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Annual Review
In 2012, DEGW transitioned to Strategy Plus, a practice at AECOM that helps organizations optimize the performance of their people and buildings. AECOM is a professional services consultancy whose purpose is to create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments.
GlobalAndrew [email protected] +1 917 916 9981 EMEANicola Gillen [email protected]+44 7980 896934 AsiaPacificJanet [email protected]+86 10596 95188
AmericasKelly [email protected]+1 212 377 8437
54
Foreword IntroductionOur Annual Review of what AECOM’s Strategy
Plus practice has been doing recently
provides a snapshot of the expanding world
of the workplace. It is a world that is vastly
changed from what ‘workplace consulting’
meant even ive or ten years ago.
Clients’ needs and expectations have
changed. They know that ‘workplace’ is so
much more than the provision of space to
merely accommodate headcount. They are
making deep and complex transformations in
how they work on global projects. They expect
to tie together, seamlessly, decisions and
processes that move from business strategy,
to workplace design, to organizational change
management. They demand environments
that stimulate, delight, and boost energy.
They want workplaces that accelerate
their culture. They want to measure the
impact of workplace on their business
performance, productivity, user satisfaction
and engagement. They expect their workplace
to be performing superbly as just one aspect
of the total user experience of work. And, as
work escapes the conventional workplace
and blends into the rest of our lives, the
concept of workplace now extends to how we
program, plan, design, and use all kinds of
buildings and places in the city and into the
virtual world.
As someone who hasn’t worked in an ofice
in more than a decade, I posses a unique
perspective on the future of work, especially
as it pertains to Strategy Plus. You see,
I’m an accidental savant who read Frank
Duffy’s Work and the City as my primer in
ofice design. When 2008 is Year Zero in your
understanding of how to work, the following
propositions start to make a lot of sense:
Workspaces create value, not costs. It should
be obvious to anyone invested in innovation
that realizing complex ideas demands
collaboration, that collaboration requires
communication, and workspaces shape how
we communicate. They’re more important
than any org chart. But try telling that to
companies obsessed with “wasted” space.
If clients will only manage what they can
measure, then measure it. Again, this is
obvious. But it’s also maddeningly dificult
— how does one prove the value of a coffee
machine? Perhaps this is where sensors and
“sociometric badges” will come in. The irst
test of a quantiied organisation should be
learning how its ofice works.
Your workspace should conform to you.
Someone once demonstrated to me the 500
possible ofice layouts they’d generated for
a client, who would pick one and keep it for
at least a decade. This is nuts. Workspaces
should continuously evolve to support
workers — call it the real-time ofice.
These demands mean we have to provide new
kinds of services, with new kinds of skills.
We have to be global, connected, and able to
bridge to many other disciplines and kinds of
expertise. We have to collaborate across lines
of practice and partner with others, inside
and outside of our organizations. We must
engage in research and exploration, and be
active in debate and dialogue about ‘what’s
next in workplace’.
I hope this Annual Review will give you a
sense of how our practice, and the wider
skills of AECOM, are enabling us to engage
with this expanding world of workplace.
Ecosystems need membranes, not walls.
No enterprise is an island, as it belongs to
an “ecosystem” of partners, suppliers, and
customers. This is conventional wisdom for
Harvard Business Review subscribers, but
it rarely manifests in the ofice. Workspaces
should be permeable, welcoming outsiders
while freeing mobile employees.
Serendipity trumps efficiency. Those
outsiders bring the potential for serendipity,
i.e. unplanned ideas or encounters that result
from the discovery of tacit knowledge — the
hunches and expertise that can’t be written
down. These moments and meetings are the
seeds of something new and unknowable,
and thus can’t be factored into metrics
measuring eficiency.
The city is not an extension of the office.
That’s reversing the relationship: the ofice
is merely one island in a sea of places to
work. Duffy knew in 2008 that we would never
realise the full potential of mobile workers
without understanding that the scale had
changed. Seven years later, we still haven’t.
Free HR, FM, and IT! All of these changes are
predicated on radically different roles for
what are traditionally powerless back-ofice
functions. Who should be working together,
where and how are all strategic questions
and should be treated as such.
But then again, you knew this already. What
Duffy envisioned in 2008, Strategy Plus is
creating today.
Andrew Laing
Global Practice Leader for Strategy Plus
Greg Lindsay
Contributing Writer, Fast Company
Imagea ©2015 Michael Grimm, all rights
reserved
76
Group M, Madrid Image ©2015 Manolo Yllera, all rights reserved
98
10 24 30 38 46
Workplace ChangeChange readiness means
capability, innovation, fast
decision-making, and a culture of
trust and openness. The challenge
is in providing the right conditions
to make all that happen.
Service + Experience DesignDesign decisions based on the
desired experience of the employee
will force systems and technologies
to work more closely together.
Strategic Brieing Beyond the WorkplaceUtilization and function of the
office has been observed, recorded,
analyzed and theorized. There
are many other environments that
could benefit from this rigorous
approach.
Workplace Productivity The changing nature of work has
had huge implications for how we
measure productivity.
Research + InnovationConstant change demands fresh
insights into how we work, use
technology, and make the most of
space.
1110
WORKPLACE CHANGE
It’s a well-worn saying but it’s true - no matter
which industry, sector or part of the world
you’re in, change is a constant.
It is also getting harder to predict and
happening at an exponential rate. Products
and services that were revolutionary two
years ago become obsolete if they don’t adapt
fast enough. For example, the changing
demographic in the workplace has been woven
through generations, over many years, whilst
the explosion of smart technology caused a
dramatic change seemingly overnight.
Change readiness has been a hallmark
of start-ups, small enough to be nimble
and adaptable, while the FTSE 100’s have
struggled to change course quickly enough for
today’s markets. But competitive advantage,
no matter the size of the organisation, can
perhaps now be deined as the ability to see
what’s coming down the line, and be willing
and able to respond. That said, there is a
delicate balance between responding to
passing trends and staying focused on what is
proven to work and get results. This is the line
the world’s most successful companies tread.
The reality however, is that identifying the
need to change is one challenge, but its
implementation is so often fraught with
challenges, and few change efforts are entirely
successful. Most efforts take more time than
is anticipated, can negatively impact morale,
and often cost a great deal in terms of money,
time and emotional upheaval.
Organisations need to seek support for change
from every corner of the business. Change
readiness and responsiveness means having
the right people in the right roles, building
capability, prioritising innovation, speeding up
decision-making, reducing waste and creating
a culture of trust and openness. The challenge
is in providing the right conditions to make all
that happen.
AECOM’s work lines up people, technology
and place, to create a climate for change.
Instead of the working environment reacting
to change, forward-thinking organisations now
recognise that it can be a powerful enabler.
Seeing the workplace as a tool in the trans-
formation toolbox, means organisations like
National Grid and Rolls-Royce now strive
to identify change opportunities and align
their behaviours, technology and workplace
strategies in support of them, seeking ways
in which they can do things better, such as
support leadership qualities and capabilities,
respond to a changing regulatory environment
or change how teams operate and make deci-
sions, increasing the speed to market.
Finally, no change can be successful if it
isn’t managed successfully. Avoiding lost
productivity due to disengaged employees
can far outweigh any investment upfront in
managing change. By investing in the process
of change, an organisation is not just prepared
for the upcoming event, but increasing change
capability across the business, meaning
people are more able to respond to the next,
inevitable change coming down the line.
Hilary Jeffery
Director, London
Image ©2014 Hufton + Crow, all rights reserved
1312
In 2012 the New Product Introduction (NPI)
Transformation Project Team started to look
at every aspect of how a new product intro-
duction works. From organisational design,
people and ways of working - including ofice
design - IT, and processes and systems to
identify where improvements could be made.
AECOM was engaged to develop a strategic
brief and design for the new ofice, as well
as provide support in Change Management
to the people and ways of working aspects of
the project. The Trent XWB-97k programme,
based in Derby, was selected by Rolls-Royce
as it was the latest programme to launch, and
was well-placed to pilot the new organisa-
tional design and ways of working.
Very quickly it became clear that the wider
Trent XWB programme – including 84 – could
beneit from the work of the Transformation
Project, signiicantly widening the scope.
An important goal was to involve the teams in
improving global communication, eficiency
and productivity on behalf of Rolls-Royce
customers. Teams that worked together
closely were often based in different build-
ings across the Derby site, and were therefore
communicating mainly by email.
Within the Trent XWB, they come together
in a single new modern environment that
improves global collaboration and commu-
nication. We listened to what individuals and
teams wanted and designed a space around
them, allowing them to work how and where
they need to.
All work spaces are shared. Team neigh-
bourhoods give a sense of belonging, while
improved IT helps teams to communicate
more effectively. This holistic transforma-
tion approach has really improved the way
Rolls-Royce collaborates on ideas and solves
problems. As well as shared work spaces, the
ofice redesign has introduced quiet zones,
library areas and social spaces, as well as
the more traditional meeting rooms, making
a more colourful, lexible and agile place to
work.
The new ofice environment and the in-
troduction of a new organisational model
enabled Rolls-Royce to facilitate a change
in people’s behaviours and ways of work-
ing, and to achieve a sustainable cultural
change. Alongside this, the project also
looked at which processes and systems
required improvement, identifying those that
gave Rolls-Royce the biggest beneits in the
shortest time.
The project went live in October 2013, leaving
Rolls-Royce well-positioned to build on the
accomplishments of the Trent XWB pro-
gramme and achieve even greater successes
in the future.
When I walked into theofice, it felt like I thought it would feel when I irst startedworking for Rolls-Royce
Trent XWB UserPost-Occupancy Feedback
Rolls-RoyceMultinational company designing, manufacturing and supporting power systems for air, sea and land applications.
“
”Image ©2015 Hufton + Crow, all rights reserved
1514
With a background as Australia’s multicul-
tural broadcaster, the principal function of
Special Broadcasting Service Corporation
(SBS) is to provide multilingual, multicul-
tural and Indigenous radio, television and
digital media services that inform, educate
and entertain all Australians. Informed by its
special Charter, SBS’s purpose is to inspire all
Australians to celebrate diversity and in doing
so, contribute to social cohesion.
SBS delivers a unique mix of Australian pro-
duced and international television programs
in more than 65 languages; a national free-
to-air Indigenous channel, two subscription
television channels, three radio channels
broadcasting in 74 language programs - more
than any other broadcaster globally - and an
interactive online portal.
In 2011, SBS engaged Strategy Plus to help
develop a vision for its Sydney headquarters,
to equip the organisation to address the
challenges of media convergence and to lev-
erage opportunities from the cross-platform
offering of its lagship programs and services.
The physical working environment needed to
support SBS’s objectives for a collaborative
and high-performance delivery focus.
Employees from the commercial divisions
of SBS Media, Distribution and Subscription
Television were successfully relocated in the
Agile Work Place Pilot space in October 2013.
SBS has since observed a measurable lift in
the successful cross-divisional collaboration
of teams around its strategic objectives and a
marked improvement in the eficient sharing
of skills and resources; all critical to its plan
of continuously maximising the public value
of investment in SBS.
All SBS employees have beneited from the
creation of a new Content Hub and additional
collaboration spaces in its atrium, transform-
ing a tired, underutilised area into a state-of-
the-art presentation space for a wide range
of SBS internal and external events. The
spaces have also been used as a backdrop for
a number of SBS internal television produc-
tions.
SBSAustralia’s multilingual, multicultural and Indigenous radio, television and digital media service
Building a physical work environment to support the agile and cross-platform way in which SBS delivers its programs and services was central to our broader plan to equip the organisation to continue effectively delivering on its Charter, and to implement new and innovative initiatives to secure our success in a competitive media landscape.
Martin WrightManager, Corporate Services & FacilitiesSBS Corporation
“
”
Interior Design: HASSELImage ©2015 Nicole England Photography, all rights reserved
1716
BMWLuxury car, motorcycle and engine manufacturer
In 2012, BMW engaged AECOM to develop
a tailor-made workplace and design con-
cept for the ofice space of a new research
and development building at the Business
Campus Garching. The objective was to deine
a concept with new ways of effective and
ergonomic working in an ofice environment,
to be tested in a pilot project.
A fundamental building analysis was con-
ducted in order to understand the structures
and to be able to develop detailed space
planning. A range of concepts were present-
ed to BMW, in order to enable the client to
identify the best suitable solution for their
business.
A lexible, modular workspace concept was
developed and customised to the surround-
ing premises, taking user input into consid-
eration, and comprising a variety of work
environments for different tasks and needs.
Key factors that enhance eficiency and inno-
vation were the restructuring of the business
division and the creation of contemporary
ofice spaces, with the intention to promote
communication and the exchange of knowl-
edge.
The new ofice environment relects the
company values and identity of BMW. New
standards for modern ways of working and
innovative workplace environments were in-
troduced within the future-oriented concept,
and included in the existing BMW corporate
design guidelines for further procedures.
In the implementation and realisation phase,
AECOM supported the client with integrated
project management services, such as cost
estimation/monitoring, preparation of ten-
dering documents for furniture and interior
design, creation and ongoing adaptation of a
detailed project plan, preparation and coordi-
nation of meetings, including the documenta-
tion, and elaboration of management decision
documents.
The results of this project provided the basis
for ongoing involvement with BMW. AECOM
supported the client with the evaluation of
an additional workplace pilot in Munich, and
in evaluating test it variations for the BMW
Project House (FIZ) which will be entirely
reconstructed in 2015.
1918
Banco SantanderGlobal, multinational bank, leading world market capitalisation
Banco Santander is a global, multinational bank,
named the Best Bank in the World, in 2012 in the
annual Euromoney ranking, for the third time in
recent years. At the close of the latest iscal year,
Santander was the largest bank in the Eurozone
and one of thirteen leading banks in the world in
terms of market capitalisation.
Banco Santander wished to plan a new
building, to accommodate the ive Business
Units dedicated to back-ofice functions, in
Mönchengladbach (having inished its new
headquarters six years ago). The vision was
to create stimulating environments that
would enhance collaboration and foster
interaction between the 1800 employees to be
accommodated.
Luis Guilló, CEO at SGF in Banco Santander,
decided that the building should be built “from
the inside out”. This would ensure each business
unit would it, using their predicted headcount,
whilst allowing luctuations through buffer
space, and being aligned with the Santander
Headquarters in Mönchengladbach.
Optimising the investment, making the most
out of cost per square meter, AECOM delivered
a design brief – creating a working environment
that would unify processes, culture and mobility
among business units. It was crucial to consider a
lexible, functional and future-proofed space that
would minimise the impact of potential changes,
either in organisational charts or in the number
of employees moving to the new space. A starting
premise for the brief for the building was that it
had to deliver excellent economical performance.
As a result of the brief developed by AECOM,
Banco Santander will now be able to build at
least 20% less space than it would have if the
design had been generated in a more traditional
way,. This contemporary approach to ofice space
stands out as a landmark example in the inancial
sector.
2120
AECOM worked with MHP, a leading Ukraine
agribusiness, to optimise the use of its main
ofices. MHP recognised that its workplace
environment should support and relect its
high growth and performance driven culture,
and regarded the workplace as a catalyst to
modernise culture and processes.
For this project, we utilised our Rapid En-
gagement approach to understand the organ-
isation, centred around an intensive ive-day
visit on site, plus a streamlined observational
study (Time Utilisation Study), a Workplace
Performance Survey (open to all MHP staff),
walkthroughs and informal interviews with
staff, as well as formal interviews with
leadership. Rapid Engagement provides a
high-level overview of an organisation within
a short amount of time and is especially cost
eficient for overseas or remote locations.
Through our research, we were able to
identify the key issues, and propose strategic
and design solutions that respond to current
demands and align with business aspirations
for the mid- to long-term.
AECOM delivered a workplace vision,
identifying themes and insights to inform the
redesign of the existing HQ building in Kiev.
The vision document identiied the following
objectives, aligned with MHP’s current and
future business needs:
• Relect MHP’s leadership status/position
• Modernise the workplace
• Improve productivity
• Greater communication
• More effective team-working
• Better business performance
From these business drivers and
research indings, we identiied strategic
recommendations for the workplace
environment to support organisational
transformation. These recommendations
were then used to determine workplace
design principles.
A multidisciplinary AECOM team, working
from both London and Kiev, used these
design principles to create a pilot project for
one wing of the HQ. The pilot establishes the
design, process principles, delivery structure
and interior it-out systems to be used in the
subsequent roll-out across the headquarters.
This pilot, while testing the strategy and
design principles, will act as a change
management tool to showcase to MHP staff
the opportunities of a new way of working.
The design language is fresh, with warm
tones and graphics inluenced by elements
found in the MHP brand, including a high-
level abstract expression of agriculture, also
reminiscent of the motion of throwing seeds
or feed, subtly immersing staff in a workplace
that connects their brand with what they do
and with the land that provides for them.
MHPA leading Ukrainian poultry and grain producer
Concept Design image
2322
BPGlobal supplier of fuels, petrochemicals, lubricants and biofuels
BP is implementing the second generation
of its global Workplace Guidelines. AECOM’s
Strategy Plus team in London supported the
development of the BP WorkPlace Toolkit in
2012. This framework maps out the shifts for
businesses moving from “My Space to Our Space”
with a range of shared informal meeting spaces
and workstations. When BP’s Melbourne ofice
moved to 717 Bourke Street in 2010, the local
Real Estate team created a workplace with a
range of different settings. However, with each
person allocated to a single desk, the business
had outgrown the space’s capacity within three
years, and costly churn projects were tackling the
issue by increasing the density of work settings,
undermining the design principles of the it-out.
In 2013, the local Real Estate team decided
to take up the challenge of implementing a
new Flexible Workplace, embracing the new
WorkPlace Toolkit as a guide to create a more
energised, exciting place to work by looking for
greater utilisation of space over time. AECOM
research conirmed that an ”Our Space” solution
was achievable:
• Owned desks were occupied only 38% of
core working hours
• 42% of staff wanted to work from home 1-2
days a week
• 52% of staff were identiied as highly mobile
based on the WorkPlace Toolkit’s criteria
The appetite and ability to implement greater
lexibility was in place. Within months of
reviewing the recommendations, however, BP
embarked on a business restructure which threw
the need for change into even sharper focus.
The workplace solution now needed to support
a portfolio consolidation, as well as position
employees with a modern, lexible working
environment.
A 12 week roll-out plan was developed with
Strategy Plus so that BP’s Real Estate team, led
by Nick Trumble, could implement the new way
of work, keeping physical changes to an absolute
minimum. Changes to space settings were driven
by a future business need and a clear return on
the implementation costs.
Two sites have now been consolidated into the
single ofice, and a greater proportion of staff
signed up to shift to mobile working without
assigned desks, exceeding the business case
target.
Interior Design: PTIDImage ©2014 SLINGARD Studios, all rights reserved
2524
SERVICE + EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Experience design is about putting people at
the heart of the workplace, treating employees
as consumers and delivering an environment
that is inviting, lively, and most importantly,
desirable. Much like retail and hospitality
market sectors employ a “place-making”
approach to design - creating destinations and
experiences that consumers want and seek -
we too should consider the workplace as mixed
use environments where employees socialise,
learn, relax, work, and play.
We design human experiences by starting with
the individual and then working outwards,
building an integrated system of services,
technology and physical places that enable
people to be happier and more productive.
Much like a city or mixed use complex of
interdependent systems, without a strong
link between facilities management, IT and
HR, the experience for the individual may be
disconnected or over-complicated. Making
design decisions based on the desired
experience of the employee forces systems and
technologies to work more closely together.
The workplace is also becoming an increasingly
social experience. Younger generations are
prioritising the social aspects of work and we
see an increasing proportion of workspace
given over to social and community areas,
where people come together to collaborate,
eat and play. In current lexible environments,
around 40% of the loor plate can be given over
to spaces other than desks. In a headquarters
building, this space allocation igure can
be more than 50%. On-site food, shopping,
personal care, and health and itness are
becoming increasingly common.
Our research shows that few organisations
are keeping up with the pace of change,
and are not managing these environments
with the employee at the centre. Real Estate
professionals, and others with a mandate to
shape ofices for a more productive future,
need to keep open eyes and an open mind.
Our vision is of a workplace that’s much more
like a mixed-use environment, in terms of the
variety of services and amenities available for
the employee. 9-5, desk-based sedentary work
will be replaced by experiences in which the
boundaries between work, play, socialising and
leisure are increasingly not just connected but
seamless.
Francesca Jack
Director, London
Image ©2013 Bruno Helbling Fotographie, all rights reserved
2726
The 57 Centre, opened by HM King Willem-
Alexander of the Netherlands in April 2013, is
Heinz’s new state-of-the-art innovation centre.
The new R&D facility, located near the
European ketchup and sauces factory (Elst
Gld), is established in the heart of the Dutch
“Food & Health Valley”. The region is known as
a European knowledge centre in the sphere of
food and health.
With the realisation of the R&D centre, Heinz
has increased the growth perspective for its
brands and laid a solid foundation for the
future. The Innovation Centre offers a state of
the art R&D environment, with an ultramodern
microbiological lab and a sensory centre for
consumer taste panels. It is Heinz’s largest
R&D facility outside of the USA and home to
200 experts: chefs, food scientists, quality
engineers and researchers, who work together
with consumers, clients and suppliers on
the newest developments in the ield of food
and packaging. In a building that expresses
openness, transparency and entrepreneurship,
the centre is the heart of Heinz.
Working in partnership with base build
architects and Engineers Tebodin, AECOM
developed a new workplace strategy, interior
design and change management programme
for the new facility. This has supported the
creation of a vibrant, energetic, professional
R&D centre that will drive high levels of
innovation, collaboration and knowledge
sharing. It is seen as a future magnet for high-
calibre recruits, as well as international staff,
and is also a showcase for the Heinz brand,
driving new strategic partnerships with Heinz
clients and suppliers.
The new facility spans approximately 8000m²,
over three levels, with the boundaries between
the technical space and workspace merging on
all levels to create a working and R&D environ-
ment that fosters collaboration and innovation.
The building is interconnected via a three-story
open atrium, with a large main circulation stair
connecting all levels. The ground loor space
acts as a funnel, drawing people through the
building, and visitors and staff are greeted by
a 19m feature wall, designed by AECOM and
curated, detailed and installed by Acrylize.
The café and restaurant are connected by an
exhibition/display cooking facility and lexible
meeting suite all, of which can be fully opened
up to create one main ground loor space. The
main workspace is all open-plan, with a high
ratio of open project and team working space,
quiet study rooms and enclosed bookable
conference and meeting rooms, all within easy
access to teams.
AECOM also undertook change management,
to introduce staff to new ways of working and
lexible working principles and protocols.
This project is now complete, and has been
documented in a coffeetable-style glossy
booklet, designed by AECOM, in order to enable
Heinz to socialise the concept within the organ-
isation.
HeinzInnovative global food processing company
Images ©2014 Bruno Helbling Fotografie, all rights reserved
2928
Paciic Gas & Electric (PG&E) Real Estate
and Customer Care groups engaged AECOM
to work on a Service Design initiative aimed
at reimagining service delivery, strategic
placement, and conceptual design of its
Customer Service Ofices in Northern and
Central California.
PG&E’s network of over 70 Customer Service
Ofices (CSOs) function as bill payment and
customer support centres. The company
was interested in improving the customer
experience at the CSOs and in encouraging
visitors to start using automated payment and
support channels, both within and outside of
the ofices.
AECOM initiated a rigorous research process,
with the goal of:
• Understanding the needs of a range of
CSO visitors
• Identifying current service gaps
• Identifying new opportunities to meet
customer needs
• Improving the work environment for CSO
staff.
Our methods included leadership visioning
workshops, ethnographic study of multiple CSO
sites, service safaris and trend-surveying. Due
to the large number of internal stakeholders
involved – customer care, brand, real-estate,
sustainability, IT, and others – leadership
consensus was especially key for this project.
Through a careful and indepth engagement of
both internal and external PG&E stakeholders,
we identiied a series of unmet potentials that
would allow the utility to reach its operational
and customer experience goals. We offered
speciic and detailed recommendations that
would allow PG&E to:
• Optimise service delivery by improving
queue management, automated payment
options, way-inding and placing.
• Increase space eficiency by right-sizing
CSO components, standardising the
space planning process across locations,
and eliminating real-estate waste.
• Engage customers, by making use of CSO
visits and wait times to provide useful
information and enhance PG&E’s
reputation and brand promise
• Design a comfortable and welcoming
environment for customers and staff.
We worked with leadership to create a “punch
list” of high-priority recommendations to be
implemented across locations. The company
is currently in the process of rolling out the
concepts.
Pacific Gas & ElectricNatural gas and electric utilities
3130
STRATEGIC BRIEFING BEYOND THE WORKPLACE
Much work and scholarship has been
dedicated to the workplace environment . Over
the past 45 years, the utilization and function
of the ofice environment has been observed,
recorded, analyzed and theorized. And while
this focus makes sense, since we spend so
much time of our waking lives in the working
world, there are many other environments
that could beneit from similarly rigorous
approaches to strategic brieing.
The Strategy Plus team implements research-
driven, user-focused solutions for the physical
environment. We have been able to take this
methodology, developed for the workplace,
and expand it into other building types and
physical environments.
Many of our projects are about working at a
city scale, including programming the new
Sacramento Kings basketball arena, and
identifying design strategies to turn the arena
venue into a catalyst for the downtown area -
one which engages the surrounding landscape
and community, and can operate year round
as a new town centre. This kind of urban
strategic approach has brought us to Northern
Brazil, where we helped a developer envision
a burgeoning tech community for a future
development. We did similar work for Pier 70 in
San Francisco, working with stakeholders and
community members to articulate a vision for
the site that would include artists, academics,
technologists and also relect its rich history.
We have also been undertaking projects in
the cultural sector, including for the SFMOMA
expansion and for the Mexican Museum. For
the Mexican Museum, it was critical to engage
community leaders and constituencies to
envision the future of the Museum, and to
design an ideal visitor experience, one which
would include multiple paths of experience
and embrace different audiences. Alongside
audience research and mapping, we created
video documentation of the current brand
identity, describing the opportunity for the
new Mexican Museum.
These projects are diverse – working at a
development scale for Pier 70, at a city scale in
Brazil, and at a building scale in the Mexican
Museum. But what they all have in common
is a commitment to the power of the built
environment, and the opportunity for user
research and user-based thinking to create
better performance briefs, at multiple scales
and for many types of buildings and places,
extending our thinking from the workplace to
the public realm.
Image ©2014 Zaha Hadid Architects, all rights reserved
Andrew Laing
Global Practice Leader
3332
Mexican MuseumUnique art and cultural institution in San Francisco Bay
The Mexican Museum has a long history in San
Francisco of being in a series of small street
level storefronts. They are currently planning to
occupy the bottom loors of a high-rise in the
downtown cultural arts district of San Francisco.
This move will see a much expanded, signiicantly
larger Mexican Museum for which AECOM has
developed the strategic plan. This was one part of
a larger planning effort that included a business
plan and a space program.
The strategic plan aimed to envision and describe
the future of the Mexican Museum. This included
the visitor experience, the target audience, and
educational programs. The plan included a high-
level vision for each of these areas, but it also
created a roadmap that identiied key activities
and hires by year leading up to the opening.
The process for the strategic plan was very
inclusive and innovative. Because the institution
is community-driven, it was very important
to involve the community in the process. The
team did some people-on-the-street video
ethnography to explore the target audiences for
the Museum.
We also ran focus groups with community
leaders, artists, gallerists and educators. And
we interviewed inluential leaders such as the
Superintendent of Schools, Head Librarian, and
the Arts Commissioner. This was a valuable way to
enlist the community in the planning stages so it
would truly feel like the community’s museum.
The client was thrilled to identify their target
audience, and also to meet that audience through
the workshops, interviews and video work.
When we started this engagement, the Museum
was conlicted about who their target audience
was. By watching the videos and meeting
people at the focus groups, the client was able
to envision who their target audiences were. As
a result of the user research and community
outreach, the project enabled the client to deine
more clearly the brief for what they needed to
achieve. The vision for the Museum will sustain
the client through the next few years of planning
and building.
3534
Pier 70Historic pier in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighbourhood
Pier 70 is a large-scale development project
for the developer Forest City. AECOM
masterplanning/urban design groups led the
engagement, with Strategy Plus, Economics, and
Historic Preservation specialists all supporting
the effort.
Strategy Plus led the user research portion of
the study, to explore the potential directions for
the character of the development. The project
site includes a portion of the Central Waterfront
that had been an industrial site since the Gold
Rush and is the longers continuously-operating
ship repair facility on the West Coast. The area is
part of a National Register-listed historic district,
and is adjacent to the up-and-coming Dogpatch
community. The challenge was to come up with
an economically viable model for the area that
would respect its historical nature, and which
would work well with the community culture and
neighbours.
We identiied some target communities for the
research effort. These communities included
artists, established bio-tech and software start-
ups. The industries were researched through
a series of interviews with inluential leaders,
and some focus groups. The resulting indings
enabled our team to deine and explore the
complex ecosystem of the neighbourhood, taking
into account economic and cultural viability, the
relationship between tenants, and the sense of
place.
The developer client has used the research
extensively in the planning process, and in public
meetings as they navigate approval hurdles.
Having the support of the community has been
critical to the success of the project in moving
forward.
This project has been an excellent example of the
beneits of an integrated multidisciplinary team,
streamlining the process and allowing the wider
team to focus on deining and solving complex
community and planning challenges.
This project is also exemplary for leveraging
user research as a way to inform the brief for the
project, and also a means to build support for the
project through the user engagement process.
3736
Central Bank of IraqNew headquarters for the Iraqi national bank
The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), the most important
economic institution in the country, has been
working hard to establish its independence and
to unify monetary policy across the country. The
Governor of the bank initiated a project to develop
a new headquarters for the CBI, replacing existing
buildings that are not it for purpose, and demon-
strating that the CBI is leading the rebuilding of
the country.
Working in partnership with architect Zaha Hadid,
AECOM provided Strategic Brieing, Workplace
Strategy, Design Brieing and Space Planning
services, alongside cost management.
The new HQ will be sited on the Tigris River in
Baghdad, and the design conveys the institution’s
core values: Solidity, Stability and Sustainability.
The building is 170m at its highest point, with
19 ofice accommodation loors within the main
tower - space, including amenities and technical
loors, totalling 90,000 m² GIA.
The CBI’s vision was of “a successful Central
Bank that, through achieving stability, strongly
and eficiently supports Iraq’s economic progress,
investments, reconstruction efforts and serves
the public at large, demonstrating to the world
Iraq’s re-emergence.”
Through a series of structured and intensive
workshops, held in Kansas (Federal Reserve
Bank) and Frankfurt (European Central Bank),
with participation from the CBI’s Governor,
Financial Services Volunteer Corps, US Federal
Reserve and Zaha Hadid Architects, AECOM
developed a strategic brief which captured
the core foundations of the project, the CBI
values, mission statement, organisational
structure, accommodation strategy, functional
requirements, space demand and building supply.
Further goals of improving collaboration, creating
a new open-plan ofice culture and ensuring a
lexible space planning solution were also cap-
tured and embedded in the design of the building.
In order to maximise the quantity and quality of
output, from the limited number of workshops
with senior personnel in CBI, the multi-disci-
plinary team came together and crafted the
agenda of each workshop very carefully. Finding
an optimum and balanced solution, for a banking
institution in a rapidly-changing context, was a
key driver for the team.
AECOM supported CBI in making critical deci-
sions by providing qualitative and quantitative
data (including industry benchmarks) at the right
stages of the brieing process. The result was
a comprehensive Strategic Brief and Concept
Design proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects.
The schematic and detail design development of
the project has been driven by best practice and
innovation in the inancial services sector.
Imagea ©2014 Zaha Hadid Architects, all rights reserved
3938
WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY
Measuring the impact of the workplace on
productivity is the Holy Grail of our industry.
The changing nature of work has had huge
implications for how we measure productivity.
Traditional metrics used to assess productivity
in terms of ‘counting widgets’ is inadequate
in today’s knowledge-based economy, where
productivity is about value, quality and
innovation.
The choice of metric depends on who is asking
the question. Different stakeholders bring a
different perspective. Whilst the CFO will want
hard inancial measures, HR is more interested
in employee health and wellbeing. Productivity
measures are only valuable if they answer the
question being asked.
The world of measurement is volatile, making
it dificult to link employee productivity to the
work environment. The relationship between
productivity and the work environment is not
linear in nature, and there is a complex network
of physical, social and psychological factors
inluencing employee productivity.
AECOM’S workplace strategy and design
team have been measuring workplace
productivity, before and after implementation,
with tools such as opinion surveys and
space observational studies, for many years.
Our global databases provide valuable
benchmarking evidence that typically drive
workplace projects. Our work with National
Grid, in the UK, has taken measurement a step
closer to the Holy Grail.
In addition to the data sources outlined above
we are now doing cognitive testing to measure
individual productivity. When comparing results
before and after, we found a very positive
increase in individual productivity of 8%. We
continue to develop this approach in other
sectors.
There is no magic formula. The most effective
and reliable way to measure the impact of the
work environment on employee productivity
is through the aggregation of results, from
different data sources all relating to improved
organisational outcomes. Our work with
National Grid is an industry irst.
Nicola Gillen
Director, London
Image ©2015 Hufton + Crow, all rights reserved
4140
AECOM has been working with National Grid
over the last 5 years, to develop and drive
a radical new workplace strategy for its UK
portfolio. The strategy seeks to address a se-
ries of challenges, enabling the workplace to:
• Better support how people work
• Create more opportunities for people to
collaborate, as well as concentrate when
they need to
• Engender innovation and creativity
• Strongly relect the National Grid
brand, showcasing who they are to their
stakeholders
• Create an environment which drives
eficiencies and enables lexibility.
Having deployed a pilot to test the strategy,
National Grid have since rolled out their
Smart WorkSpace programme to over 6,000
people, across key sites, with AECOM as
strategy, design and change management
partners.
The programme is not just about refurbish-
ment, but is also about taking the opportunity
to embrace the future of National Grid, in line
with their vision to be an innovative leader
in energy management. Their buildings have
become like cities – incorporating differ-
ent places and spaces, but designed with
the same intent – to delight employees and
visitors.
But more than that, the programme repre-
sents an enormous change in the organisa-
tion, in the way they work and operate and,
fundamentally, in culture. Many projects re-
port positive impacts to productivity, National
Grid has actual, proven results. A study with
a UK university, sponsored by National Grid
and AECOM, has measured impacts on pro-
ductivity, both subjective (through user feed-
back in online surveys) and objective (through
measurement of individual cognitive perfor-
mance in the new environment compared
to the old). The results show people are 8%
more satisied with their workplace in Smart
Workspace environments but, critically, they
also perform 8% better in the cognitive tests
compared with people in their traditional
ofice environments. These results help make
the case that a better working environment is
good for business.
National Grid is pushing the boundaries and
constantly seek ways to grow and develop
the solution, taking in learnings from the
wider industry and listening to the business
about how the design and use of workspace
impacts their work.
With everything from infra-red space utilisa-
tion technology, to an ongoing dialogue with
the change agent community, what makes
this programme signiicant is understanding
that the best workplaces must constantly
change as the business constantly chang-
es. National Grid’s continuing commitment
to making change stick, whilst at the same
time embracing innovations, is ensuring their
spaces will continue to delight occupiers for
years to come.
National GridInternational electricity and gas company
Hugely impressed; it’s a great space... the layout, technology and ‘energy’ that it provides are very exciting
Senior ManagerNational Grid
“
”
Images ©2015 Hufton + Crow, all rights reserved
4342
Munich ReInternational insurance group and leading expert on risk solutions
Munich Re was founded in 1880 and is one of
the leading experts in global risk solutions.
The headquarters is located in Munich,
Königinstrasse, and is the workplace for
around 4000 employees. In 2014 some of the
business and central units moved into a new
building located in the North of Munich (Berliner
Strasse). The 1980s building was completely
overhauled and redesigned, with only the
structure maintained, with the goal of promoting
interaction, communication and transparency.
AECOM, engaged to develop a concept for the
new building, began with the comprehensive
analysis phase in August 2012. Online surveys,
interviews and focus group workshops revealed
a desire for self-directed work, in a modern and
functional open workplace environment. In the
following months the affected business units
were involved in the planning and design process
by regular meetings, interviews and site visits.
The design of the workplaces was developed in
weekly sessions, with close cooperation between
AECOM and Munich Re during the whole process.
To meet the requirements of the employees in the
implementation, opportunities for concentrated
individual work and suficient meeting rooms had
to be considered in the planning. The different
needs of the business units were considered in
the occupancy planning, including the choice
of their own supporting furniture, depending on
their work styles. The high-quality furnishing
was complemented by the Iatest IT equipment,
supporting interactive and worldwide work.
The four stories of the building are connected
by an atrium, giving an expansive view between
loors and supporting the open, dynamic
atmosphere. Generous spaces allow teamwork
in formal and in informal areas. Depending on
the kind of work, employees can choose between
open plan ofices, project rooms, meeting
rooms, rocking chairs and meeting lounges.
The requirement of space to withdraw and
for conidential interactions has been met by
numerous phone rooms.
A process of change management was
implemented throughout the project, with a
consistent communication plan seen as essential
for the success of the project. Since the majority
of the project focused on change management, all
levels of staff were involved in decision-making,
through “Sounding Board” workshops and
monthly meetings with change agents.
AECOM were on site over two years, before,
during and after the move. Over three months,
900 employees moved into their new premises.
To ensure employees could maintain a guarantee
of immediate assistance to customers, an
“Infopoint” in the new building was established.
The last employees moved into the new building
by the end of July 2014 and, over the last year,
employee feedback indicates that they feel
comfortable and satisied with their new work
environment.
Further projects for implementation of new
working environments have been started based
on this good experience.
Image ©2014 Marcus Buck, all rights reserved
4544
UBSGlobal inancial services provider
Over the past four years UBS moved approxi-
mately 10,000 back ofice employees into the
innovative UBS Workplace Now concept. The UBS
Workplace team reached out to AECOM to explore
a new challenge: to relect the working methods
of the demanding front ofice staff by introducing
UBS Workplace Now for client advisors.
Finance is a regulated industry and the
implementation of an enhanced workplace
concept for front ofice staff required careful
consideration and a precise approach to balance
the needs of privacy, exchange, and safeguards
for conidentiality. In a pre-pilot project in 2013
with 70 front-end client advisors and their
assistants at UBS Zurich, new ways of working
for the front ofice staff were developed and
implemented for the irst time. It was imperative
that external clients should feel the change only
in a positive way even though they would not
actually visit the UBS Workplace Now spaces.
To adapt the requirements to front-ofice end-us-
ers, the UBS Workplace Now team ran a research
and implementation process, to gain holistic
insights into the work styles of front-ofice busi-
ness units. The entire project was accompanied
by multiple feedback loops with business repre-
sentatives, achieved despite a very short timeline.
In addition providing lexibility, mobility and new
technologies, it was highly important to ensure
conidentiality for clients, spaces for daily meet-
ings and team interaction, and places where advi-
sors had the opportunity to get their appearance
ready before heading into a client meeting.
With the lessons learned from the Post-Occu-
pancy Evaluation, the next pilot was tackled in a
highly sophisticated manner. A location in Basel
became the new home for about 500 front-ofice
employees. The goal was to implement a success-
ful showcase, supporting client advisors, and to
convey a sense of innovation, future banking, and
growth, while supporting a discreet, sophisticated
and classical appearance expressing constancy,
trustworthiness and stability.
Dealing with compliance requirements was
a key success factor. The high amount of
conidential calls (as well as sensitive data on
screens) required careful consideration regarding
acoustics. The client advisors were also provided
with a variety of new UBS Workplace Now
elements, that were invented by a user group
involved in the workshops.
Staff response was extremely positive, praising
the functionality of the location for direct
interaction between staff, where information can
be exchanged with colleagues more effectively.
The Post Occupancy indings showed the
highest levels of employee satisfaction achieved
since the introduction of UBS Workplace Now,
making it the best performing UBS workspace in
Switzerland as rated by employees. Particularly
interesting is that, according to feedback, there
was an improvement of collaboration as well as
concentration. One of the biggest challenges of
introducing a more open concept was to increase
communication without sacriicing the ability to
concentrate.
The UBS Workplace Now positions UBS at the
forefront of the inancial industry. The pilots will
be the basis for future front ofice projects in
Switzerland, as well as guidelines supporting a
global roll-out of this concept.Image ©2015 Martin Rütschi/UBS, all rights reserved
4746
RESEARCH + INNOVATION
As the world of workplace transforms and is
constantly reinvented, with new technologies
and new ways of working and using space, our
research and engagement with users is also
evolving. This takes many different forms.
Sectoral research into how different types
of organizations use space and technology
remains critical. We continue to research
user needs, as in the case of the Technology,
Media and Telecommunications sector (TMT)
which poses particular demands for space and
buildings. It is essential to test and share our
research indings in the form of publications,
conferences and roundtables.
It is always immensely valuable for us
to partner with clients to do research,
especially when the client wants to go
beyond implementing workplace innovation
to rigorous measurement of the impacts on
productivity. This kind of research is greatly
enhanced by collaboration with universities,
as was the case with our recent efforts to
measure differences in cognitive performance
for users in ‘new’ versus ‘old’ workplace
environments.
Our collaboration with universities is also
important in how we learn from the experience
of teaching and engagement with students. In
the case of Columbia University in New York,
we were able to link teaching in the real estate
program with writing a paper on the future of
the workplace in the ‘digital city’. Other white
papers we have published in the last year
include an exploration of the controversy over
working from home, again by engaging with a
client who was keen to dig deeper into these
issues from their own experiences.
Hosting learning days for our staff on a global
basis, where we can get together and explore
with our clients new directions for change, is
an exciting and rewarding part of our culture –
as happened in our design learning day hosted
in Madrid.
Our clients are experiencing constant
change, indicating ways in which our tools
and methods need to evolve. Recent work in
progress includes new ways of tracking people
in space over time, new ways of integrating
ethnographic indings in one simple platform,
and new ways of creating games with clients
to explore the choices they need to make
about work and the workplace.
Conducting research to create innovative
solutions is a deep part of our culture. It is
fundamental to how we work and collaborate
with our clients and partners.
Andrew Laing
Global Practice Leader
4948
British Council of Offices White Paper: TMTReport investigating the changing nature of work in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector
AECOM has a long history of work with the
BCO. We have contributed to many of the BCO
guides, offering advice on building envelope,
cost and economics, tax, occupancy density
and guidance on best practice.
Our latest involvement is a collaborative
research effort, with Cushman and Wakeield,
to understand how the Technology, Media
and Telecommunications (TMT) sector is
inluencing the design, speciication and
letting of ofice space in the UK.
The objectives of this research project are to:
• Better understand the make-up of the
TMT sectors, and the differences
between the diverse range of the compa-
nies that reside within the TMT label.
• Comment on whether the current surge
in demand from this sector is likely to be
sustained into the future
• Understand how the TMT sector uses its
space, and how well the ofice market
meets their space requirements
• Evaluate if the way that the TMT sector
uses space is likely to inluences other
ofice users in the future
• Assess the need for the BCO Guide to
Speciication to address the speciic
needs of the TMT sector and the inlu-
ences it is likely to have on other sectors.
CONSUMER DEVICES INTERFACE
CO
NT
EN
T G
EN
ER
AT
ION
CONSUMER DEVICES & INTERFACE
CO
NN
EC
TIV
ITY
/ T
RA
NS
PO
RT
DELIVERY PLATFORMS AGGREGATIO
N
TMT COMPETITORS
MICROSOFT
MICROSOFT
YAHOO!
SKY
SKY
VIRGIN
VIRGIN
APPLE
APPLE
APPLE
APPLE
YAHOO!
O2
TELEFONICA
VODAFONE
BT
BLACKBERRY
LG
SAMSUNG
HTCIBM
SONYSIEMENS
ALCATEL
Microsot
Twiter
NOKIA
VIACOM
CISCO
EBAYAMAZON
The paper was developed through both
secondary (desk-based) and primary (ield)
research. As part of this, two developers and
seven occupiers, representing the diversity of
the TMT sectors, were interviewed, including
companies such as Microsoft, Telefonica,
Salesforce and BskyB.
The paper was published and presented at
the BCO Conference in May 2014.
Download the full report from the British
Council for Ofices’ Website.
TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
MAY 2014
5150
National GridTaking workplace research from the qualitative to the quantitative, in collaboration with a leading UK university
The beneits of National Grid’s Smart
Workspace are widely recognised, winning
regional BCO awards for it-out in both 2014
and 2015, with much anecdotal feedback
to suggest the programme is positively
impacting satisfaction and productivity.
However, the evidence-based approach
that Smart Workspace is built on means
that AECOM set the challenge to ourselves,
National Grid, and the industry, on how that
impact can be measured and quantiied.
Early satisfaction surveys from the Warwick
project showed that 86% of people would
not go back to the old way of working.
Furthermore, those same surveys showed
a 5% increase in collaborative activity and
a 5% gain in productive time due to easy
access to meeting spaces. These early
measures of success began to strengthen
and validate anecdotal feedback about how
Smart Workspace is impacting people and
performance.
More recently though, National Grid
partnered with AECOM and a leading UK
university to objectively measure productivity
for the irst time. A large sample of some
500 people from old and new workspaces
were asked to complete a series of cognitive
tests as well as take a more conventional
perception survey of the performance of the
work environment.
As with the earlier survey work, this latest
survey found that people working in Smart
Workspaces were signiicantly more satisied
with their workspace and found it more
stimulating. However, the more signiicant
results came from the objective studies – the
cognitive tests. Those in Smart Workspaces
performed 8% better across the tests, than
those in old workspaces.
These results are helping to indicate what
our other surveys were suggesting - that
Smart Workspace is good for business.
Collaborative activity
5% increase in collaborative activity per person (2 hours per week)
Productive time
5% productive time gained back due to easy access to meeting
spaces
COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE
8% improvement in individual productivity
Imagea ©2015 Hufton + Crow, all rights reserved
5352
Media Screens
Work and Workplaces
in the Digital City
Productivity: A Homemade RecipeA white paper bringing together leading insights and global benchmarks and case studies on home working
In a paper commissioned by the Center for Urban
Real Estate (CURE) at Columbia University,
Andrew Laing wrote about the role of technology
in augmenting cities as extended ‘workscapes’.
The role of the traditional architectural program
of workspaces in individual ofice buildings is
becoming less relevant. Our challenge is therefore
to re-think the urban landscape of work beyond
the ofice.
Information technology is amplifying the
richness of social networks that are already
valuable aspects of the architecture of
cities. Superimposing a layer of geo-location
intelligence onto how we navigate and optimise
our relationships in the city adds more value to
cities as drivers of our economy.
The same technology that connects people to
people is also connecting people to the ‘internet
of things,’ in which objects are embedded
with devices that communicate. These new
developments, enabled through GPS and
accessed through smart phones, are creating
new senses of belonging and new kinds of
relationships between the individual and the
public to space, the city and society.
Technology is doing more than merely enriching
the value of physical places, it is helping us to
re-imagine a future of urban living and working
as a new kind of blended experience of everyday
life. Technology is enabling us to not only intensify
and densify the use of the ofice and other kinds
of workspace, it suggests we can also re-design
the very categories of building types and urban
places. It suggests that buildings can be used by
a greater variety of functions and activities that
are less homogeneous. The wider urban area
becomes part of the programme of workspace.
The sharing economy of collaborative
consumption, enabled by new applications
and geo-location services, is beginning to
revolutionise the ways that irms and individuals
procure and obtain workspaces, challenging
the supply-side driven mentality of landlords,
developers and the real estate industry. The
future of the workplace will be transformed
in terms of how and where work happens and
also in terms of how the workplace is procured
and consumed by end users. The collaborative
consumption model provides users with much
greater choice and control to procure their own
work environments on an as-needed basis. The
ability to obtain workspace in this more lexible,
on-demand way is being further enhanced by
emphasising the provision of workspace as a
service.
Read the full paper here.
Whisk the ingredients together to create
cutting edge, industry leading insights, global
benchmarks and case studies. Cook to ensure
a highly stimulating debate, and garnish with a
thought provoking white paper to taste.
Recently, Marissa Mayer, CEO at Yahoo, sent out
a memo banning working from home. Soon, the
memo hit the Web. ‘Speed and quality are often
sacriiced when we work from home. We need
to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically
being together.’ it said. Moments later, the internet
exploded with reactions, as it invoked the ire
of working parents, remote workers, and even
Richard Branson! Clearly an emotional topic. But
why?
AECOM explored the issues in a series of
presentations and discussions with academics,
public and private clients, and government
representatives in multiple cities, including
Munich, London and Madrid. Participants
included BMW, Credit Suisse, Pizer, Rolls-
Royce, UBS, Unilever, Cisco, Microsoft, Philips,
GlaxoSmithKline and Telefonica.
As part of what became a global response to
this issue, AECOM undertook some research in
Asia and North America, to broaden insights into
homeworking internationally. The second release
of this paper introduces the topic, provides an
extensive case study from Accenture alongside
the academic research, and includes a write-up
from each of the countries and regions studied,
concluding with indings from the events and
research activities internationally.
Download the full white paper here.
WHITE PAPER
Productivity: A Homemade Recipe?
July 2013 | Release #1
Imagea ©2008 Inga Powelleit, all rights reserved
5554
Design Learning DayMadrid-based team global learning exercise, producing fast-paced designs for developer client Gmp
Besides the use of tools, techniques and bench-
mark data, consultancy must nowadays provide
more complete solutions – focusing on the chal-
lenges of our clients, not just on a speciic project,
but starting upstream, assessing what they may
need even before a project is identiied. This kind
of exploration with clients was illustrated in the
Design Learning Day that we held in Madrid in
collaboration with our client Gmp.
Taking place across two days, this training
represented a great opportunity to demonstrate
our values - establish strong synergies between
our business lines, and reveal the quality that is
achievable when we work closely alongside the
client. Mr Francisco Montoro, president at Gmp
– one of the leading unlisted, property-owning
real estate groups in Spain – hosted a tour at
Gmp’s property “Torre del Banco de Bilbao”,
also known as the BBVA Building. Our designers
and consultants were challenged to provide
innovative solutions for the future of the tower,
establishing it as a business, technological and/or
social landmark.
The irst team was challenged to provide a
concept for the best ofice building in the EMEA
region, in order that the building could become
an aspirational destination for the top ranked
companies in the world.
The second team was driven by the needs of
an acting client, Mr Francisco Gimena – CEO
at MOLA, exploring the possibility of turning
the building into a highly specialised and
sophisticated technologically-advanced
environment, which could well-accommodate
Telecoms and IT companies, whilst also providing
space that could help bright, young technological
entrepreneurs to kick-start the development of
innovative tools and apps.
Finally, acting client Mr. Juan Gich, Spanish MD
at Rothschild Bank, requested the third team
provide an elegantly serviced, specialised and
sophisticated solution involving mixed-use space
and a high-end hotel function for the building,
catering to the knowledge workers of the world.
Each team had less than 24 hours to produce
a vision and high-level concept. Proposals and
drawings were then presented to the Gmp
executive board, talking them through the
thoughts and ideas behind the work. The clients
from Gmp provided valuable feedback on the
teams’ work: they were impressed by the AECOM
teams’ strong commitment to the task, fast
response to the brief, and high quality proposals.
This direct contact with, and feedback from,
potential clients during the event represented
a unique experience for every attendant, and
inspired a new approach to the executive
decision-making process.
If this is what you can do in one day, imagine what you could do in a week or more!
Francisco MontoroPresident, Gmp
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About AECOM
AECOM is a premier, fully integrated professional and technical services irm positioned to design, build, inance and operate infrastructure assets around the world for public and private-sector clients. With nearly 100,000 employees — including architects, interior designers, workplace strategists, change managers, management consultants, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and construction services professionals — serving clients in over 150 countries around the world. AECOM is one of Fortunes Most Admired Companies for 2015. The company is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering customized and creative solutions that meet the needs of clients’ projects. A Fortune 500
irm, AECOM companies, including URS Corporation and Hunt Construction Group, have annual revenue of approximately $19 billion.
More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.
