retrofit proposals for office, grant thornton house

The six design proposals are applied to one of the office buildings on the Euston site.

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LEGEND

1. Additional load bearing structure to support weight of swimming pools2. Swimming pools3. New vertical circulation on outside of building4. Tea room hanging from building5. Collaboration enclosure6. Lift shaft converted to ventilation chimney7. Collaboration desk8. Void with dance floor beneath

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9. Lifts moved to outside of building10. Structure for elevator mechanism11. Ventilation chimney12. Window to swimming pool, allowing an exercising worker to enjoy the view, and light, filtered through the pool, to enter into the offices

Work happens through movement across borders, crossing boundaries

Time becomes a landscape

Unexpected encounters can provoke new ideas

Atmospheric richness is a resource- working practices- tools and technology- organisational structures- conflict and collaboration- real estate practices

WORK CULTURE

- kinships- connections- teams

SOCIAL LIFE

- senses- movement/physical action- breathv- sustenance

THE BODY

- climate- animal life- plant life- urban landscapes- wild landscapes

ENVIRONMENT

CONDITIONSTHEMaTIC rEflECTIONS

arCHITECTUral INTENTIONS

‘Light’ architectural objects can respond to user action

Qualities and types of mixing, placing programmes adjacent to each other. Hybridity, interweaving.

References:

‘Funky’ offices:Google Innocent Smoothies

Shared Workspaces:The Hub, IslingtonManchester Open Space CooperativeClub Workspace, Workspace Group

Library work facilities:Library Lab, Willesden

Work Cafes:Carmody Groake

Open plan office spaces:BurolandscaftTyping pool

Offices designed to recognise worker identity:Centraal BeheerGunter Bahnisch’s desk

Collaboration, sharing,

Water running through occupied space

Building creates dynamic light effects, reflecting ‘wind’

Inhabitable walls

Accessible services

Haptic quality to meeting/collaboration

Hackable building - responds to user demand/action

Attending to Work/Life balance - discovering continuity between work and life, examining the threshold between work and life

Central position to natural elements

Allow space for worker identity to be recognised

Mixing functions like a street

Building prgrammatic structure comprehensible to newcomer

developing a set of design rules

elec

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Condit

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On a typical day office workers are interrupted about seven times an hour. On average people switch activities every 3 minutes. Distractions take up about 2 hours 6 minutes of each day. Employees are typically able to devote 11 minutes to a single task before they are distracted, and once interrupted it takes 25 minutes to return to the original task.

Studies have shown that your IQ falls by 10 points when you are fielding constant emails, text messages and telephone calls, as well as contact with colleagues. This is equivalent to the drop in IQ experienced after missing a night’s sleep. Men suffer from this difficulty more than women who are better able to multitask.

RENT RETURN

PROPERTY INVESTOR

BUILDING FABRIC

SPACE LAYOUT

PUBLIC IMPACT

ENVIRONMENTAL SHADOW

CORPORATE BODY

EMPLOYEE

BUILDING GLOW

(capacities added)

CAPACITIES ADDED

BRIEF

design management path

FINANCIAL INVESTMENT AND MAINTENANCE COSTS

SALARY

WORK

A BUILDING WITH GLOWS... AND WITH HANDS THAT REACH OUT AND TOUCH...

PHYS

ICAL

EXTE

NT OF

‘BODY’

ATMOSPHEREphysical inputs electrical power food water air office materials humans

immaterial inputs data human contact work

physical outputs heat energy materials air waste actions

immaterial inputs data human contact

humans

processing

machines

furniture

SubjectResourcesToolsFurnitureColleaguesAtmosphere

How can a set of design rules be developed for workspaces which are sites of conflicting values and motivations. In what ways can a building accomodate contradicting behaviours? This working diagram attempts to map some of the existing conditions in office work and the design practice relating to offices, alongside a set of thematic reflections, based on how working cultures might develop in the future, and intentions to mitigate some of the issues encountered today.

ANATOMY OF OFFICE BODY

OFFICE PRODUREMENT MODEL/REAL ESTATE PRACTICE - postition of design agents

ERGONOMICS - understanding body as collection of measurable partsSWIMMING POOL at Foster’s Willis Faber Office Building

- communities- existing buildings- existing materials

SITE SPECIFIC

on one end and `segmentation' on the other. A person who has fully integrated family andwork makes no distinction about what belongs to home and what belongs to work: thepeople, thoughts, intellectual and emotional approaches are the same, no matter whether thetask has to do with work or with home. In contrast, segmentation involves very differentintellectual and emotional approaches, as illustrated in the following interview excerpt:

There is the 'private' me which is much more sensual. It's traveling, cooking, listening tomusic, reading. It's experiences, how things feel. The work person is frantic. Absorption,complete immersion in one thing and being obsessed with it and thinking about it everyminute and thinking about everything that could go wrong, anticipating everything... so I can'tintegrate my lives. That would be ideal, but what I do is go into the happiness side for a whileand then the obsessive side for a while.(McKenna, 1997: 56)Though integration has intuitive appeal as the most `balanced' approach to work and homelives, in actuality there is no one desirable state of integration or segmentation. Happy,productive individuals, as well as people who describe their lives as less than ideal, can befound on all ranges of this spectrum. In fact, many people who segment work and home havecreated a synergy between them exactly because they are separate and different. Under thismodel of balance, each domain provides for essential but different needs. For example, theneed to achieve might be satisfied at work; the need to love satisfied at home. A mixture ofdistinctly different activities gives variety and excitement, and regular breaks that one domain

BORDER THEORY

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

WORK/LIFE SPECTRUM

WORK/LIFE SEPARATED

COMMON LAND - sharing resources

VIOLENTLY CHANGING CONDITIONS

EUSTON OFFICE COMPLEX

PROGRAMMATIC STRIPES

Taking the ‘stripy’ layout of the zoetrope as a clue the rationale of the building can be arranged into programmatic stripes, that correspond to the different activities that make up an ideal working day, one that is productive, healthy, and contributes to worker wellbeing

NATURAL CORE

BALCONY

OFFICE FLOOR

CONTINUOUS WATER

COMMON ENTRANCE HALL

DYNAMIC THRESHOLD

COLLABORATION DESK

SPARKLING FACADEinterior to exterior

SCREENentrance to digital world

STREAMcommon to controlled space

TH

RESH

OLD

S or boundaries

ANIMATED URBAN FIELD

ENTRANCEstreet to building

a landscape of STRIPES

elements of CONNECTION

steps up from tube

revolving door

clothes exchange

bridge

diving into water

collaboration desk

video display screen

hanging in airpassageway

buIldInG ElEMEnTS

BLOCK B - Network Rail House

footprint - 900m

2

No of office floors - 15

Servicing -

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open plan

private offices

meeting rooms

kitchen/tea room

resource rooms

break out spaces

individual workplaces

group workplaces

flexible partitions allowing the meeting rooms of 50 squ. ft to be divided into two spaces, accomo-dating 8 people each

support spaces

circulation

material store

paper store

touchdown/reception

corridor

presentation spaces

large meeting rooms

conference facilities

party venue

exhibitions

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er h

ours

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er h

ours

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number of wokers involved in activity

Time plan for proposed space - varying of space size through a day

workspace type

worker hours spent in activities by level of interaction

worker hours spent in different workspaces

proposed plan, where the spots represent the range of different work encounters, the size of the spots depending on the number of workers involved, and the frequency of the spots representing the number of times such encounters occur. These encounters are distributed over a ground of different workspaces laid out as stripes, with the width of the strip corresponding to the number of worker hours spent in that workspace type.

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1868totals

additional facilities used

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squ m

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118.0

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plan of existing office accomodation @1:250total floor area per employee - 1868 squ ft

Freightliner ltd occupy the 10th floor of One Eversholt Street

analysis of different workspace type and use through existing office accomodation

corporate community memberFreightliner provide solutions for your rail freight needs throughout the UK, Poland and Australia. They are the UK’s most reliable rail freight operator. They currently lease one floor in One Eversholt Street in the Euston complex of office blocks. This document illustrate the way in which they occupy this existing space, and proposes a new plan for their office, to be accomodated within the Euston Worker Commons.

SECTION

A sparkling place for concentrated work

Dancefloor

Swimming poolCollaboration pod

Enclosure adjusts to requirements

Working with children - nursery office to Euston

spiral planProposal for a sprial floor plan combined with a garden office. Total floor area - 3,800m2

AXONOMETRIC

SKETCH EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC

A flexible frame held under tension around a semi enclosed garden courtyard

Vertical structure reuses concrete elements from Euston station

What is the logic of the connection between the two separate parts of the building?

Articulated floor, rising through the building, accomodating different types of work space, and holding meeting pods for collaborative work with different degrees of privacy

Void in centre brings light down into office floors

development, or, buidling can offer different face to meet each user’s

individual needs and problems...

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PROGRAMMESTRIPES

ElEMEnTS

‘sparkling core’ (section)

relaxation pods above

cafe tables

garden meeting rooms

water boundary

pathway

swimming pool

meeting room

‘sparkling core’ (section)

SCAlE Of EnClOSuRE

dense

open

children play area - outdoor toys in enclosed courtyard, with visual connection

TRAVELLERS1% of user population = 41

GARDENER80% of user population = 2

ENTRANCE 1Users arrive from Euston station. Qualities required - that the that the building be readable for people arriving for the �rst time. Entrance, sites for free occupation, direction of o�ce �oors, service points, etc.

ENTRANCE 2Service entrance, and delivery

ENTRANCE 3Main entrance for local freelancers, parents with children, retired people. Qualities required - easy access for buggies, etc. Amenities aimed at locals.

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Gar

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office

Relating programmatic stripes to the structure, and points of material encounter. Considering how the building can enable activities.

Early plan, composing different user paths, programmatic stripes, building components

Sketch of office for children - play and work coexisting, the same tool can be coopted for each activity Sketches of garden courtyard and furniture

dense

open

dense

dense

open

open

FIXED LIGHT

Different elements of the building are capable of changing at different rates, depending on the requirements and efforts of different delegated agents.

BUILDING ELEMENTS RESPOND TO OCCUPATION

Existing building is stripped to its vertical structure. Pylons are erected, and hanging cables

FLOORING PIECES - these elements demarcate the open floor slab, and create small areas for specific work teams. They also hold some servicing, for example electrical connections. There is the potential to have digital displays

CEILING PIECES - Service umbrellas hold electrical connections, and audio visual facilities, allowing users to project material onto the floor, walls, or screens

LIGHT CHIMNEY - light is bought down through the building through places where the honeycomb floor slab is allowed to remain open.

PLUG-IN FACADE ELEMENTS- functional elements suspended from the cables form the walls of the building, and can be replaced as required, with new elements constructed to satisfy new functional requirements.

LAYERS TO THE FLOOR AND CEILING - a range of element temper the bare slab, and have the function a. of demarcating space within the open plan, creating smaller ‘zones’, and b. containing services, electrical points, and audio visual facilities.

ELEVATORS - move through the building on a planned rotation, providing specific functions to the working floors on a regular basis.

FURNITURE.

PLUG-IN MEETING ROOM

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SLAB - constructed onto movable brackets fixed to central pylons, and exterior cables

PLUG-IN TOILET - female toilet illustrated

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CHANGING ROOM -

PASSENGER LIFT

TEA ROOM -

WENDY DESK - a pair of desks enclosing a childs playhouse

PLUG-IN ESCAPE STAIR -

BUILDING COMPONENT TYPE Material

Digital

COLLABORATION ROOM - a meeting room, with a range of different coverings, such as rubber sheet, fabric, or rigid panels, allowing the users to determine the degree of enclosure that they require.

TOUCHDOWN DESKS - a desk in the most public parts of the building which people can access for short periods to check their email, or carry out brief work tasks.

HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE DESK - a desk in the most public parts of the building which people can access for short periods to check their email, or carry out brief work tasks.

1. Desk in high position for adult work, child’s table detached

2. Desk in low position for children to use, childs table creates higher surface for adult

ROLLING CHAIR - a comfortable chair for adults to sit on (1), can roll backwards to become a snug lounger for a child (2), or climbing apparatus (3) with tunnel beneath (4).

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COLLABORATION DESK

PRIVATE WORK CHAIR

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Marie Fidelis Convent School

Netley Primary School

Christ’s Church Primary School

Regents Park Children’s Centre

Regents Park Library

West Euston Partnership

Samuel Lithgow Youth Centre

Third Age Project

BUILDING ELEMENTS

Restaurant

Auditorium

EVENTS

Building Closed

Creche

After-School Club

Cinema showing

MOVING FACILITIES

Service points

Tea/Coffee point

Tea trolley

USER COMMUNITIES

CORPORATE USERS

Freightliner Ltd

Euroterra Capital Ltd

Overseas Student Services

Ltd

Start Up companies

HEALTH FACILITIES

Swimming Pool

Dance Floor

Female Changing Elevator

(picking up)

Female Changing Elevator

(dropping off)

Male Changing Elevator

(picking up)

Male Changing Elevator

(picking up)

Undress cycle

Shower and Dress cycle

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PEAK - 24

LOCAL FACILITIES

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ToiletStoreMeeting podConcentration podWindow deskEscape stairServicing

KEY

The activities, programmes and occupations of the building are choreographed through the day. The aim of this is to layer and juxtapose activities that would not normally find themselves together, for example a yoga class with a formal meeting, in order to promote unex-pected colaborations and creative work. A futher aim is to maximise the use of the buidling, avoiding the wasteful situation where much office space is occupied for on 4 hours a day

long section, 1:100

clothes swap

resource xchange

service

cafe

service

cafe

quiet touch

down stations

compost

clothes swapresource xchange

service cafe service cafe

PROGRAMME STRIPES Child F

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Phys

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exer

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LEGEND

1. Photocopy and printing elevator2. Swimming Pool3. Sparkling light diffuser4. Dance floor, yoga class in progress5. ‘Ruins’ of existing building form site for children to occupy6. Male changing elevator7. Entrance to Hampstead Road8. Female changing elevator9. Tea Station elevator

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10. Collaboration desk11. Cafe table with meal being served

ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGIES APPLIED TO THE BUIDLING

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DCHANGING FACILITIES

TEA ROOMS

PHYSICAL HEALTH FACILITIESThese facilities provide for the physical wellbeing of people working in the office spaces, but also provide variety and incident within that will be felt in the working spaces themselves, in order to enliven the atmosphere and give the atmosphere a creative sparkle. It is also anticipated that the facilities will provide a site unplanned encounters between workers, leading to fruitful collaborative opportunities.

PROGRAMMATIC STRIPES

The plan of the building is separated into programmatic stripes, which are carried through every level of the buidling as it rises.

The di�erent programmes that the stripes hold have impacts at 2 levels. Firstly they help to increase worker wellbeing, for example through the introduction of facilities for physical exercise, or areas where children can be occupied. Secondly they are aimed at enabling the di�erent types of work undertaken within the o�ce, for example by providing stimulating environments, or spaces in which people can accomplish fruitful meetings.

That the stripes are repeated in the same positions in plan through the rising �oors is intended to aim navigation around the building - people will always know that a quiet area can be found in that side, or a cafe table in that corner.

The different elements that make up the building are organ-ised in such a way that they are available to to buildings occupants as required. The rhythms in which the functions are made available are tailored to provide facilities that can enable the carrying out of the work that is taking place, and to help the workers maintain their wellbeing and health.

FUNCTIONAL ELEVATORSThe vertical void at the centre of the building holds a set of functional elevators, as well as vertical circulation. These elevators provide the changing and showering accomodation for the physical exercise facilities, office resources, and tea facilities. They are scheduled to move through the day in such a way that they visit and serve the needs of each floor as much as the occupants there require. These schedules can be adjusted as experience shows how these needs change.

MAGAZINE PATHWAYThe open honeycomb slab that makes the floor of the building contains a set of lighting and display devices which allow the floor to communicate information to the occupants. This ‘magazine’ is sited in the pathway that snakes up in a continuous line through the spiral from the bottom to the top of the building. This facilities is used to communicate different information, for example the adjustments through the day for the different ‘ownership’ of space within the floors, and the scheduling of the functional elements that move through the building, even advertising for the businesses operating in the building, or messaging from one worker to another.

FACADE PLUG-INSThe facades of the building are made up of lightweight monocoque pods which hold a variety of different functions. They fit into the structure of hanging cables. They provide toilet facilities, escape stairs, meetings rooms and desk-windows. They can be configured and changed to respond to medium term changes in the requirements of the occupants. These simple structures are also hackable - they can be augmented, or redesigned as required, to accomodate unanticipated functions, or constructed specifically for the purposes of one community of users within the building.

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PHOTOCOPIER ROOMS

TROLLEY SERVICEThe ramp floor of the building provides a path for a trolley service of hot drinks and snacks that passes through the buildings, visiting each work station, providing refreshments at people’s desks if they require.

CINEMA

GARDENCAFE/BARKITCHEN

EXHIBITION

SPACE0

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quiet touch down stations

plan, level 2, 1:100

PROGRAMME STRIPES Child F

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LEGEND

1. Escape Stair facade pod2. Toilet facade pod3. Meeting room facade pod4. Window desk facade pod5. Shared ‘library’ deskTea Station elevator6. Male changing elevator (above)7. Sparkling light diffuser hanging in building void8. Digital ‘feed’ path9. Photocopier/Printer elevator

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10. Passenger lift11. Furniture for working and for children’s play12. ‘Ruins’ of existing building form site for children to occupy13. Cafe table with meal being served14. 6 person garden meeting ‘room’15. Garden ‘touch-down’ desks16. Female changing elevator17. Tea room elevator18. Touch-down desks19. Large garden meeting ‘room’

20. Collaboration room21. Collaboration desk22. Swimming pool23. Bridge

programmatic stripesIsometric views of four of the programmatic stripes show the relationship between the building and the activities that it enables, and how the different building elements fit in and contribute.

CHILDCARE STRIPE - 1. Rolling chair in child’s lounger position2. ‘Wendy’ desk3. Quiet window seat4. Desk with child’s table5. Projectors can through interactive display onto floor6. Partial ruins of existing building to provide landscape to explore

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PHYSICAL EXERCISE STRIPE - 1. Men’s changing room elevator2. Swimming pool3. Women’s changing room elevator

COLLABORATION STRIPE - 1. Configurable rooms allow people to arrange meetings as they require, with the right degree of privacy and enclosure. 2. Audio visual ceiling panels allow presentation of visual material

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GARDEN STRIPE - 1. Large meeting ‘room’2. Touch-down desks for people waiting for trains at Euston3. Benches for informal meetings4. 6 person meeting ‘room’5. Entrance to main office building

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astructure a ground for dynamic occupation

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