakout/informal meeting areas. Apparently, you can even see the Kellogg’s cereal factory in Trafford from up here! We ask Paul whether the final results of the move have met or even exceeded expectations.

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‘Our new workspace encourages a more collaborative environment, our employees are no longer working in silos, and they are now working more naturally in their teams and with other teams,’ he considers. ‘The change in dynamic has boosted productivity and communication across the business. ‘To encourage people to take regular breaks to boost productivity and wellbeing, we do not encourage people to eat at their desks. This directs employees to take a much-needed time-out over their lunch, recharge and get away from their screen for a short time. 'They now head to the kitchen tables or our social Eat area. In turn, employees are more energised, they are socialising in the designated office spaces and building relationships across the business. ‘Since moving to our new office we have implemented agile working that gives employees more flexibility over how and where they choose to work.’ Supporting Kellogg’s in achieving their objectives for true cultural change, the new headquarters fosters a positive, collaborative and healthy environment that will enable employees to feel happy and be inspired to come to work every day. It is a space to ‘wow’ customers, consumers and future talent, perfectly blending the brand’s legacy with the Kellogg’s of tomorrow. w

Project Team Client Kellogg's Interior Design TSK Group Furniture Provider TSK Group Flooring Milliken, Polyflor Furniture Herman Miller, Vitra, KI, Naughtone, Orangebox Storage Spacestor, KI Flooring Milliken, Polyflor Lighting Graypants, Quirk Lighting Bespoke Joinery CPA

KASTAWAY Kastaway is symbolic to being somewhere tranquil and relaxing opposed to a high pressure environment. The Kastaway collection can be linked together with details or shapes, or used as stand‐alone pieces, creating flexible furniture solutions that can easily be arranged in a variety of dynamic configurations, making them ideal for employees and small groups to relax or meet informally.

Yo u r O f f i c e F u r n i t u r e W h o l e s a l e r

Discussion | Scott Brownrigg

2023 and all that

emember back to the days when we thought a mere 80 degrees was a ‘scorcher’ and England’s footballers were a bunch of no-hopers? Seems like an age ago. Thanks to our generous Publisher, we haven’t actually published a copy of Mix since those long-forgotten days. How time flies. It is somewhat ironic, therefore, that – way back when – we were invited to chair a fascinating debate on the subject of Welcome to 2023 – Where will you work/ live/play? The debate was part of Scott Brownrigg interior design team’s D3 event, which consisted of three days of creativity and client led activities. As well as this panel discussion, D3 included project tours of schemes such as ARM in Cambridge and Thomson Reuters in Canada Square, Tate Gallery tours, workshops, yoga at SkyGarden, client drinks at The Assembly Hotel and a ‘Meet the Team’ exhibition in their Covent Garden studio. Before we can enjoy meeting the team over a drink or two, we have work to do. Our friends at Scott Brownrigg have compiled a fine tableful of industry experts, from both the firm’s own interiors team and key clients from the residential, hospitality and commercial sectors. The aim of the debate was to try to attempt to double-guess how the workplaces and hotels will look and feel in five years’ time. Here’s a taste of what proved to be a fascinating discussion…

Katherine Neathercoat,

Nick Black,

Chris Maddison,

Caroline Cundall,

Head of UK Interior Design, Scott Brownrigg

Partner, Seven Partnership

Jordan Jones,

Global Workplace Design Strategy Lead, Unilever

David Mason,

Director, Scott Brownrigg

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Director of Hotels, Hospitality and Leisure, Buro Four Project Services

Director of Interior Design, InterContinental Hotels Group

Beatriz Gonzalez, Project Director, Scott Brownrigg

Steffan Williams,

Caroline: I don’t think the look of these spaces will have changed much at all. Even when you look back five years, maybe the styles have changed a little bit, but the things that we notice are changing are about how people work. The one thing that might happen more is the introduction of more green issues. This is one area that has been covered in the press a lot more and, when you look at hotels, we now have the idea of plastic straws and plastic bottles disappearing. These are already being frowned upon – and even in our office at IHG we’re seeing that change. I think these little things will make a big difference. It’s interesting how we’ve come full circle – we started off with paper straws and water out of a tap and I think we’re heading back to that.

Katherine: I think the workplace has a lot to teach the hospitality industry from a sustainability point of view – I think they’re way ahead. The WELL accreditation addresses the immediate environment around you – things such as air changes in meeting rooms optimising people’s ability to work. David and I have been working on a concept to create the perfect hotel room and how that will look from a sensory perspective. At the moment it looks like a really weird pod – but we are working on it!

David: It’s an immersive space that you put yourself into and you can monitor and control everything to how you want it – so you can adjust the temperature, adjust the light levels, depending upon which activities you want to carry out in the room. Rooms need to be intuitive though and not overly complicated. Katherine: The workplace is already there with a lot of this stuff. It’s old news to a lot of those guys.

Director, Scott Brownrigg

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Discussion | Scott Brownrigg

THINK YOU KNOW BISLEY? Steffan: I think higher education is up there as well in terms of being advanced. Nick: I agree with what’s already been said about spaces not necessarily looking that different. I didn’t really want to take the conversation down this path so early, but I think there are issues in terms of procurement strategy. By the time you have designed something and start to build it, you are two or three years out. The problem is that we’re finding, with hotels in particular, that by the time you’ve developed it, handed the keys over and allowed the customers in, you’re already three years out of date. It’s no wonder things aren’t changing that quickly! Chris: We’ve had the same issues on the commercial side of the market. We’re managing a programme for a client at the moment and they occupy in 2022. The discussion we’re having with the landlord at the moment is that everything we’re doing at the moment is pretty much secondguessing because technology is driving everything and you can’t design around a technology system that doesn’t exist yet. What we’re trying to get into our clients’ heads is that, the day they move in, that building is already out of date. So we really need to be designing for 10 years in advance. If technology is driving that and not even the tech gurus know what that looks like. If that is the case then we’re kind of going to be double-guessing and on a hiding to nothing – that’s taking smart buildings and the Internet of Things out of it, which will drive a lot of this. Other than, we don’t really have a solution for this. Steffan: What we’re trying to do to help our clients – and it’s already an old term I suppose but

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as relevant as ever – is future proofing; thinking ahead. We’re trying to be as flexible as possible so that we’re able to adapt as it goes along. In hospitality we’re currently doing a lot of that – so one single space can be turned into several different functions, so you are able to generate income at all times. If you have the right structure and backbone then, when the new tech comes on board, it’s very simple to adapt and plug in – instead of having to rip the whole thing down and start again. That’s what we’re trying to teach our clients at the moment. Jordan: I agree with that. I think our facilities, probably within the five year band that we’re discussing here, are going to start using machine learning to actually be able to assess how the building is being used and then, automatically, through artificial intelligence, be able to see from trend patterns whether they need to reduce space or extend space or reduce desks. This automated facilities manager will be able to flag up when leases are going to end and come up with a proposition of how much space you’re going to need and the variety of settings required – because we know that lots of people are using scrum spaces rather than desks. I think that’s going to be a pivotal point in facilities. Like a lot of larger organisations, we’re creating innovation hubs and testing a lot of these ideas already. At the moment we’re looking into the idea of everyone having a ‘bot’ as a personal assistant – taking away the administrative, routine tasks from people. This means that people can add value through knowledge – and as long as the task is rule based and repetitive, there is a case there for having these bots.

I think the workplace has a lot to teach the hospitality industry from a sustainability point of view – I think they’re way ahead

The Bisley name is a mark of quality and at our core remains a commitment to innovative storage solutions. But that’s just part of the story. Tackling complete office environments holistically, ensuring they can flex and change according to your needs, is our true passion. Most importantly, you can breathe easy, safe in the knowledge that we’re a partner as reliable, helpful and lasting as the solutions we create.

www.bisley.com

Helping you work better anywhere

Discussion | Scott Brownrigg WorkHouse +44 (0)20 7247 1815 workhouse.co.uk

Caroline: We’ve actually been looking a little bit of that with hotels – but it’s at very early stages. We’re talking about the idea of having the Amazon Dot in the corner of the room, so you can ask it to do things for you and you can ask it for advice about where you are. It’s a difficult one for us though – it’s about how people would use it. I actually like my hotel environment to be straightforward, personally, but we are seeing instances where this is happening – iPads for settings in your room etc.

Boutique. Contemporary. British.

Steffan: I’m going to be provocative now! I quite often feel that technology hijacks the conversation. It would have been interesting if this conversation had started with human behaviour. What I find really interesting is the idea of organisations concentrating much more on the human aspects of space – that’s where we’re going to make huge advances with technology, not necessarily with use but how we design spaces. Speaking of human-centric spaces, our hosts move on to talk about another trend that is likely to come to the fore in the next few years – business engaging with their community.

Ella by Bethan Gray for WorkHouse If you have the right structure and backbone then, when the new tech comes on board, it’s very simple to adapt and plug in

Beatriz: We are working with a client whose headquarters is in the US. Their model is very interesting. The entire ground floor of their 700,000 sq ft building is open to the public – is given over to public space. They have relocated from out of town into a brand new building in the centre of the city. They are right opposite the major university and their idea is to attract new talent from the university – and allow them into the space and to use it as they wish. The mayor has donated $100 million into this – because, at the moment, students are leaving university and getting on the first plane to California. Chris: We have a client who has done the same thing. They wanted to stop students from disappearing. What we’re talking about is identifying who your users are, who your target market is. The evidence is there that these students want somewhere to go to work – and they also want it to be a social space. Conclusion: Although it might disappoint a few of you, our workplaces and hotels might not look all that different at all in 2023. How they work, how they feel and the technology and processes behind them will have changed however. Furthermore, as Jordan points out, we’ll be able to change and adapt those spaces thanks to continuous monitoring. So, hopefully, no more hot hotel rooms and cold offices – and, as Caroline suggested, no more (or at least much fewer) plastic bottles and plenty more paper straws! Oh, and we might have our own bot! w

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Preview | London Design Festival

Studio Laurids

REFINED, REIM AGINED AND OPEN FOR REGISTR ATION.

Beauty needs space to flourish. From 16 – 19 September Decorex presents a blank canvas onto which exquisite design is curated, debated and observed.

Save the date to join influential designers behind the finest interior projects in the world at Syon Park, London. decorex.com/register

Greater London?

It’s September – and that means it’s London Design Festival time again. What’s more, there are a number of changes afoot, with plenty to see and do – and even a change of venue or two. Here is a selection of the Festival’s prospective highlights. Maybe we’ll see you out and about?

esignjunction, now in its eighth year, has left its former home of King’s Cross and is now set to transport to the cultural hub of London’s South Bank this month, with hundreds of product launches,

boutique pop-up shops, bespoke installations, exhibitions, a specially curated talks programme and dedicated spaces to relax, meet, work and enjoy delicious food.

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Preview | London Design Festival

The Doon Street site, the largest superstructure ever built by designjunction, will house 200 international design brands and temporary pop-up shops. The Riverside Walkway will showcase a series of outdoor installations, whilst Oxo Tower Wharf and Bargehouse will host major brand activations, talks and exhibitions. Exhibitor highlights include TON, the Czech furniture makers, who will demonstrate their wood-bending expertise with the new Chips lounge chair designed by Lucie Koldová, while the first bathroom brand to ever exhibit at the show, VitrA, will launch its furniture-based Plural collection conceived by designer Terri Pecora and inspired by the heritage of communal bathing spaces and rituals. International design brand, Ochre, will unveil Celestial Pebble 9, a new series of hand-blown pendants, which can be hung as a single drop or in clusters to create site-specific installations, while new lifestyle brand, Northern, will present its trademark style furniture pieces and interior accessories, bringing fresh vision to Nordic design. Bethan Gray will present her latest lighting collection, Victoria, which will complement her bespoke bar, designed in collaboration with the whisky experts from The Glenlivet. The Doon Street site will also welcome STILL, a unique restaurant installation curated by design consultancy, Form, boasting a menu by 26 Grains. The Oxo Tower Wharf will host major brand activations, exhibitions and experiential events including the Rado Star Prize UK exhibition, featuring the next generation of young British designers, and ‘The Original. About the power of good design’ – an exhibition focused on classic and contemporary designs by Vitra. The Riverside Walkway will showcase a series of outdoor installations projects such as ‘Mud Shell’, an innovative housing project marrying ancient earth architecture techniques with the latest drone spraying technology, and the ‘Gateway to Inclusion’, an installation conceived by Lisa White, Head of Lifestyle and Interiors at WGSN, in collaboration with the city of SaintEtienne to promote inclusion in design. Launched in 2007, the London Design Fair has earned itself a reputation as one of the goto trade shows during LDF, hosting the single largest collection of international exhibitions, designers, brands, country pavilions, features and galleries. Each year, over 28,000 influential retail buyers, producers, architects, designers, interior designers, press and design-savvy public, attend to see the very latest in furniture, lighting, textiles, materials and conceptual installations, from over 36 countries.

Right Vitra – Original Roadshow Below Gateway to Inclusion – an installation conceived by Lisa White, in conjunction with the city of Saint-Etienne.

FINE DETAIL Artistic embroidery and jewelled outlines combine to create precious pieces with a decorative and handcrafted emphasis. Two new carpet plank designs featuring luxurious metallic accents. Produced from Econyl® 100% regenerated nylon and with 90% recycled content cushion backing, Fine Detail is offered in a palette of 10 colours.

T +44 (0)1942 612777 www.millikencarpet.com 100 | Mix 187 September 2018

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CICERO

Preview | London Design Fair

Preview | London Design Festival

Collaborative Chair Design: Orlandini Design

Left Charlotte Kidger Material of the Year – Plastic Beyond the Chipperl Below Left Dirk Vander Kooij Material of the Year – Plastic Beyond the Chipper Below Right Hi Thanks Bye Bottom REM Atelier

Never one to shy away from a controversial issue, for 2018 the Fair casts the spotlight on a material that is loathed by many: plastic. Culminating in an exhibition titled ‘Beyond the Chipper’ this showcase will feature four designers, each of whom is repurposing plastic in ever inventive and valuable ways. Following its debut in 2017 the exhibition and home of Dutch design during the festival returns. This year focusing on a more refined selection of 30 designers the Fair welcomes Earnest Studio, Bart Joachim Van Unden, REM Atelier, Martijn Righters in addition to its already impressive line-up. Also, the Fair’s annual showcase for Swedish designers, studios and companies will this year host 13 forward-looking, young designers from across Sweden in a show-stopping pavilion sponsored by Swedish Wood. If you think West is the best, the inaugural West Kensington Design District promises an exciting line-up including the newly opened Japan House, Design Museum, V&A Blythe House, 100% Design and more. Returning for its 24th edition, 100% Design will be held at London Olympia and will feature 100% Forward and 100% Futures, plus a full roster of established and emerging brands. Furthermore, this year, as part of a refreshed programme, the show welcomes Thomas Heatherwick and Marcel Wanders to the Talks with 100% Design. 100% Design will present over 400 international design brands across four key areas; interiors, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, 100% Build London and Emerging Brands. Heading back into Clerkenwell (which we’ve been known to do on occasion), Clerkenwell Design Quarter reaches the outer edges of EC1 this year, to the boundaries of Barbican and Hatton Garden, and once again plays a pivotal role in bringing together a variety of multidisciplinary design strands that exist within this historic quarter.

Edge Design / First Floor / 21-22 Great Sutton Street / Clerkenwell / London / EC1V 0DY t: +44 (0) 20 7253 7277 / sales@edgedesign.furniture / www.edgedesign.furniture

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Preview | London Design Festival

Clerkenwell Design Quarter will include new product launches and events from showrooms and manufacturers including TOTO, Viaduct and Moroso – as well as plenty of refreshments from bars, cafes and restaurants in the area. Morgan Furniture will be hosting its annual Summer Sample Sale on the Tuesday of LDF. You can pop along for a drink and for the opportunity to bid for your very own Morgan product. Our friends at Forbo Flooring Systems tell us they have provided their sustainable Marmoleum floorcovering to design studio Upcircle, for The Eco Cube pavilion and, speaking of leading flooring companies, to accompany the launch of Milliken's Fine Detail carpet tile collection, featuring metallic yarns, competition winners from the prestigious Paris school of industrial design ‘ENSCI’ will exhibit their work, incorporating these yarns, at Milliken’s Clerkenwell HQ throughout the week. Following the critical success of the inaugural event last year, darc room will now be held in the heart of Shoreditch during this year’s London Design Festival. Nicholls & Clarke Building on Shoreditch High Street, just around the corner from Shoreditch High Street Station, is the new location, with darc room taking place on 19-20 September. Paul James, Director of darc room, commented: ‘I’m delighted that we have secured this venue in the heart of London’s design district. The Nicholls & Clarke building is a historic venue conveniently located on Shoreditch High Street. Last year’s event was a critical success and we plan to build on that this year with many new exhibitors and educational content.’ darc room is a boutique lighting specification exhibition with 50 exhibitors, six workshops and will feature the lighting industry’s first ever live stream of lighting talks. Exhibitors so far include AC Lighting, Aion LED, Applelec, Art et Floritude, AxaLight, Casambi, Coelux, Delta Light, EcoSense, Erco, ES-System, Exenia, Feelux, Forge Europe, Formalighting, LED BCN, LED Ltd, LED Linear, LensVector, LightGraphix, Lightly Tech, Ligman, Linea Light Group, Lite, Lumenpulse Group, MP Lighting, Nicolaudie, Osram, Pro LED, Pulsar, Radiant, SAAS, SGM, Targetti, tossB, Traxon, Tryka, Whitegoods and Zico Lighting. Elsewhere, Arup’s ‘Conflicts of an Urban Age’ exhibition will explore patterns of dramatic development in cities. In the short time span of 25 years, fishing villages have been transformed into megacities and deserts have become urban playgrounds. They are stage-sets for social opportunity and social inequality.

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Left Milliken Below Forbo Flooring Systems

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Bottom Morgan Showroom

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Preview | London Design Festival

Left Bethan Grey

Inspired by adventures outdoors.

Right TON Bottom The Mud Shell Project

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Visiting the exhibition will provide an opportunity to gain an understanding of common and diverging trends and exchange ideas but also be inspired by the citizens and organisations that are making a difference: ‘Making things happen in cities, neighbourhoods, streets, schools and nurseries is not easy and we celebrate the protagonists of urban initiatives while exploring how their achievements can be replicated or improved upon, Alejandro Gutierrez, Director, Integrated City Planning at Arup, explains. ‘In order to deliver projects that address the challenges show in the exhibition, we need to work with communities, harness their energy and experience and understand their needs.’ Although there is no designjunction in King’s Cross this year, there is still a very good reason to

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head up to N1. As part of London Design Festival, Tom Dixon will host ELECTROANALOGUE, a gathering of digital innovations in the Coal Office, the brand’s new HQ and flagship shop in King’s Cross. Tom will be delving into the spaces where digital innovations and the physical world overlap with the launch of ELECTROANALOGUE. In collaboration with friends and partners Bill Amberg Studio, Teenage Engineering, ege carpets, Spiritland, Formica and Kirkby Design, ELECTROANALOGUE will explore the impact of digital technology through a diverse range of installations and events. The Coal Office will become a creative hub, stimulating the senses through interactive experiences in sight, sound and touch. Ever since Chantal Martinelli and Julien Desormeaux opened the design boutique Mad

Atelier in the shell of an abandoned Clapton pub last year, they’ve been regaled with stories of the Lord Cecil’s past. These have included affectionate memories of finding love among the bar stools, eyebrow-raising anecdotes of wild punk music nights, and tall tales of sharing drinking space with a live panther. So, when it came to seeking inspiration for their first London Design Festival show, they didn’t have far to look. Visitors to Mad Atelier will be greeted three rooms of a functioning pop-up pub, each one paying tribute to the Lord Cecil’s colourful history, as interpreted by Mad Atelier’s eclectic eye. There’ll be drinks and dartboards, punk artworks and intriguing design juxtapositions, and, we’re assured, there’ll even be panthers! Now that’s what we want from a festival!

Fabrica WP419

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Preview | London Design Festival

Decorex is returning to the historic location of Syon Park for the 41st year. Once again the opening destination of London Design Festival, the 2018 edition will run from the 16-19 September. Decorex hosts more than 400 exhibitors, showcasing the very latest in luxury interiors and design. The four-day event showcases furniture, interior and lighting designers alongside fabric and textiles companies, from established names to up-and-coming makers. Decorex brings trade buyers and manufacturers together to form a community which is now the very essence of this celebrated event. This year will explore Blank Canvas as its show theme. Offering a ‘carte blanche’, the concept will explore how an empty space can celebrate a new beginning, a chance to create something beautiful in the way that Decorex and its exhibitors do each year. Interior design studios Maddux Creative, Studio Suss, Henry Prideaux Interior Design and Designed by Woulfe will design the main entrance installation, inspired by the show’s theme, while the bar will be designed by Lambart & Browne in a contemporary British style. Other highlights include an inspiring seminar programme with talks from key industry influencers such as ‘brand building through creativity’ with Jeffrey Beers, Sebastian Cox, David Mottershead, Emilio PimentelReid and Christiane Lemieux; ‘an interior designer’s take on product design’ with Staffan Tollgard, Jo Hamilton and Matteo Bianchi; ‘putting personality into new build’ with Dan Hopwood and ‘how to guarantee original design for every project’ with Henry Prideaux, Natalia Miyar and Sophie Elborne. w

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For support and samples visit amtico.com or contact our specialist team on +44 (0) 121 745 0800 108 | Mix 187 September 2018

Review |

SELECTIONS

Make your workplace better with new tables from Verco Offering a softer, more comfortable office environment, Martin Work tables are structurally lean but provide a wonderful example of the benefits of traditional manufacturing methods, with beautifully matched veneer panels, solid wood lipping and a finely detailed ‘camber’ chamfer edge profile. The option of library lighting and individually engraved cable access panels complement the collection and exude modern sophistication, quality and style. www.verco.co.uk

INVISTA Antron carpet fibre and Burmatex help to play a supporting role at Bolton Hospice INVISTA Antron carpet fibre, featuring in Hadron carpet tiles from Burmatex, now provide the reception, waiting room and adjoining corridor areas of Bolton Hospice with a welcoming floorcovering that embraces the need for durable and easy to look after surface. Hadron carpet tiles were chosen, with the striking purple highlights found in the Violet colourway used as an accent to reflect the feature colour found on walls and within furniture. www.antron.eu

SELECTIONS

The luxury of leather and the practicality of cork makes Corium Leather floors from Granorte the perfect choice Available in 12 leather-topped finishes, including the mock-croc of Veneto and tumbled Umbria, the Corium Leather collection is a stylish way to bring a high-luxe look to the floor, while still providing a durable and practical surface. With the protection and easy cleaning of AQUA2K+, Corium floors come with a five-year commercial warranty, so can be specified in commercial environments without fear. www. granorte.co.uk

Global bank specifies style to divide spacious new offices Capital One recently relocated their London offices to the prestigious White Collar Factory development. A showcase for modern, agile working practices, partitioning experts Style worked with architects, HLW International LLP, and contractor, BW Workplace Experts, to create flexible room configuration in the meeting area. Style installed a DORMA Moveo semi-automatic glazed moveable wall, creating two substantial sized meeting rooms. A second DORMA wall divides that space into two additional, smaller rooms. www.style-partitions.co.uk

A Shaggy Pooch from Quadrant Pooch is the latest high-style carpet from Quadrant, a feast of shaggy gorgeousness in a palette full of rich and vibrant colour. Working wallto-wall, or as an area rug, colours such as the deep teal of Roxy and French mustard yellow of Boomer make sure Pooch stands out for more than just its long, gloss-laden pile that mixes twisted and fluffed yarn. This is certainly a carpet that’s sure to make an instant impact and lift spaces out of the ordinary. www.quadmod.com

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Bespoke wall panelling from Armstrong Ceilings Customised wall panels by Armstrong Ceiling Solutions have proved a key feature in the refurbishment of Hackney Town Hall. The folded bronze anodised aluminium panels were selected by regular Armstrong specifiers Hawkins\Brown architects for the end walls of two underused interior service courtyards that have been transformed into full-height multi-functional atria as part of the redevelopment. The bespoke wall panels were custom perforated by laser into a pattern that mimics the original walls behind, including aged brickwork, Crittall windows, drainpipes and services. www.armstrongceilings.co.uk

Vantage Spaces believes the simplest things make a real difference Walking into work to the smell of freshly ground coffee, connecting with nature through green walls and plants – these simple things can make your space a truly great place. Like the sound of that? Why not have a chat with Vantage about its stunning selection of real and replica plants, green walls, coffee machines, water coolers and Nitro Cold Brew to see about adding something spectacular into your workplace! sales@vantagespaces.co.uk

Borders in Bucharest to provide fresh appeal When Viavi Romania designed their new Bucharesth headquarters, they wanted a fresh and modern approach to their space planning design. Turning large expanses into demarcated colour areas was essential, although they didn’t want to physically block the space using walls or walkway interruptions. Paragon Carpets used BREEAM A+ rated Strobe to team solid colour with gradients of colour using vertical borders as demarcation lines, with offices given highlight colours to allow the floorspace to become an engaging place. www.paragon-carpets.co.uk

More than just words on wood Since 1960, UNILIN, division panels, has been using recycled materials in its products and the company has continued its search for sustainable materials. Over five decades of research and development later and UNILIN, division panels, now uses locally-salvaged wood in the production of its panels and has developed a specialised production process that sees 85% of the material used in its chipboard made from recycled wood. The other 15% comprises of waste streams from the industry and thinned wood from sustainable forests. www.unilinpanels.com

A new Urban landscape Urban is the latest Ready to Go carpet range by Wilton Carpets, capturing echoes of urban decay and regeneration for environments seeking fresh takes on modern carpet design. Urban Contour, available in five colourways from the brand-new Creations palette, reveals an abstract multi-tonal base through a diffracted interconnecting and spiralling hexagon motif. Urban Terrain takes a similar background, dominant beneath a heavily broken grid in a design reflecting the decaying, rusted and Verdigris surfaces so familiar in the city landscape. www.wiltoncarpets.com

Living wall takes centre stage in biophilic office scheme Living wall specialists, Inleaf, installed a vertical garden in the atrium of this workplace, as part of a biophilic design scheme. At 25 sq m, it includes sensors that link to a computer-controlled irrigation system to feed and water the 1,200 plants. Inleaf advises on living wall projects throughout the UK, working with interior designers, architects, fit-out firms and construction companies. inleaf.co.uk/living-walls

Laguna Rugs offers unique designs Laguna Rugs is a London-based producer of luxury hand-knotted rugs, offering a fully bespoke service, starting from the initial design ideas right through to the finished rug. The company sources only the finest materials from across the globe, while using skilled Nepalese carders and weavers to give each and every rug a unique finish. Laguna Rugs works closely with architects and interior designers and supplies custom-made rugs to residential and commercial projects all over the world. lagunarugs.com

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The Last Word | Opinion

OPERABILITY VERSUS CREATIVITY:

Hut *

Designed for Real People

HOW DO WE ENSURE TEAM WORKPLACE AND TEAM DESIGN EACH SCORES THE WINNER? In the first column of his Mix residency, Criteo’s Head of Workplace Experience EMEA, Mike Walley, thinks it’s time we understood the value that each team can bring to the complex and challenging process of designing a workplace.

Mike Walley is Criteo’s Head of Workplace Experience EMEA

here are days I really sympathise with the little boy from the fable of The Emperor’s New Clothes. He was the only one brave enough to point out that the king was naked. Everyone else was joining in with the group delusion that the king was wearing the latest in lightweight suits so they would not be declared unfit for their job. History does not relate, but I bet he wasn’t applauded for his insight that showed up the great and the good as slavishly following the groupthink. I often find myself in project meetings, discussing the design of a new office space, and look around at the faces of the people in the room as the designer explains some new element in the layout. I see similar levels of groupthink as the discussion touches on, say, the collaborative value of a bank of desks at 90 degrees to all the others in the room; or how a stand-up meeting table enhances interaction between departments; or (my particular favourite) how a circular meeting table with swing seats instead of chairs generates creativity. It has to be said, some ideas just simply don’t have any trousers on. My challenge has always been how to point this out without being chased from the room as a Luddite and sceptic. It’s not to say that I haven’t had some trendy enthusiasms of my own, it’s just that I remember how many of them ended up having to be thoroughly re-engineered as they didn’t really work or, as in one memorable case, directly caused a staff walk-out. I think part of the issue is that I am now significantly older than most of the designers I work with and, not to put too fine a point on it, have been there, done that and got the t-shirt. Also, most design teams aren’t there 12 months later, dealing with the inevitable challenges that have become apparent with daily use. So the real challenge is how do I share the insights I have into space usage, human nature and the likelihood of a chocolate bar destroying my soft furnishings, without coming across as a grumpy old sod? I love good, innovative design and when it comes to tech I am definitely a fan. I have seen some wonderful ideas out there in the wild. It’s just that for every idea that is amazing,

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there are two or three that fail to launch. So how do we sift out the damp squibs from the Brock’s rockets? I suggest that we don’t underestimate the insights that the local site management team can give. These are the guys who look after the end-users on a daily basis. They intimately understand the foibles and fancies of their customers and can shed real insight into the realities of life in that particular space. I recently heard of one individual who invited the cleaners in to help choose new flooring for the cafeterias. The woven vinyl flooring, beloved of the design team, was very quickly vetoed due to its ability to grab hold of food crumbs and never let them go. The cleaners pointed out that it would require an entirely new piece of equipment to be used and the team would need training in its use, and so the time and cost implications did not stack up. Agreement was reached on flooring that managed to combine a great aesthetic with great operability. It’s not to say the first choice wasn’t beautiful, but beauty can have a price and all innovation carries risk. We should acknowledge this fact, and client and design teams must come together to decide how far to push the envelope. Too often in a project, the dynamic feels like the innovative and risky elements have to be pushed past the boring and conservative client by the forward thinking and exciting designers. I would like it clearly understood that, if I were ever allowed to design a space, it would end up a square room, with serried rows of desks all identical in easy to clean material, and meeting rooms would look like a dentist’s waiting room. The whole space would be fabulously easy to maintain, but would probably be so bland as to render the occupants catatonic with boredom inside of a day. So, I recognise I need help with this stuff but…I think designers do too. There is a wealth of experience in the teams who operate space on a daily basis and their understanding of the full life-cycle of a design can inform and drive improvements without stifling creativity and, in fact, improve the end result enormously, to the benefit of all. We simply need to trust each other and recognise that we are all emperors in our own fields. So, lets all get around a stand-up meeting table and collaborate. w

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