Workplace Environment OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY The Optima Group WINNER British Gas Building
Sam Martin (second right) of Centrica/British Gas and Andrew McLean (second left) of Scott Brownrigg collected the award from Allan Wood (left) of sponsor The Optima Group and Jeremy Vine (right)
Arguably, 21st century workers no longer enjoy going to a place of work, they go to a place where they will enjoy working.
In this second award category the judges were looking for companies that used their property strategy to create new working styles, innovative new practices and actually made great working spaces for their employees.
Three workplaces were shortlisted at Boyes Turner, British Gas, and SEGRO.
Thames Valley law firm Boyes Turner has created a new larger base at Reading’s Abbots House, designed by Harmsen Tilney Shane. It is notable for careful space planning and attention to detail. Open-plan work areas are unusual in law firms but by developing a bespoke workstation arrangement, the firm has managed to marry open-plan with privacy areas where necessary. Harmsen Tilney Shane’s design team worked closely with Boyes Turner to create a workplace that reflected the firm’s brand values, culture and dynamic nature of the legal practice, resulting in a true ‘home’ for Boyes Turner.
British Gas relocated to a new building at Oxford Business Park South, with a fit-out by Scott Brownrigg providing an inspirational, environmentally friendly centre. The new British Gas building is home to 780 staff who have relocated from various offices into one, efficient and innovative centre. The fit-out has provided an “inspirational and sustainable”
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2014
workplace. Highlights include a three-storey ‘living green wall’ in the atrium, business lounges, collaborative working pods, a 200- seat restaurant and a hospitality suite. The building, being focused on sustainability, is also a beacon for the highest environmental standards with BREEAM Excellent and EPC ‘A’ ratings.
SEGRO may have only moved its Slough HQ ‘down the road’ from 234 Bath Road to No. 258, but relocating 119 employees was never treated as just a routine operation by the company. Instead, SEGRO involved all employees in the project, building an office space that the staff identified, and creating a collaborative working environment. Agile working has also been introduced and, with excellent energy efficient methods, the result, designed by TP Bennett, has been considered a resounding success for the design team, employees and the management.
Allan Wood, sales director at The Optima Group, the leading expert in partitioning systems, came onto the stage to announce the winner…. British Gas.
A delighted Sam Martin, property manager of Centrica/British Gas said afterwards: “It is really exciting to receive this award. It’s great to get recognition for what we have worked so hard for over a number of years. We had a really good project team, and I think everybody learnt a lot from each other.
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“We have created not only a very green and beautiful environment but one that also promotes communication between people throughout the building.”
In addition, feedback had been very positive from staff, who had mostly transferred from several small offices into one open workspace environment, she added. In many ways it was a brave development decision, but “ …we have created an amazing building that makes it easy for people to work.”
No doubt, it may also help to attract and retain staff.
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