Whitbread Digital
Holborn, london
AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Whitbreads new London Digital workspace required an intelligent approach to create spaces that would contain the various corporate and digital teams in a way that offers flexibility, choice and personalisation. These environments needed to facilitate inspiration and innovation through a diverse range of work settings, atmospheres and retreats so that their range of people, skills and work styles were all accommodated.
The new workplace has been designed for openness and flexibility, striking a balance between physical collaborative hubs and spaces that offer privacy for people to focus on their work and contemplate when relaxing. The overall scheme offers a rich layering of spaces that support choices in what people do, how they do it and with whom.
This progressive workplace solution is part of a modernisation and refurbishment of a Richard Seifert building. The window bays are a classic signature feature of his buildings which have been utilised by using a variety of work and retreat settings.
Throughout the digital business space, these smart environments offer a hive of collaborative areas which are a visible testament of their ideas and mobile app development. Effectiveness requires choice, so the range of physical and technology settings within different atmospheres provides this versatility.
Digitals Director suggests that…"It’s not about a vast sea of open plan working. It’s about providing an appropriate group of work settings that support the pertinent activities within that workplace. In other words…who are we designing for and what should we be designing? This is about designing for personality profiling – supporting both the extravert and the introvert making meaningful connections to others."
This project enables the individual to personalise the space giving them the freedom to express themselves and feel more comfortable, less exposed yet more outspoken. This actually leads to greater communication & knowledge sharing and greater visibility for the stakeholders of what is going on in the digital world.
Within the group business space, it’s about impressing the city and sending out positive signals of what Whitbread are about and where they’re going. A range of branded and AV enabled presentation rooms double up as occasional office spaces whilst an elongated central open plan work bench provides staff from across the group to hot desk together when required.
Both of these working worlds are poles apart but the full circle is linked up with a joint sense of belonging as an organisation, but separated not by rank but by activity. These blended work environments are key components to help people feel a greater sense of belonging, purpose and empowerment within the organisation.
From approved space test fits to a built environment, the 1800m2 space was completed within a nineteen week program which was achieved within the required time frame and the client’s available budget.
Whitbread Digital has been featured in FX Magazine, read the full article here.
