Beyond the slides and Segways: The new collaborative workspace


Mick Nash, managing director of Sedley Place, reviews a recent project delivering a new way to work collaboratively.


FX

Words by Mick Nash, MD of Creative Agency Sedley Place

When Sky briefed us to design a restaurant, bar and socialising spaces for its new Believe in Better building in Osterley, West London, it was clear about what those spaces would have to achieve. The fittingly called Loft and The Kitchen spaces would not only have to work as places to host VIPs and celebrities, but also serve an equally vital -- and ongoing -- function as comfortable environments for staff to relax, collaborate and learn in, both day and night. Sky's brief is increasingly typical of the sorts of corporate spaces we're being asked to create.

Multi-functionality, to some degree or other, is a key part of corporate interiors brief these days. And while this isn't specifically a new trend, what is of interest is that companies are increasingly demanding that their spaces reflect their corporate ethos both to outsiders and their employees. Sky, for example, doesn't just want catering, it wants to live and breathe its Believe in Better ethos across all of its business. It wants to make its people feel looked after; and inspired. Sky has admirable plans for making its Believe in Better strapline meaningful across the board and not least in Osterley. It aims to deliver a world-class working and creative environment, and its hospitality spaces reflect that.

With that in mind, The Kitchen's creative inspiration comes from post-industrial buildings with high ceilings, suspended lighting and sinuous, curved banquette seating.

Within the space, the soft design materials ensure the right acoustics to keep conversations private and the atmosphere intimate and personal. With a maître d' to seat customers and an artistic, creative environment, the space is designed to be more fashionable high-street eatery than corporate canteen.

The creative concept for The Loft amplifies the space's height and dramatic rooftop views from Sky's newly opened building to full effect with a TV studio feel celebrating the massive timber structure. A deliberately busy atmosphere is created in the 110-seat space, giving diners a view of the theatre kitchen. The vibe is heightened using urban vintage furniture, oiled timber floors, a steel-panelled bar, a rooftop deck and counters with suspended industrial lighting.

It's an approach that's sustainable -- and a million miles from the slides, sweetshops, standing-up meeting rooms, Segways and sleep pods, all designed to increase staff productivity and innovation, but smacking of gimmickry. It's also part of Sky's broader CSR drive, sitting with initiatives including gyms, cycle parks and showers, all designed to promote staff well-being and environment friendliness.

The idea of including quality spaces that match (and sometimes exceed) the popularity of similar environments outside of the office means that staff will meet their friends there after work, be proud to show off their working environment and spend more time in the building. More businesses need to elevate the quality of their office spaces into less of an 'office' as we used to know it, and more into a fusion of high-quality services all under one roof. Nowadays, we sit at open desks not in private offices, and have meeting rooms with bean bags rather than stiff chairs. We're in the age of ultimate collaboration and remote working, and office spaces should reflect this by being flexible spaces where people are actually proud to work.








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