Impact case study database

The research to advance a human-centred agenda for workplace design as a route to achieving better organisational performance has had a far-reaching impact on key stakeholders in the design, construction and management of offices. These include developers, manufacturers, architects and occupiers of office buildings. Examples in these four areas will be discussed:

Developers – example: marketing The Shard

RCA research has influenced developers of office buildings by prompting them to address the dimensions of user experience, behaviour and wellbeing in their projects, rather than just space utilisation. For example, research led by Myerson (see 3.4) to determine the optimum workplace conditions for older knowledge workers provided the basis for imaginative new office layout in The Shard, a 95-storey skyscraper at London Bridge and the tallest building in the UK, by developer Irvine Sellar and designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. The Shard was completed in 2013 prior to an extensive marketing campaign to attract corporate occupiers. Myerson’s zonal model of Concentration, Collaboration and Contemplation (the 3Cs) as three primary areas for knowledge work was translated in 2014 into three large exhibit spaces (termed ‘Winter Gardens’) created on one floor by architects Morey Smith, to demonstrate how the space could be used in a more human-centric way. Myerson worked with The Shard’s marketing and design teams to develop the concept. He spoke at a seminar on the research in June 2014 (5.1) and was interviewed and photographed in situ for The Shard’s in-house publication, The Shard: A Beacon for Modern London. The research was on display in the marketing suite. The Shard subsequently let all 28 office floors of the building to commercial occupiers (a total of 600,000 sq ft) at an average of £65 per sq ft, generating £39m in revenue. The Leasing Director of The Shard explained: ‘When it was first built, The Shard was labelled a white elephant, a folly. Its floorplates were an odd shape and not easy to fit out. We needed people to see it differently, and to shift the discussion from floorplate configuration to experience and behaviour. We used Myerson’s 3Cs research model as the basis to show how The Shard could meet real business needs and to shift perceptions of the building in the market.’ (5.2)

Manufacturers – example: Haworth product

RCA research has influenced manufacturers in the workspace supply chain such as Haworth, Herman Miller, Philips Lighting, Kinnarps and Milliken, by alerting them to a more sensory and experiential approach to office interiors. As a result of the research, they have developed new products, marketing strategies and showrooms. For example, HHCD collaborated with the furniture manufacturer Haworth between 2009 and 2014 to explore how non-office spaces (e.g theatres, libraries, temporary event spaces) could influence workplace design to become more people-centred (3.2). Haworth, based in Michigan, USA, is the world’s third-largest office furniture manufacturer; it markets to 120 countries and recorded sales of US $2.04 billion in 2017. Based on RCA research, Haworth revised its fabrics and finishes on product lines globally to become warmer and more residential. In particular, RCA research informed the 2015 launch of an entirely new furniture range, YourSpace, aimed at ‘individual expression in the office’, which now accounts for 5 per cent of all Haworth sales in Europe (5.3). According to Haworth’s Vice President, Western Europe: ‘Influenced by the RCA, we moved the look and feel of our existing ranges from cold and clinical to warmer colours and materials, and we launched YourSpace. This more domestic-looking approach brought us into line with what customers are demanding.’

Architects and designers – example: Gensler focus on wellbeing

RCA research has informed the design of offices by architects including Arup, Sheppard Robson, Reid Architecture, Studio Tilt, Studio Banana and Fletcher Priest Architects, by creating an evidence base to persuade clients to adopt a more human-centric approach and involve employees in a co-design process (5.4). For example, an HHCD research team partnered with the architecture firm Gensler to recruit an industrial consortium (Shell, RBS, Milliken, Kinnarps and Bupa) to fund joint research into aspects of workplace wellbeing. Gensler has 48 offices in 16 countries, revenues of US $1.2 billion and more than 6,000 employees. The research (3.5) generated a joint RCA/Gensler toolkit to measure workforce wellbeing and propose design interventions to improve it (see 5.5). Gensler subsequently used the wellbeing research to support the launch of a new office in Munich in 2017 to service the German and Swiss markets. The wellbeing toolkit was used to attract large companies such as Roche Group, Bayer, Adidas and Telefonica, which have an interest in improving employee experience. The Munich office generated design fees of €2.5m in its first full year of operation. Gensler’s Head of Consulting, Europe, said: ‘I have no doubt that our collaboration with RCA on wellbeing research played a key role in supporting our new German office. It gave us a valid reason to engage with client companies.’ (5.6).

Occupiers – example: Plantronics redesigns its facility

RCA research has also influenced occupiers of office space, such as Shell, Bupa, RBS, Unicredit and GlaxoSmithkline, encouraging a move away from traditional engineering-led workplace planning. For example, Plantronics is a US audio-electronics company headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with revenues of US $520m and 3,800 employees worldwide. Between 2012 and 2016, it redeveloped the interior of its Swindon UK headquarters office to improve acoustics, using Myerson’s 3Cs zoning model as the basis for redesign. This approach proved successful, with user satisfaction rising from 63 to 84 on the Leeson Index, a standard post-occupancy measure in the office industry; and the model was subsequently replicated in Plantronics offices in Madrid, Amsterdam, Cologne, Milan and Paris (5.7), between 2016 and 2018. The Managing Director of Plantronics, Europe and Africa, noted that ‘the RCA research was highly actionable’.

A key vehicle for ensuring research impact has been the WORKTECH global conference series on the future of work and workplace, co-founded by Myerson in 2003 and now active in 25 cities around the world. Since 2014, there have been 120 WORKTECH events (5.8) aimed at senior workplace professionals; many have featured RCA research in the field, and Myerson has spoken at WORKTECH Berlin, New York, Toronto, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, San Francisco and others. In September 2016, Myerson established WORKTECH Academy, a spinout business to share research into human-centred workspace design with a global industry network. WORKTECH Academy (5.8) is an online platform and membership club, with more than 40 corporate partners, including many of the companies participating in RCA research. Since launch, the business has generated c. £1.2m in revenues and created five new jobs. Myerson is Director of the Academy, in which capacity he networks with leading players to continue advancing human-based workplace design (5.9–5.10).