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/ Interview Sevil Peach

How do you go about designing workspace for a company? Or to put it another way: What is your first step in a project?

Some years back, clients used to come to us with a list of defined requirements: We want x-number of desks with y-number of meeting rooms for znumber of employees. Now clients increasingly come with aspirational and qualitative visions rather than numeric and quantitative briefs. These less tangible aspirations such as, “we want to achieve better collaboration, communication, interaction” etc. etc. mean that the projects are more of a vehicle for cultural change rather than simply an environmental update. Therefore the first step is to clear our minds of all preconceptions, to commence the new with an open and questioning mind. Only then can you begin to open a dialogue and understand the client’s needs and business goals and aspirations. All of this needs to be understood, questioned and challenged before you can begin to design meaningfully.

Can you explain further how clients’ briefs have changed?

In most businesses these days there is a clear shift away from the Tayloristic approach in work methods. Environmentally: hierarchy, space standards, repetitive layouts, static arrangements and dedicated tasks are becoming outdated. At a business level: flexibility and multi-tasking are now necessary in order to be competitive in today’s global economy. And at a personal level: diversity, empowerment and self-determination are also important issues. The straightforward brief does not really play a role anymore – well, not for us! The way it works is that clients tell us what they want to achieve with their new offices, such as improved communication or a setting that gives employees a sense of well-being and motivation. Ultimately, they want an office environment that maximises staff productivity in a positive way.

Isn’t that what all clients want?

No, not all clients come with this type of brief, some are not aware of the potential of an environmental change. But, if we can establish a good dialogue with a client, no matter how conservative their initial vision may be, we always seek to make them aware of other possibilities and potentials within the project.