Mix Interiors 188 October 2018 Issue by Mix_Interiors

Mix Interiors 188

October 2018

www.morganfurniture.co.uk

INSIDE

68 76 CASE STUDY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HYUNDAI CAPITAL It might be unbelievably hot outside, but the new Hyundai Capital workspace in leaf y Reigate, designed by Gensler, is as cool as they come.

41 UPFRONT 10

62 ROUNDTABLE 62

Seven... 20 Forward Thinking 22 Material Matters 25 Deser t Island Desks 26 Proper t y Matters 28

CASE ST UDIES 68

SPOTLIGHT 37

RE VIE W 84

Big Question 39 Coworking Repor t 41

MixInspired 84 London Design Festival 98

84 PRE VIE W 93 Orgatec

CBRE , Manchester 68 Hyundai Capital, Reigate 76

L AST WORD 104 Criteo's Head of Workplace E xperience, Mike Walley

Mix 188 October 2018 | 1

Upfront | Welcome

A WORD FROM MICK THE COVER The logo Klecksography is the art of making images with inkblots. Spots of ink are dropped onto paper, which is then folded while still wet to create mirrored patterns, resembling the natural details of woodgrain. Initially random, these patterns quickly form and take on meaning and identifiable features. www.hasselstudio.com

The cover The cover shot is a stunning example of the natural beauty William Hands look to expose on every piece they make. Using a sustainable log of American Black Walnut, hand selected, trimmed and arrayed by the expert hands of master veneerer, 'Rocky'. The brief for this particular table was to create a unique, private dining room table – and with it a piece of furniture art. Courtesy of Paul Alexander, William Hands

spellcheck the ad (co-wroking isn’t a thing). Secondly, I’m not sure that your first on your list of services should be ‘Free tea, coffee and

WeWork has fascinated many, delighted some and put the living bejeezus up plenty of others who can’t decide whether this means they’ll get more or less business. While our city centres are now dotted with these flexible working hubs and have become the preferred domain of the start-up, what of our gentle suburbs and serene towns? Well, I wouldn’t call my own hometown serene, but it has just jumped on the coworking wagon. Unfortunately, I’m not sure this wagon’s wheels aren’t going to fall off! The advertisement outside the railway station certainly doesn’t fill you with confidence. For starters, nobody bothered to

ALCOHOL!!!’ I’m not kidding! Capital letters and three exclamation marks. Thirdly, not one mention of tech. I was on the tube just the other day and noticed an ad from coworking brand, Workspace, whose major strapline was ‘Super Connected’. I’m not sure ‘our’ new coworking space is even connected – never mind the super! Even my pre-teen nephews use the phrase 'What's the Wi-Fi code?' – yet here we find no mention of Wi-Fi. Finally, any space that is advertised as ‘modern office space’ should probably be avoided. I’d take a guess that their idea of ‘modern’ might not be the same as mine. Anyway, I move in tomorrow.

GET IN TOUCH Editor Mick Jordan mick@wearemixgroup.com Group director David Smalley david@wearemixgroup.com Editorial support Nicola Unsworth nicola@wearemixgroup.com Sales director Gary Williams gary@wearemixgroup.com

BACK ISSUES

Designer Tammi Bell tamzin@wearemixgroup.com

It’s somewhat fitting that we’ve chosen this issue to spotlight the ever-growing beast that is the coworking market. The rise of brands such as

July 2018

Group managing director Marcie Incarico marcie@wearemixgroup.com Group director Catherine Godsland catherine@wearemixgroup.com Founding publisher Henry Pugh

2 | Mix 188 October 2018

Contributors Steve Gale David Thame Mike Walley Tyler Daniel Grace Walters Address Mix Media Limited 2 Abito 85 Greengate Manchester M3 7NA

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Telephone 0161 946 6262 e-mail editorial@wearemixgroup.com Website www.mixinteriors.com Twitter @mixinteriors Instagram @mix.interiors

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Upfront |

FRUIT MARKET It’s relatively rare that the furniture industry dishes up ‘Hold the Front Page’ news, but this announcement made us put down our LDF Peroni and get on the blower sharpish! The leading global furniture manufacturer, Steelcase, recently announced the acquisition of Orangebox. The exciting move will supplement an already extensive Steelcase portfolio and offer greater choice and value to Steelcase customers. Steelcase Inc is the number one furniture business in the world and Orangebox will now become a strategic player within Steelcase’s portfolio of brands.

Orangebox Managing Director, Mino Vernaschi, says of the move, ‘Working alongside an organisation such as Steelcase will provide opportunities for our people to grow, and develop their careers, and achieve success within a renowned international business. ‘My dream was for Orangebox to become a worldwide brand, with Steelcase this will now happen,’ Mino says. ‘What has really resonated is how similar the cultures are between our two businesses. We both invest heavily in R&D, we are leaders in our industry, and we both care about our people.’

We are told that Orangebox will operate as an independent subsidiary under it’s own brand and will continue to trade with all its existing dealers partners, clients and suppliers. Look out for more on this story in next month’s Mix.w

BUILDING UP TO WORKPLACE WEEK

TIME TO REFLECT We all have an opinion on colour. Reflect is one of the defining themes shaping colour in commercial interiors, as revealed in the Global Colour Trend Forecast 2019. Compiled in collaboration with trend expert, Anne Marie Commandeur of Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, a leading fashion, textiles and material agency, the Antron Global Colour Trend Forecast looks at how colour will impact commercial spaces in the forthcoming years. Reflect is presented alongside three other key themes of Play, Primal and Grow, and the forecast, now in its fifth edition, is available in hardcopy and digital download from antron.eu. Through an overarching concept of wellness, Anne Marie has explored how our senses are stimulated with colours that capture light and how they manipulate the perception of materials and space within interiors. Inspired by digital stories, video games, sci-fi utopias and the opportunities present in virtual reality. The Antron Global Colour Trend Forecast has become an important tool for commercial carpet manufacturers to develop new products that reflect trends in commercial interiors. It can also help workspace designers to create colour schemes for places that keep up with the changing needs of individuals.w

10 | Mix 188 October 2018

One of our favourite events is marking its 7th consecutive annual appearance next month. Workplace Week London 2018 – brainchild of global change management firm Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) – will take place the week commencing 12th November, with more than 20 organisations, including 10 debutants, having confirmed their support for the philanthropic week, which has so far raised over £100,000 for BBC’s Children in Need. This year’s Workplace Week involves a programme of workplace tours and fringe events across London. Organisations will open their doors to the public for the very first time, including some of the world’s biggest banking, travel, technology, media, creative and professional services firms – and a brand that has been a childhood favourite of millions.

ABOVE: Inside the WWF offices

With 2017 marking the highest revenues for LEGO in its 85-year history, the Danish toy giant has cemented its position as one of the world’s most popular brands. The workplace houses more than 200 employees and offers the LEGO Group a unique environment in the heart of London.w To find out more about the workplaces taking part in Workplace Week 2018 and to book tickets, please visit www.workplaceweek.com and join the Twitter conversation: @WWLondon18 & #WWLondonw

PENKETH GO BENE To celebrate the launch of the new STUDIO by Bene office furniture collection, North West workspace design experts, Penketh Group, recently hosted a party at the WorkLife showroom in Manchester. Architects and interior designers from across the North attended the event to get an exclusive UK preview of the collection, created by Austrian product expert, Thomas Feichtner. Bene Sales Director, Jim Brondbjerg, said: ‘I couldn’t imagine a better setting for the launch of STUDIO than Penketh Group’s amazing showroom in the heart of Manchester. ‘It was great to see a fabulous mix of clients and designers arrive to see the new products and the event certainly helped raise the profile of Bene’s continued investment in the North and, most importantly, our partnership with Penketh Group.’ STUDIO has been created to bridge the evershrinking gap between personal and professional

lives, with the innovative ‘Double Top’ table being its predominant USP. The collection was available for viewing at the Penketh Group showspace as part of its mission to provide architects, designers and customers with access to the latest ranges and product developments.w

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Upfront |

NEW INTERIOR DESIGN COLLECTIVE LAUNCHES IN MANCHESTER Mix Design Collective, part of Mix Week Manchester, is an exciting new workplace design event that will celebrate the best national and international design products. Created by Mix Group (that’s us, btw!), Mix Design Collective is going to dare to be different – and will feature six themed spaces, curated by leading architectural and design firms, including Gensler, Hassell, Faulkner Brown Architects, Incognito, Michael Laird Architects and tp bennett. The six spaces – Heartspace, Health & Wellbeing, Engage, Smart & Connected, New Analogue and Escape – will showcase a range of workplace settings, incorporating cutting-edge design ideas and products.

EI2 REBRAND TO ENSEMBLE Ensemble is a new but not-new name in Clerkenwell. Again, we appear to not be making a great deal of sense. Ensemble, the original name that founded the company over 20 years ago, has now replaced ei2 and, we’re told, better reflects the values of the organisation and people. An ensemble of manufacturers, solutions, talents and experiences. The company specialises in combining storage, partitioning and auxiliary furniture to create bespoke solutions. Ensemble is the exclusive distributor of Werner Works, Systemronic and Luconi in the UK, predominantly working with architects, designers, furniture providers and dealers helping clients realise their concepts through their exclusive UK product offering. Founding Partner and Sales Director, Alix Boullet, tells us: ‘We’re a collective of creative individuals with one common passion – furniture. Our in-depth knowledge allows us to create innovative bespoke solutions. Every project is unique and we’re extremely proud of each and every one.’ They also have lovely homemade biscuits!w

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Different enough for you? Well, there’s more. Mix Design Collective will debut in Manchester, not London, and is free of charge for visitors involved in architecture, design, commercial property and construction. Running from 4th-6th December 2018 at INNSIDE at First Street, Mix Week Manchester will also feature MixInspired – our free to attend seminar which will include a panel of industry leaders sharing their thoughts on the future of the workplace. The grand finale of the week will of course be the award-winning Mixology North at Manchester Central on Thursday 6th December. Marcie Incarico, Managing Director of Mix Group said: ‘We are very excited about Mix Design Collective

and look forward to revealing the workplace experiences being created by leading designers and manufacturers. We are passionate about commercial interior design and creating exceptional live experiences with compelling content. And what better place to launch than in our inspirational, thought leading home city of Manchester..’ Partners include: Allgood, Bancroft Soft Furnishings, Boss Design, Connection, Desso, Enigma Lighting, Forbo, Gresham, Hitch Mylius, Humanscale, Interface, Karndean Designflooring, Luctra, Microsoft, Milliken, Ocee Design, Offecct, Shaw Contract, Silverline, sixteen3, Steelcase and Top Brewer,wTo register and for more information contact: http://mixdesigncollective.co.uk/

DIGITAL WATCH LOM architecture and design has been selected to design a state-of-the-art facility that will be Santander’s new digital hub workplace facility in Milton Keynes. With the usual planning hurdles to overcome, it is due to open in 2022 and expected to accommodate over 5,000 employees. The brief called for a workplace campus that would foster an agile, sustainable and innovative workplace for the future, reinforcing Santander’s global reputation as ‘the best bank to work for’. LOM’s winning concept for developer Osborne and Co envisages an entirely new typology of office building for the banking sector, creating a stronger sense of community for Santander staff and a stronger identity for the bank within the wider Milton Keynes community. The new building will support health and wellbeing, including a fitness centre, cycle storage and a restaurant and café offering healthy food options. The working environment is informed by a biophilic approach – maximising

natural light and ventilation to enhance air quality and encourage direct connections with nature. A sequence of three naturally-lit, connecting atria feature imaginatively planted linear gardens. The upper floors of the building offer flexible workspace arranged around these internal atria. w

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Upfront |

WHEREVER I LAY MY HUT Online beauty and wellbeing giant, The Hut Group (THG), is about to take another step forward in the march for worldwide recognition. The North West headquarted firm will develop a new site at Airport City Manchester, which will spread over a near 17 acre site and will be the largest bespoke office development outside London. Lesley McPhee, then the Design Director, gave us a great insight into THG at last year’s MixInspired Manchester event, but here are some juicy facts about the business: An international technology company focused on beauty and wellbeing, with 166 localised websites, retailing goods in 164 countries. In the year to 31 December 2017, THG grew sales by 47% to £736m, with international sales growing

62% to £512m. Over half of sales now come from its own brand products. Airport City Manchester’s joint venture partners will act on behalf of THG as the project developer, working in partnership with creative executive architect, Penson. ‘THQ is a landmark development for THG and another important step in our growth story,’ says Founder and CEO Matthew Moulding. ‘As we continue to extend our global footprint, it makes sense for us to base our headquarters at Airport City in Manchester, with its global connections and access to talent and supply chains worldwide…we look forward to expanding even further from here, attracting and retaining the most innovative and inventive talent from across the globe.’w

GREAT DANE There is a new old kid on the block from Denmark. Does that make any sense? Probably not! Magnus Olesen has been creating high quality furniture in cooperation with leading designers and architects for many years. Now, through Coatworks, Magnus Olesen will be available in the UK. Magnus Olesen is a well-established furniture company with design roots from the Danish Modern period of the 1950s. Founded in 1937, the business carries a strong belief in Danish design and craftsmanship and has a reputation for manufacturing functional, high quality and durable products – attributes that are still very much at the core of the Magnus Olesen brand. The historic and continued mission is to create design-led, sustainable furniture, matching the needs and demands of global customers. Magnus Olesen is linked with designers such as Ib Kofod-Larsen, Kai Kristiansen, Rud Thygesen & Johnny Sørensen, Niels Gammelgaard, Busk + Hertzog and, more recently, Strand+Hvass and SaysWho, providing continuity of design and culture. Expect to see much more from this wonderful Danish manufacturer.w

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VIVID TRANSFORMATION Midlands-based company interior specialists Company Image has recently completed one of its biggest refurbishment projects. The company was called in by Vivid Laminating Technologies, Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of laminating systems, after the company outgrew its premises. Initially, Company Image was called in to carry out a refit of Vivid’s offices, however the team noticed that they could develop the entire warehouse unit at the same time, installing mezzanine floors and pallet racking in order for Vivid to maximise the space available. Now fully completed, Vivid’s offices host several bespoke features, which Company Image designed and fitted according to specific dimensions, including a bar area and a bespoke audio unit for the boardroom. Company Image used 3D imaging technology to allow Vivid’s directors to visualise these new additions and how they would look as part of the brand, as Company Image Project Manager, Andy Dawson, explains, ‘We were

brought in by Vivid at the early stages of the office refit process and quickly realised that there was a great deal we could do to maximise their space. 'Our design team worked closely with Vivid to create unique features such as the bar area, breakout spaces and customer showroom, all of which we feel have dramatically transformed the office and warehouse area from an empty shell into a vibrant space.’w

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Upfront |

18TH CENTURY TWIST TO CONTEMPORARY WORKSPACE

Our friends at align have created a financial services workplace with ‘a unique 18th century visual twist’. The client is based in a central London building with a Grade I listed façade and a newbuild structure directly behind, with the new project specifically relating to the redesign of one entire floor. The scheme had to be delivered in three phases, with staff moving round the space to allow working to continue throughout. The ‘twist’ came in the links between the building and a famous 18th century portrait and landscape painter. The brief given to the award-winning workspace design team was to introduce some connection to the painter in the scheme, but without fighting against the modern structure of the building, nor creating anything pastiche. In order to create this connection, align suggested a graphic

16 | Mix 188 October 2018

route, using some of the painter’s works in the form of floor-to-ceiling matt translucent film, applied to the glass walls of the three meeting rooms and one office, as well as informing the meeting room naming strategy. After identifying options from the painter’s landscape work for this, the design team proceeded to apply for copyright from a number of leading galleries to use the chosen images, including Tate Britain and the National Gallery, ending up with the right to use four paintings. These also informed the names of two of the meeting rooms.w

PROJECT PROJECT Relocating to London’s Waterloo neighbourhood has heralded a new direction for global experiential marketing agency George P Johnson (GPJ) and its stablemates at Project Worldwide. Proximity to clients and better access to Central London’s rich talent pool were essential pillars of the company’s ambitious growth strategy and encouraged them to move from their ‘spiritual home’ of the past 10 years in Kingston upon Thames. The company used this as an opportunity to reinvent its workspace, recognising its potential as a powerful employer branding tool. GPJ used

office project management specialists JAC Group, along with designers Studio Weave and Architecture 00. Spread across two floors and a roof terrace of a refurbished Victorian warehouse, the 15,000 sq ft office is designed to foster creativity, community and collaboration. The introduction of agile working has been supported by a diverse range of work settings – from open-plan spaces divided into neighbourhoods for each department, through to meeting rooms, breakout spaces, cafe and social areas, lockers, a large multipurpose reception and ‘The Lab’. KI’s EC4 workstations and tables, with their solid oak legs, were used in this scheme. Designed and manufactured in the UK, the workstations and tables can be found throughout the open plan workspaces, meeting tables in the ‘Orangery’ and in the conference rooms.w

Upfront |

NEW DESIGN GUILD MARK IDENTITY We think the new Design Guild Mark looks great. Awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, a new brand identity and standalone website has been launched as it sets its sights on becoming a recognised indicator of excellence among consumers. In case you haven’t left Southport for the past 20 years, the Design Guild Mark rewards excellence and recognises the highest standards in the design of furnishings for volume production, by the finest designers working in Britain, or British designers working abroad. Designed by Creative Director, Scott Thomas, the new logo features a contemporary interpretation of a D that subconsciously references innovation. The new logo, which retains some of the Design Guild Mark’s historic signature features, such as the gold colourway, has been designed to be powerful but unobtrusive so it can be utilised alongside other visual identities. We are told that ‘the identity aims to better resonate with the award’s intended demographic – aspiring and established designers’. The website, www.designguildmark.org.uk was launched in September and includes information on all previous winners of the Mark, the latest news, biographies of the judging panel and useful information about applying and the judging criteria for both the Furniture and 2D categories.w

MORE MIXOLOGY NORTH 18 JUDGES ANNOUNCED As we told you last month, when we introduced our first panel of expert judges, that we're well underway with preparations for the Mixology North Winter Ball – and, of course, awards. We now split our judges into two panels, with one judging the projects and related awards, and the other judging the products and related company awards. This fine array of talent will be tasked with deciding who the 2018 winners will be from the latter categories.w

Nick Atkin Group Chief Executive, Halton Housing Nick has driven the transformational change of Halton Housing to enable it to be best placed to meet the future opportunities and challenges the housing sector faces. Included in the top 25 most influential people in housing, he is a keen advocate of innovation. He uses digital as an enabler to drive fundamental change in how businesses operate.

Carl Gearing, Workplace Consultant, Strategic Planning Ltd (for PwC) Carl Gearing is owner and Managing Director of workplace consultancy, Strategic Planning Ltd. He has worked in commercial furniture for over 20 years, continuing to be the consultant to PwC for all their workplace changes and projects. Carl is an innovator and driving force behind many new ideas used in office furniture; the future of furniture design and its effect on the workplace is of great importance to him.

Roger Stephenson, Managing Partner, Stephenson Studio Roger Stephenson OBE founded his practice in 1979. It has since been deeply involved in the urban regeneration of Manchester. Roger has completed many of Manchester’s significant buildings – the new building for Chetham’s School of Music was shortlisted for the Sterling Prize and, in 2001, Roger received an OBE.

Claire Harkins, Account Manager, McLaughlin & Harvey Workspace Solutions Claire has spent a considerable part of her career dedicated to creating amazing spaces for her clients to work and learn. She is always searching the market for innovative product design solutions and new applications for her projects. She is a pivotal member of the Workspace Solutions business.

Gary Thomas, Managing Director, Hunters Gary is a true expert in the furniture industry. Over the past 28 years he has grown Hunters – The Furniture Company into one of the UK’s leading furniture providers, with a turnover of over £30m, delivering solutions to organisations across the UK and Europe. He has an unrivalled understanding of the furniture industry and a passion for the built environment.

COMMUNICATION DEVICE We’d like to think we know what we are taking about – but our latest MixInspired seminar at the offices of Turner & Townsend in London gave us the opportunity to hear things from the horse’s mouth, as it were, and in this case from four hugely experienced workplace professionals who know a thing or two about what works and what does. On the panel were: Tahera Hammond,

Global Head of Workplace, Investec Asset Management; Nikki Kirbell, Health & Wellbeing Lead, Unilever; Sarah Lodge, Director EMEA Facilities, Turner Broadcasting Systems; Karen Rogers, Project Design Executive, Canary Wharf Group. You can see more of the event on page 84. Meanwhile, here’s a taster for you in the shape of the results of one of our audience polls.w

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Mix 188 October 2018 | 17

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Upfront | Perspective

PERSPECTIVE Suzanne Archer, Director of Turner & Townsend Suzanne is a Director at Turner & Townsend – the multinational professional services company that specialises in programme management, project management, cost management and consulting across the property, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. She is currently working for HMRC’s Estates Transformation Programme, one of the most significant Public Sector workplace projects in a long time

What is the best thing about your role at Turner & Townsend? Turner & Townsend is a vibrant and dynamic business. It encourages all employees to contribute to the direction the business is going and to be involved in shaping it. The Turner & Townsend leadership invests time listening and getting feedback and ideas from all levels of the business, from graduates through to directors. I believe that this has been a key element to the success of the company. As part of my role at Turner & Townsend, I engage with employees within my team to encourage ideas to be shared.

negotiations, CAT A monitoring, CAT B design and construction, staff moves, facilities management and office closures. HMRC has been inspirational client to work for. They are always looking to improve the way they do things. ‘Challenge something, change something, make something better’ has been a great mantra, which is instilled in every member of the team. I believe it will be one of the most successful programmes to be delivered for quite some time.

What were you doing before this current role? Before joining Turner & Townsend I was on maternity leave with my second child. I took a full year of maternity leave, after having both my children. I value the time I spent with my children – however I missed the excitement of working with a wide range of teams, delivering great projects.

Name one thing that you think will have disappeared from the workplace in the next decade. I believe we will see a reduction in landlords fitting out entire buildings to CAT A. A large majority of CAT B projects end up removing suspended ceilings and ductwork that have only just been installed. This takes time, costs money and is not sustainable for the environment. Wherever possible, we try to instruct required CAT A omissions to realise financial and programme savings for our clients.

What project are you working on? I am currently working for HMRC’s Estates Transformation Programme. This programme moves 58,000 employees from 170 offices into 13 Regional Centres. This is currently believed to be the biggest office transformation programme in Europe. It is forecast to generate savings of £100m a year by 2025. It has been an exciting project to be involved in, as it covers all aspects of the real estate lifecycle; lease

What are the biggest challenges you and your team face? As a project manager it is too easy to fall into the trap of delivering services for a client that only just meet the contractual requirements. At Turner & Townsend we want all of our team to go that extra mile for our clients; where can we save the client money? Are there further aspects of the client organisation that we can help with? What have we learnt from our other projects, which may be of

benefit to our current client? There is a great knowledge-sharing base at Turner & Townsend, which keeps our teams thinking of innovative ideas to take to our clients and wider project teams. What is the one thing that you would change when working with architects and designers? Being co-located with architects and the design team brings many benefits to the project. I would certainly advocate this being implemented more in the industry. There is something to be said about seeing the team in person that I don’t think will ever leave the workplace. Can you share a lesson learned and hopefully never repeated? I started my career as a structural engineer and have worked on new build and refurbishment projects, both within the UK and overseas. For the past seven years I have been specialising in corporate fit-out projects. What I love about my job is there is always something new to learn. I would therefore say that my lesson to be learnt is ‘never stop learning’. Most importantly, share this with other members of your internal team and client organisations. Is there a new fad, buzzword or trend starting to surface in your world? Inclusivity is having a much greater importance for Turner & Townsend’s clients. This includes gender-neutral toilets, gender-neutral showers, dog toilets, reflection rooms and

accessibility – which is far greater than standard requirements. Employers realise that in creating an inclusive workplace, it brings opportunities to recruit and retain the very best and brightest talent from a broader pool of employees. Are things better or worse than they used to be? It has become tougher for students to obtain degrees from a financial perspective and I believe that this is having a very negative impact on the construction industry. Students in England are now paying up to £9,250 per year for a degree. Attracting graduates to the construction profession is something that we, as employers, need to focus on as a priority. In 2018 alone, Turner & Townsend has welcomed 126 graduates, apprentices and those on industry placements to its UK business. There is a tailored graduate and apprenticeship programme, which is run in-house to support their development and learning. Attracting staff to the construction industry needs to take place from school age. As a result, Turner & Townsend has also been involved in a number of initiatives such as STEM and Design Engineer Construct (DEC). We really want to be at the forefront of inspiring the next generation of professionals into the industry.w

For additional interview content be sure to visit the Mix Interiors website: www.mixinteriors.com

Mix 188 October 2018 | 19

Upfront | Seven

SEVEN

DAY FEEL GOOD CHALLENGE

During the morning commute you’ll see a steady stream of people buzzing with purpose and places to be, very rarely stopping to think of the direction they take and how it makes them feel. With the intention of manufacturing products that predominantly improve the workplace environment, Elite challenge you to make your journey through the next 7 days a positive one. Share your progress with the hashtag #mixfeelgood7

1 Day 1 - Organise Your Day It’s Monday morning, you get to work and try to recall the task you were working on before you left on Friday. You forget and start working on something that wasn’t a priority – Make a List. Write down the things you want to complete today. The first few hours of the work day can have a significant impact on your level of productivity – so it’s important you have a morning routine that sets you up for success. Day 2 - Keep Healthy Mid-morning and you sit back in your chair and stretch. Rushing to get an email sent first thing meant you haven’t got up from your chair in over two hours. Stand Up every 20 minutes, even if it’s only for a minute or two. Research suggests this can reduce your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

20 | Mix 188 October 2018

2 Day 3 - Appreciate The train arrived late, someone was tapping their pen all day and your meeting didn’t go to plan, we’ve all had those days where it seems the world is against us – Acknowledge the good things that happened today by writing down three things that made you feel good. Self-acknowledgment and appreciation are key to moving forward towards higher goals and accomplishments.

Day 4 - Community Spirit With your busy schedule, you have only five minutes between meetings to grab a drink – Stop and offer to get your colleagues a coffee at the same time. During your career, its likely you’ll spend more time with your coworkers than you will with your significant other, so it’s important to build positive relationships with the people you work with. There’s a lot we can learn from our coworkers, and it all starts with finding a productive way to coexist and collaborate. Day 5 - Keep It Tidy You have a weekend full of exciting plans and glance at the clock, hoping to see 5pm. End your week by decluttering and organising your workspace for the following week – Tidy desk, Tidy mind. An organised desk helps you remember important tasks, facilitates creativity and reduces stress, leading to a positive start of the new week.

Upfront |

D AVISON H IGHLEY

WUN DER WA LL

7 Day 6 - Reconnect A glance at your LinkedIn feed reminds you of an old colleague or associate that you’ve lost touch with – Make contact and organise a catch up. At one time, you spent a minimum of 40 hours a week with those people. You grew to like, respect, and care about them. You learned from them and even though you no longer work with them, former coworkers are often the best way to build your professional network. 7. Help The Environment As you sit with a coffee, reading the Sunday paper, you read another feature about how our environment is changing – Protect it. Aim to place at least 5 items in the recycling bin today. Nature gives us so many things for free. It gives us clean air, clean water, beautiful landscapes, breath-taking views, the list goes on. We take so much from nature, the least we can do is show our appreciation by protecting and preserving our environment.

CLOVERLEAF BLOID

A LLS O RT 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

Mix 188 October 2018 | 21

Upfront |

OCCUPIERS ARE CUSTOMERS, NOT TENANTS M Moser's Steve Gale takes lessons from coworking into the workplace design industry

The convivial ambience and buzz of a coworking space means that it’s not a property solution but a hospitality business

business rarely has a planning horizon of more than a year and yet commercial property leases revolve around periods that start with five

years, usually more. Is there a way to resolve this disconnect between two disparate timescales? Enter coworking. The last few years has seen an explosion in the provision of coworking space, especially in London, which now represents about 4% of total office floor area in the capital and is still growing. Many organisations subscribe to it precisely because of the misfit between business needs and the traditional commercial property offer described above. Smaller enterprises in particular cannot afford the cost and risk of a lease, so short-term space is a no-brainer. Tenants could balk at the higher cost per square foot of coworking space compared with leasehold, but they don’t. The clear benefit of reduced commitment and flexibility means the comparison is redundant. Occupiers also want all the other stuff that comes with the deal. The convivial ambience and buzz of a coworking space means that it’s not a property solution but a hospitality business. The dry concept of a 'serviced office' with cleaning, coffee and internet provided by others has evolved into a place with personality, offering community and customer experience. This model shines a light on the traditional design approach to leasehold space. Does this wider availability of desirable short-term space mean that the 10-year lease is dead? Not at all. There is, and probably always will be, a majority of employers that can reap the economic benefits of traditional leases because they have enough confidence to commit to them, and they might also like to preserve their own internal business culture, protect intellectual property and exploit the credibility of having their own front door. But there are lessons to be learnt, and ideas and skills to be transferred. The traditional leasehold gets a design rethink on rare occasions, frequently matching the renewal cycle, so the occupiers often tolerate sub-optimal space for years. But problems with accommodation

22 | Mix 188 October 2018

crop up frequently because organisations evolve unpredictably, in fits and starts, as business pressures ebb and flow. Departments grow, acquisitions are made, demand for collaboration increases. Can the design industry offer a more nuanced service to clients that follows this irregular development journey, rather than sorting things out after years of neglect? This idea, like coworking, is not new, and designers commonly offer to review accommodation after occupation – but how often is the offer pressed home? Workplaces come in two flavours – either continually serviced and maintained by others, or renewed every five years or so, more often 10. There is an opportunity for continuous, or at least regular improvement of the traditional leasehold office space. Designers are permanently engaged in progressive thinking and real life workplace solutions. They have their finger on the pulse and spend time understanding the client’s business. More frequent engagement, little and often, could improve a business, the working lives of employees and the credibility of the design industry. I am not proposing that designers change scale and deliver a stream of mini-projects, but that they enhance their service mentality, in addition to the current professional offer. We like big projects, the bigger the better, and incremental improvement has not really been our bag. We can do both and help occupiers enjoy the benefits of the more curated and flexible coworking environment. There is a blind spot here, because smaller more frequent change is less risky and the chances of success are greater. The big projects will still come around, and a designer who has developed trust through countless conversations will be in a good position when their client has to move on and upgrade. Customer relationship management can be elevated to a real working relationship. I suggest that the design industry could mature like the coworking offer. We too can engage more closely with clients to make their business sing. Continuous improvement is central to success for most businesses. We can help them.w Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates. SteveG@mmoser.com

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 standâ&#x20AC;?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

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 EconylÂŽ 100% regenerated nylon and with 90% recycled content cushion backing, Fine Detail is offered in a palette of 10 colours.

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Upfront | Material Matters

MATERIAL MATTERS In this month’s Material Matters, the team of experts at Material Lab explore surfaces that engage and inspire through tactility.

1. Alice Percy-Raine draws on architectural structures to create unique surface design Textile designer Alice Percy-Raine draws on architectural structures to form a playful, rhythmic and tactile surface that allows the viewer to connect through their sense of touch. Possessing a deep understanding of material characteristics has allowed Alice to use a range of different materials, ranging from seagrass cord to silicone foam tubing. Alice’s current collection works perfectly for internal feature areas, partitioning and even possesses noise reduction properties, making it ideal for a plethora of environments including offices, retail and high end residential projects. The use of seagrass cord creates a more structural and rough effect in contrast to the soft and woolly merino wool, allowing for a more decorative, yet three dimensional, depth to her pieces. www.alicepercyraine.com

2. Banker Wire taps into its manufacturing heritage to create stylish woven mesh Established in 1896, Banker Wire manufactures a wide range of woven and welded metal mesh for architectural applications. The small scale twin inter-crimp pattern elegantly refracts light, creating an ever changing surface. Available in a host of different alloys, the mesh can be used for partitioning, feature areas, internal railing, furniture and even lighting. www.bankerwire.com

3. Subway Lab Canale by Johnson Tiles plays with light to create bespoke finishes in every installation The Subway Lab Canale product plays with geometric angles to reflect and refract light. Nine different angular ribbed designs work in synergy to create an elegant surface suitable for all internal wall areas. Ceramic manufacturer, Johnson Tiles, intended for the different designs to be laid randomly, ensuring a unique surface every time, regardless of whether it’s in a residential kitchen, commercial bathroom or retail feature area. www.johnson-tiles.com

4. Odette Smaldon makes a handconstructed textile consisting of laser cut acrylic circles Odette Smaldon is a designer and maker specialising in constructed textiles, inspired by a passion for making and craftsmanship. Odette’s current work utilises laser cut acrylic and plywood shapes, which are manipulated and repeated to create intriguing textile surfaces with both malleable and structured properties. The materials hold playful and interactive qualities, highlighted by the transparent and light reflecting components alongside solid bright and bold colours. The innovative joining technique and use of elastic creates an intriguing textile surface with multiple interior applications and potential for alternative material combinations. www.odettesmaldon.weebly.com

www.material-lab.co.uk

Mix 188 October 2018 | 25

Upfront | Desert Island Desks

DESERT ISLAND DESKS Andrew Whiting, Owner and Principal, HÛT

Andrew established HÛT – an award-winning architectural practice based in Shoreditch, in 2002. HÛT specialises in the design of places to live and places to work, many schemes combining both areas of expertise in urban re-invention projects. The name HÛT highlights a belief that a simple, refined approach – robust, carefully considered and beautifully resolved – produces the most elegant designs. Here are Andrew's equally elegant desert island selections.

26 | Mix 188 October 2018

A REFLUX STILL So that I can distil my own gin. Which I can then use to create a lifetime’s supply of Eastern Standard cocktails.

AN ELECTRIC JETSKI Given there’s no petrol but lots of sunshine on a desert island, and I shall have time on my hands to charge it via solar panels, this would seem to be just the thing to satisfy my need for speed.

A RECLINING ARMCHAIR

A WIND-UP RADIO

One with a footstool – for afternoon naps. And rest periods between imbibing gin cocktails and taking my jetski out.

For listening to Radio 4 so I can keep up to date with all the global current affairs that have absolutely no effect on my own local ones.

Tel 01925 850500

Upfront |

Email info@sixteen3.co.uk

MY SUNGLASSES One of my many pairs of almost identical sunglasses would be useful as I don’t anticipate wearing much else on my desert island – but some protection for my eyes might come in handy.

TRACKS FOR THE DESERT ISLAND JUKEBOX: Nightmares on Wax – You Wish Some random jazz that I like but seems to irritate all those around me – which I'm guessing will just be marine life on my desert island Groove Armada – My Friend Some awful Rihanna/Taylor Swift/Drake music to remind me of my lovely daughters AC/DC – Ain't No Fun Waiting Round To Be A Millionaire

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

www.sixteen3.co.uk

Mix 188 October 2018 | 27

Upfront | Property Matters | Pipeline

OH SO QUIET The UK’s regional office markets are in a strange place. Amidst Brexit frustration and a cautious money market, the supply will not pick up soon, as David Thame reports.

Simon Price is frustrated. As he looks out of his window of the Bristol office of surveyors Alder King he sees a city whose office occupiers are scrambling for office space and prepared to pay ever-higher rents to get hold of it. Yet what Simon doesn’t see from his office window are the tower cranes and scaffolding that show developers are busy meeting that need. On the contrary, things are remarkably quiet. Next year, Bristol’s office market will see hardly any landlord-led office refurbishment. ‘If the total adds up to 100,000 sq ft, that would be surprising,’ says a disconsolate Simon. Outside the economic juggernauts of London and Manchester (and, to some extent, Birmingham), the Bristol experience is typical of UK office markets. On the one hand, office occupiers are mostly still tails-in-the-air busy. On

28 | Mix 188 October 2018

the other, office landlords and developers see no particular reason to take risks today, six months out from Brexit and five years into a gentlyinflating property bubble. In part, this is a shrewd calculation – after all, sitting on their hands keeps office supply low, which in turn helps keeps rents up – but it is also because they genuinely don’t feel very optimistic. Talk privately, as Mix has done, to some of the truly big names who fund office development in the UK regions and you quickly see why. ‘Late cycle,’ one mutters. ‘It reminds me of 2007, and we all know what came next,’ says another. To put it bluntly, they are slightly scared and certainly very cautious. Nobody will be getting much money out of them any day soon. In Bristol this translates into some big potential office new build and refurbishment plans that

'For the first time in a long time, we’re seeing some city centre occupiers looking at out-of-town options because they simply have no choice...'

are stuck awaiting board-level approval – around 250,000 sq ft of new floorspace that isn’t going to happen as soon as it might due to hold-ups further down the funding stream. ‘It’s just frustratingly slow on new building and refurbishment,’ says Simon, ‘and the frustration is because the office market remains very strong, with take-up consistently good for the last three to four years.’ The strength of demand is proved by the rapid rate of rental increases, Simon insists. ‘Cubex Land’s 95,000 sq ft Aurora office development was all but fully let before construction completed, and every deal set a new record rent. Before that scheme started on site, the top rent was £29.50 per sq ft – today it is £35, which shows the strength of the market.’ Royal London – who has just bought the freehold of the Cubex block – is behind the next 90,000 sq ft of new floorspace in Bristol, due for completion in 2020. But otherwise, there’s not a lot coming: the pipeline is dry. Simon’s guess is that the out-of-town business parks of North Bristol will be the beneficiaries, as office occupiers look for floorspace. ‘For the first time in a long time – perhaps ever – we’re seeing some city centre occupiers looking at out-of-town options because they simply have no choice – and of course it is much cheaper out of town. Top rents are £22.50 per sq ft and rising a little, but that’s still a huge discount on the city centre.’ No surprise that landlords and developers are grabbing opportunities in north Bristol, the prime

Upfront |

OPPOSITE: 10 Design leased 5,000 sq ft of a first floor space at the newly furbished 132 Princess Street, Edinburgh. ABOVE: M&G Real Estate unveiled plans for The Grid, a new 12-storey, £100 million Grade A office development spanning 277,500 sq ft in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre.

Mix 188 October 2018 | 29

Upfront | Property Matters | Pipeline

example being Columbia Threadneelde’s 12,000 sq ft Building 600, Aztect West. But a handful of new builds and refurbs is all Bristol has – and according to Simon it’s not likely to change. ‘Rising construction costs in the South West – the Hinkley power station project is not helping because it is adding to the demand

Regions outside London Office Markets

for construction services – are a big worry for developers. But they are also looking at the

Manchester

Glasgow

42 0,2 4 2 1, 029 , 20 1,2

Birmingham

,6 514

economy and nobody is going to put their name

to anything big six months out from Brexit. They are taking a step back and being very cautious,’ he says.

Manchester

Switch the focus 400 miles north to Glasgow

Birmingham

and things look eerily similar, with one important – not very comforting – difference.

1,40 7,08 2 1,37 5,9 88

,9 95

1,6

According to Alistair Reid, Director of office agency at JLL in Glasgow, it would be easy to believe the Scottish office market was on a roll. A series of major pre-lets – Clydesdale Bank took 111,000 sq ft, whilst HMRC took another 187,000

Cardiff

sq ft – suggest strength. And it is certainly true

Edinburgh

that speculative office development is being let well ahead of completion on site. The first half of 2018 saw Glasgow perform well

Glasgow

– the second quarter was 50% up on the same period last year – and the mood is good.

Bristol

However, Alistair says the problem is that, behind these big headline deals, the market is flat. The sense of caution that, in Bristol, grips

Newcastle

landlords and developers (but not occupiers) in

Leeds

Glasgow extends to everybody. Sitting on hands is the city’s default position.

575

,777 558 ,66 2

391

,30

9 ,69 5 1 6 53 2,2 56 61 6,2 54

285

,00 0

128 ,96 0 66, 000

TOTAL TOTAL UNDER UNDER CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION (SQ FT)

numbers for Glasgow look impressive but there

Newcastle Edinburgh

Bristol

AVAILABILITY AVAILABILITY (SQ FT) (SQ FT)

(SQ FT)

isn’t a long list of people waiting behind them. It’s

Cardiff

,8 85

‘I don’t think there is a great depth of enquiries behind the big deals. The headline take-up

Leeds

not a super-strong occupational market and, for the indigenous office occupiers, it’s challenging,’ Alistair does not expect anyone to enjoy a

scenes will continue flat into 2019. The upside is that he predicts many occupiers – unwilling or unable to move into new offices – will instead opportunity for new fit-outs, he says. A general upscaling of Scottish office space is for a contemporary look at 132 Princes Street, Edinburgh, as they increase their footprint from JLL went for ultra-modern after signing a new There is a collaboration zone at the centre of conferencing capabilities, including BlueJeans

30 | Mix 188 October 2018

EDINBURGH

BRISTOL

3.6

and an emphasis on other smart technology.w

CARDIFF 4.7

the office, designed with an emphasis on video

BIRMINGHAM

6.5

10-year lease at 7 Exchange Place, Edinburgh.

NEWCASTLE 6.9

2,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft. Meanwhile, surveyors

LEEDS 8.2

already in progress. Architects 10 Design opted

GLASGOW 9.8

upgrade their existing floorspace. There’s a real

MANCHESTER

12.2

development, refurbishment and occupational

UK City Centre Vacancy Rates (%)

sudden rush of confidence and, therefore, the

12.5

Alistair says.

Data relates to Q2 2018, from Cushman & Wakefield

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Upfront | Property Matters | C-Suite

SOUND OF THE SUBURBS Not everyone wants to be cutting edge, but almost everybody wants to be cool. BizSpace’s Emma Long explains to David Thame how one growing out-of-town serviced office provider hopes to keep the suburbs happy

32 | Mix 188 October 2018

Lazy assumptions, stereotypical thinking: prejudice is a dreadful thing – and it is as prevalent in the office market as anywhere else. One sector that really suffers from a large dose of prejudice is the suburban office market. The very word ‘suburban’ seems to tell a story. It suggests cosy, neat, perhaps rather chintzy and conservative. Above all, it suggests normal. A suburban location is a no-surprise place. Yawn, yawn. In the last decade, the suburban office market has suffered from exactly this stigma. The trendy people work in city centres and you folks out in the business parks – well, sorry guys, you’re just not very cool. One business-space landlord is trying to change this and there is nothing of the above about the woman in charge of its efforts, BizSpace Commercial Director Emma Long. BizSpace claims to be the UK’s largest provider of flexible workspace. It is in the midst of a £37m investment, which is adding new suburban workspaces to its network – and design is at the centre of what it does.

Since September 2017, BizSpace, has added 351,000 sq ft to its portfolio. Backed by Värde Partners, BizSpace now has a total of 105 UK-wide properties, equating to over 6 million sq ft under ownership. Recent openings include Waltham Abbey in Essex, Hemel Hempstead, Cardiff, Doncaster and Cheadle in Greater Manchester. The company has also invested £25 million into refurbishing and updating its core portfolio, implementing cost-saving programmes, reducing energy consumption and improving the work environment for its 4,000 micro and SME customers. The aim, says Long, is to appeal to those who do not want a tedious commute into town and who would prefer a small business base close to their home. You could call them the ‘busy mum’ demographic, although that’s not an expression BizSpace uses. ‘It’s always been about the ’burbs for us,’ Emma says. ‘Our clients don’t want the city centre. They want a location near home, with parking.

Upfront |

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Lombard Business Centre, Wimbledon. Zenith House, Solihull. Atlantic Business Centre, Altrincham. Design Works Business Centre, Gatehead.

THE QUEEN’S AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE: INTERNATIONAL TRADE 2017

www.bancroft-fabrics.com / T 01274 518888 enquiries@bancroft-fabrics.com Mix 188 October 2018 | 33

Upfront | Property Matters | C-Suite

‘We are the Premier Inn of our sector. We’re competitive, well designed, you can take what you want, we’re not in the city centre, so our rates are lower – and we found during the last recession we were the perfect product for people who want to take their business off the kitchen table, and to grow their business.’ Office design matters: perhaps not in the hypertensive way that it does in city centre coworking environments, but look and feel, textures and colours, are still important in creating a business-like but lively environment. ‘The majority of our customers are micro-businesses, entrepreneurs or freelancers,’ Emma explains. ‘Our aim is to provide them with a space that inspires them, gives them a sense of togetherness and makes them more productive. Running your own business can be tough and we want our customers to have a place that feels like home and that they want to come into every day.’ The result is a decision to customise each business centre, giving each a strong sense of local identity. ‘We approach each of our business centres in an individual way to achieve a fit-out that reflects the location and the target market – for example, in our Altrincham centre, the tiles and features give a nod to the area’s historic market,' says Emma. ‘We also try to support our customers wherever possible: the principal design company we use for our interiors is a customer of ours. ‘It’s not all about quirky bean bags, and its not all about millennials. We’ve done nice ‘olde worlde’ fit-outs – rugs and blue and white tiles. The design has to fit the people who come to our buildings, and they are mostly from a 3-5-mile radius.’ BizSpace is still expanding. It is now looking for new sites in the Midlands as it steps up its presence in out-of-city-centre markets. The expansion plans follow the acquisition of Zenith House in Solihull, purchased earlier this year for £4.6 million. The 24,000 sq ft facility has now been refurbished to meet the BizSpace specification. ‘We don’t just aim to provide them with a desk to sit at, but a range of spaces to suit multiple activities, whether helping them to focus on a

34 | Mix 188 October 2018

Running your own business can be tough and we want our customers to have a place that feels like home and that they want to come into every day

task or encouraging interaction and collaboration,’ Emma tells us. ‘We’re really pleased with the Solihull office, which is already 20% let after only a few weeks. 'In the Midlands we’re looking at Coventry, mixed industrial/office, or just office space over 35,000 sq ft and we’ll look again at Wolverhampton. Maybe also one on the outskirts of Birmingham.’ Faced with the exponential expansion of city based coworking operations like WeWork, BizSpace has to keep its eye on the latest trends. They certainly don’t see WeWork as a rival. ‘Good luck to them, I say,’ Emma responds. ‘They’ve opened up the serviced office market, which is a good thing, and in that sense they have done us a favour. Suddenly serviced office is cool and coworking is a buzzword.

‘WeWork and Regus are making a city centre offer – and their buildings are in great locations, and their design is fabulous. I don’t think they are doing anything wrong. But we need to listen to the customers we have. We started in this business long before them and we’ve outlived a lot of others – and we will out-live more.’ The serviced office sector benefited from the last recession – it offered flexibility at a time when nobody wanted to make commitments, and was able to make it pay because much of the floorspace was in low-cost secondary locations. Today, the serviced office sector has highercost premises in better locations – and, for city centre based operators, the cost of their premises will define their future prospects if the economy takes a tumble. But for BizSpace, and others operating in lower-cost out-of-town locations, the future looks distinctly rosy.w

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Belvedere House, Basingstoke. BizSpace's Head office, Dollis Hill's, kitchen area. Newton Heath Reception

Upfront |

Mix 188 October 2018 | 35

Mango Headquarters Boss Drive Dudley West Midlands DY2 8SZ

London

7 Clerkenwell Rd Clerkenwell London EC1M 5PA

Manchester

The Lightwell 25-27 Booth St Manchester M2 4AF

Dubai

Al Noor Street Al Sufouh 1 PO Box 17088 Dubai UAE

sales@bossdesign.com bossdesign.com

Chicago

222 Merchandise Mart Plaza Suite 359 Chicago IL 60654

Spotlight | Coworking

SPOTLIGHT

THE BIG QUESTION 39 Name your favourite coworker, past or present, and explain why!

SPOTLIGHT: COWORKING 41

ABOVE: Bottlenose dolphins have been lending a fin to fishermen in Laguna, Brazil, for generations. The animals will herd mullet fish towards the fishermen and even flick their heads or tails to signal to the men that it's time to throw the net. Coworking at its finest!

Mix 188 October 2018 | 37

welcome to a new world

Bosse modul space The high-quality modul space furniture range combines timeless Bauhaus design with a simple building block principle. It offers intelligent office solutions and integrated room concepts for today and tomorrow. Tailored to your needs, variable and modular to cater for changes, built to last for a long time.To get your copy of the Bosse catalogue, please call +44 (0) 7775 798 877 or email at d.sellars@dauphinuk. com. Or come in and see us at any time.

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Spotlight | Coworking

THE BIG

Na m e yo u r fa vo u rit e co w o rk e r, p a st o r p re s e nt, a n d e x p l a i n w h y!

UESTION

SARA WILKINS, HEAD OF WORKPLACE INTERIORS EMEA, CALLISONRTKL

MBALI CHAISE, SENIOR WORKPLACE CONSULTANT, MCM

DERECK DZIVA, LEAD MANAGER, MBIFM

Inspirational and making it easy – these are two attributes that spring to mind when I think of one particular stand out coworker of mine. Michael Colburn is a tech design guru who I have the pleasure of coworking with on a regular basis. Not only does he know his stuff, but he can translate the detail and intricacies of smart building technologies into human experiences and commercial value. He gets my mind whirling and introduces me to new ideas from his world of expertise. Together we create innovative ideas, predict the future and share our knowledge – it’s exciting, new and fresh, a healthy creative yoga for the mind, oh and it's a lot of fun!

I had the pleasure and privilege of working closely with Sho Itoh on numerous interior design and workplace strategy projects. He first was a stranger, then became a mentor and now is a friend. The unexpected growth of this relationship is the result of his poised demeanour, sense of humour and nurturing approach to the workplace and fellow colleagues. Always professional, even when telling me off; he repeatedly made time for me whenever I needed guidance, advice or was in need of a good old rant.

My favourite coworker is Dave Parkes, who’s our internal communications manager. As the workplace lead, a significant part of my job revolves around effectively communicating to staff. Dave makes this very easy for me because we are able to bounce ideas before I hit the send button. Most importantly, Dave uses his employee engagement skills to full effect and he helps to give our workplace an element of fun.

GURVINDER KHURANA, DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER, ALIGN

RACHEL BASHA-FRANKLIN, DIRECTOR, BASHA-FRANKLIN

ZOE MOSS, DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR, CHARLES EDWARD

I’ve worked with Nigel Tresise for 17 years, run a company together for 13 and have been married to him for 16. He’s a born teacher who’s given me more support than anyone I’ve ever worked with, especially in our earliest days when he mentored me on technical knowledge, adding greatly to my design-and-build, and then consultancy experience. These days, thanks to him, I hold my own right across the board!

Favourite coworker?! That would be like choosing a favourite child. We love working with the two companies we share our space with, branding agency, Proud Creative and architecture practice, Catterall Franklin. As designers, we tend to hang out with people we are culturally aligned with. We like the visual quality of our environment to be just right, music choices aligned, and social events complementary. The stars are aligned with our current coworkers and this has made life great.

Coworking for me is an everyday occurrence, not so much a perspective on the style of office but on your own style as a colleague. My favourite coworker has to be our Lead Estimator, Resty Musisi. She is quiet and unassuming, then pops her head above her PC to contribute moments of professional brilliance and, frankly, outbursts of hilarity - something every coworking and high output environment should thrive upon and something I am proud to say exists at Charles Edward Ltd!

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors October 2018.pdf 1 22/09/2018 14:54:50 C

CMY

Mix 188 October 2018 | 39

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Spotlight | Coworking

ALL TOGETHER NOW Avenue HQ

Many of us will be aware of the entity that is the Regus serviced office, while there is also wide recognition of how the northern property group, Bruntwood, have been, for years, creating great flexible office environments and, more recently, creating workplaces akin to wonderful hospitality locations. However, no one can be in any doubt about the rise and impact on commercial office space that the coworking phenomenon WeWork has had. WeWork was created in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, with its first location in New York. It was reported that, in 2017, WeWork had a valuation of US$20 billion, with an office space portfolio of over 10,000,000 sq ft. To many, this distributor has had the biggest impact on the world of the workplace, directly or indirectly; from length and flexibility of leases, the increase in the entrepreneurial class and the impact on how clients envisage their own workplaces.

Whilst the impact of Google undoubtedly helped many clients feel they knew what they wanted, we feel that designers often took the statement with a pinch of salt. Designers tell us almost daily that clients are looking for the WeWork look – and now they are taking notice. Whilst we don’t expect the future coworking landscape to be trouble-free, we are already seeing the use of technology used very effectively to assess footfall and occupancy, something that is certainly not widespread with corporate clients. Whilst for many Coworking progress has been slow, at Mix we feel that we are at a tipping point, where both end user client and the property professionals are taking a keen interest. WeWork is not alone in asking questions of developers, agents and designers. Over the next pages, you will see the result of interviews with a wonderful variety of coworking operators and designers, asking questions that we hope will give you an insight that you perhaps don’t always get from the usual coworking message.

ABOVE: Central Working

Mix 188 October 2018 | 41

Spotlight | Coworking

WORK.LIFE David, Kosky, Co-founder, Work.Life

ABOVE: Work.Life Bermondsey – hot desking and breakout area

As the term is so broadly interpreted by many people/companies now, what does coworking mean to you? For Work.Life coworking is a friendly, personal and productive workspace where businesses of all sizes can come together under one roof. Landlords have recognised the revenue benefits of presenting their buildings to the market as coworking space rather than CAT A. Many are implementing their own schemes. Is this a threat? We are certainly seeing more and more landlords recognising the benefit of having coworking in their buildings. Our strategy of taking smaller spaces (sub 15,000 sq ft) with ground floor frontage is designed for landlords looking to animate their buildings without impacting investment values and has proven popular with some of the UK’s largest institutional landlords. Whilst more landlords are realising that coworking needs to be in their multi-let buildings in order to attract bigger occupiers, we are seeing most landlords favouring working with certain operators in their building vs setting up their own coworking spaces. What I do expect to see more of is landlords

42 | Mix 188 October 2018

looking to agree turnover style leases with operators to benefit from the upside generated from successful coworking space and some of the larger landlords looking to offer more flexible style fully-fitted solutions for businesses that have ‘graduated’ from coworking and are looking for an enterprise solution. Coworking is shifting from being work environments for incubation/start-ups to being flex space for established and blue chip companies. How has this influenced your offering? It hasn’t really. We have been lucky to call the likes of EY, Dr Martens and MTV as members at Work.Life. They all have different reasons for looking to coworking, but the one thing they have in common is that they join us because they want something different from their current head office. One thing we have been sure not to do is to overexpose ourselves to larger members. Whilst the enterprise model is attractive, fundamentally we believe there is substantial risk with offering large space on relatively short term agreements and, as a result, never offer more than 30% of our space to any one business.

Newer coworking environments add value to what is essentially a rented desk. For example, Labs offer technical services and WeWork offer community. What is your USP? Unfortunately, I think community has become a bit of a buzzword in the coworking market. More and more of the operators out there are delivering space on such a scale that it is lacking soul and the communities they once had. Our USP is that, in a world where coworking operators are becoming Starbucks, we are offering a barista style of coworking; purposefully smaller so we can deliver a genuine personal service to our members, and so that they can actually make valuable connections, which will help them grow as a business. How we like to put it: we’re smaller so you can grow bigger. Currently, how many locations do you operate in? We currently have seven locations across London and Reading and a brand new space opening in Manchester this November, our first big city move outside of London, which we are really excited about. By the end of this year we will have over 5,000 members, with plans to increase by 30% next year.

Which trends influenced the design of your space? Instead of focusing on trends, we start the design process with a brief on how we want our members to feel when they come into a Work.Life space – which for us is relaxed, welcome and productive. This impacts everything we do, the materials we use, the colours in the space and, most importantly, the layout and the different areas we put into our spaces. We also use the local area to influence our designs, naming our meeting rooms after the local hotspots. We want all our buildings to feel like a Work.Life space but to take different design inspiration from local tastes and trends. Describe what you think workplaces will look like in 20 years’ time. Smaller, all based around agile working, with a focus on understanding how we as humans want to spend our working day. As we can already start to see emerging, the 9-5 will be a thing of the past and workplaces will need to reflect that. Spaces where people can rock up at 11am and hang around until midnight or somewhere they won’t mind coming in and getting their heads down on the weekend. Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? I hope so! We will always need social interaction and, as such, workplaces will always have a role in bringing people and teams together. Undoubtedly improving tech will allow for far more agile working and you may find companies having smaller offices or satellite offices in coworking spaces that will allow their team to get together as and when they need. What is a motto you live by? The Work.Life motto of course…’Because life’s too short!’ As much as a lot of us don’t like to admit it, most of our lives are spent at work, and life is certainly too short to not enjoy the environment you spend most of your time in. So, why not work somewhere you won’t dread coming into on a Monday morning?

ABOVE: Work.Life Reading – entrance/ reception and kitchen

BELOW: Work.Life Clerkenwell – shared office space

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Spotlight | Coworking

BRUNTWOOD Andrew Cooke, Regional Director, Bruntwood

What does coworking mean to you? Prefixing words with ‘co’ has become very popular recently but at its core ‘co’ means together or in common; and that’s essentially what coworking offers. It’s space where like-minded people can come and share ideas, work together and collaborate. Some people view coworking as pitching up to a busy office, struggling to find a seat and having the hassle of carrying your stuff around with you all the time – but coworking has changed, you can get dedicated desks with all the things you need on hand to run your business. Not everyone wants or needs permanent offices, but also simply can’t run their business from home, and that’s where coworking space can come in and provide the right environment and ecosystem to allow them to get on with what they do best; running their business. Landlords have recognised the revenue benefits of presenting their buildings to the market as coworking space rather than CAT A. Many are implementing their own schemes. Is this a threat?A threat to whom? It’s fair to say that some landlords have simply fitted out space and put desks in an open plan office labelling it ‘coworking’ – but that’s never going to work and be true coworking. A good landlord needs to craft the right conditions to build a community around the space to support and nurture resident businesses. A successful landlord views the space as a service and has moved from the old fashioned model of simply installing CAT A and expecting a higher rent in return. It’s as much about the things that go on around the space, as it is about the design itself. Social and professional events programmes and wellbeing activities are the norm for coworking – without that, it’s just office space.

ABOVE: Coworking space at Bruntwood's Piccadilly facility

ABOVE: Coworking space at Bruntwood Wilderspool

Currently, how many locations do you operate in? We have 110 buildings in five UK cities and counties – Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham and Cheshire. Seven of these offer coworking spaces. Which trends influenced the design of your space? By their nature, trends come and go – but it is well thought-out design that stands the test of time. We’re developing lots of communal and collaborative space in our buildings, literally tearing down walls to ensure, where possible, cross-pollination of our customers’ businesses. The space needs to be full of purpose too – we’ve got receptions and office space with art exhibitions, like the digital wall at Neo, curated by Brendan Dawes and the students at Manchester School of Art. We’re also seeing the importance of biophilia in the design of our space – connecting our customers with sunlight, fresh air and plants, especially in our more urban locations. The link between body and mind has never been greater and businesses are starting to recognise how key this is to workplace productivity, which is why we are installing so many gyms, yoga rooms, meditation spaces and general wellbeing facilities across the portfolio. Describe what you think workplaces will look like in 20 years’ time. The last five years has seen office space change significantly, so the possibilities

are incredible. We thought that, as technology advanced and made it possible to work from home, offices could slowly become redundant. People don’t necessarily want to work in their back rooms at home, even if they can – they want to be in vibrant thriving environments that stimulate creativity. I really don’t see that changing. As the fight for talent increases, so too will the need for businesses to put themselves in buildings that offer the facilities and amenities that enable them to attract and retain the best people. Workplaces will become more and more tech-enabled but, rather than gimmicks for tech’s sake, offices will have tech that captures data, which can be used to the benefit of user experience. Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? Yes, that would be extreme. Office space will change in its shape and form, but we’re seeing a definite human need for social interaction at the heart of the coworking revolution. The introduction of AI and big data means jobs will change and with that the needs of the office space will change, but ultimately business will still require interaction in some form or another. What we, as landlords, need to do is prove the value of that to the customers we attract, through the services and communities we curate.

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Upfront |

AREAWORKS

ABOVE: Open interiors provide inspiration and encourage people to do more together.

Panny Lawrence, Co-founder and CEO, Areaworks

What does coworking mean to you? Coworking to us is a great way for like-minded people to come together and support each other, whether they are in the same industry or not. The flexibility it offers means that workers can choose to work when they are most productive and not fall into the 9-5 model of working. Areaworks offers an open, supportive environment and a collaborative approach, with community at the heart of all we do. Our personal and welcoming touch is different from the more impersonal and inaccessible central London workspaces.

Many workspaces talk about the lifestyle benefits of belonging to a coworking community, but we believe in nurturing the physical and mental wellbeing aspects of work/life balance in ways that are visible and noticeable for our members. The team has a personal, friendly approach and this results in a strong community feel at our locations. We offer yoga classes, a partnership with the Gym Group, free tea, coffee and printing services, amongst other things. We also offer 24-hour access on request for those night owls who feel most productive during the evening.

Describe what you think workplaces will look like in 20 years’ time. There is already a move towards flexible working, not only for SMEs and entrepreneurs but by the global corporations too. It benefits both employees and employers who find that their team are more productive and motivated if allowed to work in the best way to suit them. With this in mind, we think that coworking spaces will become even more important as more and more people and companies choose to offer greater flexibility.

Landlords have recognised the revenue benefits of presenting their buildings to the market as coworking space rather than CAT A. Many are implementing their own schemes. Is this a threat? No, we do not see this as a threat. Coworking is more than offering a shared work space; it is a lifestyle experience. Providers in this ever changing and highly competitive sector need to take ownership of strong product and service differentiators to stay ahead of the game. We are obsessively diligent in looking out for ways to maximise our profits per square foot through highadded-value type of auxiliary services to ensure our business model remains healthy and sustainable.

Currently, how many locations do you operate in? We currently have two open locations in the UK – Manor House and Hoxton – and will be opening our third space in Colindale in the coming months. In addition to this, we have two other buildings that we are looking to open in London in early 2019. We also plan to expand the Areaworks brand in high-growth markets such as China and Korea.

Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? We don’t think so, no. People are not solitary by nature on the whole and so will always seek out the company of others. Coworking offers a great environment for networking, bouncing ideas off each other and just feeling generally supported in addition to allowing workers to separate their work from their home life.

Newer coworking environments add value to what is essentially a rented desk. For example Labs offer technical services and WeWork offer community. What is your USP? Areaworks aims to create a community within the local area. We always take great pride in improving the neighbourhoods and communities we operate in and helping them flourish.

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Which trends influenced the design of your space? Areaworks is designed to celebrate the old and new of the local area, with original features teamed with colourful, quirky furniture. Each space is adapted to reflect the local area and the local people’s needs – we don’t just copy and paste the design from one location to the other. When we renovate spaces, we highlight the building’s individual history. It’s not just a workspace – it’s a whole lifestyle experience. Hence, an Areaworks space is always designed to have three things: a sense of openness, a feeling of community and touches of playful inspiration.

What is a motto you live by? Embrace change: if you don’t evolve over time, you won’t be able to stay ahead of the competition. Success is a long, hard road, not a quick win! You soon learn that the success you achieve is because the people around you believe in you for being you – don’t try to be Richard Branson.

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Spotlight | Coworking

AVENUE HQ Adam Lowe, Marketing Lead, Avenue HQ

What does coworking mean to you? Coworking to us is a concept that allows businesses and individuals to work with more freedom and flexibility, in purpose-built spaces that enable this. Coworking is often seen as just providing a few flexible-working desks to individuals and plying them with free tea and coffee – to us, it is so much more. Coworking for us incorporates the provision of plenty of spaces (both working and breakout spaces) for companies of all sizes, as well as creating both a business and social hub for our members. Coworking is the antithesis of traditional workplaces – always seeking to innovate, and always learning how to make the space as positive as possible for its members. Coworking is shifting from being work environments for incubation/start-ups to being flex space for established and blue chip companies. How has this influenced your offering? This has had a huge influence on us; Avenue HQ was started not to service a select group of start-ups or to be an incubator, but instead to provide high-quality workspaces to companies of all sizes – no matter the sector and no matter what size. A large proportion of our members are established businesses who are looking both for the freedom of a flexible workspace and the improvements to workplace wellbeing and productivity that brings. Our mission is to help companies realise that this is not only the future of working, but also the present – if you haven’t yet embraced the benefits of coworking, then you’re already behind. Currently, how many locations do you operate in? Avenue HQ currently operates in two locations – in Liverpool and Leeds. Our Liverpool site opened in June 2017, and Leeds opened in September 2018. We are always on the lookout for new locations and communities to bring our offering to.

Which trends influenced the design of your space? The designs of our spaces are influenced by the buildings we are in, as we always seek unique locations to bring our offering to. Our new Leeds space is based in a historic, Grade II listed building in the heart of the city – a stark contrast to our ultramodern Liverpool space, a sculpture of black granite and glass. Our design is influenced by this, but we attempt to retain a familiar feel across our spaces; industrial, colourful and with art adorning the walls. Given that workplaces are now extremely influenced by our domestic environment – do you think this is an aesthetic or something deeper, as exemplified by WeWork’s ‘Welive’ initiative? We see it as definitely something deeper than just an aesthetic – we encourage our members to treat the spaces as their home from home. You spend a majority of your time at work, and therefore want the space to feel as familiar and comfortable as possible. By encouraging this familiarity and affinity with the workspace, members often find their wellbeing and productivity increase – we’ve seen a remarkable response from our own members in this regard. It would be cynical for companies to portray the domestic environment in a superficial way; instead, we see a real awareness from workspaces that, to get the best out of members, we need to foster a sense of ownership and domesticity. Describe what you think workplaces will look like in 20 years’ time. With communication made effortless through advances in technology, traditional 9-5 workplaces are increasingly redundant. What we are already beginning to see is an increase in flexible working – with more people working from home or from local coworking hubs.

BELOW: Event space in AHQ Liverpool, overlooking the waterfront

ABOVE: Example of an office in AHQ Liverpool, occupied by Darkhorse Design

Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? We think that would be extreme to say – there will always be a value in a shared workspace and an office space, as a community hub. A core reason for joining a coworking space is to avoid the isolation of working at home and to be a part of a professional and social community. Though inventions such as Skype and Slack make communication as easy as possible, there is still value in working face-to-face with colleagues. We do feel, however, that traditional workplaces will continue to evolve to match the flexible workspace model – allowing more coworking, more flexibility and placing emphasis on workplace wellbeing through social events and more open spaces. Big corporations are starting to do this – as shown by the number of FTSE100 companies already utilising coworking spaces. What is a motto you live by? Written all over the walls of our spaces is the motto ‘a work-life without limits’, which we see all of our members embracing. No two working days should be identical - and our workspaces are hubs of activity, with lively communities, events and social gatherings happening regularly, ensuring that each day is different.

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Upfront |

ABOVE: Members Lounge

CENTRAL WORKING Líosa Bruder, Marketing Lead, Kinnersely Kent Design

Which trends influenced the design of your space? Rather than being trend-led, the design of Central Working Victoria was led by meticulous observation of members’ behaviour when using their spaces. What was found was that real human connection made a positive impact on members’ experiences, and so the layout of the space has been designed with this in mind. Whilst perhaps unconventional, the space was tailored to include plenty of social breakout areas, unexpected niches and also some quieter hideaways. This approach influences how members navigate and share the space, creating more than one way to get from A to B and plenty of opportunities for chance encounters. How do you judge which aesthetic/ architectural trends will be well received, and which will disappear as fads? Each new Central Working design takes reference from the existing clubs. Based on the same principles, a new design is always a careful development, tailored to the specifics of a location and the preferences of its potential members. Current trends are only built into a design scheme if it is felt that they will be beneficial to members and foster collaboration and connection. We have found that newer design trends are well received if they are purposeful and improve any element of the members’ day-to-day work. Describe the different area designations (ie, cellular/touchdown) in your workplace and how

you managed to satisfy the design needs for all of them. The space needs to counter for all kind of members’ work and a variety of privacy. Different people work in different ways and the design has to reflect this. The transition between these spaces is fluid and is not always clearly defined. Members have the flexibility to use the space most suited to their work needs and change it up whenever necessary. The basic work areas are private offices, member desks and shared drop-in desks. Areas like meeting rooms, breakout lounges, social spaces, breakout niches, phone booths and event spaces are shared areas and encourage collaboration and social interaction. Each space is designed with the behaviour of members in mind and to allow the level of privacy required for certain tasks. Given that workplaces are now extremely influenced by our domestic environment – do you think this is an aesthetic or something deeper, as exemplified by WeWork’s ‘Welive’ initiative? The line between work life and private life is becoming more fluid and this is also reflected in the aesthetics of workplace design. Society’s current understanding of the workplace will continue to be challenged dramatically over the next decade by digitalisation and artificial intelligence. Soon we will no longer need static desks to sit in front of a computer for a typical 9-5 job and this will transform workplaces to much more social and domestic looking environments. However, humans

will have stronger need for areas of retreat and hence the need for separation between private living space and shared social space will become more defined again. Describe what you think workplaces will look like in 20 years’ time. In our opinion there won’t be one typical workplace ‘look’. The office workplace as we know it today will no longer exist, with many typical functions having been automated or replaced by AI. Workplace will instead be built around human interaction, empathy and a flow of creativity. The requirements of the work will shape the surroundings and the space. events with leading brands, investors and industry experts, which are fundamental to the attraction of a coworking community membership. What is a motto you live by? Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.

ABOVE: Drop-in desks line an exposed wall

Mix 188 October 2018 | 51

Spotlight | Coworking

ROCKETSPACE Simon Marett, Director, LOM architecture and design

LEFT TO RIGHT: Events theatre with bleacher seating. The basement surfzone has reflective resin floor and bespoke lighting

What does coworking mean to you? We understand a ‘coworking space’ to be a workplace environment that encourages and facilitates interaction, collaboration and creativity, by disrupting established, traditional ways of working and workplace cultures and by promoting flexible, innovative, inspiring working spaces, facilities and events. Rather than an office floor with departments who have boundaries, a coworking space is a flexible working community. Unlike a traditionally procured work environment, coworking spaces are created to generate revenue and as a result densities are key. What density do you achieve? Speculatively developed office buildings are often designed to accommodate maximum one person per 10 sq m over a floorplate. We have delivered coworking spaces with potential densities of up one person per five sq m. So a first step in the development of proposals for new coworking space is to assess the feasibility of the project in the proposed location and to review whether physical changes, or the development of new fire escape strategies, can improve a building’s occupancy limit to deliver a scheme that meets statutory compliance requirements. Landlords have recognised the revenue benefits of presenting their buildings to the market as coworking space rather than CAT A. Many are implementing their own schemes. Is this a threat? LOM has developed concepts and delivered new coworking spaces for both landlords and occupiers, so we have a unique perspective from

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both sides. We find that coworking spaces created by occupiers for their own teams seek to achieve the benefits of, but are not set up to directly compete with, outsourced coworking spaces. Coworking is shifting from being work environments for incubation/start-ups to being flex space for established and blue chip companies. How has this influenced your thinking? Our clients describe the process of managing coworking space for start-ups, some of whom grow to become ‘Unicorn’ companies, as ‘playing Tetris’ with space. The development of scalable, modular designs that can accommodate short-term change and long-term flexibility has been a key requirement to our coworking project briefs. Newer coworking environments add value to what is essentially a rented desk. For example, Labs offer technical services and WeWork offer community. What is your USP? Central to the ‘offer’ of our coworking spaces for NatWest ESpark, Rocketspace and similar coworking environments is the added value provided by networking events, pier-to-pier review sessions, guest presentations, ‘Ted Talks’, ‘Dragons Den’ and ‘Speed Dating’ events with leading brands, investors and industry experts, which are fundamental to the attraction of a coworking community membership. Which trends influenced the design of your space? Our design solution for each project is driven by our client’s specific brief. This will have been

developed from an underlying strategy, to which we often contribute. In that context the end-result for each project is unique and bespoke. ‘Look & feel’ influences come from the context, the site, from our client’s brand and core values, and from trends in hospitality, workplace and domestic design. We also find that the commercial furniture, finishes, lighting, acoustics and technology industries influence design trends, with on-going investment in product development and marketing. How do you judge which aesthetic/ architectural trends will be well received, and which will disappear as fads? The key to us is that core design development is not arbitrary – it is based on an underlying strategy. Following this principal, no strategic element of the underlying core design can be ‘faddy’. Flexibility to this architectural approach to design is applied to less permanent ‘look & feel’ elements – furniture, lighting and surface finishes and graphics – which can be changed over time to reflect changing design trends. Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? A key objective to the coworking spaces we deliver is to facilitate deliberate and unplanned interactions and to encourage collaboration. Working from home presents a barrier to these core coworking benefits. In that context, it is difficult to imagine how office spaces could become completely redundant.

Upfront |

MAKING SPACES INTO PLACES

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creating better environments Mix 188 October 2018 | 53

Spotlight | Coworking

THE NEST Christopher Crawford, Associate, Gensler

ABOVE: The Nest offers a mix of different workspaces; private, semi-private and open plan

What does coworking mean to you? Coworking can essentially be seen as a mind-set of flexible and nimble working. This can range from membership to a free-address café space through to a dedicated desk space within an open plan area through to enclosed serviced office space. The main thread that runs through all its permutations is the sense of belonging to something larger. The opportunity to collaborate and socialise with like-minded people is a big draw for today’s workforce. We’ve also found that some of the larger media clients want to have ‘coworking areas’ within their own spaces, which are ‘neutral’ territory, where different brands or departments can work flexibly in the same space. This increases both collaborative and social connections whilst breaking down silos.

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Coworking is shifting from being work environments for incubation/start-ups to being flex space for established and blue chip companies. How has this influenced your offering? The Nest is coworking space designed to create a network of freelancers within the media industry, ranging from visual effects artists, postproduction, editors or even make-up artists. Smaller teams from larger media companies using the space only add to the offering. This symbiosis means that the larger companies are close to the less-restricted, cutting-edge creativity and the smaller companies/ freelancers get the opportunity to see the structure and client-base of the larger company. Whilst there may be an element of competition, the intention is to have multiple layers of expertise within the coworking space where a given client could source additional services on the same project rather than appoint one company to produce everything end-to-end.

Newer coworking environments add value to what is essentially a rented desk. For example Labs offer technical services and WeWork offer community. What is your USP? The Nest is a hub or focal point for the burgeoning media community within the area. This, coupled with technical spaces required for media production, such as studio space, enclosed editing suites, a voice recording booth and screening area, make The Nest a one-stop-shop for clients. Currently, how many locations do you operate in? The Nest is currently in one location, in Wapping, but there are plans for future expansion to other locations. Which trends influenced the design of your space? The materiality and aesthetic of The Nest was deeply rooted in the historical vernacular

Spotlight | Coworking

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Private booths provide focus space. The building’s aesthetic combines aged wooden planking, antique brass light fittings, feature hemp roping, polished concrete flooring and glazed partitions. The map and cofffee room private workspaces. Open booths provide space for collaborating in small groups or focus space for individual working.

of the local area and the existing materials within the space – brick, concrete ceiling, scaffolding planks to form joinery and flooring, as just some examples. The biggest trends to influence the design of the space were around working patterns and the needs of today’s workforce. It was key to provide a wide variety of work settings with more traditional desk modules as well as high touchdown benches, collaboration spaces, meeting booths, phone rooms and varying sized meeting rooms. This is coupled with the open editing areas, enclosed editing suites, voice recording booth and screening area. Given that workplaces are now extremely influenced by our domestic environment, do you think this is an aesthetic or something deeper, as exemplified by WeWork’s ‘WeLive’ initiative? It’s not about aesthetics. It’s recognising the impacts of spaces on people;

it’s about experience. The lines and boundaries between live, work and play are blurring. People no longer see their profession as something contained between the four walls of their office in the hours between 9-5. With this comes the need to create environments that appeal to a sense of comfort and familiarity. Providing a wider range of work settings – some with a more residential feel – enables people to spend more time at the workplace without feeling as though they’re in an uninspiring and corporate environment. We now design spaces with people in mind and create spaces that make people want to spend more time at the office, even in a social capacity. Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? Despite the rise of

digital connectivity, the importance placed upon face-to-face contact is extremely important. A well-designed workplace is always going to bring people together and enable unplanned, serendipitous encounters. These sort of chance encounters won’t happen virtually and that is precisely the draw for coworking spaces as we see them today.

Mix 188 October 2018 | 55

Upfront |

ABOVE: Office Space in Town, Mayfair, London

OFFICE SPACE IN TOWN Niki Fuchs, Managing Director, Office Space in Town

What does coworking mean to you? Office Space in Town (OSiT) is a serviced office provider. We don’t specifically offer coworking facilities, but our clients are welcome to work in any of the many high-design communal areas in our buildings. We offer a private member style ‘access all areas’ service to clients that enables them to access all of our business centres. Newer coworking environments add value to what is essentially a rented desk. For example Labs offers technical services and WeWork offers community. What is your USP? Workspace today is about service, not square footage. We believe that the lines are blurring between workspaces, hospitality and service. We offer our clients much more than just a desk – we are a commercial business run with family values and our clients and staff are part of that family. Our buildings also incorporate restaurants, rooftop bars, cafés, gyms, beauty salons and even serviced bedrooms, such as The Cabins in our nautical-themed centre at Monument. Our staff work tirelessly to offer social events that also give our clients an opportunity

ABOVE: Office Space in Town, Mayfair – reception

56 | Mix 188 October 2018

to support our annual charity appeal. We are uncompromising about providing exceptional quality spaces. Unhappy with the service offered by third party cleaning companies, we even started our own cleaning business to ensure that our clients and their guests enjoy an environment that is always spotless. Currently, how many locations do you operate in? We currently operate six central London locations: Monument, Euston, Waterloo, St. Paul’s and Mayfair, as well as five others outside of London. We have recently acquired a new building in London’s midtown, which will bring our London total to seven. Thanks to further funding secured last year from one of the UK’s wealthiest family offices, we are actively looking to expand our portfolio by acquiring four further central London office buildings. Which trends influenced the design of your space? Unlike most serviced office providers, who operate leasehold models, we own the freehold for our buildings. This has enabled us to invest heavily in the designs to produce outstanding workspaces, incorporating tech capability that anticipates future innovations. We like to put our own twist on our buildings – our interiors are designed to unique themes, from Alice in Wonderland at our Waterloo building to the Great Gatsby in Mayfair, and the high-end luxury of Sunseeker yachts at Monument. We want people who work in our buildings to feel inspired by their surroundings every day.

Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? There is no doubt that the advent of technology has raised questions about the need for physical workspace but, as research suggests, just as technology has liberated us to go solo, it can also bring us together. Gensler’s Workplace Performance Index concluded that good office design could boost employee productivity by 20%. Describe what you think workplaces will look like in 20 years’ time. With communication made effortless through advances in technology, traditional 9-5 workplaces are increasingly redundant. What we are already beginning to see is an increase in flexible working – with more people working from home or from local coworking hubs. The office is crucial in developing the interpersonal communications that arise from a collaborative, productive working environment. As such, a shared physical workspace can answer a serious problem that arises from the progression of technology and the gig economy – how to foster a company culture, vision and productivity. Simply, we can never replace the body language, social nuances and ideas-generation of face-to-face interactions. What is a motto you live by? Do what you do and do it exceptionally well – consistently. Quality of product and service that goes beyond customer expectations is at the heart of recurring revenue.

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Spotlight | Coworking

THE OFFICE GROUP Charlie Green, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, The Office Group

Landlords have recognised the revenue benefits of presenting their buildings to the market as coworking space rather than CAT A. Many are implementing their own schemes. Is this a threat? Coworking is really the clearest expression of the change in demand for space and the shift in expectations. It’s the environment where the changes are most obvious, those changes being around addressing the needs of the occupier before the needs of the landlord. What we’re seeing in the market is the influence of coworking over the entire real estate market. All landlords, whether to FTSE 100 companies or start-ups, are having to address how they provide space, the level of engagement with occupiers, the level of service and the quality of design. Coworking is shifting from being work environments for incubation/start-ups to being flex space for established and blue-chip companies. How has this influenced your offering? I don’t think we’ve changed our environments to suit more established companies. We’re changing our environments to evolve, adapt, respond to the changing behaviour and needs in the workplace – and that is affecting everyone. For sure, more corporates are becoming aware that they can work in a different way, in their own space and by using more coworking and flexible space as part of their portfolio make-up, so the overall demand is increasing, but not dictating change in how we provide space more than any other influences. How many locations do you currently operate in? We have 44 locations, with 41 in London, two in the UK and one in Germany. We’re aiming to grow in all of the locations we’re currently in and exploring other international areas.

ABOVE: Meeting and dining area in The Suite, TOG’s new flagship shared work space, designed by Universal Design Studio. Photo: Charles Hosea

ABOVE: Forum Space, TOG’s new flagship shared workspace, designed by Universal Design Studio. Photo: Charles Hosea

Which trends influenced the design of your space? It feels dangerous to be led by trends. The cost of fit-out is incredibly high, so to go for an aesthetic that is current, inevitably means it will be off-trend in a short to medium period of time. You also have to avoid being too predictable and obvious with the styling. We have a strong in-house team but work on every project with different architects to ensure we have a fresh, innovative approach every time. How do you judge which aesthetic/ architectural trends will be well received – and which will disappear as fads? We have to respond to the architecture that we’re presented with, both in terms of each specific building, but also the immediate location. Where we can find original character, that will tend to dictate the narrative for each building and, consequently, each is designed individually. That makes it harder work to find the interest for each space, but ultimately that drives a more creative process with what we hope will be brilliant and original spaces every time. There are certain constants, such as generosity of space, natural light and trying to provide a range of facilities – and these will never be fads.

Describe the different area designations (i.e cellular/social/touchdown) in your workplace and how you managed to satisfy the design needs for all of them. The most important element to provide to the occupier is choice. We have to create spaces that give people the opportunity to address how different people work in different ways.For everyone, that work will change from day to day, whether needing privacy, quiet space or the stimulation of being around other people. The balance of mixing the private with the open is a challenge that’s different with each building, but one we spend a significant amount of time on. It’s further challenged by the fact that the buildings are full of so many different companies and so many cultures. We don’t always get it right, and I think the key is design it, build it and be prepared to change it. Given the accessibility we have to the internet from home, would it be extreme to say that office spaces will soon become completely redundant? We’ll always need the office. It’s a basic human need to be around other people, and the collaborative benefits of working in the same environment as others is profound. The office will never be redundant, it will just adapt and evolve and will not look or function like the offices you work in today. w

Mix 188 October 2018 | 59

PRESENTING 6 December 2018 Manchester Central Part of Mix Week Manchester

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THE 2018

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NORTH JUDGES

SAM ADDISON

NICK ATKIN

Director, Colliers International

Group Chief Executive Halton Housing

CARL GEARING

CLAIRE HARKINS

Workplace Consultant Strategic Planning Ltd (for PwC)

ATUL BANSAL

Co-Founder, The Sheila Bird Group

STEPHEN HODDER

Account Manager McLaughlin & Harvey Workspace Solutions

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Roundtable

GOOD OLD DAYS? A

re things better or worse than they were? That’s a pretty open question, we have to admit – and what does it have to do with the workplace? Well, nothing and everything at the same time! There’s no doubt that, over the past couple of years, many a Brit’s opinion will have shifted somewhat, with political and economic uncertainty affecting everyone. But what about the way we work, the way we live, the way we communicate? We have the world at our fingertips, we can travel freely across the planet and back (for the time being at least) and, even if we can’t travel, pretty much every nation’s food and drink is there for us to enjoy. So is that better or worse than those carefree, simple days of our childhood when we ‘made do’ with an Atari games console, only had four TV channels to choose from (which shut down at about 11pm) and our crisp selection went as far as Salt and Vinegar and Cheese and Onion. And plain! We’ve assembled a diverse selection of experts for our latest Round Table debate – in the hope that we’ll get a plethora of different viewpoints (and not just about crisp flavours). Will our guests be divided by age, by gender or by sector? Here’s a snippet of what proved to be a fascinating discussion. We begin by asking our guests how they currently feel about life, the universe and everything – so an averagely broad question to kick things off!

62 | Mix 188 October 2018

Roundtable

THE DISCUSSION Carlo: I’m not a big fan of the way things are going right now! I don’t know if you can tell by my accent – I have a slightly American accent, mixed with my Italian accent. I left the United States after 18½ years and moved to London. I was traumatised by what happened on 8th November! Bronte: I’m probably a fence-sitter right now. Of course I want things to be better. I have young children and I also have a fairly positive outlook on life – but I also see that there is now a constant struggle to find the right balance in life. For our team to get that balance right is really hard right now. My biggest bugbear right now, however, is technology and how it is consuming us. Don’t get me wrong, technology is great – but it really affects how we balance everything in our lives. Fergus: I think you can look at things from two ways. Statistically, the world is a better place – but, with two children, I do worry about them in terms of future work opportunities, crime, violence and the influences they get from a lot of places, which aren’t particularly healthy. Terry: I think things are better now than they were 10 years ago. It’s actually 10 years since Lehman Brothers folded – things had been fantastic up to that point and then fell off a cliff. Things became really bad. I think things are better now – but I fear things will get worse because of Putin, Trump, Brexit and all the uncertainty out there. Kate: I like to be positive – and I’d like to think that things are getting better. I can see that the media is currently making us feel that it’s getting worse – but on the whole I think there are positive prospects for the future. Chloe: I would also agree that I’d quite like to escape from the world right now! I feel very sad about a lot of things that are happening – but I do feel that you must have positivity. If you don’t have positivity, I don’t know what you have. I’d really

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Roundtable

like to say that things are going to get better – but I’d have to say that, right now, things have gotten worse. Steven: I think it’s getting better. I’ve just been living in the Middle East for 10 years, I work for an American company, have an American wife and so have spent a lot of time traveling around. I think the perception is worse – because of the access and speed of the media – but the reality is it’s not worse at all. There is a lot of scaremongering about what is happening in the world. Aimee: There are definitely two sides to this. There’s a lot of negativity around social media and technology, but the opportunities we now have are way better than they were in the past. I think it’s getting better – but we need to improve things in order to get there. Bronte: I wouldn’t have had children if I thought we were heading for a doomed future! I think that helping them navigate their future – because it is now so fast and unknown – is a great responsibility. Becoming a parent, you get this overwhelming responsibility to think on behalf of someone else – but that’s nothing new. Steven: That’s true – older generations had the same thing, just different issues. Fergus: I think it’s worth defining what better or worse means here – are we looking at things from a micro or macro perspective. As I said a little earlier, from a statistical point of view, things are getting better – but from an individual perspective it might not be getting better at all. You really can have two different answers to the question. Carlo: Economically, things are getting better. Steven: Length of life, sickness, education…these are all things that are improving. Carlo: Yet the world is massively overpopulated. Japan is finished! There are still massive issues out there.

Companies such as Heineken now switch their emails off after a certain time...

64 | Mix 187 September 2018

Roundtable

Steven: There are still great divides in the world in terms of poverty – and yet, statistically, the world is a better place in terms of health and people living longer. This, however, brings different issues that we’re going to have to deal with – such as an aging population and working beyond retirement age. We move on to talk about the divisive subject of social media… Kate: I think social media has definitely had a huge impact – especially on mental health and anxiety in young people, who feel under pressure, all the time, to portray this perfect view of themselves. Nobody posts about their bad days – they post about the best of themselves.

Aimee: I think that social media is something we all need to improve upon. People are addicted to the ‘like’ button. They’re addicted to getting positive responses back. We have to learn how to deal with that. We have to remember that this is something completely new – previous generations have not had to deal with this, it’s only been here for a few years. Steven: Companies such as Heineken now switch their emails off after a certain time – and there is a real movement towards this. I had a client in Dubai who doesn’t allow his children to use any technology at home. He wants them to be able to think for themselves – and I think there is a movement towards this attitude as well. My dream is to get rid of my iPhone and go back to having a normal phone, with just texts and calls! I think, maybe in a period of time, we’ll see a change when it comes to social media and how it is used. Who knows, maybe we’re at the peak right now? Terry: I don’t really use social media personally, but I think that is right. I think the user will eventually start to reject it – although it will be replaced by something else. Chloe: I read a fact earlier today that said that, on average, a seven-yearold in the UK has already spent one year of their lives looking at a tablet – that made me feel a bit sick. The things is, however, with Gen Z coming up and being even more tech-savvy, if it’s bad now then it could get even worse before things do get better. Bronte: I think that we’ve learnt enough now that we’ll be able to guide them in the right direction – at least I hope so!

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Roundtable

So what about the workplace? Does our panel feel that there is now more stress than there was previously? Terry: I think there is in that clients – everyone actually – expect things faster, because of technology. When I started out, there used to be something called ‘fast-track projects’ – projects that were quicker than other projects! It’s always expected nowadays. I remember when the construction industry used to have a bit of a summer shutdown. Contractors would suddenly stop. That doesn’t really happen now. It’s too much – you can now always be thinking about work. Steven: We’re now creating mixed-use environments where people come together, can work, go for drinks, go for lunch, have dinner, go to the theatre, they live there…it’s all in one place – because people want to live like that. Terry: But can these people switch off? I’m not sure that they can. You might go swimming or go shopping, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not available for work! Maybe the only answer is to switch off your phone. Steven: That’s exactly what I would do – switch off the phone. Chloe: It’s not easy. On average, I’d say that I leave work at around 7.30pm. I make sure that I don’t look at emails and work stuff after that – but I am always thinking about it. I’m a natural worrier, so work-related

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issues will still be in my head. If I’m on holiday, I try not to look at stuff – I try, but it’s not always easy! Carlo: I have a little French Bulldog who demands that I’m home around 6pm for a walk. A lot of nights, though, I’ll hear my phone going in my bag up to 11pm. We have a lot of banking clients and they work outside of what we’d consider normal hours – and will then take care of emails on the train home. I’m not sure they expect answers at 11pm, but they will expect me to respond early the next day. Bronte: I have a real issue – I feel like I have to look. I need to manage that more. Carlo: If I don’t look then I feel as though I will never be able to catch up! Fergus: The key thing, like everything in life, is to try to find some kind of balance. I don’t really have an issue with this because, on the other side of the coin, the majority of us are actually doing something we enjoy. Terry: It’s about managing things. It’s far better to just deal with something rather than lie awake at 3am thinking about it. Steven: I’ve never wanted to work 9-5 and I love the fact that I can work where and when I want to – if I want to take the afternoon off, I can. Terry: That’s a good point – we demand flexibility so we should give it back as well.

Conclusion Not so much a colnclusion, but we’ll leave the final words to our sponsor. Long gone are the days of £2,000, two-tonne workstations with zero discount. Surely, it’s a more difficult world for the manufacturer? Fergus: Things have certainly changed – and it would be nice to get that kind of business again. But the whole landscape has changed and furniture companies have needed to change with it – to adapt their offering accordingly. To be honest, I really do think that the market is a lot more interesting today.w

Roundtable

THANKS FOR THE DISCUSSION!

Aimée Curtis, Consultant, day2

Bronte Turner, Managing Director, HLW

Carlo Calloni, Senior Project Manager, Turner & Townsend

Chloe Muir, Associate, Gensler

Coming from a varied creative background in music and the arts, Aimée started at day2 in March 2015 as sales support; she quickly moved through the company becoming a key member of the specifications team and overseeing some of day2's major projects. Now part of the business development team, Aimée is approachable and proactive, and above all; a day2 furniture geek!

Bronte joined HLW in 2008, becoming UK Design Director in 2009 and Managing Director in 2012. She is a passionate leader and designer and brings a mix of commercial acumen, focus and drive to all her work. She has a genuine love of design and takes great pride in the HLW team and their work. Hailing from Australia, Bronte has worked with an array of clients, including Google, Royal Mail, Toronto Dominion Bank and Lend Lease.

Carlo is Senior Project Manager at Turner & Townsend. He was born and raised in the north of Italy, where he spent the first 26 years of his life. He originally wanted to become a vet – and ended up graduating from the School of Visual Arts in NYC as an interior designer. Carlo was formerly a competitive bodybuilder, before suffering from a heart attack, which completely changed his perspective on life.

Chloe has worked on a variety of retail, hospitality and commercial projects in the UK, Europe and Middle East, through all stages of the design process, from concept to design and delivery. Excelling at concept design, she particularly enjoys sketching and has earned a reputation as a collaborator, having a positive effect on all project team members. A highly organised and capable individual, Chloe brings a lively dynamic to Gensler’s multi-disciplinary teams.

Kate Jarrett, Senior Interior Designer, Scott Brownrigg

Fergus Bowen, Director, TASK

Steve Charlton, Managing Director, Perkins + Will

Terry Gunnery, Director of Design, Aecom

Kate is a Senior Interior Designer at Scott Brownrigg working in their Hospitality & Residential team. Kate is an extremely creative conceptual designer and over the last couple of years, her main focus has been in the hospitality sector. Kate has designed and delivered fantastic projects as well as maintaining strong client relationships. She was featured in this year’s Mix 30 under 30, celebrating the rising stars of the architecture and design community.

Fergus has been in the industry for almost 30 years having worked for some of the most influential brands including Interface, Ahrend, and Bene. TASK employed him as a Director three years ago for his wide experience with which to help develop and implement the company’s strategy for expansion. Fergus is a strong business leader, and thoroughly enjoys being directly involved with clients to help develop their relationship with TASK.

Steven became Managing Director of Perkins + Will London in 2018, having previously been Principal Managing Director of Perkins + Will ME for 8 years. He is a regular contributor on design trends and industry insight in the Middle East and the UK. Steven is particularly interested in creating synergies for his clients as they look to operate both contracts and design language on a global perspective.

Terry is the creative lead of AECOM Strategy Plus (legacy DEGW). He is passionate about all aspects of design, and focuses on client needs, a collaborative approach and translating AECOM’s consultancy work into real environments that encompass people, place and performance, whilst respecting the planet! Terry brings cultural empathy, innovation and creativity to all projects.

In Association with

Case Study | CBRE

St Peter's Vision As regular readers will know, we’re always intrigued to take a look at the working homes of the businesses we work with on a daily basis. Whether we’re visiting property developers, A&D, PMs, manufacturers or suppliers, there’s always a slight intrigue to see whether these companies genuinely practice what they preach. The vast majority does – and a perfect example of this is CBRE’s new Manchester home, which not only provides a fantastic space for its people, but also acts as a perfect showcase for the company’s expertise.

68 | Mix 188 October 2018

Case Study | CBRE

ith 130 property specialists across its Manchester and Liverpool offices, CBRE provides strategic property advice in all commercial and residential sectors. The company consults its clients on a broad range of real estate areas, including investment, development, agency, asset management, valuation, building consultancy, rating and planning. Additionally, it offers specialist advice on alternative sectors such as leisure, student accommodation, healthcare, hotels and residential. Current key projects include advising Manchester Airport Group on the development of Airport City and Stockport Metropolitan Council on the regeneration and management of Stockport Exchange, while its largest transaction to date was the acquisition of Two St Peter’s Square on behalf of Deutsche AWM. Speaking of St Peter’s Square, the Manchester office of CBRE has recently relocated its 110 Manchester-based staff to new offices at One St Peter’s Square, following a record year for the North West business. CBRE has moved from the Belvedere office building on Booth Street, increasing its office space by 30% to over 11,000 sq ft on the 10th floor of the impressive One St Peter’s Square, in the heart of

Manchester’s new civic and business quarter. The Office Agency team at CBRE negotiated a 15-year lease, demonstrating the firm’s long-term commitment to the Manchester business and forming part of the company’s ambitious plans to support future growth throughout the city and the North West. CBRE’s Building Consultancy team managed the fit-out process and appointed tp bennett as interior architect and Overbury as contractor following a competitive design competition. On arrival at the 10th floor, we’re met by CBRE Associate Director, Andrew Flanagan, and tp bennett Project Director, Rachel Bishop. We’re not sure where to look first – such is the impressive nature of the open reception space in front of us and the amazing views of the city beyond. As first impressions go, this is a very, very good one! ‘The views are pretty special,’ Andrew admits. ‘We’ve split the office so that this space and the client facing meeting rooms have the best views – overlooking one of the city’s most iconic squares, with views of the Midland Hotel, Manchester Central Library and the Town Hall extension.’ The new workspace has been designed to support modern working principals, with a clear focus on both the staff and client experience – and,

OPPOSITE: Client lounge area, taking advantage of the stunning views TOP: Staff breakout area with exposed services BOTTOM: Client arrival

Mix 188 October 2018 | 69

Case Study | CBRE

ABOVE: Client reception area with touchdown coffee point and informal meeting lounge

as we alluded to earlier, this starts right here in the reception space. ‘We’ve got touchdown areas here and spaces where our clients can just drop in and work or use for informal meetings,’ Andrew explains as we continue to admire our surroundings. ‘We’ve also got a coffee machine and drinks. We have a lot of bespoke joinery throughout – and also a lot of hidden ‘secret’ doors. For example, we’ve got a hidden door here through which we can access a client pitch room – which is a unique feature.’ We ask Andrew about the reasons behind the relocation and the process itself. ‘We went through an engagement exercise with all our staff,’ he tells us. ‘Our initial thoughts were that we didn’t have enough meeting rooms – but when we did the engagement exercise with tp bennett, it actually turned out that we did have enough meeting rooms, we just didn’t have enough quiet spaces or 1-on-1 spaces for staff to meet – so our meeting rooms were being occupied by one person on their phone. That has now completely stopped. The usage of client meeting rooms being occupied by our staff has dropped considerably because we’ve now have our own dedicated areas, private booths and quiet spaces.’ ‘We introduced informal team meet spaces and places where people can take Skype calls or phone

70 | Mix 188 October 2018

calls,’ Rachel adds. ‘We did find that the boardroom might be taken up by one person on a call – and that was really wasteful. ‘When were appointed to do the workplace consultancy, one of the things that immediately came up was that they didn’t want this space to be the corporate green – or to be a Google,’ Rachel confirms. ‘They wanted it to represent their culture and their stature, without being too flashy. Their old office didn’t have anywhere to meet and greet clients, there was very little daylight and it was very small – they desperately needed more space for these new facilities. ‘They wanted somewhere that they’d be proud to bring clients into – and to showcase what they do. This was a key space really – so we introduced a lot of different arrangements, from touchdown spaces and banquet informal seating, through to lounge areas. It’s great to seeing it being used so frequently.’ ‘It’s a great introduction to CBRE – you can literally see everything that is happening in Manchester from this office,’ Andrew proudly tells us. ‘We can even use it as a point of reference for what we’re doing in the city! Andrew takes us to the ‘secret’ door that leads to the aforementioned pitch room. ‘This is a different

Project Team Client CBRE Manchester Interior Design tp bennett Furniture Provider Overbury Flooring Havwoods, Shaw, Mosa Surfaces Autex, Signs Express, Formica, Corian Furniture Moroso, Walter Knoll, Boss, Modus, Humanscale, Orangebox, Senator, Gresham, Ocee, Frovi Storage Axiom, Spacestor, Silverline Other Suppliers Muuto, Kvadrat, Optima Joinery BA Joinery

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Case Study | CBRE

This is CBRE in Manchester. We are a multinational firm, but we wanted this space to feel local – to feel like it is ours. We’ve really taken that and run with it!

type of space,’ Rachel adds. ‘The idea is that you bring clients into here via the secret door and you have the curtain closed so that you don’t actually feel as though you are in the office – there’s a sense of theatre about it. It’s fully acoustic, you can change the lighting levels and it has fully interactive screens. You don’t really know where you are in the office until you open the curtain – and find you’re actually in the heart of the space.’ ‘One of the design themes that you’ll see running throughout the office is the fretwork – which actually comes from the Town Hall clock,’ Andrew reveals. ‘It’s not CBRE corporate. We very much wanted to go with the designs that tp bennett brought to us. This is CBRE in Manchester. We are a multinational firm, but we wanted this space to feel local – to feel like it is ours. We’ve really taken that and run with it!’ ‘This is a prestigious site but the budget wasn’t massive,’ Rachel admits. ‘We’ve used the budget in a way that we were able to bring in really nice Moroso seating, but then we’ve got standard ceiling products, which we orientated and rotated in a different way to take them away from that normal office look and feel.’ We walk through to the client facing meeting rooms, where we find smart acoustic products (one of the major points that came out of the staff engagement exercise), interactive technology and eye-catching bespoke joinery. ‘Technology, connectivity and acoustics simply weren’t good enough at our old space – and that was something that we were really keen to include here.’ ‘We’ve used really rich, plush finishes and colours throughout the client suite – and then a fresh, vibrant palette for the staff areas,’ Rachel explains. ‘We also wanted to use honest materials throughout. We didn’t want to use ‘fake’ materials anywhere – which is part of CBRE’s Work Well philosophy.’ The relocation coincided with CBRE’s Work Well initiative across the UK, which focuses on

72 | Mix 188 October 2018

TOP: Secret door leading from the reception to the client pitch room 2ND TOP: Office area leading to the client meeting suite ABOVE & LEFT: Client meeting room ABOVE: Informal meeting booths in staff breakout area LEFT: Quiet room for focussed working

a desk is…

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

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 ~

@rawside

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

Case Study | CBRE

employees’ physical, mental and social wellbeing. As such, key features around wellness were introduced into the office including sit/stand desks, fresh fruit and quiet spaces, where staff can take a break away from their screens. As we walk through the neighbourhoods of the open plan staff areas, we can see all of this in abundance. There are a number of breakout areas for staff to ‘escape’ from their desks. There is an ‘anti-space’, where staff can hold informal meetings. There is fantastic bespoke artwork and a vibrant, attractive staff dining space. Andrew points out that investment has also been made into high-end coffee machines for both clients and staff. ‘It’s touches like these that show we value our people.' ‘We also wanted the space to have an energetic feel, so that people would want to use it, would want to invite their clients in here,’ Rachel adds. ‘A sea of desks can be quite daunting, so we created these neighbourhoods – and people can then pick where they want to sit. We then have informal spaces and touchdown areas, which include height adjustable

BELOW: Neighbourhood board within open workspace

desking. Timber finishes denote touchdown space and white tops denote the fixed desking areas.’ ‘It’s about flexibility and about offering that choice,’ Andrew points out. ‘People can sit, they can stand, they can use a booth – they genuinely can sit wherever you want.’ This really is a great example of how a modern business should work – and it’s also quite a statement. ‘We are the first firm of surveyors to locate to St Peter’s Square in recent times, which further endorses the area as Manchester’s new civic and business quarter,’ John Ogden, Executive Director and MD of CBRE’s North West Business, comments. ‘It promises to be an inspiring workspace for our staff and will provide a flexible platform in response to our evolving business needs, supporting our drive to lead from the front in terms of innovation.’ We’ll leave the final words to Andrew. ‘What’s really rewarding is seeing how staff have bought into the space, which will hopefully improve how we service our clients.’w

Case Study | CBRE

LEFT: Boardroom with double aspect views of St Peter's Square, with the Town Hall clock face in the distance BELOW: Touchdown area for quiet working

The Client

The CBRE Group is ranked #207 on the Fortune 500 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and has been included in the Fortune 500 every year since 2008. The company was founded 112 years ago, on August 27th 1906. The CEO is Robert Sulentic, while CBRE has over 450 offices worldwide and has clients in over 100 countries.

Mix 188 October 2018 | 75

Case Study | Hyundai

Keeping it Cool It’s strange to think that, when you’re all reading this issue, you’ll probably be scraping frost off your windscreens and turning the heating up as autumn takes hold.

trange because, at the time of this visit, we’re in sunny Reigate, Surrey, to take a look at the new UK headquarters of Hyundai Capital – and it is literally in the mid30s! It’s only a short walk from the railway station, but even this is enough for us to be crisscrossing the road to find areas of shade. We’re grateful to reach our destination – which is, to be frank, a relatively nondescript multi-tenanted building on a leafy, pretty road – and so incredibly thankful to find that, upon entering Hyundai Capital’s own space, the fantastic air conditioning is ramped up to ‘11’. We can immediately see that the air con is not the only thing that is cool about this space. We’re immediately in the social heart of this new facility, where our new cool attitude is matched by the brilliantly biophilic, informal, relaxed bar and lounge space in front of us. We’re joined by Louisa Dempster, HR & Facilities Coordinator for Hyundai Capital UK, and Gensler Senior Associate, Hilary Allbrook. ‘When you see the building from the outside, you never expect to find this on the inside,’ Hilary confirms our initial thoughts. ‘It’s a really nice area – and it’s great to have views over so much greenery.’ Awarded ‘Captive Finance Company of the Year’, Hyundai Capital UK Limited is a joint venture company established between Santander Consumer UK, Hyundai Capital Services in Korea, Hyundai Motor UK and Kia Motors UK. It operates under two customer-facing brands, Hyundai Finance and Kia Finance, as a point of sale finance provider for customers looking to acquire a new or used vehicle through franchised Hyundai and Kia Dealerships. With a long history of designing spaces for Hyundai Capital, Gensler was commissioned to create this new UK headquarters. With remarkable growth in its relatively short history, it was important to Hyundai Capital to have an attractive, practical and creative work environment, capable of responding to its everevolving office structure. Gensler looked closely at its business needs, culture, employees and aspirations, and put an onus on making the new space lean, agile and authentic.

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Case Study | Hyundai

BELOW: The 'hackable' desks anticipate the requirements of employees, promoting flexibility and dynamism

Mix 187 September 2018 | 77

Case Study | Hyundai

ABOVE: Lounge spaces help employees engage and share ideas away from their desks.

You have to set yourself apart from your competition – and I think we’ve done that in a really innovative, visual way. When candidates apply for a job here, I’m sure they don’t expect to see this on our website!

We ask Louisa to tell us the story that led to this stunning new scheme. ‘We were previously in Redhill – which is about 10 minutes away,’ she says. ‘The reason for that is that our shareholder – Santander Consumer Finance – is in Redhill and we had a small area of their offices. With the company entering its fourth year of operation and the headcount growing year-on-year, it was time to find our own space and establish our own corporate culture. ‘Hyundai Capital was founded in 2012, with approximately 20 people. The reason we were able to operate at such a low headcount was that we outsourced a number of our services to Santander Consumer. As the company grew and became firmly established, we brought more of those services in-house and so the headcount continued to grow. ‘When this project was starting – about two years ago – our headcount had grown to 51 and it is now over 60, with plans for further growth. ‘The initial search for a suitable building went as far as Leatherhead, Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge. One of the main attractions of being here in Reigate – as well as it being a lovely town – is that it is close to Redhill. We still have a lot of dealings with Santander and a lot of our people still go back and forth for meetings – so we’ve

also ticked the carbon footprint box by moving here! ‘Our people come from all over – but we didn’t want to go anywhere that would mean it was an impossible journey for any of our staff.’ As we mentioned earlier, Gensler has a long history of working with Hyundai Capital outside the UK, which Hilary can expand upon. ‘Philippe Paré (Gensler Design Principal) is the anchor point of the relationship,’ she reveals, ‘and this goes back to his time in the Los Angeles office. He’s done a number of projects in Korea – in fact, we’ve just completed a couple of projects for Hyundai Capital in Korea and another in Newport Beach, California. So there is that relationship and it has been fantastic to carry it through to here. 'The original design was done out of the Los Angeles office and then, purely coincidentally, Philippe relocated to the London office at the same time as this was moving into the construction phase – so that worked quite well, because we had that continuity of design. It has also been great for our London office!’ As a forward-thinking firm, Hyundai Capital wanted a space that would empower its employees – a highly useful environment, not just a beautiful workplace. ‘As we were quite a new company with a mixture of shareholders, and a real amalgamation of cultures, we saw this as an

Project Team Client Hyundai Capital Interior Design Gensler Flooring Suppliers Tretford, DLW Surface Suppliers Kvadrat, Dulux Furniture Suppliers Vitra, GAN, Moroso, Herman Miller, Hector Serrano, Piet Heineek, Bernhardt, Rareraw Lighting Suppliers Zumtobel, Masson, Flos, Artemide, Deltalight, Lucent, KKDC, Anglepoise Other Suppliers Spiralis, Denne, Stewart Fraser, Lindner, SAS Ceiling, Muraflex

Mix 188 October 2018 | 79

Case Study | Hyundai

RIGHT: Social spaces for staff to work and play in allow them to feel physically, acoustically and intellectually comfortable BELOW: Employees are encouraged to bring in plants, vinyl records and books, enabling them to co-opt and hack the space to truly make it their own

opportunity to establish our identity and our own culture. That was a huge driving force behind the look and feel of this space. I think that, for the employees, who had become used to sitting in a fairly squashed up office in someone else’s branded space, this is a massive step forward. People liked working for Hyundai Capital UK but if you asked them to describe the firm, I’m not sure they’d have been able to easily answer that. ‘It was really important to have our own identity, our own sense of ownership – and pride as well.

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So, we combined the move with a big internal corporate culture project. We set up Culture Lab and redefined our company values and behaviours. This is ongoing – and it was really nice to be able to tie it in with the move here. We’ve even changed our dress code – we moved from business casual to jeans and trainers!’ ‘They wanted to be seen and to feel more like a younger, vibrant tech business,’ Hilary continues. ‘They wanted to move away from the traditional financial services look and feel.’

‘You have to set yourself apart from your competition – and I think we’ve done that in a really innovative, visual way. When candidates apply for a job here, I’m sure they don’t expect to see this on our website!’ Louisa grins. We ask Hilary to talk us through the thought process behind the scheme. ‘We wanted to capture the idea of the home,’ she considers, ‘so we have the lounge and the kitchen and the games room. There is no reception – so it is like walking into a home. There is immediate informality and a big part of the idea was to give ownership of the space to the people who work here. There’s a sense of fun here. Around the corner from the lounge there’s the games room, complete with a Playstation and a record player – and people bring their own books and records in, or suggest things they’d like. This is about enabling them to make it their space. It was important that we put this in a prime position at the front – and not hidden away at the back. The best space is for everyone! It’s also great that the staff come together at the kitchen bar and table and have lunch together – it’s like a family kitchen.’ A smart boardroom sits opposite the lounge space – while there is also an individual phone booth here for those private calls and moments. The new space offers contemporary, flexible working through a variety of different settings – with adjustable desks, folding walls, pull-down power cords and writable walls – tailored for an expanding workforce and accelerating innovation. Moving through to the open plan workspace, the clever industrial metal grid ceiling, complete with those bright hanging power cords, provides

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Case Study | Hyundai

The Client

The Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Subsidiaries are the 32.8% owned Kia Motors and the luxury 100% owned Genesis Motors, together known as the Hyundai Motor Group. This is the third largest vehicle manufacturer in the world. The head of design is Thomas Burkle – who previously designed for BMW. Hyundai employs around 75,000 people worldwide.

a huge contrast to the serene kitchen and lounge area. It is, however (and we don’t say this too often), the workstations that really catch our eye. We’ve only seen Vitra’s Hack system in exhibitions and showrooms – until now. Designed by renowned product designer Konstantin Grcic, Hack is a table system that counters traditional desks with an innovative functional and aesthetic approach that satisfies the demands of today’s hi-tech companies. Such companies need to offer young graduates an attractive, practical and creative work environment while also being able to respond to dynamic changes in their office structures. With its raw wooden panels, each Hack unit forms an autonomous element able to satisfy various needs – the height adjustment feature offers standing, sitting and lounge options. The system certainly works for Hyundai Capital’s busy staff, who are able to fully focus on their work thanks to the privacy provided, yet are also able to interact with colleagues, with some collaborating and sharing a single system and others ‘meeting in the middle’, chatting with their backs to their Hacks! Senior managers have fully glazed cellular offices, which line one side of the space, while IdeaPaint allows staff to freely write and create on the walls. Like we said at the start, this is a very cool space – and not just because of that beautiful air conditioning! w

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TOP DOWN: The space reflects Hyundai Capital’s progressive nature, whilst still having the flexibility to unfold with its workforce. The open plan dining room offers space where colleagues can share mealtimes.

WorkHouse +44 (0) 20 7247 1815 workhouse.co.uk

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Review | Mix Inspired

New Change

ecently, we commandeered a large corner of Turner & Townsend’s fantastic space at One New Change, St. Paul’s, for our 13th MixInspired event – and our fifth in London. We would of course like to say a huge thank you to our MixInspired sponsors – Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Interface and Specialist Joinery Group – and to Turner & Townsend for allowing us to host the event in such a fantastic

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space, with views overlooking the great cathedral. We were delighted to have another packed house for the session, with Suzanne Archer from our hosts, Turner & Townsend, kicking things off for us by giving us an insight into the history of the workplace and Turner & Townsend’s own impressive capabilities. Our expert panel comprised Investec Asset Management’s Global Head of Workplace, Tahera

Hammond, Nikki Kirbell, Health and Wellbeing Lead at Unilever, Sarah Lodge, Director EMEA Facilities at Turner and Karen Rogers, Project Design Executive at Canary Wharf Group. For this fascinating session, we asked our panel to consider the people and culture shaping tomorrow’s workplace, to debate the future of our workplaces and to discuss who is going to deliver them.

Review | Mix Inspired

Meet the Panel

Karen Rogers,

Project Design Executive, Canary Wharf Group

Sarah Lodge,

Director EMEA Facilities, Turner

Nikki Kirbell

Health & Wellbeing Lead, Unilever

Tahera Hammond

Global Head of Workplace, Investec Asset Management

Mix 188 October 2018 | 85

Review | Mix Inspired

We began by asking our panel what they would change about the way they work with interior designers. ‘For me, in the role I’m in now, it’s just a timing thing,’ Tahera considered. ‘If I could get the PM team and the architects to come up and work with us for a year before they were appointed, the project would go amazingly well – because they’d really get a good grasp of who we are, how complex we are, who the stakeholders are and what works for them and what doesn’t work for them. I know this isn’t realistic, but really understanding the DNA of who we are would be a fantastic thing. You expect them to do everything and to do everything really quickly – which is unfair on architects.’ ‘Before I was at Turner I was at Yahoo – and coming from quite an old tech company that was very well established in its design and its look and feel was actually quite easy for me because everyone did know one another, they were extremely well embedded and everybody knew what they were doing for every office,’ Sarah told the audience. ‘Turner is the opposite end of the spectrum and we have demanded a lot from our PM and our design team – and actually it has worked really well. They have embedded themselves. It’s taken 18 months – and they weren’t part of our organisation previously – but it has worked well.’ ‘I think we’ve learned some lessons at Wood Wharf,’ Karen said. ‘It is a different type of product – it is a mixed-use masterplan – but we did spend an awful lot more time upfront briefing the designers and taking them through the whole masterplan concept and on the whole journey of placemaking – which hasn’t happened with individual office briefs before. ‘We’ve worked on the Wood Wharf masterplan for 15 years, we’ve been at Canary Wharf for 30 years – we know where it is, we know what it looks like and yet I’ve lost count of the number of presentations where we lose 15-20 minutes when the architects play back to us what we already know!’ With this in mind, we ask whether our end users are becoming more demanding of their project teams. Are they more demanding then they were five years ago? ‘Oh yeah – much more,’

You expect them to do everything and to do everything really quickly – which is unfair on architects

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Review | Mix Inspired

When it comes to appointing my professional team, it’s all about relationships

admitted Sarah, ‘but I think that probably happens to everybody with experience – because you then know what you need from your professional team, you have more confidence and stronger guidance of your team on the client side. Every industry thinks it is a bit different – the creative industry really is. There are a lot of people who are massively involved emotionally in what they do – and they often think that they can tell you how to do your job. So I’m much more demanding in trying to control that than I would have been five years ago. It’s about trying to keep all the success points on line.’ ‘I think this comes with confidence and experience,’ Tahera continued. ‘When it comes to appointing my professional team, it’s all about relationships. I would almost compromise – almost – technical ability to make sure I’ve got that relationship – I really would. The reason they’ve got through the door is because they’ve got some pedigree anyway. Then it’s about relationships, can I get on with them? No bullshit – I want straight talking, warm and engaging people. A big part of the process when I was appointing my professional team was will they get on with my project director, will I be comfortable putting them in front my senior stakeholders and will they get on with the rest of the professional team?’ ‘The other part of that is to have the depth within the team, so that the people who are sent and are representing the company actually have authority in the meeting because otherwise, if you send the wrong person to the meeting, you end up having to repeat the meeting two weeks later!’ Karen added. ‘I definitely look at people’s pedigree – the governance – although I am slightly different to everybody else on the panel in that I actually deal with the people in the buildings and not the buildings themselves,' Nikki explained. 'If we’re looking at bringing in clients, it’s definitely their pedigree, their training, their background – are they qualified to do what they’re brought in to do? We have a responsibility to look after our employees. I definitely think there is a lot to do with the relationship as well – you’ve got to get on with these people if you’re going to work with them for a period of time. You’ve got to gel with them.’ We moved on to ask the panel what they felt the biggest challenge in creating a different workplace was today. ‘Creating a different workplace? Well, that’s exactly what we’re trying to do – but what’s different today from what was around 15 years ago?’ Sarah asked. ‘I don’t know if there is an existing current ‘transformation’ in the workplace. I don’t see anything much different going on in the workplace now. If you want to be different, what do you do?’ ‘I guess we are changing the actual workplace at Wood Wharf – we’ve got a much smaller footprint

Mix 188 October 2018 | 89

Review | Mix Inspired

on the new masterplan, compared to the other buildings,’ Karen countered. ‘What we’re really trying to sell is the different public realm and how the offices haven’t got huge, empty voids, how it is really animated at the ground floor – we’ve got cafés and restaurants, and you can see the street frontage, unlike the existing masterplan, which was very sterile. That’s what we’re trying to sell, we're trying to get the fintech companies down there and show them that this is a different place, that this isn’t the ‘old’ Canary Wharf, that this is a vibrant, trendy place to be – even at night. ‘The existing Canary Wharf masterplan can appear very sterile – it could be anywhere in North America. That’s what we’re trying to address with this new plan. We want to do something very different here.’ Having recently returned from a business trip to South East Asia, we took the opportunity to ask Tahera whether the workplace culture differs in that part of the world today – and, if so, how does it differ? ‘They still have executive washrooms and they do still want to have offices with great views for their managers – the hierarchy is still very much still there. Our standards here in the UK are not to have offices and not to differentiate based on status. It’s very, very obvious out there though – I was quite shocked. I was given the key to the executive washroom and I thought, ‘No thank you. I don’t need that – I’m from Bolton!’ It’s very different from country to country of course – and you just have to be extremely respectful and strike a balance. I guess that’s one of the hardest parts of my job – striking that balance and convincing colleagues elsewhere that what we’re doing here in the UK really works.’ ‘One of the hardest parts of my job is to actually try to find and implement a one-size-fitsall philosophy – which can fail miserably,’ Nikki conceded. ‘This is because our workforce is so diverse – from the Pot Noodle factory in South Wales and the Marmite factory in Burton, through to beautiful offices in the south. The demographic is very, very different – take that globally and it becomes even more diverse. In the UK, the difference between the north and the south can be extreme. We’ve had guys say to us, ‘This is so London – it’s not us’. It’s a constant struggle to get the tone right from area to area – but also a great challenge.’ w

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Review | Mix Inspired

Our Partners View

Panel discussions like MixInspired are key as they help us to understand how our market and industry is evolving from the people who are driving its evolution. Of all the interesting insights shared by the panel, Nikki Kirbell made a couple of key points that dovetail into what we are doing at Colebrook Bosson Saunders (CBS). The first was the importance of understanding how to support ergonomic working practices in breakout spaces – a key work setting in any modern facility – and not just at the person’s workstation. The second was how understanding the basic requirements of your people is key in shaping the changes to their workspace – Nikki gave the example of asking what the people in Unilever’s manufacturing facilities needed to improve their wellbeing – a new sofa. Simple, but effective. This resonated with us as it reminded us of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If you understand and support an individual’s basic ‘hygiene factors’ you can start them off on the road towards self-actualisation – the ultimate goal. For CBS, our products contribute alongside a task chair and a workstation, to providing the person with a safe working environment – be it at their desk or in a breakout space, helping to contribute to the hygiene factors that are key to their wellbeing.w

One of the stand out themes from the event was the emphasis being placed on creating the right culture in our organisations. It doesn’t matter whether you are a large corporate company with multiple sites around the global or a family business from Ireland employing just 250 staff, we have a common goal – to attract the best talent in our industry. This may sound like an obvious statement but with changing dynamics, hierarchies, competition, technologies and disruption, this isn’t any easy task! Our panellists shared their unique perspectives on leading complex change projects and this sparked lots of audience participation throughout the evening, with challenges shared openly. Karen Rogers of Canary Wharf Group, spoke about her drive for collaboration and the benefits of early stage supply chain engagement from specialists and technical experts. This is true on so many of the projects we deliver. In most cases, this involves prototyping, samples and budget assistance. The benefit of this is being able to push the design boundaries at concept stage, but have confidence that you are within the scheme’s budget parameters.w

There is an inherent challenge in creating workspaces that strike the perfect balance between beautiful design and meeting the needs of the people who use them. But getting it right has significant benefits in terms of health and wellbeing, creativity and productivity. That’s why the discussion around the importance of corporate culture in enabling this was one we felt was particularly relevant. Corporate culture is the glue that binds an organisation together. It can manifest itself in many ways, but one of the biggest influences is often design of the workspace. At Interface, the basic assumption at the core of our culture is that better products make happier people and a healthier planet. But how do we prove the approach works? The panel discussed the need for more to be done to provide empirical evidence that well-designed workspaces not only attract and retain the best talent, but also improve performance. This is the main objective behind BRE’s Biophilic Office, of which Interface is a core founding partner. This long-term research and demonstration project will identify tangible benefits, such as increased productivity, wellness and reductions in sick days, all of which have huge financial implications for businesses and the wider economy. We believe it’s our joint responsibility as a manufacturer, along with business owners, building managers, architects and designers, to make sure the spaces people work in are both practical and have a positive impact on health and wellbeing.w

Mix 188 October 2018 | 91

THE ULTIMATE MONITOR ARM SOLUTION

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Preview | Orgatec

Cologne Again Yep, it’s time for the bi-annual jolly boys’ outing to Cologne that is Orgatec. We’re being slightly facetious, of course. Orgatec is the biggest (and arguably still the best) office furniture show out there.

ominated by the major Germanic players, the exhibition is as hard on your feet as it is on your head – in other words you’ll be walking an awful lot (however organised you are) just because of the sheer scale of the Messe. You’ll also be very well looked after – and that means you can get watered and fed on just about any major stand. Like we said, the biggest and best of Germany’s home market (Interstuhl, K+N, Sedus, Brunner, Dauphin – and Swiss neighbours Vitra) take most of the biggest and best pitches. Orgatec is an international show, though, with most major nations represented (one thing we have noticed from the Orgatec exhibitor website is that there is an even greater than normal number of Chinese and South East Asian suppliers). There will, as ever, be plenty of (hopefully) innovative new products on show. One thing that Orgatec has always been able to boast is that it is a major launch event. But it’s about more than just the products and the stands. Cologne itself is the oldest major city in Germany. Named by the Romans Colonia, it was one of the Empire’s most important trade and manufacturing centres and has many impressive sites dating from this time onwards. The city is dominated by the Dom, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture, but there are also many incredible Romanesque churches and the Römanisch-Germanisches-Museum, which is built around the famous Dionysius mosaic. The Dom, was built, it is believed, to house the relics of the Magi, its sheer size was not just a matter of self-aggrandisement on the part of Cologne’s citizens but also to respond to the vast number of pilgrims wishing to view the relics. Construction started in 1248 but did not finish until 1880, although the original plans were strictly adherred to. When it was completed, the two 515 ft west towers were the tallest structures in the world. Open 06.00 – 19.30, no tours during services. Tel: +49 (0) 221 1794 0100 www.koelnerdom.de Over the next few pages we've compiled a handy guide for all those heading out to Cologne. Info is (probably) correct at time of compilation!

Mix 188 October 2018 | 93

Preview | Orgatec

Fischermanns (International) One of the best restaurants in Cologne, serving superb international cuisine at surprisingly reasonable prices. Take advantage of the terrace if it is warm enough. Booking advisable. Mon Thurs & Sun18.00 – 02.00, Fri & Sat 18.00 – 03.00 Rathenauplatz 21, 50674 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 801 7790 www.fischermanns.com

Bars & Pubs The beer of Cologne is Kösch. And it’s very moreish! If you happen to reach the point where you’ve had your fill of beautiful German beer or simply fancy a pint of Guinness, a decent cocktail or a glass of wine instead, look no further. A huge number of British Orgatec visitors will inevitably head to the Alter Markt come nightfall.

The Corkonian Irish hospitality, Guinness, snacks, music and for those who can’t live without it, large-screen football. Industry favourite. Daily 12.00 – 03.00 Alter Markt 51, 50667 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 257 6931 Ice Bar im Hilton Fantastic cocktails and finger food. Huge flatscreen TV so no need to miss your sport! Daily until 02.00 Marzellenstrasse 13 – 17, 50668 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 130 710 Jameson Distillery Pub Another well established Irish pub. Mon – Thurs 12.00 -01.00, Fri & Sat 12.00 – 03.00, Sun 11.00 – 01.00 Friesenstrasse 30 -40, 50670 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 912 3323 www.jamesonpubs.com Metronom Great place to listen to jazz and with a slightly older customer base. Basic snacks available. Daily 22.00 – 01.00 Weyerstrasse 59, 50676 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 213465 Six-Pack Meeting place for the music scene in Cologne. DJs play an eclectic mix of music. Daily 20.00 – 03.00 Aachener Straße 33, 50674 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 254587 XX (Dos Equis) The haunt of the media and artists, efficiently run and with plenty of character. Sun – Thurs 19.00 – 02.00, Fri & Sat 19.00 – 03.00 Friesenstrasse 62, 50670 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 133898

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Haus Scholzen (German) A family run business with a constantly changing menu of traditional German food. Booking advisable. Wed – Sun 11.30 – 15.00 & 17.00 – 00.00 Venloer Straße 236, 50823 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 515 919 www.haus-scholzen.de

Cafés and Restaurants

Hotel Lux (Russian) A diverse menu with the added attraction of 40 vodka varities and 38 imaginative Russian cocktails to sample! Sun – Thurs 18.00 – 01.00, Fri & Sat 18.00 – 03.00 von-Sandt-Platz, 50679 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 241136 www.hotelux.de

Finding time to eat can be a problem. Finding any type of cuisine you fancy in Cologne is not. Here is a small selection across the board.

Maracana Rodizio (Brazilian) Freshly grilled meat on skewers and much more. Friesenstraße 55, 50670 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 7 89 18 22 www.maracana-rodizio-restaurant.de

Bei Oma Kleinmann (German) If you need something substantial this traditional German restaurant is the place for you. The food is very good and low in price. Tues – Sun 17.00 – 01.00 Zülpicher Strasse 9, 50674 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 232346 www.beiomakleinmann.de

Le Moissonier (French) Although not pretentious arguably one of the best restaurants in Cologne. Turn of the 20th century interior, the food is basically French with international influences. Expensive but worth it. Tues – Sat 12.00 – 15.00 & 19.00 – 00.00 Krefelder Strasse 25, 50670 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 729479 www.lemoissonnier.de

La Bodega (Spanish Tapas Bar) Food is excellent and the atmosphere truly Spanısh with live music and flamenco. Booking advisable. Friesenstrasse 51, 50670 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 257 3610 www.la-bodega-koeln.de

Pizzeria Caminetto (Italian) Friendly and comfortable restaurant serving great pizzas and other Italian fare at very reasonable prices. Daily 11.30 – 15.00 & 18.00 – 23.00 Eifelstrasse 36, 50667 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 310 4664

El Gaucho (Argentinian) Delicious steaks and all sorts of other delights. You need to be hungry when you go to this wellknown chain. Tues – Sun 18.00 – 23.30 Barbarossaplatz 4a, 50674 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 246 797 www.el-gaucho.de Ferkulum (Turkish) This café has great kebabs and other Turkish fare at reasonable prices. Daily 11.00 – 03.00 Zülpicherstrasse 37, 50674 Köln Tel: +49 (0) 221 244897

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Preview | Orgatec

Our Picks Company Name

Travel Hall

Stand

Forbo

5.2

Idea Paint

5.2

A11

Vitra

5.2

Camira

6.1

C78

CMD

6.1

C80

Four Design (Ocee)

6.1

A71

Humanscale

6.1

A81

Okamura

6.1

B58

Thinking Works

6.1

C58

Interstuhl

7.1

B58

Nowy Styl

7.1

B30

Viasit

7.1

B40

Wiesner Hager

7.1

B31

Amtico

8.1

C11

Dauphin

8.1

B28

Flokk

8.1

A28

ICF (Task)

8.1

B49

Luctra

8.1

A61

Sedus

8.1

B48

Actiu

9.1

C49

Alea

9.1

B51

Haworth

9.1

A68

Interface

9.1

C50

Kinnarps

9.1

B10

Koleksiyon

9.1

B38

Modulyss

9.1

A21

Werner Works by Ensemble

9.1

A59

Ercol

10.1

A10

Steelcase

10.1

E10

Brunner

10.2

M40

BuzziSpace

10.2

P40

Casala

10.2

Bolon

11.2

E11

Kettal

11.2

B11

Offecct

11.2

B39

Tarkett

11.2

B39

Rail Information: The main DB and ICE trains are the fastest. Other services, whilst good, tend to stop at every station in between. For timetables, fares and online booking visit www.deutsche-bahn. com for the most comprehensive information. Also visit www.vrsinfo.de/eng/index.php and www.vrr.de/en/index.html

Helpful English to German Phrases Note: Wherever you see ß=ss.

Rail Services from Airports to Köln HBF Main Rail Staion: Düsseldorf services DB-IC, ICE & VRR, journey time 30 – 50 mins Köln/Bonn services DB-IC, ICE & VRS, journey time 15 – 30 mins Dortmund services DB-IC, ICE, RE & BUS, journey time 1.46 – 2.00hrs Frankfurt/Hahn services DB-IC, ICE, RE, BUS, S, journey time 2.15 – 3.30hrs Frankfurt/Main services DB-ICE, S, STR, journey time 1.20 – 2.30hrs Arrival by Car/Taxi: 10 motorways lead into the main Köln motorway system. Follow the green signs for Koelnmesse, which are clearly marked on all motorways and main roads. There are 14,500 parking spaces at the Messe. Once parked there is a free Shuttle Bus service to all the hall entrances. Taxis from Köln/Bonn airport are pretty reasonable and, thanks to the impressive, efficient road network, usually fast – both to the Messe and into central Cologne. Oh, and you’ll get a spotless Mercedes, so you’ll arrive in style!

E – Good morning/Good afternoon/ Good evening/Good night G – Guten morgen/Guten tag/ Guten abend/ Guten nacht E – Please/Thank you G – Bitte/Danke E – Excuse me/Forgive me G – Entschuldigen sie bitte/ Entschuldigung E – Where are the toilets/taxi/trams? G – Wo sind die toiletten/taxis/tram? E – Give me directions to G – Können sıe mir den weg nach .... sagen? E – Would you like to join me for a drink/meal? G – Möchten sie mich zum essen/einen drink E – What time do you open/close? G – Wann sind sie geöffnet/geschlossen? E – I like the meat rare/medium-rare/well done G – Ich hätte das fleisch gern blutig/medium/durch E – Show me your vegetarian menu G – Können sie mir ihren vegetarisches menü zeigen? E – Show me the wine list G – Bringen sie mir bitte die weinkarte E – May I have the bill? G – Rechnung bitte? E – How much is that? G – Wie viel kostet das? E – I prefer line dancing, thanks G – Ich bevorzuge line dance, danke E – Take me to the Messe/airport/rail station/ restaurant/pub/my hotel G – Können sie mich zur Messe/flughafen/bahnhof/ restaurant/pub/hotel bringen? w

Mix 188 October 2018 | 97

Review | London Design Festival

Capital Idea We always look forward to getting out and about for London Design Festival. There was something about the 2018 edition, however, that didn’t quite hit the spot. Maybe it’s just us – but we don’t think so, judging by the responses we’ve eked out from our A&D friends.

2 98 | Mix 188 October 2018

here’s little doubt that, of the major fairs and exhibitions that help form the festival, designjunction is the most designer-friendly (and before we get hundreds of responses from the Focus and Decorex brigade, please remember that we are a workplace title and therefore, when we say designers, we mean ‘our’ designers – not residential or retail). For that reason, designjunction is very much the focus of our LDF review. We were intrigued to see the new designjunction home on the South Bank – and who doesn’t love the South Bank? We have to admit, however, that we were slightly underwhelmed – actually, to be more accurate, we were a bit confused. As shows such as designjunction grow (and they only grow because they’ve got something about them), it does of course become increasingly difficult to find interesting, decent, central venues. We know that, historically, designjunction has not been afraid to split itself into a couple of spaces (think back a few years to the Sorting Office in Holborn) and that was also the case this year on the South Bank. What confused us though was who was showing in which of the two main sites – Doon Street and the Bargehouse. And we weren’t the only ones. We actually bumped into designer friends also ‘in limbo’ between the two sites, not sure which they should be heading towards to see certain manufacturers. We even witnessed a couple of visitors who had managed to not even find

Review | London Design Festival

5 1. The Gateway to Inclusion, by Saint-Etienne, Lisa White and François Dumas 2. ‘The Original. About the power of good design’ installation by Vitra 3. Head Above Water by Steuart Padwick 4. Workstories 5. &New Robot Side Table 6. BuzziHat pendant lights by BuzziSpace 7. Elements Collection by Bolon

7 Mix 188 October 2018 | 99

Review | London Design Festival

8. Hitch Mylius FLIX collection 9. Karbon chair by Actiu 10. Ausum S by Enigma Lighting 11. The Meeting Pod Company

8 the Doon Street pavilion, so had simply wandered back to the Bargehouse. Oh, and it isn’t good to have surly security guys and girls, not allowing entry at 7.30pm when the official closing time is 8pm. All that being said, we were actually impressed by a number of the furniture companies on show (particularly at Doon Street). It was good to catch up with our friends from Deadgood, Hitch Mylius, Actiu, &New and Workstories. We also liked what had been done with the South Bank itself. On Queen’s Stone jetty, British designer Steuart Padwick made a dramatic change to the skyline with his 9m high Head Above Water sculpture, in support of mental health and the Mind campaign, Time to Change. On Oxo jetty, the city of SaintEtienne – in collaboration with Lisa White, Head of Lifestyle and Interiors at WGSN, and designer François Dumas – showcased the Gateway to Inclusion, an immersive installation made out of multicoloured ribbons, which aimed to promote inclusion in design. Elsewhere, we made best use of our Tube Tamer app in getting ourselves out to Olympia for 100% Design. What’s more, it looked good. Bright and buzzy, it felt nicely curated and extremely accessible. As it was the morning of the big Steelcase/ Orangebox announcement, it was great to bump into (and gently wind-up) a couple of ‘O’boxers', while it was equally great to see our friends from the Meeting Pod Company had made the schlep across from the Isle of Wight. We shouldn’t really complain about that journey from Clerkenwell to Olympia! We headed back east to the Truman Brewery’s London Design Fair and (please excuse the pun), to be fair, liked a lot of what we saw – although not strictly relevant to this magazine. We did find a number of designers trawling through the fair though, loving a lot of the shiny things on display. w

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BOLD FURNITURE FOR MODERN PLacEs

Review |

SELECTIONS

KI’s MyWay now available in the UK KI’s MyWay adaptive lounge seating was designed specifically for contemporary education environments. Modular and easy to reconfigure, it ergonomically supports a ‘sit-as-you-like’ approach, giving users the freedom to comfortably connect, collaborate, socialise and relax in their preferred seated position. The collection consists of individual chairs that can be specified with any combination of arm styles and can be pushed together to create various combinations. www.kieurope.com

Borders in Bucharest provide fresh appeal When Viavi Romania designed their new Bucharest headquarters they wanted a fresh and modern approach to their space planning design. Turning large expanses into demarcated colour areas was essential, without the need 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 to occupy. www.paragon-carpets.co.uk

Walls that tell stories Storywall by Granorte is the manufacturer’s latest innovative surface to harness the beneficial properties and low impact of cork. Taking cork recycled from the wine stopper industry, Granorte uses direct digital print to create patterns onto large-format wall tiles. Capturing modern colourful pixelates, distinct geometrics and stripes along with classic floral and embellished motifs, Storywall brings new meaning to pattern, layering these designs above cork’s unique and unmistakable natural aesthetic. www.granorte.co.uk

The natural look without the worry UNILIN, division panels, brings creative freedom to modern hospitality interiors through UNILIN Evola decorative panels and the ClicWall wallcovering system. With a development process driven from original materials, walls and panels from UNILIN, division panels, provide true-to-life surfaces that are technically superior with scratch-resistance, durability and easy maintenance. UNILIN panels and walls are the ideal way to create a natural aesthetic in hotel and leisure interiors, while providing a surface that stays looking good, even under heavy use. www.unilinpanels.com

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Review |

SELECTIONS

New shapes set the mood at CyberArk London-based workplace design and build specialist, CSK Projects, has specified high-performance carpet tiles from modulyss to deliver global leader in privileged access security, CyberArk, an office with a modern and fun look that inspires employees. Combining New Shapes and various colours of the structured loop pile First Absolute, the team at CSK Projects have delivered a floor layout that uses colour and shape to define areas and play a role in creating improving acoustics. www.modulyss.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

Polyflor launches new interwoven vinyl collection The idea behind Polyflorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Wovon range was to provide an opportunity to explore new textures and patterns whilst still offering great functionality. The Wovon collection of interwoven vinyl tiles provides a unique and diverse selection of weave designs that come with extraordinary depth and sophisticated aesthetics to cater for projects that require contemporary styling. www.polyflor.com

Kinetic energy form Wilton Carpets Wilton Carpets has launched Kinetic, a wool-rich woven axminster carpet, available in just 14 days. Fizzing with energy, Kinetic features striking modern patterns made for forward-thinking leisure and hospitality spaces. Using colourways drawn from the manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Creations colour palette, Kinetic is bursting with dynamic shades of grey, blue and green. Whether fine-line geometrics in Pulse, fractals in Gravity, Atomic and Radiate, or modern botanicals in Magnetic and Dynamic, Kinetic brings unwavering spirit to the floor. www.wiltoncarpets.com

Mix 188 October 2018 | 103

The Last Word | Opinion

FURNITURE'S UBIQUITOUS CLASSIC Criteo’s Head of Workplace Experience EMEA, Mike Walley, is bored – of what is happening in the current furniture market. Here, he questions both producers and specifiers, and wonders what they can do to spice things up a little for their clients.

Mike Walley is Criteo’s Head of Workplace Experience EMEA

here are some pieces of furniture that just bore me rigid. I don’t mean that chairs, per se, bore me, or that the mere sight of a table induces a crippling ennui. No, I mean really specific pieces of furniture bore me. Certain designs just turn up again and again in office projects. Every 3D render of a new space seems to include them. The chrome and leather meeting room chair; the button upholstered reception chairs; the little circular glass tables; the chrome and leather ottoman; the white plastic chair with wire or wooden legs…and so on. When I sigh and roll my eyes heavenward, muttering, 'not again' the response I most often get is, 'But it’s a classic!' Is it too harsh to describe a classic as a piece of superseded technology viewed through rose-tinted spectacles? Maybe a little harsh, but let’s face it, the 1962 Mini Cooper S is a classic, but I would not want to drive to the South of France in one. No, it would have to be a modern saloon with air con, cruise control and a music system that sounds like the band is balanced on the back seat playing live just for you. The point I am making is that it feels lazy to keep dropping these pieces into a layout and calling it design. There is no doubt that a carefully placed 'classic' piece can lift a basic design and make it feel a little zingy and edgy, but when the coffee shop at the train station has a scattering of Eames-like chairs on the pavement outside the ticket office for commuters to sit in and sip their lattes whilst waiting for the next train to be cancelled, then all is definitely not well with the world. Classics are like antibiotics, overuse renders them ineffectual. Why does it happen? Well, according to an old friend of mine in the office furniture business, one of the issues is the cheap 'knock-off'. Simply put, there are factories all over the place, churning out copies of some of the most iconic designs of the last 60 years. This reduces the price and encourages their use by designers who suddenly find beautiful pieces they have admired all their careers are within budget. Another point to consider is that fakes are often not economic. 'Buy cheap, buy twice' was a favourite mantra of my grandmother and, in this instance, she was most

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definitely correct. Fakes tend not to last in the rough and tumble of daily use and so the overall lifespan of an office is generally longer than the lifespan of the fake. When you constantly have to replace chairs where the legs have fallen off, the total cost of ownership ends up the same, or more, as buying the real thing would have done in the first place. So let’s get sensible and, just as I would recommend when purchasing whisky, buy the good stuff and use it sparingly. I am, however, concerned that we will still be seasoning our layouts with the same 'classic' pieces in ten years’ time. Where are the classics of tomorrow? The path to the lofty land of 'classic' is not short. It requires initial 'Wow Factor', which then, with growing acceptance and adoption, matures over time into 'classic' status. Today, the pipeline looks fairly empty to me. I recently attended a major office furniture show and was really looking forward to being energised by cool concepts, posing questions about the nature of work and the essential dichotomy between comfort and productivity (a little over-ambitious perhaps, but I am an optimist at heart). I walked expectantly up and down miles of exhibition floor, peering hopefully at stand after stand and…nothing! There were of gimmicks such as large box shaped chairs to sit in when making phone calls; In-office climbing frames to perch in and work (honestly!); and of course sit/stand everything; but there was nothing that caused a buzz. Nowhere did I find awestruck crowds around a stand, talking in hushed and reverential tones as they gazed upon something that pushed the boundaries of art and design. I believe that for things to remain creative, there must be a reason to get excited about furniture again. A classic will still be a classic but, just as with buildings, you have to demolish the older ones to make room for the new and create an open landscape in which to work. If we spend all our energies venerating the old and filling our workplaces with 60 year old designs, we will simply all end up working in furniture museums. We must give designers a gap to fill. So, let us turn our backs on the fake, allow the classics to be classics, but use sparingly and challenge them with a new generation of practical, timeless and beautiful pieces. Over to you designers! w

Upfront |

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Mix 188 October 2018 | 105

Visit us at Orgatec 23-27 October, Cologne. Hall 6.1, Isle C, Stand 080.

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Quick Release VESA

The Reach arm has now been awarded FIRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prestigious Ergonomics Excellence Award for the standard 2-5kg option and the new ReachHD (Heavy Duty) 3-8kg option. It also features a new universal C clamp which includes a top mount fixing clamp as standard and a split clamp for space limited applications.

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2-5kg and 3-8kg Options

Cable Management

180o Lockout

Top Fixing and Split C clamp

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