BCO Good Office Design

7/27/2019 BCO Good Office Design

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GooD office DesiGn


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contents

1. workpLace 1Unilever House 4

Roche Products HQ 8

GCHQ 12

eOice 16

PricewaterhouseCoopers 20

ISG Headquarters 24

Blue Fin Building 28

2. Location 33Quartermile One 36

38 Finsbury Square 40

85 Southwark Street 44

19 George Road 48

One Hanover Street 52

3. cost 57Great Glen House 60

South Cambridgeshire Hall 64Scottish Gas HQ 68

Oxam Global Hub 72

Fort Dunlop 76

4. sustainabiLity 81Heelis National Trust HQ 84

Beauort Court 88

Lemsord Mill 92

Skyways House 96

Wellcome Trust 100

5. structure 1055 Aldermanbury Square 108

BBC Mailbox 112

HM Treasury 116

Royal Bank o Scotland HQ 120

180 Great Portland Street 124

6. futures 129

inDeX 138opposite.bbc MaiLboX, birMinGhaM.

David Barbour.


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1.0 workpLace

This book draws on submissions To The annual awards programme

ThaT has been run by The briTish CounCil for offiCes (bCo) from

2002-2008. over ThaT period There have been more Than 400

individual enTries for projeCTs around The uk, and This book

highlighTs a broad range of Them drawn from aCross differenT

seCTors, loCaTions, ClienT Type, budgeT, size and approaCh. iT is

Telling ThaT a large proporTion of projeCTs enTered for The bCos

awards are loCaTed in The souTh of england, or even wiThin

The m25 (roughly half, in faCT). This is perhaps To be expeCTed, as

The souTh easT is where large numbers of privaTe enTerprises

are headquarTered, while parTs of london have addresses of

suCh presTige ThaT noThing buT Top-flighT offiCe developmenTs

Can be expeCTed. noneTheless, This book ConTains projeCTs from

aCross The uk (albeiT wiTh someThing of a souTh-easT bias),

while edinburgh probably also geTs more Than iTs fair share, as a

poliTiCal/CommerCial CenTre in iTs own righT.

GooD office DesiGn workpLace

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opposite.roche proDucts,new heaD office

David Barbour.


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Wherever oice developments are located, theapproach to sta provision and spatial standardshas remained remarkably consistent over recentyears. Occupational density has ranged romone person per 24 m2 to as little as one per6 m2, while the average remains around 12 m2per person. Similarly, light levels vary, althoughthe average o 400 lux has become the typicalprovision. Generally, all projects submitted orawards, and certainly all those eatured here, put apremium on the creation o a positive, eicient anddelightul workplace. Many clients have entirelybought into the idea that high-quality surroundings

will help attract (and retain) high-quality sta; andit genuinely does appear that clients have beenhappy to explore the widest possible range ooptions in the search or the ideal workplace.

The move to open-plan working is a commoneature o most contemporary oices, althoughplenty o spaces are provided or meetings andconversations to be held in private. This move interms o spatial planning accompanies a changein the perceived hierarchy o employers apecking order remains, but as everyone has theirown value and role to play, status is no longer

badged by the size or position o ones privateoice. In act, clients appear to have seized thepotential o wireless working to allow sta to worklexibly anywhere, and a wide range o spacesare provided, rom conventional desks, to caes,cellular rooms, breakout areas, light-illed atriaand courtyards. Plug-in-and-work is becomingcommon practice, oten allied to hot-deskingwhere people work at whichever space is availableand appropriate or a speciic task; centralisedcomputers know exactly who is working where,allowing others to ind them. Oices seem to becharacterised by a certain inormality, based on

the idea that it is a persons knowledge, capabilityand attitude that is important rather than wherethey sit. But inormal does not mean uninspiring;typically, sta are grouped around perimeterwindows or views and light (no longer are thebest vistas reserved or board directors), whilelarge atria, the application o colour and artworks,contemporary urniture and clear sightlines alsoanimate the new generation o workplaces.

A serious consideration o sta amenity is alsobound up with the provision o an appealing andmotivating environment. A good number o BCO

Crown Copyright eOice


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entries (perhaps because those entering will onlysubmit their most prestigious projects) containacilities such as a gym, showers, coee bar, rooterrace, retail outlets, restaurants and libraries.Where businesses occupy out-o-town locations,there is oten an increase in retail provision andpossibly even the inclusion o a health centre;providing transport in the orm o a private bus orextending the route o a public bus service is alsobecoming good practice.

In planning terms, there seems to be a smallnumber o oice typologies emerging. Out-

o-town oices, perhaps conigured along thelines o a campus, oten adopt the model oan internal street along which workspacesand other acilities are ranged; bridges acrossthis street oten unction as inormal lounge orbreakout areas. Urban developments tend togo upwards rather than outwards, so the streetbecomes compressed into an atrium, while roosare deployed as terraces. In both cases, almosteverything is visible, and a sense o activity andidentity is provided through one sweeping gaze.Also, attention is given to the sense o entrance,

o arrival; oten sta and visitors are treated to acertain grandeur on entry.

Smaller developments are more diicult tocharacterise; oten they will occupy just a singleloor o a large building, or they will be conversionso buildings which come with their own curiositiesand constraints. Even in these smaller, moreindividual, places, eorts are made to bring colour,light and openness to the working environmentand amenities might be provided in simpler ways,such as the inclusion o bicycle racks, interestinggraphics and coee-making acilities that are welldesigned and on view rather than hidden in darkkitchens. The statistical research carried outby Davis Langdon on all the BCO award entrieshighlights one project which seemed to outdo allothers in terms o sta amenity: there are reenewspapers, ree beverages, two coee shops, anaerobics studio and much more. This is unusual,but the idea that employees are more than justworkers is becoming airly typical.

Stanhope plc by Huton + Crowe Richard Leeney Photography


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The brie was to create a working environment othe highest possible speciication within this GradeII listed structure. The developer, with architectKPF, has managed to create a highly contemporary

and immensely eye-catching oice space whichis more accessible, more sustainable and morestimulating than its orebear. Cleverly, in spite othe scale o the reinvention o this building, thedesign and construction team managed to makethe best o a long list o original arteacts includingdoors, marble, parquet looring, ireplaces, Gill litpanels and light ittings (and where some parquetlooring could not be reused, it was reassembledto create a set o tables or Bovis Lend Lease).Even internally, there are enough historic clues toremind occupants they are still in Unilever House.

Circulation has been greatly improved. The originalloor plates, which encompassed dispersedlit cores, have been reconigured to create adramatic atrium (created by linking ive central

light wells) with a single lit core. Adding to thedrama o this space are our lying carpetswhich provide extra circulation opportunities orloors ive to eight. Suspended rom the perimetercolumns o the atrium, this multilevel structure(linked by a spiral stair) is held rigid by beingtwisted into tension and secured by high-strength,stainless steel tension rods. Suspending theseloors in this manner enables the lower part o theatrium to be kept clear. This radical reinventiono the nine loors, stair cores and lits was madepossible by replacing much o the original complex

Unilever House was a wonder o the age when completed in the 1930s, but in spite o a 1980s

reurbishment, this iconic building had become cramped, conusing and poorly used by theend o the century. The company began to explore ideas about redeveloping the building in2002, and even considered moving to a new location. However, the headquarters is so rmlylodged within the identity and culture o Unilever (and its location is almost unbeatable) thatthe decision was taken to work with Stanhope to entirely update and reinstate the elan o thiscurved, neoclassical edice.

uniLever house100 victoria eMbankMent, LonDon

cLient: uniLever

DeveLoper: stanhope

owner/investor: sLoane bLackfriars

architect: kohn peDerson foX

interior DesiGner: prinGLe branDon

structuraL enGineer: arupservices enGineer: arup

Quantity surveyor: Davis LanGDon

project ManaGer: stanhope

contractor: bovis LenD Lease

buiLDinG teaM buiLDinG Data

coMpLeteD: apriL 2007

net: 24,121 m2

Gross: 36,077 m2

efficiency: 67%

fLoors: 10

cost: 98,055,000


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uniLever. this buiLDinG,rateD eXceLLent throuGhits breeaM assessMent, hasbeen entireLy rethouGht aLLowinG uniLever tocontinue occupyinG thisiconic heaDQuarters by theriver thaMes.

Stanhope plc by Huton + Crowe


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and heavy structure with lighter steel loor plate,rigidly connected to the retained elements o thebuilding and relocated concrete ireighting cores.

Sixty per cent o the original building has beenretained, although much o what we now seebehind the retained acade is entirely new (and88% o the 33,000 m3 o demolition materialwas recycled). Concrete roo slabs were replaced

to allow or the creation o a roo garden, withopenings to bring daylight into the atrium below;rootop plant was moved to the basement; the1970s west elevation was entirely replaced, whilethe original northern elevation was retained butopened up to provide a much stronger sense oaccess, light and transparency at ground level.Also, the principal ront entrance, acing theThames, has been reopened and enhanced. Theoverall eel o the re-engineered building is oneo openness and interconnectivity; any sense ostuiness has been consigned to the bin. Sta

amenities have been relocated rom the basementto the top loor, and directors oices and theboardroom itsel have been moved to the sixthloor rom their previous near invisibility at the topo the building in small enclosed spaces. We usethe word transormation all too easily these days,but in this case it is totally justiied, said the client.The building has been totally transormed and in

a most stunning way.Just as important is the perormance o thebuilding environmentally and spatially. Occupationdensity has been increased rom 1:21 m2 to1:12 m2, and loor plates and entrances have beenconigured to allow subletting or the irst time. Interms o carbon emissions, as a listed building,Unilever House is permitted to use 20.5 kg ocarbon per m2 per year. A target o 18.5 kg/m2/yrwas set or the reinvented building, but this goalwas beaten by a large margin. As built, UnileverHouse uses 15.99 kg/m2/yr 22% better than


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the building regulations speciy and 13.5% betterthan the target. The buildings BREEAM rating isexcellent.

The construction o the building also beneittedrom the establishment o the London ConstructionConsolidation Centre, a builders depot part undedby Stanhope and opened in 2006 just outsideLondons Congestion Zone in Bermondsey. This

allows products to be delivered to constructionsites in central London in relative bulk on a just-in-time basis. The project was the irst Stanhopescheme to beneit rom this acility.

Irreplaceable historic acades were retained andthe inside remodelled to create internal visibility,recover organisational legibility to the loor space,improve light and encourage the public back intothe building. The renovated building provides aninspiring and invigorating workplace that can beshared with visitors and the public, said the BCO.

opposite.with a GrossinternaL fLoor area of36,077 m2 (388,329 2), the

buiLDinG has an efficiency of66.7%. typicaLLy, office spaceson each fLoor aMount toarounD 2,500 m2 (net).


Left.previousLy DisperseDLift cores anD LiGht weLLshave been reconfiGureD, anDthe buiLDinG proviDeD witha centraL core anD DraMaticatriuM. the fLyinG carpetscan be seen throuGh thecurveD GLazinG.


we use The word TransformaTionall Too easily These days, buT in ThisCase iT is ToTally jusTified, said TheClienT. The building has been ToTallyTransformed and in a mosT sTunningway.


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This is an opportunity, and one that happensrarely in the lie o an organisation, to evolve ourworking environment toward one that creates aculture o dynamic cohesion, open communicationand teamwork, said John Melville, general

manager o Roche Products. Our aspirations wereenshrined within a brie that called or a buildingthat relected the quality o Roche without beingostentatious, drew together our organisation underone roo, transorming our working environmentand culture to one which attracted and retainedthe best sta in our industry. That is exactlywhat has been delivered in a ine, contemporarybuilding that was delivered ahead o programmeand within budget, and within which oureectiveness, productivity and sense o identityhave all been enhanced.

BCO guidelines were used extensively asbenchmarks during the design phase o thisthree-storey building, which takes advantage othe sloping topography o the site to appear as atwo-storey development (the entrance is located

at irst-loor level). This building was conceived asa modern, stand-alone pavilion, with its volumesheltering under a single, horizontal roo plane.A central atrium/street runs through the building,lanked by oices on one side and communalacilities such as conerence centre and starestaurants on the other. This simple zoningprovides excellent legibility and clarity or bothsta and visitors.

Preabrication was maximised throughout theproject, or reasons o speed and quality control.The atrium roolights, which contain integral

The new head oce or Roche Products was designed to deliver against a brie which

demanded a cultural transormation or the company. From an entirely cellular, multi-site oceenvironment Roche has moved to a 90% open-plan building which has brought all 1,200 statogether under a single roo. The overall ambition was to provide the company with a building inwhich innovation could fourish.

roche proDucts, new heaD officeweLwyn GarDen city

cLient: roche proDucts LtD

architect (anD interior DesiGner): bDp

structuraL enGineer: bDp

services enGineer (incLuDinG LiGhtinG anD acoustics): bDp

construction ManaGer: pcM

Quantity surveyor: cLaruspcMaccess consuLtant: reef associates

cLaDDinG consuLtant: eMMer pfenninGer partner aG

transportation consuLtant: Mva

fire consuLtant: faberMaunseLL


coMpLeteD: auGust 2005

net: 19,416 m2

Gross: 21,798 m2

efficiency: 89%

fLoors: 3

cost: confiDentiaL(brief was to DesiGn within 1,800 per m2)


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roche heaD office. thisbuiLDinG, which utiLiseDprefabrication to a hiGhDeGree in its construction,is GeneraLLy DesiGneD to acoLuMn GriD of 7.5 m anD apLanninG GriD of 1.5 m. facaDeMoDuLes were DesiGneD as1.5 m or 3 m units.

David Barbour


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lighting and roo vents, were preabricated. So toowere the solid oak structural curtain walling panels a UK irst. Although this project is being eaturedhere or its workplace beneits and the cultural shitit has helped engender at Roche, it is also worthnoting that the building secured an excellentBREEAM rating and makes use o an extensivenetwork o boreholes and ammonia-based chillerswith zero CO

2emissions, as well as an orientation

which takes best advantage o sunlight.

The building was conigured around a notion o

three key spatial types: workplace, shared spaceand individual space. Open-plan oices are locatedacross three loors and, in spite o their large size(60 90 m), no workstation is more than 7.5 maway rom natural light, owing to a pair o internalatria and a landscaped courtyard which sits in thecentre o the building. This principal working areaalso contains numerous breakout points, inormalmeeting zones and hot-desking or visitors andmobile sta. The whole coniguration o the workarea is based around the wish or sta to mix, relaxand share ideas inormally.

Shared accommodation is provided by an upper-

loor conerence centre (containing a variety orooms that can be joined together), a restaurantthat can double up as an occasional assemblyspace, a caeteria and the atria/street. This internalstreet was designed as the vibrant heart o thebuilding, containing all circulation mixed withviewing galleries, bridges and inormal meetingplaces it is a place o movement and interaction,

and is even equipped with an ATM machine anddry-cleaning drop-o point.

Individual zones comprise a gym and dance studio,an acoustically isolated library, an occupationalhealth centre and a travel to work acility providingchanging rooms and showers or cyclists.

Considerable thought has also been given tothe landscaping, which contains ormal lawns,water eatures and a perimeter promenade. Thecourtyard, set in the middle o the building, canalso be accessed by sta, and seating is provided

among the ornamental planting.

The upshot is that the cellular mindset o Rochessta, who were once located in 37 dierentbuildings, is ast disappearing in an environmentthat clearly places a premium on communicationand teamwork. The open-plan oices are largeenough to soak up entire departments, butthere is enough visibility throughout the heighto the building to emphasise the connectivityo separate teams. The oice space will easilyaccommodate the natural ebb and low o localteam and department sizes within a dynamic

oice environment designed or great lexibilityand comort, said the client.

This project won the Best o the Best award in2006, the BCOs highest accolade. The place isull o contradictions. It is massive more than21,000 m2 yet intimate and riendly, said the

judges, who also praised the buildings love aairwith light.

opposite.a three-storey voiD(or street) runs throuGhthe centre of the buiLDinG;offices are LocateD to onesiDe, whiLe a conferencecentre, restaurant anDother staff aMenities areLocateD on the other.

David Barbour

beLow.section throuGhthe buiLDinG, iLLustratinGinternaL atria (Left anDriGht) anD the centraLcourtyarD.

BDP


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The ring, or torus, shape was not an act oarchitectural whimsy. Part o the brie was thatbusiness units should be both integrated and

autonomous, so the idea o allowing departmentsto inhabit speciic segments o a circle was apiece o shrewd thinking. Also, this shape has theadvantage o clustering all the employees veryclose together no one in the organisation ismore than a ive-minute walk rom anyone else.Furthermore, Gensler points out that the circlemeans that the building achieves the maximumsite or the minimum perimeter, reducing thecost o building materials, surveillance and othersecurity measures. Externally, there are no cornersto hide around.

As might be expected, GCHQ was a relativelyexpensive building to build, coming in at3,369 per m2 (calculated on a gross internal

loor area o 103,877 m2). For the investment,sta working conditions are excellent: 80%o the space is close to a window and naturallight; a landscaped courtyard at the centre othe building provides a high-quality, but secure,external space; there is a wide variety o oiceand meeting areas, including open and high-security spaces and work anywhere acilities;and the building is equipped with laboratoriesand technical acilities o oten unusualspeciications.

This iconic building, well known or its doughnut shape, provides a single home or GCHQ sta

who had previously been spread across 50 buildings over two campuses. The brie, like many inthis book, was to provide employees with a fexible and ecient workplace which would acilitateimproved communications across the organisation while (simultaneously) preserving a sense othe autonomy o distinct business units. It was an altogether tougher brie than most headquartersprojects, not least because Gensler also had to build in security measures and provision or an ITacility that ar exceeded the demands o standard commercial contracts. The act that they havedone this so elegantly and to the satisaction o GCHQ sta is to Genslers credit.

GchQcheLtenhaM

cLient: GovernMent coMMunications heaDQuarters

DeveLoper: inteGrateD accoMMoDation services

architect: GensLer

interior DesiGn: GensLer

structuraL enGineer: tps consuLt

services enGineer: crown house enGineerinGcontractor: cariLLion


coMpLeteD: septeMber 2003

net: 64,272 m2

Gross: 103,877 m2

efficiency: 62%

fLoors: 4

cost: c.350,000,000


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the GLass anD steeLstructure is set on a pLinthof cotswoLD stone. GLazinGis reinforceD anD set atanGLes to cLoak the buiLDinGin a veiL of secrecy.

Crown Copyright


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above. this LarGe buiLDinG,with a Gross internaL fLoorarea of 103,877 m2, was notcheap at 3,369 per m2. butthe brief was coMpLeX anDthe buiLDinG haD to heLpManaGers Meet a wiDe ranGeof orGanisationaL outcoMes.

Crown Copyright

Left.the circuLar buiLDinGwraps arounD an open,Green heart at its centre,80 m wiDe. the eMphasis ofthe buiLDinGs DesiGn is oninteGration anD knowLeDGesharinG aLL staff arewithin a five-Minute waLk ofeach other.

Crown Copyright


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The eicient provision o workspaces and acilities isone thing, but to create both a ortiied bastion anda colourul, open-plan and delightul environment(with a very good BREEAM assessment) is oanother order entirely. Like a medieval ortress,GCHQ oers an inner secure space and an outerdeensive wall, say the architects. That deensivewall is composed o a plinth o Cotswold stone,angled glass (one can see out, but not in) andaluminium. Access is obviously highly controlled,and all goods are checked and palleted up in aremote logistics centre beore being transported

to the main building (which contains an inner ringroad) via electric train.

The roo o the building is, rather, something oa canopy which covers a series o distinct openand closed spaces. A very open, bright and airyinternal street runs around the centre o thebuilding linking everything, providing the lungso the GCHQ community. Oice spaces look outover this glass-rooed zone. For all its unctionalrequirements and the act that this building sitsat the sharp end o government intelligencegathering, it is a very civic place, ull o grandeur,

colour and visual warmth. Its been called thegreat doughnut and the hole with a million secrets,and relects a massive change in culture by thisultra-secret organisation, said the BCO judgingpanel. This is still a secret building, protected byheavy walls and restricted access. Yet even thisis attenuated by clever use o glass and Cotswoldstone, making the entry like that o a luxury hotel.

This PFI project, completed in September 2003,has also managed to convert GCHQ to new andalternative working practices; the open-planoices, desk sharing and inormal, lexible spacesto suit dierent work styles are all innovationsor this government employer. There is also agym, and changing acilities or people who cycleto work. What the project delivers is a blend opractical advantage and delight. We were lookingprimarily or organisational development outcomes,although we also sought eiciency, environmentaland community beneits, said the client. As wellas supporting our many and varied businessactivities we also looked to achieve a joined-uporganisation [rom] our many proessional andgeographically distinct tribes.

The effiCienT provision of workspaCesand faCiliTies is one Thing, buT ToCreaTe boTh a forTified basTion and aColourful, open-plan and delighTfulenvironmenT is of anoTher orderenTirely. like a medieval forTress,gChq offers an inner seCure spaCeand an ouTer defensive wall, say ThearChiTeCTs.


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What eOice has done is to borrow romhotel technology to enable extremely lexiblecommunications so that businesses can operaterom any desk, take a call at any phone and usewireless technology or services such as printing.They have created the acility to plug in andwork. Moreover, the company has used interiordesigners to give its oices a slick, contemporary,colourul and almost quirky ambience. Thereis something o the boutique hotel or the well-appointed advertising agency about these

environments, rather than the pared-backneutrality o most boxes to rent. The Manchestersite provides 100 workstations in an open-planconiguration, as well as private spaces whichcan operate as boardrooms, and a 100-seatconerence acility. A working wall providescentral storage, mail boxes and coee-makingacilities, leaving more than hal o the site ree obarriers or partitions. Like most modern oices,this workplace boasts inormal lounge-like areasand touch-down points, as well as more ormal

eOce is a rapidly expanding network o serviced oce environments that enable new

and growing enterprises (or businesses with only the occasional need or a desk) to inhabitcontemporary commercial space without incurring large overheads or property responsibilities.Typically, serviced oces are highly cellular, but eOce broke the mould by introducing largelyopen-plan environments to this sector. Meeting rooms and small one-to-one rooms are madeavailable, but the philosophy o the business is to create a network o like-minded and mutuallysupportive companies a sort o entrepreneurial community. eOce won the BCOs Award orInnovation in 2007 or its premises in Manchester; the ollowing year its Birmingham site wona BCO Regional Award. The key to the success o these places is creating acilities, plans anddesigns or unknown clients. This is the spec oce par excellence in that the eOce oerswhat appears (at rst glance) to be a bespoke solution or what can only be a generic tenant.

office1 portLanD street, Manchester

cLient: office

owner: bruntwooD

interior DesiGner: asseMbLyrooM

services enGineer: workspace

project ManaGer: workspace

contractor: workspace


coMpLeteD: March 2006 (Manchester site)

net: 883 m2

fLoors: 1 (within an eXistinG buiLDinG)

cost: 500,000 incLuDes fit-out anD furniture


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this LarGeLy open-pLan officespace contains 100 workstations anD private rooMsfor up to ten peopLe. privateLockers are ranGeD aLonGthe Left.

eOice


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workstations, all bound up in a package o hyper-graphics, bright colours, sophisticated lighting andHermann Miller urniture systems. The objectivewas to develop an innovative serviced oice witha strong identity, said the companys award

submission in 2007. eOice is designed as anenvironment which enables cross-ertilisation ocompanies; a mini-business district under oneroo; a space that enables companies to networkinormally.

BCO judges described the Manchester site asmore like an oice club than a workplace:Design and attention to detail is part o the secret.Ferrari-red casual urniture and record coverson the walls create a dynamic character roma limited budget and tight space. High-qualityurniture with a range o conigurations and

services have made good use o a base buildingon a busy city centre corner. Judges weresimilarly impressed with the Birmingham branch,which they said deserves an award or the purereusal to do the proper thing and its sheer spirit

o achievement.

Part o the success o these spaces is thatthey are not, in act, just spaces the sense ocommunity and belonging that eOice tries tobring to their operation is just as important as thehardware and space planning. Regular eventsbring users together, members can communicatevia an intranet, and other services such as ile-sharing and email are provided on subscription. Itis all very lash, and almost certainly beyond themeans o many small businesses were they to tryto create all this or themselves.

offiCe is designed as an environmenT whiCh enables Cross-ferTilisaTion of Companies; a mini-business disTriCT under oneroof; a spaCe ThaT enables Companies To neTwork informally.


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opposite.coLour is key tothis DeveLopMent. the cLientaiMeD to proviDe a serviceDoffice environMent with abuzz an entrepreneuriaLcoMMunity.

eOice

Left.furniture was sourceDfroM kristaLia, MaGis anDhitch MiLius. MeMbers canpLuG anD work anywhere.

eOice


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The brie to the designers was as it would berom PwC taxing. The design had to respond toa new corporate structure, and encourage cross-disciplinary working; it also had to get directors

out o their individual oices, create spatial andorganisational clarity, promote improved circulation,maximise natural light and deliver a lexible spacewhere mobile working and sharing could lourish.Moreover, there had to be a clear demarcationbetween lexible and ixed work zones. TheBirmingham oice was the irst o PwCs locationsto move to a cross-disciplinary culture, embracingwhat the company calls line o service workingas part o a strategy o becoming an integratedinancial service provider rather than a collection oseparate specialisms, each with its own culture.

The overall idea was to bring the service industryethos into play, one which treated sta likeconsumers. So PwC employees, or even theirclients, can book a desk, plug in their laptop and

get on with it. I sta want to ind someone, theysimply type a surname into one o many consolesthroughout the building and the central computerindicates where to ind them. O the 900 deskspaces in the building, 800 are bookable undera hotelling system (even private oices canbe booked out when the principal occupant isabsent). Sta are given lockers, archives havebeen moved o-site, and working iles have to beretrieved rom a central vault. Electronic documentmanagement has urther reduced the amount opaper here. There are very ew tall iling cabinets

This 7,355 m2 reurbishment o PwCs oce in central Birmingham was more than just a

makeover this was about using design to underpin a change in corporate culture. Bringingall sta together into Cornwall Court (rather than occupying a pair o buildings in the city) anda wish to create a more fexible, integrated and welcoming culture led to PwC completely re-imagining their tired, dark and uninspiring 1980s block. With BDGworkutures, the companyhas managed to create an inspiring place in which to work and host visitors. In 2004, the BCOgave the project its Best o the Best award.

pricewaterhousecoopersbirMinGhaM

cLient: pricewaterhousecoopers

DesiGn anD coMMunications:bDGworkfutures

project ManaGer: faithfuL & GouLD

structuraL enGineer: faithfuL & GouLD

services consuLtant: Gw buiLDinG services consuLtants

Quantity surveyor: faithfuL & GouLDchanGe ManaGeMent consuLtant: zza

contractor: wates

furniture: tsk


coMpLeteD: apriL 2004

net: 7,355 m2

Gross: 10,266 m2

efficiency: 72%

fLoors: 4

cost: 5,266,458


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this 10,266 m2 (Gross)reinvention of a 1980sbuiLDinG has reDefineDthe way peopLe use thisbirMinGhaM office.

BDGworkutures


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in this oice. The blinds around the central atriumhave been taken down and desks moved awayrom its perimeter, opening up clear views andgenerating expansive circulation routes. Strippedo most o its cellular oices, this is the mosttransparent the building has ever been.

Interestingly, it appears that the most populardesks are the ones in the most open, communalspaces. Faced with the choice, people arentsquirreling themselves away any more. With thisinterior o bright colours and murals o WestMidlands icons, this is (intentionally) not what onewould expect rom a irm o accountants, auditorsand business strategists.

Buildings are becoming catalysts or changein company culture. Employers realise that theymust cast o old-ashioned working practicesto survive in a business environment that is

more open, interactive and lexible, said BCOjudges in 2004. At ground level, a French caein extraordinary colours and textures entices thesta to linger. In act, colours give a tremendoussense o orientation, in any part o the building,as well as an upliting spirit. The holistic approachincorporating a variety o environments and

working practices has produced a distinctive andappealing workplace that has injected new lie intoa tired building.

Everything about this project addresses practicality.The three-month strategic brieing was ollowedby a seven-month it-out that took place whilethe building was occupied by the client. And theproject is about more than just colour, light andlexibility (important though these things are); thebuilding is equipped with plentiul storage, printingand copying hubs, access-controlled project roomsor eight to ten people, quiet rooms, interactive


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The project occupies just a single loor oAldgate House, and in winning its Best o theBest award, it edged out some ar higher-proileschemes, which demonstrates the thoughtulnessand attention to detail with which this particulardevelopment was carried out. What makes this2,166 m2 loor space so successul is that itmanages to encompass a huge range o spaces,colours, materials, scales and attitudes withoutbecoming messy. As a demonstration project, aswell as or providing sta with comortable andeicient places to work, the oice almost had tobecome a showroom or ISGs skills, and variety

was thereore almost obligatory. Again, with ORMSArchitecture Design, the company made it all workwith apparent ease.

In plan, the sixth-loor oice is bisected witha timber boardwalk which runs the width othe building. Running in the other direction arethe service cores, alongside which is located amulti-coloured glass pavilion containing meetingrooms o dierent sizes. A pair o open, timber-clad, inormal meeting spaces punch throughthis pavilion to rame views and prevent the loorplate rom becoming overly subdivided this is

This project represented something o a high-prole gamble (or opportunity) or ISG, a

construction and t-out company with an international reputation to uphold. These oces ina large but unremarkable block in Londons Aldgate orm ISGs own headquarters; i donewell, not only would it provide brand new accommodation or the companys 200 Londonemployees (brought together rom three separate locations) but ISG would also gain avaluable marketing and demonstration tool. Fortunately, it worked. Elegant, immaculate,ecient and all-round damn cool was the breathless reaction o one experience-hardenedjudge to this years supreme award winner. He was not alone: every one o the panel decidedon the spot that this was the place they would like to work.

isG heaDQuartersLonDon

cLient: isG

project ManaGer: isG

interior DesiGner: orMs architecture DesiGn

structuraL enGineer: aLan conisbee a ssociates

services enGineer: cunDaLL

contractor: isG


coMpLeteD: october 2006

net: 2,166 m2

fLoors: 1

cost: 1,748,700 to cat b


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this carbon-neutraL project(achieveD by trackinG thecarbon content of aLLbuiLDinG MateriaLs anD off-settinG) proviDes offices anDa branDinG stateMent forthe contractor.

Richard Leeney Photography


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aT The ouTseT, a series of non-negoTiable objeCTives weredesCribed in deTail, inCluding The CommiTmenT To deliveringa Carbon-neuTral fiT-ouT, CreaTing a spaCe ThaT maTChed The

CorporaTe brand, promoTing effeCTiveness and effiCienCy,minimising disrupTion To The business and insisTing on a zero-defeCT regime.


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largely an open-plan environment and the lowand adjacencies between dierent teams is a vitalactor behind the design. In act, a good deal o

sta consultation took place at the design phase,and actors such as clear vistas, the provision oinormal lounge areas, breakout spaces and thealmost boutique hotel aesthetic (as well as theoption to work and meet in private) lowed directlyrom this opinion-gathering exercise.

As well as asking sta what they wanted, ISGdirectors drew up a project charter or boththemselves and their suppliers. Thus, at theoutset, a series o non-negotiable objectives weredescribed in detail, including the commitment todelivering a carbon-neutral it-out, creating a spacethat matched the corporate brand, promotingeectiveness and eiciency, minimising disruption tothe business and insisting on a zero-deect regime.The carbon-neutrality was achieved by tracking theembodied energy o building materials, encouragingcontractors to use public transport and recordingthe energy use o journeys made by private vehicle.A inal calculation was made and the carbon wasthen oset by unding projects through the CarbonNeutral Company. More than 70% o the wasteproduced in the project was diverted rom landill bybeing separated into appropriate material streamsand sent or reuse or recycling.

Enhancing the eiciency o the oice spaces is asophisticated system which automatically logs stacomings and goings. On entering the oice, sta

swipe themselves in and receptionists can see ata glance who is present by looking at a computerscreen. Reception sta are also able to print o anattendance list at the outset o an emergency. Thereception area, located at the centre o the oice,can also double as an event space.

The BCO judges only complaint was that theoice contained just one shower although theyadded that this single shower is exquisite enoughto win a prize on its own. Well executed andobsessively considered, this space manages tobalance unction, comort and ambience extremelywell at a cost o 800 per m2. The oice is ull osurprises yet ree o gimmickry. It manages to beclean and crisp yet still riendly and comortable,said the BCO jury. ISG spent endless hours testingand ine-tuning the brie to meet what sta wouldlike. And it worked. This is clearly a un placeto work. The layout shows vision, luency andquality. Most o all it shows how an ageing, tiredand hard-to-let deep oice loor can be turnedinto dense but comortable workspace throughintelligence and proessional skill. ISG is living inits own showroom, inviting us all to do the same.Quality is worth the eort.

opposite top.the GLazeDpaviLion runs the LenGth ofthe office space, punctureDby tiMber-cLaD openinGswhich fraMe views.


opposite bottoM.this pLanshows the way the office isbisecteD in two Directions.a connecteD series of openzones runs northsouth,whiLe a paviLion of ceLLuLaroffices runs eastwest.

ORMS Architecture

above.the interior is DefineDby coLour, transparency,connectivity anD MoDernity.LarGeLy open-pLan, DiscreterooMs are proviDeD forMeetinGs, traininG anDpresentations.



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The building, with two others nearby, replacesSt Christopher House and Tabard House, both largepost-war blocks with long, unbroken acades, poorfoor-to-ceiling heights and restrictive structuralgrids which made them awkward to redevelop. LandSecurities intention was to replace these buildingswith architecture that was more permeable, whileactive rontages (containing shops and caes) andcareully considered landscaping would createan urban quarter that was more in tune with thechanging ortunes o Southwark where thepresence o Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre and theMillennium Bridge has transormed this backwaterinto something o a tourist Mecca. Bankside 1, later

to be renamed the Blue Fin Building by IPC sta,

was to provide large foorplates with the ability tobecome a multi-tenanted oce block with up tothree occupiers per foor, while making the most

o the dramatic view o the central London skyline.IPC has sublet two entire foors and part o a urtherstorey, demonstrating the buildings adaptability.

IPC moved just 600 m rom its ormer

headquarters, but the change to its staenvironment is vast. Surveys show that employeesare proud o their new building and eel stimulated

by it especially by the sense o space and light,and the almost theatrical central atrium that is

The Blue Fin Building is notable on a number o levels. It is a very large building which manages

to make a lot more o its public realm than the giant 1960s slab it replaced. It provides athoughtul, practical and inspirational environment or principal occupier IPC Media, one o theUKs largest magazine publishing houses (which originally sought to lease the building, butthen decided to purchase it). Finally, the resolution o its spaces is the result o an incrediblyclose collaborative relationship between the design and construction team appointed by LandSecurities, when the building was a speculative development, and IPC which emerged asowner-occupier during construction. IPC insisted on a number o radical changes, all o whichwere accommodated without compromising the build schedule.

bLue fin buiLDinG110 southwark street, LonDon

cLient anD DeveLoper: LanD securities properties

owner: ipc MeDia

architect: aLLies anD Morrison

interior DesiGner: bennett interior DesiGn

structuraL enGineer: raMboLL whitbybirD

services enGineer:foreMan roberts (sheLL & core) wsp Group (fit-out)

Quantity surveyor: Davis LanGDon

project ManaGer: LanD securities properties

contractor:bovis LenD Lease (sheLL & core) isGinterioreXterior (fit-out)

investMent/property coMpany: LanD securities properties

buiLDinG teaM buiLDinG Data(averaGe fLoor)

coMpLeteD: 2007

net: 37,940 m2 ()3,930 m2 (g)2,210 m2 (l)

Gross: 46,660 m2

efficiency: 84.5% (averaGe fLoor)

fLoors: 11

cost: withheLD

view upwarDs intothe atriuM. a tenthfLoor terrace proviDesrooM for a GarDen.the buiLDinG fraMe iscoMposeD of reinforceDconcrete fLat sLabs,typicaLLy 330 mm thicksupporteD on concretecoLuMns anD reinforceDconcrete sheer waLLsLocateD within the cores.

Huton + Crowe


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the original building design, brought about at theinsistence o IPC. The company also insisted on

structural loading changes in particular places, theomission o planned escalators, additional WCs,extra service risers and the need or standby powergeneration. The shell and core team and IPCs teamset about creating a collaborative environment thatallowed the design o the building to be monitored,changes reviewed and the blistering pace oconstruction maintained, said the architects. TheLand Securities and IPC teams worked as one.

The buildings distinctive ns animate the largeacades and provide both solar shading and asuggestion o randomness to counter the otherwisestrict elevational grid. The extruded aluminium ns,

installed at a number o rakish angles, respond toa range o actors including the orientation o eachacade, the distance rom neighbouring ns andthe degree o shading required. The architects usean intriguing analogy to describe the overlay o nsagainst the rigour o equally spaced mullions themullions, they say, act as a drum beat behind thens musical dance.

We visit buildings with solar shading that isoten so much fimfam. This one works, said theBCO. The Blue Fin Building works not just as asustainable icon. It buzzes like a hive.


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GooD office DesiGn Location

Intriguingly, this section also includes an exampleo an existing building (38 Finsbury Square)changing its address by moving its ront door the position o the building remains unchanged butits ace has been brought around the corner togenerate a more prestigious address and provideoccupants with a grander approach and entrance.Quite apart rom that, the building itsel has beenconsiderably improved.

Things become particularly interesting when thebuilding itsel responds to its context in such

a way that it veers ar away rom the standardrectilinear box and becomes characterised byacute angles, setbacks and voids which respectancient street patterns and neighbours rightto light. Buildings like these test the designersingenuity it is so much simpler to organisesta in even rows without being compromisedby awkward plans and loor plates o unequalarea. But, done well, buildings like these gaina personality that would otherwise have beenabsent; they become rooted to their site as i theybelong there.

arChiTeCTs and inTerior designersalso make an efforT To maximiseviews when They Can. gone are ideasThaT CiTysCapes and disTanT ruralvisTas are disTraCTions; raTher, Theyprovide people wiTh sTimulaTion anda sense of idenTiTy and belonging.

Nigel Young / Foster + Partners Calthorpe Estates


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This building is yet another demonstration oFosters ability to take a brie, subject it to the closestexamination and deliver a building that is a simpleand intelligent interpretation o client need. Prior toembarking on the project, the practice carried outa benchmarking exercise in order to identiy thecharacteristics o successul, recently completedoice projects. Such oices encompassed, theydetermined: lexibility or multiple tenancies; lexibilityor tenant it-out options; column-ree loor plates;loor-to-ceiling glazing; dramatic reception spaces;and high-quality materials in landlord areas.

The completed building contains enoughlexibility to accommodate up to 19 separateoice tenancies and two retail outlets; thestructural system provides clear spans, whilehigh-perormance glazing admits generousdaylight, oers stimulating views and relectsthe colours and textures o adjacent buildings.At night, the building glows as any glass boxwould although this is unusual or centralEdinburgh which is characterised by solidacades. The heights and depths o the blockswhich comprise Quartermile One have also been

Quartermile One is a key element within the redevelopment o the Edinburgh Royal Inrmary

site, a 450 million mixed-use project. The building ronts the main access road to this majorproject and orms a corner o a new public square to the south. The site is characterised bylisted stone buildings and aords spectacular views o Edinburgh Old Town and Arthurs Seat nonetheless, Foster + Partners have delivered an unashamedly contemporary building, oeringthe starkest possible contrast between the old and the new. But because o the obsessiveattention to detail, helped by stringent quality control procedures and orging close partnershipswith suppliers, Quartermile One very denitely enhances this historic site. This is a condent,proud, modern building providing outstanding accommodation worthy o the location. It iscrisp and modern without being pastiche and stands up to its surroundings without shame,said a 2008 BCO report. It lits the spirits inside and out and makes the most o spectacularsurroundings.

QuarterMiLe oneeDinburGh

cLient/DeveLoper: GLaDeDaLe capitaL

owner: norwich property trust,MorLey funD ManaGeMent

architect: foster + partners

interior DesiGner: foster + partners

structuraL enGineer: arup scotLanDservices enGineer: huLLey & kirkwooD

Quantity surveyor: thoMas & aDaMson

project ManaGer: GLaDeDaLe capitaL

contractor: sir robert McaLpine


coMpLeteD: october 2007

net: 9,833 m2

Gross: 12,640 m2

efficiency: 78%

fLoors: 7

cost: 21,612, 771


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the buiLDinG is not aMonoLithic Mass; rather,it coMprises a nuMber ofinterLinkeD voLuMes whichrespect their neiGhbours.nonetheLess, the Most is MaDeof the reMarkabLe views.

Neil Young / Foster + Partners


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GooD office DesiGnLocation

town, said Magnus P. Swanson, chie executive

and corporate partner o law irm Maclay Murray &Spens LLP, one o the buildings chie tenants.

Landscaping is also an important part o theway that this building occupies its plot. In act,the building sits on a sloping site, so primaryand secondary entrances have been locatedin its north and south elevations respectively.Limited car parking (21 spaces) has been locatedunderground, along with reuse and recyclingacilities and a delivery zone all located beneatha lawn. Granite suraces, planting and maturetrees surround the building.

Oice buildings are more than machines, or

empty vessels. They are elements o our cities, andsettings or peoples lives, said a statement romthe architects. Quartermile One was designed asthe lagship oice within the Quartermile masterplan. Although it is an unashamedly modernbuilding, it is constructed with crisp details andbeautiul materials o its time, in the same way thatits neighbours were designed in their time.

Quartermile One started on site in October 2005(ater receiving a revised planning applicationthe previous month). Practical completion wasachieved in October 2007.

muCh of The suCCess of This building was down To TheCladding soluTion, and fosTers puT rival Cladding firmsThrough Their paCes before making an appoinTmenT.


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Henderson purchased the building in November

2004 and aimed to put it back on the market,

ully reurbished, by January 2007 to take

advantage o predicted increases in oice rental

rates. Leases had expired, and the building

was vacant apart rom one ground-loor tenant

who insisted on remaining in place; contractors

had to work around this tenant, causing as

little disruption as possible, which included

isolating their services rom those o the rest

o the building, allowing them to operate asan independent unit. By engaging a contractorvery early in the design process, the aim wasto achieve a high-quality, contemporary andrealigned building with a very good BREEAMrating at a cost o no more than 1,000 per m2.

Moving the entrance was not a simple task,largely because o a 1 m dierence in heightbetween Wilson Street and Sun Street, meaningthat loor levels and structural arrangements had

This project is interesting because a key element o the reurbishment programme or this tired

1980s building was to give it a new address. Well positioned in the City o London, this oceoriginally had its entrance on Wilson Street, prompting owner Henderson Global Investors torelocate the entrance so that it aced the ar more prestigious Finsbury Square (across SunStreet). Apart rom providing the square with a more satisying punctuation point in one corner,the building is given a more attractive outlook and a good deal more prestige. Apart rom that,and in spite o the act that the building was only two decades old, it had become shabby andin need o major reurbishment partly because it was planned so poorly in the rst place. Thelack o an active rontage made the building look uninviting, and the reception area was small,dark and awkward; the building was served by just two lits, while a third could be accessedonly via a reghting lobby. WCs, too, were o low quality, and much o the M&E equipment waseither in need o replacement or verged on obsolescence.

38 finsbury sQuareLonDon

cLient/owner: henDerson centraL LonDon office funD

architect: Gaunt francis

interior DesiGner: Gaunt francis

structuraL enGineer: peLL frischMann

services enGineer: LonG & partners

Quantity surveyor: riDer huntproject ManaGer: Gva GriMLey

contractor: skanska kontor


coMpLeteD: DeceMber 2006

net: 4,535 m2

Gross: 6,246 m2

efficiency: 73%

fLoors: 7

cost: 5,735,500 to cat a


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the Main entrance to thebuiLDinG was oriGinaLLy onwiLson street (seen Left).the new entrance, whichinvoLveD cuttinG intothe facaDe on sun street,Meant rethinkinG theentire GrounD fLoor of thebuiLDinG anD re-GraDinG theeXternaL pavinG.

Will Pryce


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beLow.GrounD fLoor pLan.the new entrance is shownat the riGht of the DrawinG.oriGinaLLy, it appeareD at thebottoM. the new receptionarea is More Generous,spatiaLLy.

Gaunt Francis


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to change. Nonetheless, a double-height opening

was carved through the Sun Street acade and

a relocated reception area was provided with

a generous 3.2 m ceiling height ater careully

rethreading services through the structure. A

retail unit was created around the corner on

Wilson Street, and the remaining tenant provided

with its own independent entrance.

Thankully, negotiations with the district surveyor

resulted in an agreement that the ireighting

lit could be replaced and made accessible

to tenants (while still retaining a ireighting

unction), thereby improving the vertical

circulation by 50%. The building was stripped

out and provided with new 150 mm raised loor

systems and replacement ceiling units while

maintaining the loor-to-ceiling height o 2.6 m.

Additionally, ceiling and M&E systems were

conigured to allow the open loor plates to be

easily subdivided into cellular oices on a 4.5 m

grid, subdivisible on a 1.5 m module. The WCs

are characterised by a similar lexibility: installed

as unisex super-loos, they can be grouped into

male and emale clusters through the addition o

a simple screen.

The client is particularly proud o the partnering

approach brought to the project. Because thecontractor was appointed early, elements such asdetailing and buildability were on the agenda romthe very start. Surprises were kept to a minimum.The client, design team and construction teamwanted clean lines, simple orms and high-qualityinishes. [But] it is oten the most simple ideas thatare the hardest to achieve, said a statement romHenderson. Tight construction tolerances and thereduction o snagging problems were dealt withby the construction o ull-scale mock-ups o keyelements, notably ceiling details, the WCs and theglass eature wall which animates the receptionarea. The changes that resulted rom the mock-upexercise were minor but important, mainly overcoordination and detailing.

Henderson got what they wanted. The buildingreached a state o practical completion on 18December 2006 at a cost o 990 per m2.Furthermore, 38 Finsbury Square received itsvery good energy rating. The BCO has calledthis project a classic tale o the ugly ducklingturned into a swan Major surgery on theentrance and a massaged core have created amodern and reinvigorated space.

opposite.the buiLDinGsreception. the feature waLLconceaLs an accessibLe wcanD store area. the LiGhtwaLL aLso reDuces theaMount of ceiLinG-MounteDLiGhtinG neeDeD, cuttinG thenuMber of access paneLs anDeLectricaL instaLLations.

Will Pryce

Left.the buiLDinGs receptionis enLiveneD by a GLass waLLin which are eMbeDDeDDiachroic Layers coLourschanGe DepenDinG on theanGLe of view. the screenwas DeveLopeD by Gauntfrancis architects anDfusion GLass systeMs.

Will Pryce


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The site is shaped like the letter k, as the dog-leg o a road to the rear pushes towards the verylinear Southwark Street. It was acquired in June

2000, and planning permission was grantedor a six-storey building (including basement) inJanuary 2001. The result is a 2,295 m2 buildingthat has two very dierent aces: a highly glazed36 m northern acade which emphasises thearchitectural grids at work, and a stepped,rendered southern elevation which respectscomplex rights-to-light issues. The wider areais something o a hotchpotch o styles (althoughmassive regeneration, assisted by the proximity oTate Modern and the Millennium Bridge) is tidyingthings up somewhat. Allies and Morrisons building

was a brave attempt to bring a crisp and conidentarchitectural language to the area, while workingwithin local scales and constraints.

In taking on a diicult and awkward-shaped site,this building has more than exceeded our hopesand aspirations or it, said the architects. As acreative organisation we were seeking lexibility,openness and connectivity. We also hoped toachieve an inspiring contemporary studio eel, butwithin a mature and competent building whichcould, i necessary, be sublet or sold on. We eelall o this has been achieved, together with a well-judged restraint and quality o detailing which allowsthe building to act as a showcase or our business.

Like the ISG Headquarters project described at the end o the previous section, this project

is part oce, part branding exercise. Back in 2000, when Allies and Morrison Architects wasundergoing rapid expansion, it made organisational sense to bring its sta together on a singlesite rather than keep them dispersed across ve oces. The purchase o a ormer petrol stationsite in the rapidly regenerating borough o Southwark was also a smart commercial move.But the design o their own oces was an opportunity or the architects to articulate how theywanted to be perceived, and to demonstrate how their architectural language can be brought tobear on a dicult, tight, inner-city location.

85 southwark streetLonDon

cLient: aLLies anD Morrison

architect: aLLies anD Morrison

LanDscape architect: schoenaich rees

structuraL enGineer: whitbybirD

Quantity surveyor:

barry tankeL partnership; Davis LanGDonservices enGineer: wsp

contractor: ManseLL

fit-out contractor: spectruM projects


coMpLeteD: june 2003

net: 1,700 m2

Gross: 2,295 m2

efficiency: 74%

fLoors: 6

cost: 5,827,000


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the atriuM of the buiLDinG,over which office spacesLook. this buiLDinG, ofreinforceD concretewith 250 mm thick sLabs,was DesiGneD for anoccupationaL Density of12 m2 per person. over 99% ofthe office space is within7.5 m of a winDow.

Dennis Gilbert / VIEW


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amount o oice loor space that is within 7.5 m oa window and natural light is virtually 100%. The

southern ace o the building comprises a series ostepped terraces, the upper o which is a naturalextension to the ourth-loor conerence room.Materials are simple and robust, and the concretecolumns, walls and soits are exposed, achieving aine balance between no-nonsense strength and acertain inesse. Colour is emphasised by being usedon a limited basis: against the grey o the concrete,yellows and oranges appear as sudden bursts.

The approach to environmental control discountednatural ventilation which seems obvious ora building with a narrow plan because o the

noise and traic pollution rom Southwark Street.Several windows to the south are openable, but

the overall approach is one o creating a sealed,glazed northern acade and minimising windowsto the south, controlling heat gain. A mechanical-displacement ventilation system was selected orits ability to provide a high level o comort (withgood levels o air distribution) as well as beingless energy-intensive than many other mechanicalair-conditioning options available. This systemprovides ventilation via a pressurised loor plenum,with air introduced through perimeter trenchconvectors supplemented by circular aluminiumloor grilles.

maTerials are simpleand robusT, and TheConCreTe Columns,walls and soffiTs areexposed, aChieving afine balanCe beTweenno-nonsense sTrengThand a CerTain finesse.



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this 1,655 m2 heaDQuartersbuiLDinG was DesiGneD fora specific enD user but withthe fLeXibiLity to subDiviDethe two fLoors shouLD thetenant DeciDe to Move on.

Calthorpe Estates


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The mixed-mode venTilaTed developmenT is basedon The arChiTeCTs ConCepT of a floaTing offiCebox, CenTred around a semi-privaTe CourTyardand seT wiThin a landsCaped Clearing. TheTenanT required a design ThaT enhanCed TheirpubliC profile while simulTaneously preserving a

sense of privaCy.


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The main body o the oice complex has beendesigned to appear lightweight, so large glazingunits contrast with the ground-level masonry wallswhich conceal the parking area. The core is theonly element which appears to touch the groundand is treated, architecturally, quite dierently tothe oice component, to draw attention to itsel asthe entrance but also to become a strong object

in its own right, said the architects. Although thebuilding was designed with a single client in mind,the two-storey development can be adapted or atwin tenancy. The air supply system is run in zonesthat can be operated independently.

This is hardly a low-key building, but it is politeand contextual without making uncomortablesacriices to the heritage lobby. It is modern,eicient and graceul enough to stand as anadvert or how a clean, broadly Modernistlanguage can enhance a leay suburb whilemeeting the needs o a commercial tenant.

above.the new officebuiLDinG Does not MiMicthe architecture founDon this suburban street;rather, it eMpLoys a poLiteMoDernist aesthetic which is

coMpositionaLLy eLeGant anDrestraineD.

Calthorpe Estates

opposite.a sophisticateDDiGitaL controL systeM isuseD to Maintain heatinG,ventiLatinG anD cooLinGsysteMs, which aiDs in theconservation of enerGy.hiGh-efficiency LaMps arecoMbineD with MoveMentDetection, whiLe waterconsuMption is strictLycontroLLeD by fLowreGuLators which coMe witha Leak-Detection systeM.

Calthorpe Estates


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The building is, really, brand new. The listedacade was retained and the 11 buildings behindit demolished to make way or a retail, oice andresidential development o column-ree spaces

and large loor plates. The building actually takesup most o a city block, lanking Hanover Streetand Princes Street as well as Regent Street.

Numbers 35 Hanover Street were demolishedto make way or a new building and acade(incorporating a Bruce McLean sculpture) which

unctions as the principal entrance and circulationacility or the oice accommodation. Next door,

67 Hanover Street was restored and convertedinto ive apartments; on the other side o theblock, 2021 Princes Street was demolishedto make way or a urther ive apartments, thistime decorated with a piece o public art by AlexBeleschenko. The sixth loor, comprising oices, isa new addition and retreats modestly behind theparapet.

Sheppard Robsons plans and Genslers interiorsconjure a perect balance between old and new,which was made all the more complicated byhaving to include a mix o residential, oices and

The complete reinvention o this Grade II listed building, part o Westminsters conservation

area, was no mean eat. Behind the magnicent Edwardian acade lay a cluster o tired, cellular,infexible and rather dark buildings all o which were dicult to let and none o which lentthemselves to the high expectations o its Mayair address. The Crown Estate was anxious thatthis large plot be brought back into protable use while providing a standard o accommodationthat would attract premier league tenants. And the list o tenants speaks or itsel: a good dealo the ground foor, as well as foors one and two, have become the European headquarters oApple Computers; levels three through to six have been taken by Kaupthing Bank; while otherground-foor spaces have been let to stores including Ted Baker, Karen Millen and Lacoste. Thebuilding was ully let within six months o practical completion.

one hanover streetLonDon

cLient: the crown estate (principaL tenant: appLe)

DeveLoper: stanhope

architect: shepparD robson

interior DesiGn: GensLer

structuraL enGineer: waterMan partnership

services enGineer: faber MaunseLLQuantity surveyor: Davis LanGDon

project ManaGer: GensLer

contractor:bovis LenD Lease


coMpLeteD: noveMber 2004

net: 18,427 m2

Gross: 24,469 m2

efficiency: 75%

fLoors: 7

cost: 45,171,620 to cat a


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this project, which containsan iMportant facaDe runninGaLonG reGent street (seen here)proviDes the key uk store forappLe coMputers, aLonG withother prestiGious tenants.reGent street was reDeveLopeDin the 1920s with 80-year Leases,which proviDeD an opportunityfor whoLesaLe upGraDinG whenthey beGan to eXpire.

Stanhope plc by Huton+Crowe


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retail without disturbing the exterior elegance,said the BCO judging panel in 2006. TheCrown Estate wanted this to be a hallmark or21st-century developments on the rest o itsRegent Street estate, and [this project] hascertainly achieved that aim.

The construction o large, 2,400 m2 loor plates

and the inclusion o a central atrium (bringingdaylight deep into the building rom above)allowed the space planners o the Apple HQto lip the conventional oice arrangement.

Typically, prestigious executive oices wouldbe ranged around the perimeter, grantingsenior sta the best views and generousdaylight; instead, however, general unctionssuch as human resources and inance havebeen located at the edges, while glass-walled,cellular spaces are clustered in the centre o thebuilding towards the atrium. Rather than beingan inversion o usual corporate hierarchies, thisdesign aims to be non-hierarchical. Indeed, thesecond loor o Apples HQ is equipped withdisplay spaces and relaxing areas in the style o

whaT makes This projeCT parTiCularly worThy of noTe is Thespeed and effiCienCy wiTh whiCh iT was all managed, parTlyhelped by some off-siTe fabriCaTion. This projeCT wenT fromenabling works To praCTiCal CompleTion in jusT 21 monThs.


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3.0 cost

sinCe 2002 The average CosT of a building projeCT submiTTed for

a bCo award has been around 14 million (14.2 m in The period

200204; 12.8 m in 2007; 13.8 m in 2008). The year 2005 seems To

have been an aberraTion when The average projeCT Came in aT

22.5 million. This shows The level of CommiTmenT whiCh These

ClienTs, parTiCularly The privaTe ClienTs, are puTTing inTo The

faCiliTy They are providing for Their sTaff To work wiThin,

said davis langdon, whiCh has analysed all submissions over

This period. however, dl warns, These figures should noT be

Taken as examples of a TypiCal offiCe developmenT as iT musT

be assumed ThaT, generally, submissions will only be made for

higher speCifiCaTion developmenTs. There is a furTher warning

ThaT musT be added inCreasing numbers of ClienTs regard CosT

informaTion as CommerCially sensiTive, and They Therefore deCline

To inClude preCise figures in award submissions. in The period

200204, jusT 14 appliCanTs ouT of 94 felT The need To wiThhold

CosT informaTion; This figure rose To 25 ouT of 63 in 2005, buT fell

baCk proporTionaTely To 23 ouT of 94 Two years laTer; in 2008 an

asTonishing 49 ouT of 115 submissions failed To inClude CosT deTails.

GooD office DesiGn cost

opposite.view of interior, fortDunLop, birMinGhaM.

Daniel Hopkinson Photography


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The picture is urther muddled when it comes tothe important matter o costs per unit area. Otenit is unclear what is and what is not being includedin these unit costs, in spite o the BCOs eortsto seek clariication in submission documents.However, a general picture does emerge rom ananalysis o the data high-cost buildings tend tobe spread around the UK, but high-cost it-outs

tend to be located in London. In 2008, just threeout o the ten most expensive buildings (in termso cost per square metre) were located in thecapital, but all the top ten most expensive it-outswere located there. This is undoubtedly due to acombination o (pre-recession anyway) cash-richinancial and legal institutions in the City, and thesti competition among property owners to attracttenants.

Costs vary enormously, o course, and the valueo projects submitted or BCO Awards over thepast seven years ranges rom 150,000 to

350 million. But, in many respects, cost is lessimportant than value or money especially i anowner or tenant can be sure they are attracting/retaining key sta, maximising productivityand work eectiveness, able to reconiguretheir buildings easily and cheaply to respondto changing circumstances, and can minimiserunning costs. For some clients the building is also

a marketing tool, a demonstration o corporatecapability or a brand asset. That, too, is worthpaying or.

The ratio o net to gross internal loor areas isalso a vital indicator o value or money. Thiscompares the amount o space within a buildingthat is genuinely usable with the total amount ospace within the building envelope (including, orexample, stairs, plant rooms and WCs). The BCOsuggests that architects should aim or an eiciencyratio o 8085%. In the last year or which iguresare available (and or 2005 also), award entries

Nigel Young / Foster + Partners Simon Warren Goodman


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achieved an average o 82% eiciency (range4699%), although typical loors achieved a moreimpressive average eiciency rate o 85% (range:7097%; a more respectable igure). This is awelcome move upwards rom earlier in the decadewhen buildings recorded a 79% eiciency rating.Figures like these cannot be absolutely clear cut,though. A point made elsewhere in this book is that

contemporary oices tend to oer a wide range ospaces (enclosed, semi-enclosed and open); atria,which by and large unction as reception spaces,can also oer caes and inormal work areas;circulation routes may become points or occasionalmeetings where valuable work (no matter howunormed and ad hoc) can be done. Certainly thevogue or touch-down and breakout spaces blursthe boundary between what is work and what isnot. The key consideration is that the business othe tenant gets done, proitably, without the buildinggetting in the way.

in many respeCTs, CosT is lessimporTanT Than value for money espeCially if an owner or TenanTCan be sure They are aTTraCTing/reTaining key sTaff, maximisingproduCTiviTy and work effeCTiveness,

able To reConfigure Their buildingseasily and Cheaply To respond ToChanging CirCumsTanCes, and Canminimise running CosTs.

Jonathan Keenan Photography Michael Wolchover


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The atrium is the hub o the building; this largespace drives the natural ventilation strategyand provides a central access point or distinctzones including the open-plan oices, the publiclibrary, and a separate zone encompassing theboardroom, meeting spaces and the sta luncharea. The atrium also unctions as reception andexhibition gallery, while providing touch-downacilities or visitors to work remotely. Almosteverything (except the sta gym, labs andworkshops) is ed by the atrium, which bisectsthe building almost northsouth. Its open nature

helps ensure that the three loors o oiceaccommodation (all 15 m wide) receive as muchdaylight as possible while views to the landscapebeyond are maximised. The glulam structure othe atrium contrasts with the rest o the building,

which is built o steel and concrete, the thermalproperties o which are an integral part o thecooling system.

Great Glen House is a large building and had tohave a certain civic presence; equally, though, it isa publicly owned building which should enhance,

Great Glen House is the headquarters o Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), an organisation which

relocated rom Edinburgh to Inverness as part o the Scottish Executives decentralisationstrategy. Completed in June 2006, this 12 million building was awarded a BREEAM certicateo excellent, with a score o 84% then the highest score ever given. For such a large andcomplex building, Great Glen House represents extraordinary value or money; the 6,000 m2building (although later purchased by the client) was costed and designed to attract a rentalincome o 160 per m2, then the market rate in Inverness. For the investment, the projectbenets rom heated bat roosts, locally sourced building materials, and a wide range o highsustainability eatures including the use o solar vacuum tubes to preheat water, and rainwaterharvesting and recycling or use in the WCs. A good deal o the materials rom a demolishedhospital building, which Great Glen House replaced, were recycled on site.

Great GLen housescottish naturaL heritaGe hQ, inverness

cLient/DeveLoper: robertson Group, on behaLfof scottish naturaL heritaGe

tenant: scottish naturaL heritaGe

owner: robertson Group

architect: keppie DesiGn

structuraL enGineer: waterMan Groupservices enGineer: Dssr

Quantity surveyor: kLM partnership

project ManaGer: kLM partnership

brief consuLtant: urs

contractor: robertson Group


coMpLeteD: june 2006

net: 5,340 m2

Gross: 6,000 m2

efficiency: 80%

fLoors: 3

cost: 12,000,000 sheLL anD core


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rather than detract rom, its spectacular setting.The architects, Keppie Design, tried hard to relectthe character o the client, and the buildings

design grew out o SNHs ethos: caring or thenatural environment, enriching peoples lives andpromoting sustainable use. Value or money andproject control were delivered through a designand build contract with the Robertson Group, whilethe Building Research Establishment monitoredthe environmental aspects o construction. Indeed,building materials which also had to relect thecivic, environmental and social responsibility o theend user had to be A rated under the BREsGreen Guide to Speciication, creating a very lowembodied energy rating or the completed project.The requirement to source materials locally, where

possible, provided local investment.

Nonetheless, BCO judges were satisied thatthe design intent was realised in the inishedbuilding, and costs were kept under control inspite o the extra demands placed on the deliveryteam. The shell and core was built at a cost o1,250 per m2. It was only late in the project thatthe tenant exercised an option to purchase. Thisproved that quality is not just conined to high-value locations, said the BCO judges report in2007. A key actor is that the initial tight designbrie was carried through rather than succumbing

to the temptation to cut corners. It could so easilyhave been compromised by value engineering.

In terms o value, Great Glen House has beenurther enhanced through its ability to becomemulti-tenanted, should SNH decide to either moveon or rationalise its presence and let under-usedspace. Each o the three oice loors is meteredseparately and the cores have been located so as toallow the easy subdivision o these open-plan areas.

The building was also delivered relatively ast.Robertson Property was appointed as preerreddeveloper in October 2004, and planning consentwas granted in February 2005 (shortly beorethe developer was awarded a bat licence); workon site began the ollowing month, and practical

completion was achieved in June 2006, althoughthe building wasnt occupied until the ollowingOctober. This highly insulated, naturally ventilated5,340 m2 (net) building provides 3,000 m2 ooice space, 1,000 m2 o support space and300 m2 o laboratories and other ancillaryaccommodation; it also provides breeding groundsor newts and sets a particularly high standard indeveloping commercial buildings in sensitive rurallocations. The building has created pleasant andeicient working conditions, with a clearly legibleorm taking advantage o views across Inverness,said the BCO judges.

above.the atriuM, in GLuLaM,orGanises the spaces of thebuiLDinG, whiLe users benefitfroM Generous views of theLanDscape. occupants aLsobenefit froM 3.7 m fLoor-to-ceiLinG heiGhts anD a pLanDepth of 15 m.

Michael Wolchover

riGht.this pLan shows theinternaL street runninGLeftriGht, cuLMinatinG inthe ovaL-shapeD Library. thisstreet is the heart of thebuiLDinG.

Keppie Designs


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Left.this 12 MiLLionbuiLDinG proviDes 6,700 m2of open-pLan, fLeXibLe officespace for scottish naturaLheritaGe. when coMpLeteD,it obtaineD a breeaM scoreof 84.01%.

Michael Wolchover


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preserve a sense o neighbourhood or speciicteams and departments while encouraging bettercommunication and a reduced silo mentality acrossthe entire organisation. The big dierence betweenthis building and its corporate cousins is the largestone-aced block that projects orward adjacent to

the entrance this contains the councils debatingchamber. This space, now more accessible to thepublic, is also lexible enough to be easily convertedinto three separate meeting rooms.

Although the building can boast a large array osustainable eatures, Aukett took the decision tomake no great song and dance about them. Insetting out to design a highly sustainable buildingsuch as South Cambridgeshire Hall there canoten be temptations to incorporate rats o highlyvisible innovative eatures loudly proclaiming to thecasual observer the projects green credentials,say the architects. However, a truly sustainable

building needs by deinition to work successullyover a long period o time. The practice thereoreadopted robust, tried and tested techniques: useo the stack eect or ventilation; a mixed-modeair-conditioning system; opening windows or reshair; shading devices; and the thermal mass oconcrete, or example.

This is a building that could very easily be adaptedor a commercial client should the district councilwish to move out, or to sublet space, so thearchitectural language had to be neutral enoughto have a broad appeal. However, the building

also boasts a handul o more eye-catching rills,including louvres which track the sun to optimiseshading and an ETFE canopy over the internalstreet a product selected or its lightness,insulative properties and its ability to transmitindirect natural light deep into the oice spaces.

Because o the wish to expose large amounts oconcrete within the building, South CambridgeshireHall contains no suspended ceilings. The long-term worry, then, was that adaptations (especiallyo partitions, lighting and signing) would eventuallyleave a substantial amount o scarring on thesoits; indeed, the architects had to work hard togive an acceptable inish to even the irst it-out.A cluttered soit covered with electrical conduitssnaking in all directions was a real danger, theyadmit. The lighting and services strategy wasconsidered very early all ixings to the lat soitwere to be applied to specially designed joint lines,

thereby concealing holes and reducing the dangero long-term damage. The lighting and electricalsystems are distributed through a network osimple cable trays; a central spine suppliesingers o lighting which branch o at regularintervals.

The building has enhanced the proile o thebusiness park in which it sits, while lendinga certain status to the growing community oCambourne. In act, the building is ast becomingsomething o a community hub by playing host toall manner o local events.

This is abuildingThaT Couldvery easily beadapTed fora CommerCialClienT shouldThe disTriCTCounCil wish

To move ouT,or To subleTspaCe.

above.this fLoorpLan showsworkspaces runninG aLonG

the bottoM, with ceLLuLarMeetinG spaces (essentiaLfor LocaL GovernMent work)LocateD on the other siDe ofthe atriuM.

Aukett Fitzroy Robinson

opposite.the atriuMsits at the heart of thebuiLDinG. each DepartMentstiLL has its ownneiGhbourhooD, but open-pLan workinG faciLitatescross-DepartMentaLcoMMunication. hiGh staffturnover has reDuceD as aresuLt of this hiGh-QuaLityworkinG environMent.

Simon Warren


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the cLient wanteD a Lotfor very LittLe, anD fostersDeLivereD a hiGh-QuaLitybuiLDinG for 1,036 per m2(sheLL anD core).

Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

aparT from a pieCe of CorporaTe image-making, The projeCTaimed To reduCe sTaff Turnover, enCourage loyalTy To TheCompany and enhanCe produCTiviTy.


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The building is, essentially, a glass box. A verysimple brise soleil o thin metal strips transormsthe appearance o the our-storey building, cutting

solar gain while not compromising the views toEdinburgh and the Firth o Forth. The brise soleilalso delicately encloses the canopied entrance,which leads to a ull-height atrium crossed bystaggered bridges which act as breakout areas.Density was increased by dispensing with thetypical arrangement o cruciorm urniture layoutsand introducing a linear bench coniguration,developed with the clients space planners andurniture manuacturer Beyon. The planning anddesk solution allows or a clear and eectivedeinition o team space, while personal storage

is provided by communal banks running betweenlines o desks each shit starts with a cleardesk, leaving the workstation ready or the next

user. People can also use a dierent desk locationeach day, so personal adjacencies are constantlychanging, team identity is preserved and lexibilitymaintained. Sta eectiveness also extends to thearrangement o personal computers and cabling:PCs are arranged in banks at the end o eachbench, providing ease o access or maintenance,while power and data are ed rom a bespokecable management pod which reduces thenumber o loor penetrations or wiring to two perten members o sta. Each storey has been givenits own colour treatment, selected by sta rom

Left.the steeL stair anDbriDGe systeM, suspenDeDover the atriuM, proviDesspace for inforMaL MeetinGs.the fraMe of the buiLDinG isof reinforceD concrete.

Nigel Young / Foster + Partners


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the finish of the buiLDinGis cLean, efficient anDeffective without beinGshowy. nonetheLess, it issufficient for oXfaM to hosteXhibitions, events anD MeDiabriefinGs, which forMerLywouLD have been LocateDoff-site.

Goodman


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a series of key performanCe indiCaTors were esTablished veryearly on in The projeCT and adhered To ThroughouT The designand ConsTruCTion phases.


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Built in 1917, the six-storey Fort Dunlop hadbecome an iconic but troublesome behemothby the turn o the century, surrounded, in UrbanSplashs own words, by a deserted, crumblingwasteland. A number o key decisions taken bythe developer, with architects ShedKM, lie at thecore o this ambitious project:

> the loor plates were, indeed, too large

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