news WORKPLACE DESIGN AT VISION LONDON Good design means catering for specific needs


Designers should avoid the “one-size- fits-all” approach and concentrate on individual needs if they want to enhance wellbeing in the workplace. So said Elina Grigoriou of London-


based firm Grigoriou Interiors at the UK’s newest architecture-focused event Vision London last month. She identified six ‘wellness criteria’ –


elegance, balance, symmetry, biophilia, harmony and stimulation – which can help designers to tailor workspace designs to the users’ specific needs. Grigoriou also described an assess-


ment method used to help clients understand what designing


for


well-being means which encompasses four environmental factors and how they affect different types of users. She said: “As well as physical, aesthetic


and design delivery aspects it also looks at operational factors – how do you


know what’s working and what isn’t.” The interior design expert also spoke


about established interior design methodologies such as the fact that “objects with sharp edges can be used to enhance alertness and focus.” Grigoriou also highlighted the design issue of the “cathedral effect” – small rooms with high ceilings – which can increase stress for office workers. When determining the type of


entrance area, she said clients and architects “had to decide between a large entrance, which could confuse some, or a ‘softer’ entrance where areas were gradually revealed.” Grigoriou Interiors shares the growing


view that good quality design has a major impact on workplace productivity. Research published by Carnegie-Mellon University 2008 covering 15 individual case studies showed that that improved


The cutting Edge of smart workplace design, revealed


30 per cent on energy consumed by Dutch offices. “We worked out that only 25 per


Speaking at Vision London, the architect of what’s thought to be the world’s


smartest office building,


Amsterdam’s The Edge, explained why the project offered a glimpse of future workspaces. Founder of PLP Architecture Ron


Bakker shed light on how technology plays a huge part in creating a flexible working space with relatively few desks, but maximum efficiency. He told the audience the building worked as an ‘organism’, harnessing smart technology to provide environments which continually change to individual users’ requirements, helping energy savings of


cent of people actually need a desk,” explained Bakker. “The one desk for one person idea disregards the fact that all people are different. A lot of people tend to spend their day talking on the phone, or are mainly using email.” The Edge, which managed a 98.4 per


cent BREEAM Outstanding score, is the Amsterdam HQ for global professional services firm Deloitte, an innovator in flexible working. The building accommodates 2,500 staff but has only 1000 desks and just a quarter of the building is traditional office workspace. Occupants control their immediate workspace using a smartphone app. The award-winning project also


boasts smart features, such as Ethernet- powered LED lighting, which tailor its


indoor air quality in offices increased productivity by up to 11 per cent, while access to daylight increased productivity by up to 15 per cent. According to Grigoriou, evidence


showed that people who work in environments with a high wellbeing factor “tend to demonstrate greater flexibility and creativity, have higher levels of engagement, are healthier and have fewer sick days, respond better to difficult feedback and are happier and more positive.”


functions to users’ work patterns. “The building knows when individuals are going to be there and organises their environment for that day,” said Bakker. The Edge’s design allows for a variety


of workspaces to harness productivity, with open-plan areas and designated quiet areas around a vast daylit atrium. Bakker commented: “The number-one rule in energy-friendly building design is that sunlight is bad, daylight is good.” The non-traditional way occupants


are using spaces may prompt architects to rethink how they design workspaces, he said: “The atrium will become more important as a work area as it is where people meet. Maybe in the future it will be of greater focus.” In addition a noisy balcony has defied the architects’ expectations by proving to be one of the most popular working and meeting areas. Client Deloitte is already noticing


the benefits; Bakker said the number of job applications the firm received has doubled in a year. He explained, “The client now feels that The Edge is part of its team.” (See more on page 10).


‘People who work in environments with a high well-being factor tend to demonstrate greater flexibility and creativity’


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