Creating a workplace to support the Millennials (Part Two)

RockTownsend Is this the office? - Millennials in theWorkplace
Cultural shifts that are changing workplace design
Is this the
office?
PresentationtoBIFM//180118

60% of the studio are
Millennials

We are a multi sector
Architecture & Design
studio based in
Waterloo, and have been
involved in commercial
workplace design for
over 20 years.

Mark Gabbey
Partner
Tim Robinson
Associate
How will
commercial
workplace develop
to meet the needs
of the millennial
generation?
As Architects, it is essential
for us to consider the wider
issues of how the commercial
workplace environment as a
whole has continued to evolve. By
understanding how these shifts in
generation or culture change, we
can start to understand how this
will affect the requirements of the
future workforce.
Whilst it is difficult to classify
particular characteristics and
needs of a particular generation
(millennials), its true to say they
have higher expectations: the
internet of things allowing a wider
and more instant exposure to
global ideas – ideas are transferred
quicker than previous generations,
all through technology causing
commercial workplace environment
to change quicker than it ever has
done.
To help answer this question, we
The Question:
have based it around two of our
projects (Pentland & Berghaus).
These examples are interesting
for this discussion because they
are both owned by the same client,
but their completion dates are
separated by nearly 15 years.
Therefore, we can draw parallels
between the schemes and
understand how their workplace has
developed to meet the needs of the
next generation.
Completed 2002
Completed 2015

‘A place
to work’
Open Minds was a seminal publication
informing our ideas behind the start
of the Pentland project 1998.
Based around a company called
St Lukes, it followed how they
changed workplace culture. It was
revolutionary for its day, during the
period when the service industry was
taking over from the productive, as
evidenced in 1992 when Microsoft
outstripped GM. For the first time
business focus shifted to recognising
people were its most important asset
and by making them feel good and
encouraging creativity this would
improve production and output
therefore benefiting the whole
company.
It was also about the language used, it
was not an office but a place to work,
a place to eat or a place meet.Thus
rejecting the preconceived norm of an
office typology.
The key points from ‘Open minds’
where:
• Change from the old business
model as pyramidical, bureaucratic
where the ‘boss is the boss’: unleashing
the power of imagination of
employees - brilliance can come from
any quarter
• Offices designed for production,
associated with the finance dept as a
cost.
• St Lukes a cooperative, all
owned by the staff
• Work – liberating and fun
• Gave clients space, disposed of
desks – roam where want, meetings
in corridors, kitchen – the whole place
becomes the working space.
• Trust staff with feet up or away
from their desk, may be relaxing but
also probably at their most effective
(peer to peer meetings)
• Encourage serendipity through
untethering people from their desks.

Millennial Generation X
Baby BoomeersGeneration Z
(Generation Y)
18
16 70
36 53
workforce in 2018
What is a
Millennial?
Millennials are classified as currently
being aged between 18- 36.
But interestingly, this group only
accounts for a certain percentage of
the workforce in 2018. Also included
are Gen X, BB & Gen Z.This workforce
is the largest and most generationally
diverse it has ever been.
To understand how to design for this
multigenerational workforce, we need
to understand what cultural shifts are
occurring within our society.

There are cultural shifts which are
occurring within our society which will
effect workplace design. Whether these
are cultivated by Millenials (or Gen Z),
they will effect all generations.
Therefore its is important to understand
these changes, but more important
to make spaces relevant for a multi
generational workforce.

Dissolution of hierarchy.
Culture shift 01

1940’s
2000’s
1960’s
1980’s
2010’s
Hierarchy
Boss
Workers
Dissolution
of hierarchy.
Looking back to the 1960 – 70’s
and reflecting on society as a whole,
there was a large separation between
workspaces of the ‘boss’ and the
workers.This can be seen with the
contrast between the Boss’s plush
office compared to the restrictive and
low comfort of the general worker.
This slightly improved in the 1990’s
however with senior offices still
maintaining the primary position by
the window, but with glazing offering
a more open, transparent feel.

1940’s
2000’s
1960’s
1980’s
2010’s
Rock Townsend - Pentalnd HQ // BCO Best of the Best
VOID VOID
MEETING
MEETING
EXEC OFFICES
Third floor plan
Hierarchy
Dissolution
of hierarchy.
For the Pentland project in 2000,
there was move towards a less
hierachical structure.They wanted a
building which reflected their open
family business. Hierarchy between
floors was reduced though a central
glazed slot which allowed for visual
connections between teams. Also
with execs located on the 3rd floor of
a 5 storey building made them central
(not on-top) of the whole company.
Pentland

Offices
Offices
Offices
Storage
Underutilised executive
offices hug the perimeter
walls, dominating the space
and restricting natural light
& fresh air into the heart of
the office.
Storage
Dissolution
of hierarchy.
Following on from this development
in 2014, we undertook the
redevelopment of Berghaus HQ in
Sunderland and managed to improve
on Pentland’s model by the shift of
execs from windows.
-Low utilisation of perimeter, light &
air hogging executive offices meant
that these spaces were not only
inefficiently used, but also conflicting
the hierarchal structure of the
business.
Berghaus

To be able to remove the offices from
the external glazing, solutions to
some of the companies problem had
to be solved first. One of their main
issues was that they struggled with
the storage of clothing collections,
samples & returns,This meant that
the full central space was clogged
with storage.Through the removal of
the ceiling on the first floor, a large
ceiling space was gained, allowing us
to design a ‘sky rail’ storage system
within this space.
By freeing up the central core, the
offices could be centralised, and the
perimeter could be used for more
flexible workspace with more light,
ventilation and space available to the
staff.
Before
After
Using alternative
technologies uncommon
to a workplace to
to provide innovate
solutions to user
specific issues.
Alternative
Technical
solutions.

RETREAT
G L AC I E R
RETREATG L AC I E R
RETREAT
G L AC I E R
First Floor
Ground Floor
Brand
Focus.
When undertaking the reorganisation
of the floor-plate, we always kept our
focus toward the brand and the end
user. Being a climbing and walking
brand we created two distinct spaces
(the glacier and the retreat), a simpler
layout of spaces was understood
with office & meeting spaces within
the central core & open workspace
enjoying the natural lighting and
air.This not only encouraged
collaboration by drawing exec’s out
their offices, it also provided a more
equal and less hierarchical design to
the space.

Offices /
meeting /
banquette
Offices
Central core ‘The retreat’ : Lower, more intimate, warmer colours defines the spaces of meeting, banquettes & offices
Outer perimeter ‘The Glacier’ : More daylight, increased volume and ‘cooler’ space.

Flexible activity based working
Culture shift 02

Activity-based working provides people
with a choice of settings for a variety of
workplace activities. Rather than forcing
individuals to undertake all their work at
one setting, such as a fixed desk or within
a designated cubicle, it encourages people
to physically locate themselves where it is
most suitable for them to complete their
work.
What is activity based working?

DNDN
UP
26 m²
Chalet (VC)
BF14
15 m²
RL Exec
BF15
18 m²
Banquet Seating F1
BF13
152 m²
Showroom 03
BF17
74 m²
Create Lab
BF05
46 m²
Showroom 03
BF03
45 m²
Showroom 02
BF02
11 m²
Backpacks Store
BF06
12 m²
Humidity control room
BF07
27 m²
Test Lab
BF08
16 m²
Exec
BF09 41 m²
Rolling Racking FF
BF18
21 m²
Meeting (VC)
BF01
10 m²
Room
BF10
6 m²
Room
BF11
2 m²
Room
BF11a
3 m²
Room
BF11b
3 m²
Room
BF11c
8 m²
Room
BF12
2 m²
Room
BF12a
3 m²
Room
BF12b
3 m²
Room
BF12c
41 m²
Stairs
BF19
Marketing Store Footwear store
W D
HC
OPEN VOID
Project
Drawing
Title
Job no.
THIS DRAWING IS COPYRIGHT. © TO ROCK TOWNSEND LTD. AND IS FOR GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION O
THIS DRAWING IS NOT TO BE SCALED.
@ A3
Date
Scale
Drawing no.
1 : 200
11/24/15
RT13017
B-101.1
Berghaus Head Office
Proposed GA
Ground floor
Sunderland - UK
Spatially efficient
workplace
A highly spatially efficient
workplace does not mean that a
multi generational workforce will
be effective.
8. Informal high table meeting
9. Lab
10. Exec office
7. Banquette meeting
6.Training room & large meeting room
5. Samples room
4. Large working table
3.Workstation desks
2. Informal chat - soft seating
1. Showcase spaces
10
3
678916
5
4
2
2
Spatial
efficiency vs
Activity based working
A highly efficient workplace doesn’t
mean a multi-gen workforce will be
effective & productive. Many spaces
for multiple activities will not mean
that utilisation levels are low.
Berghaus: Identifying activity based working

Existing Conference room
aka The ‘Yawn’ room
Pure activity based working
is not spatially efficient. By
allowing spaces to be tolerant
through intelligent technology
solutions and flexible furniture,
spaces can accommodate
multiple activities and uses.
UPUP
Project
Drawing
Title
Job no.
THIS DRAWING IS COPYRIGHT. © TO ROCK TOWNSEND LTD. AND IS FOR GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION ONLY.
THIS DRAWING IS NOT TO BE SCALED.
@ A3
Date
Scale
Drawing no.
1 : 200
11/24/15
RT13017
B-100.1
Berghaus Head Office
Proposed GA
Ground floor
Sunderland - UK
Flexible
activity based
working.
An activity based model isn’t spatially
effective, but by allowing spaces
to be tolerant through intelligent
tech solutions and flexible furniture,
spaces can accommodate multiple
activities and uses.
Berghaus had a conference room
which was lying dormant for 80%
of its time making it incredibly
inefficient.Therefore though the
use of clever furniture solutions
and intelligent technology, spaces
can be combined to make them not
only increase their utilisation, but
also make spaces feel active and
enjoyable.

The demand for Wellness
Culture shift 03

Feel
Good.
Making the workplace ‘ work well’ is
essential, and equally important is for
it to ‘feel good’, which was a mantra we
used for the design of the Pentland
HQ in 1998 where the following was
achieved ; maximisng natural light,
creating volume & height, views
out - landscpae in, natural materials,
variety of spaces. As summed up in
by Ziona Strelitz ‘s book on’Buildings
that feel good’.
‘Fashion is fast, good buildings
are more timeless and robust.
Pentland Lakeside succeeds in
reconciling this difference’
Ziona Strelitz
Recently this demand for buildings to
‘feel good’ has been characterised by
rise of the ‘wellness’ movement.

Individual
environmental
control
Integration of
health & exercise
Food offer
Eating and meeting spaces
central to the design
Connection
of external
Landscape
HolyTrinity
Prim
aryschool
Dalston
UniversityofW
estm
inster
M
arylebone
Pentland
HQ
Finchley
VenatorHQ
M
iddlesbrough
Lacoste
Paris
BerghausHQ
Sunderland
Demand for
Wellness.
From our work in the education & higher
education sectors, we understand
that the younger generation who are
now entering the workplace have a
higher expectation of ‘wellness’. We
have encouraged clients in all sectors
to embrace the idea that buildings and
spaces should be designed to ‘feel right’
for the individual, therefore maximising
‘wellness’.

The WELL Building Standard
explores how design, operations
and behaviours within the places
where we live, work, learn and
play can be optimized to advance
human health and well-being.

The Sharing economy.
Culture shift 04

1940’s
2000’s
1960’s
1980’s
2010’s
The huge increase in the sharing
economy has been enabled by
the development of technology.
These have aided the growth
of co-working and shared
workspaces.
Car / Bike Sharing Home sharing Cloud storage
Desk sharing apps
Room booking technology
Co-working
memberships in the
UK have risen by 52%
since 2016.

Dissolution of hierarchy.
Flexible activity based working.
The demand for wellness.
The Sharing economy.
Culture shifts

FOOD
Each company splits its lease between
a dedicated ‘front door’ and shared
co-work space, allowing them to use a
greater diversity of spaces and easily
expand, contract and collaborate.
rocktownsend.co.uk
CO-WORKING + KNOWLEDGE SHARE
THE BLOCKTHE HISTORIC THE WAREHOUSE
SHOPPING
DAVE’S START-UP
All buildingsare
withina2m
radius
M T W T F S S
Gary catches up with
his team for a kick-off
meeting
DAVE’S
START-UP
EAT, DRINK, MEET
EAT, DRINK, MEET
NIGHTDAY
FOODFOOD
CRAFTS
CRAFTS
EVENT SCHEDULEM - Night marketT-Talk + presentationW- Quiet club
STREET
ADAPTABLE, SHARED CO-WORKING SPACE
COMPANY ‘FRONT DOORS’
CYCLE HIRE + SHOWERING
EXTENSION OF STREET
AM
PM
M T W T F S S
Needing to write his
business case Gary works
in the quiet zone at ‘the
warehouse’.
PM
M T W T F S S
Needing to develop his
concept, he moves to ‘the
block’ to share ideas with
co-workers from other
companies
PM
M T W T F S S
An evening talk is hosted in
the pubic area of the block
PM
ENTRANCE
‘I love healthy produce
which is grown and
consumed on site’
‘Working for ASOS I
can reserve a desk for
either an hour, a day or
a week via the app’
Quiet spaces for
individual, silent work
Flexible and size
adjustable meeting
spaces
‘I feel great for moving
around the city to
other offices within the
network via the free
bike hire’
‘Today’s talk is about
sharing ideas...’
I don’t work here but
thought I would walk in
to see what’s going on
and be inspired.
WI-FI PARK
FOODFOOD
Future Office Competition | AJ &The Crown Estate
A
A B
B
+
The night-time economy contributes
to the culture of the place and to the
financial viability of the ‘extension of
the street’.
Engaged, Fulfilled,
Happy & Effective.
By understanding theses cultural shifts we
can start to predict how workplace design will
develop.
We undertook a conceptual research project
into the future of the workplace, with these
key cultural shifts at the heart of the design.
The design looked to combine elements of a
co-working model with but also wanted to make
open and flexible arrangements that allowed for
a mix of uses. Encouraging the dilution of work
and home life, but also recognising that people
actually want to go to the office to be happy, to
feel part of a team, but also effective.
We understood that there was shift from a
purely efficient office space, one of maximising
the floorplate with high occupancy and forcing
people into a working pattern which was irre-
spective of the type of culture we are today. But
there was a movement towards effectiveness,
asking people how they could be more produc-
tive & happy and listening and responding to
their needs.
Workplaces will not survive if a business fo-
cuses on the efficiency of its workforce, they
should be considering how the environment
effects the individual, which in turn will make
them more effective.
The multi generational workforce want to be :
What
Next?

Is this
the
office?
With the rise of virtual reality
technologies, will there no
longer be a requirement for
physical spaces?We can only
try to predict how workplace
culture is developing, but
understanding exactly how it
will develop will be up to the
next generation. Therefore, in
the future....

Contact
studio@rocktownsend.co.uk
mark.gabbey@rocktownsend.co.uk
tim.robinson@rocktownsend.co.uk
0207 261 9577

Creating a workplace to support the Millennials (Part Two)

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