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Page 1: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

September2016

Mix Interiors 167

ORGATECCOLOGNE 25- 29102016 Hall 71Stand B058 - C059

Vistit us at

UPIS1 KEEP MOVING

INTERSTUHLCOMUP

PRODUCT DESIGN ID AID SVEN VON BOETTICHER

INTERSTUHL LTD 17 BREWHOUSE YARD EC1V 4LA TEL +44 207250 1850 WWWINTERSTUHLCOM

1

Inside

UPFRONT 1110 Seven

17 Keeping it Brief

18

Forward Thinking

21 Material Matters

22 Desert Island Desks

SPOTLIGHT 2526 The Big Question

28 Innovation

CASE STUDIES5858 Ogilvy

66 Task

PROFILE 7070 Mehran Gharleghi

PREVIEW 7979 London Design Festival

96Just an idea

58

70

66

2 3

A Word from Mick

Get in touchEditor

Mick Jordan

mickmixinteriorscom

Editorial support

Rebecca Sabato

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Director

David Smalley

davidmixinteriorscom

Designer

Georgina Nicklin

georginamixinteriorscom

Managing director

Marcie Incarico

marciemixinteriorscom

Founding publisher

Henry Pugh

Contributors

Mark Eltringham

Nigel Tresise

Steve Gale

Address

Mix Media Limited

2 Abito

85 Greengate

Manchester

M3 7NA

Telephone

0161 946 6262

e-mail

editorialmixinteriorscom

Website

wwwmixinteriorscom

Twitter

mixinteriors

Subscriptions

To ensure that a regular copy

of Mix Interiors reaches your

desk please call 0161 946 6262

or e-mail

salesmixinteriorscom

Annual subscription charges

UK single pound4550

UK corporate

(up to 5 individuals) pound140

Europe pound135 (airmail)

Outside Europe pound165 (airmail)

Printed by SampG Print

ISSN 1757-2371

So here we are deep into September with summer holidays just a distant memory (so

glad I could cheer you all up) It has been a

pretty epic summer though and one in which I

feel Irsquove learnt a great deal

To start with the unparalleled political

turmoil that preceded summer revealed two

very distinct schools of thinking throughout

the industry Therersquos nothing profound about

this by the way it just beautifully illustrates

how this sector can divide itself into the glass

is half full and the glass is half empty brigade

So while half of the industry (and wersquore

talking about all sectors from furniture

sales guys through to heads of interiors and

end users) assumed that we were now in a

post-Brexit pre-apocalyptic lull and therefore

should use this calm before the storm to say

their goodbyes to their loved ones make their

way to the nearest fallout shelter others

simply assumed it was August After all

August is always quiet

Which was good news for us sports fans

ndash who were able to become creatures of the

night and watch Olympic sports we didnrsquot even

know existed until way into the small hours

Therersquos something both incredibly touching

and slightly unnerving about witnessing two

drunk Essex blokes (in their mid-50rsquos Irsquod say)

hugging because GB had just claimed a bronze

in the trampolining

Forget all that stuff about one fallen

athlete picking another up off the track to

finish the race together or two brothers from

Yorkshire embracing after their joint victory

the sight of two red-faced tubby Brits with

tears in their eyes having just watched a

16-year old girl do some summersaults on a

trampoline is in my eyes the true spirit of the

Olympics

Although a special mention must also go to

whichever diver it was who weed in that pool

If Irsquod jumped off aboard from 10m backwards I

think Irsquod have done the same

Back issuesContact us to buy back issues

rebeccamixinteriorscom

JUN

E 2016

TH

E PR

OD

UC

T DES

IGN

ER IS

SU

E

June2016

Mix Interiors 165

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 165

The coverThe logo

Our logo reflects the Origami

kirigami-inspired nature of the front

cover chair The design emulates the

art of sculpting and folding paper

creating organic shapes and forms

This use of organic creation can also

be seen to reflect Scott Brownrigg

Interior Designrsquos evolution

wwwscottbrownriggcom

The cover image

RCAImperial College London

graduate and KI Award recipient

Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo can be

manipulated into different shapes

Origamikirigami-inspired it has 2240

joints and is mouldable when charged

becoming rigid again when it cools

lsquoAktorrsquo will be showcased at KI during

LDF as part of an exhibition supporting

students and innovation

wwwkicom

SEP

TEMB

ER 20

16T

HE IN

NO

VA

TIO

N G

AM

E

September2016

Mix Interiors 167

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 167

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

MANuFActurINg

Pledge Office Chairs LtdMill RoadLeighton BuzzardBedfordshireLU7 1BA

t +44 (0) 1525 376181

LONDON_ShOwrOOM

First Floor21-22 Great Sutton StreetClerkenwellLondonEC1V 0DY

t +44 (0) 20 7253 7277

cONtAct_amp_FOLLOw

e salespledgechairscoukwwwpledgechairscouk

ME_MYSELF_amp_I design LYDIA ADDISON

Mix Interiors - September 2016 (MMI)_Layout 1 23082016 1656 Page 1

4

Mix Interiors 160

London Showroom 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London EC1V 0DY T +44 (0)20 7253 7652 | E enquiriessilverline-oecom

wwwsilverline-oecomPart of Group S wwwgroup-scouk

CREATECONNECTCOLLABORATECreate smart spaces for collaborative flexible working withstorage from Silverline and partitioning combined withacoustic solutions from Screen Innovations

in partnership with

Mix-Interiors-DPS_Layout 1 24-Aug-16 155 PM Page 1

6 7

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

KI EuropeLevel 3 New Fetter Place8-10 New Fetter LaneLondon EC4A 1AZE workplacekieuropecomW wwwkieuropecom

During London Design Festival KI will showcase some of the remarkable work coming out of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College Londonrsquos Innovation Design Engineering double masters course

The two winners of this yearrsquos KI Awards Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo and Christina Petersenrsquos lsquoLYSrsquo will be displayed alongside other projects whose innovative ideas and imagination will influence the future of architecture interior design product design and manufacturing to create happier healthier more productive and sustainable spaces in the future

All images courtesy of the students

KI LDF16 How will the innovations of today

shape the workplace of tomorrow

Visit us during LDF1619-23 September 2016 | 0900 - 1730 | kieurope

8 9

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

INDUSTRIALLANDSCAPENo 6 - BRICK

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways tunnels of factories workshops and warehouses The surfaces ndash cracked paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline

The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into dierent expres- sions that reinterpret the rough raw everyday surfaces that define the London landscape

London ndash The Industrial Landscape New carpet collection by Tom Dixon Learn more at egecarpetscom

Mix Interior_07 2016_DPS_Industrial landscapeindd 1 25-07-2016 151625

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

salesgodfreysyrettcouk | 0191 268 1010 | GodfreySyrett | Search for us on Instagram LinkedIn and Pinterest

Loola A4 Advert_2016 (Mix Interiors)indd 1 19082016 112922

Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

infoprogressfurnishingcoukLondon 020 7836 3636

HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

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Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 2: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

ORGATECCOLOGNE 25- 29102016 Hall 71Stand B058 - C059

Vistit us at

UPIS1 KEEP MOVING

INTERSTUHLCOMUP

PRODUCT DESIGN ID AID SVEN VON BOETTICHER

INTERSTUHL LTD 17 BREWHOUSE YARD EC1V 4LA TEL +44 207250 1850 WWWINTERSTUHLCOM

1

Inside

UPFRONT 1110 Seven

17 Keeping it Brief

18

Forward Thinking

21 Material Matters

22 Desert Island Desks

SPOTLIGHT 2526 The Big Question

28 Innovation

CASE STUDIES5858 Ogilvy

66 Task

PROFILE 7070 Mehran Gharleghi

PREVIEW 7979 London Design Festival

96Just an idea

58

70

66

2 3

A Word from Mick

Get in touchEditor

Mick Jordan

mickmixinteriorscom

Editorial support

Rebecca Sabato

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Director

David Smalley

davidmixinteriorscom

Designer

Georgina Nicklin

georginamixinteriorscom

Managing director

Marcie Incarico

marciemixinteriorscom

Founding publisher

Henry Pugh

Contributors

Mark Eltringham

Nigel Tresise

Steve Gale

Address

Mix Media Limited

2 Abito

85 Greengate

Manchester

M3 7NA

Telephone

0161 946 6262

e-mail

editorialmixinteriorscom

Website

wwwmixinteriorscom

Twitter

mixinteriors

Subscriptions

To ensure that a regular copy

of Mix Interiors reaches your

desk please call 0161 946 6262

or e-mail

salesmixinteriorscom

Annual subscription charges

UK single pound4550

UK corporate

(up to 5 individuals) pound140

Europe pound135 (airmail)

Outside Europe pound165 (airmail)

Printed by SampG Print

ISSN 1757-2371

So here we are deep into September with summer holidays just a distant memory (so

glad I could cheer you all up) It has been a

pretty epic summer though and one in which I

feel Irsquove learnt a great deal

To start with the unparalleled political

turmoil that preceded summer revealed two

very distinct schools of thinking throughout

the industry Therersquos nothing profound about

this by the way it just beautifully illustrates

how this sector can divide itself into the glass

is half full and the glass is half empty brigade

So while half of the industry (and wersquore

talking about all sectors from furniture

sales guys through to heads of interiors and

end users) assumed that we were now in a

post-Brexit pre-apocalyptic lull and therefore

should use this calm before the storm to say

their goodbyes to their loved ones make their

way to the nearest fallout shelter others

simply assumed it was August After all

August is always quiet

Which was good news for us sports fans

ndash who were able to become creatures of the

night and watch Olympic sports we didnrsquot even

know existed until way into the small hours

Therersquos something both incredibly touching

and slightly unnerving about witnessing two

drunk Essex blokes (in their mid-50rsquos Irsquod say)

hugging because GB had just claimed a bronze

in the trampolining

Forget all that stuff about one fallen

athlete picking another up off the track to

finish the race together or two brothers from

Yorkshire embracing after their joint victory

the sight of two red-faced tubby Brits with

tears in their eyes having just watched a

16-year old girl do some summersaults on a

trampoline is in my eyes the true spirit of the

Olympics

Although a special mention must also go to

whichever diver it was who weed in that pool

If Irsquod jumped off aboard from 10m backwards I

think Irsquod have done the same

Back issuesContact us to buy back issues

rebeccamixinteriorscom

JUN

E 2016

TH

E PR

OD

UC

T DES

IGN

ER IS

SU

E

June2016

Mix Interiors 165

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 165

The coverThe logo

Our logo reflects the Origami

kirigami-inspired nature of the front

cover chair The design emulates the

art of sculpting and folding paper

creating organic shapes and forms

This use of organic creation can also

be seen to reflect Scott Brownrigg

Interior Designrsquos evolution

wwwscottbrownriggcom

The cover image

RCAImperial College London

graduate and KI Award recipient

Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo can be

manipulated into different shapes

Origamikirigami-inspired it has 2240

joints and is mouldable when charged

becoming rigid again when it cools

lsquoAktorrsquo will be showcased at KI during

LDF as part of an exhibition supporting

students and innovation

wwwkicom

SEP

TEMB

ER 20

16T

HE IN

NO

VA

TIO

N G

AM

E

September2016

Mix Interiors 167

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 167

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

MANuFActurINg

Pledge Office Chairs LtdMill RoadLeighton BuzzardBedfordshireLU7 1BA

t +44 (0) 1525 376181

LONDON_ShOwrOOM

First Floor21-22 Great Sutton StreetClerkenwellLondonEC1V 0DY

t +44 (0) 20 7253 7277

cONtAct_amp_FOLLOw

e salespledgechairscoukwwwpledgechairscouk

ME_MYSELF_amp_I design LYDIA ADDISON

Mix Interiors - September 2016 (MMI)_Layout 1 23082016 1656 Page 1

4

Mix Interiors 160

London Showroom 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London EC1V 0DY T +44 (0)20 7253 7652 | E enquiriessilverline-oecom

wwwsilverline-oecomPart of Group S wwwgroup-scouk

CREATECONNECTCOLLABORATECreate smart spaces for collaborative flexible working withstorage from Silverline and partitioning combined withacoustic solutions from Screen Innovations

in partnership with

Mix-Interiors-DPS_Layout 1 24-Aug-16 155 PM Page 1

6 7

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

KI EuropeLevel 3 New Fetter Place8-10 New Fetter LaneLondon EC4A 1AZE workplacekieuropecomW wwwkieuropecom

During London Design Festival KI will showcase some of the remarkable work coming out of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College Londonrsquos Innovation Design Engineering double masters course

The two winners of this yearrsquos KI Awards Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo and Christina Petersenrsquos lsquoLYSrsquo will be displayed alongside other projects whose innovative ideas and imagination will influence the future of architecture interior design product design and manufacturing to create happier healthier more productive and sustainable spaces in the future

All images courtesy of the students

KI LDF16 How will the innovations of today

shape the workplace of tomorrow

Visit us during LDF1619-23 September 2016 | 0900 - 1730 | kieurope

8 9

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

INDUSTRIALLANDSCAPENo 6 - BRICK

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways tunnels of factories workshops and warehouses The surfaces ndash cracked paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline

The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into dierent expres- sions that reinterpret the rough raw everyday surfaces that define the London landscape

London ndash The Industrial Landscape New carpet collection by Tom Dixon Learn more at egecarpetscom

Mix Interior_07 2016_DPS_Industrial landscapeindd 1 25-07-2016 151625

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

salesgodfreysyrettcouk | 0191 268 1010 | GodfreySyrett | Search for us on Instagram LinkedIn and Pinterest

Loola A4 Advert_2016 (Mix Interiors)indd 1 19082016 112922

Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

infoprogressfurnishingcoukLondon 020 7836 3636

HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 3: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

1

Inside

UPFRONT 1110 Seven

17 Keeping it Brief

18

Forward Thinking

21 Material Matters

22 Desert Island Desks

SPOTLIGHT 2526 The Big Question

28 Innovation

CASE STUDIES5858 Ogilvy

66 Task

PROFILE 7070 Mehran Gharleghi

PREVIEW 7979 London Design Festival

96Just an idea

58

70

66

2 3

A Word from Mick

Get in touchEditor

Mick Jordan

mickmixinteriorscom

Editorial support

Rebecca Sabato

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Director

David Smalley

davidmixinteriorscom

Designer

Georgina Nicklin

georginamixinteriorscom

Managing director

Marcie Incarico

marciemixinteriorscom

Founding publisher

Henry Pugh

Contributors

Mark Eltringham

Nigel Tresise

Steve Gale

Address

Mix Media Limited

2 Abito

85 Greengate

Manchester

M3 7NA

Telephone

0161 946 6262

e-mail

editorialmixinteriorscom

Website

wwwmixinteriorscom

Twitter

mixinteriors

Subscriptions

To ensure that a regular copy

of Mix Interiors reaches your

desk please call 0161 946 6262

or e-mail

salesmixinteriorscom

Annual subscription charges

UK single pound4550

UK corporate

(up to 5 individuals) pound140

Europe pound135 (airmail)

Outside Europe pound165 (airmail)

Printed by SampG Print

ISSN 1757-2371

So here we are deep into September with summer holidays just a distant memory (so

glad I could cheer you all up) It has been a

pretty epic summer though and one in which I

feel Irsquove learnt a great deal

To start with the unparalleled political

turmoil that preceded summer revealed two

very distinct schools of thinking throughout

the industry Therersquos nothing profound about

this by the way it just beautifully illustrates

how this sector can divide itself into the glass

is half full and the glass is half empty brigade

So while half of the industry (and wersquore

talking about all sectors from furniture

sales guys through to heads of interiors and

end users) assumed that we were now in a

post-Brexit pre-apocalyptic lull and therefore

should use this calm before the storm to say

their goodbyes to their loved ones make their

way to the nearest fallout shelter others

simply assumed it was August After all

August is always quiet

Which was good news for us sports fans

ndash who were able to become creatures of the

night and watch Olympic sports we didnrsquot even

know existed until way into the small hours

Therersquos something both incredibly touching

and slightly unnerving about witnessing two

drunk Essex blokes (in their mid-50rsquos Irsquod say)

hugging because GB had just claimed a bronze

in the trampolining

Forget all that stuff about one fallen

athlete picking another up off the track to

finish the race together or two brothers from

Yorkshire embracing after their joint victory

the sight of two red-faced tubby Brits with

tears in their eyes having just watched a

16-year old girl do some summersaults on a

trampoline is in my eyes the true spirit of the

Olympics

Although a special mention must also go to

whichever diver it was who weed in that pool

If Irsquod jumped off aboard from 10m backwards I

think Irsquod have done the same

Back issuesContact us to buy back issues

rebeccamixinteriorscom

JUN

E 2016

TH

E PR

OD

UC

T DES

IGN

ER IS

SU

E

June2016

Mix Interiors 165

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 165

The coverThe logo

Our logo reflects the Origami

kirigami-inspired nature of the front

cover chair The design emulates the

art of sculpting and folding paper

creating organic shapes and forms

This use of organic creation can also

be seen to reflect Scott Brownrigg

Interior Designrsquos evolution

wwwscottbrownriggcom

The cover image

RCAImperial College London

graduate and KI Award recipient

Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo can be

manipulated into different shapes

Origamikirigami-inspired it has 2240

joints and is mouldable when charged

becoming rigid again when it cools

lsquoAktorrsquo will be showcased at KI during

LDF as part of an exhibition supporting

students and innovation

wwwkicom

SEP

TEMB

ER 20

16T

HE IN

NO

VA

TIO

N G

AM

E

September2016

Mix Interiors 167

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 167

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

MANuFActurINg

Pledge Office Chairs LtdMill RoadLeighton BuzzardBedfordshireLU7 1BA

t +44 (0) 1525 376181

LONDON_ShOwrOOM

First Floor21-22 Great Sutton StreetClerkenwellLondonEC1V 0DY

t +44 (0) 20 7253 7277

cONtAct_amp_FOLLOw

e salespledgechairscoukwwwpledgechairscouk

ME_MYSELF_amp_I design LYDIA ADDISON

Mix Interiors - September 2016 (MMI)_Layout 1 23082016 1656 Page 1

4

Mix Interiors 160

London Showroom 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London EC1V 0DY T +44 (0)20 7253 7652 | E enquiriessilverline-oecom

wwwsilverline-oecomPart of Group S wwwgroup-scouk

CREATECONNECTCOLLABORATECreate smart spaces for collaborative flexible working withstorage from Silverline and partitioning combined withacoustic solutions from Screen Innovations

in partnership with

Mix-Interiors-DPS_Layout 1 24-Aug-16 155 PM Page 1

6 7

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

KI EuropeLevel 3 New Fetter Place8-10 New Fetter LaneLondon EC4A 1AZE workplacekieuropecomW wwwkieuropecom

During London Design Festival KI will showcase some of the remarkable work coming out of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College Londonrsquos Innovation Design Engineering double masters course

The two winners of this yearrsquos KI Awards Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo and Christina Petersenrsquos lsquoLYSrsquo will be displayed alongside other projects whose innovative ideas and imagination will influence the future of architecture interior design product design and manufacturing to create happier healthier more productive and sustainable spaces in the future

All images courtesy of the students

KI LDF16 How will the innovations of today

shape the workplace of tomorrow

Visit us during LDF1619-23 September 2016 | 0900 - 1730 | kieurope

8 9

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

INDUSTRIALLANDSCAPENo 6 - BRICK

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways tunnels of factories workshops and warehouses The surfaces ndash cracked paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline

The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into dierent expres- sions that reinterpret the rough raw everyday surfaces that define the London landscape

London ndash The Industrial Landscape New carpet collection by Tom Dixon Learn more at egecarpetscom

Mix Interior_07 2016_DPS_Industrial landscapeindd 1 25-07-2016 151625

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

salesgodfreysyrettcouk | 0191 268 1010 | GodfreySyrett | Search for us on Instagram LinkedIn and Pinterest

Loola A4 Advert_2016 (Mix Interiors)indd 1 19082016 112922

Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

infoprogressfurnishingcoukLondon 020 7836 3636

HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

Faberrsquos collection of top-of-the-range gas fires and stoves offers flexible installation and unbeatable performance to create a show-stopping focal point without the need for a chimney

With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

Beautiful fires beautifully made

t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

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LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

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featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 4: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

2 3

A Word from Mick

Get in touchEditor

Mick Jordan

mickmixinteriorscom

Editorial support

Rebecca Sabato

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Director

David Smalley

davidmixinteriorscom

Designer

Georgina Nicklin

georginamixinteriorscom

Managing director

Marcie Incarico

marciemixinteriorscom

Founding publisher

Henry Pugh

Contributors

Mark Eltringham

Nigel Tresise

Steve Gale

Address

Mix Media Limited

2 Abito

85 Greengate

Manchester

M3 7NA

Telephone

0161 946 6262

e-mail

editorialmixinteriorscom

Website

wwwmixinteriorscom

Twitter

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Subscriptions

To ensure that a regular copy

of Mix Interiors reaches your

desk please call 0161 946 6262

or e-mail

salesmixinteriorscom

Annual subscription charges

UK single pound4550

UK corporate

(up to 5 individuals) pound140

Europe pound135 (airmail)

Outside Europe pound165 (airmail)

Printed by SampG Print

ISSN 1757-2371

So here we are deep into September with summer holidays just a distant memory (so

glad I could cheer you all up) It has been a

pretty epic summer though and one in which I

feel Irsquove learnt a great deal

To start with the unparalleled political

turmoil that preceded summer revealed two

very distinct schools of thinking throughout

the industry Therersquos nothing profound about

this by the way it just beautifully illustrates

how this sector can divide itself into the glass

is half full and the glass is half empty brigade

So while half of the industry (and wersquore

talking about all sectors from furniture

sales guys through to heads of interiors and

end users) assumed that we were now in a

post-Brexit pre-apocalyptic lull and therefore

should use this calm before the storm to say

their goodbyes to their loved ones make their

way to the nearest fallout shelter others

simply assumed it was August After all

August is always quiet

Which was good news for us sports fans

ndash who were able to become creatures of the

night and watch Olympic sports we didnrsquot even

know existed until way into the small hours

Therersquos something both incredibly touching

and slightly unnerving about witnessing two

drunk Essex blokes (in their mid-50rsquos Irsquod say)

hugging because GB had just claimed a bronze

in the trampolining

Forget all that stuff about one fallen

athlete picking another up off the track to

finish the race together or two brothers from

Yorkshire embracing after their joint victory

the sight of two red-faced tubby Brits with

tears in their eyes having just watched a

16-year old girl do some summersaults on a

trampoline is in my eyes the true spirit of the

Olympics

Although a special mention must also go to

whichever diver it was who weed in that pool

If Irsquod jumped off aboard from 10m backwards I

think Irsquod have done the same

Back issuesContact us to buy back issues

rebeccamixinteriorscom

JUN

E 2016

TH

E PR

OD

UC

T DES

IGN

ER IS

SU

E

June2016

Mix Interiors 165

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 165

The coverThe logo

Our logo reflects the Origami

kirigami-inspired nature of the front

cover chair The design emulates the

art of sculpting and folding paper

creating organic shapes and forms

This use of organic creation can also

be seen to reflect Scott Brownrigg

Interior Designrsquos evolution

wwwscottbrownriggcom

The cover image

RCAImperial College London

graduate and KI Award recipient

Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo can be

manipulated into different shapes

Origamikirigami-inspired it has 2240

joints and is mouldable when charged

becoming rigid again when it cools

lsquoAktorrsquo will be showcased at KI during

LDF as part of an exhibition supporting

students and innovation

wwwkicom

SEP

TEMB

ER 20

16T

HE IN

NO

VA

TIO

N G

AM

E

September2016

Mix Interiors 167

MIX

INTER

IOR

S 167

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

MANuFActurINg

Pledge Office Chairs LtdMill RoadLeighton BuzzardBedfordshireLU7 1BA

t +44 (0) 1525 376181

LONDON_ShOwrOOM

First Floor21-22 Great Sutton StreetClerkenwellLondonEC1V 0DY

t +44 (0) 20 7253 7277

cONtAct_amp_FOLLOw

e salespledgechairscoukwwwpledgechairscouk

ME_MYSELF_amp_I design LYDIA ADDISON

Mix Interiors - September 2016 (MMI)_Layout 1 23082016 1656 Page 1

4

Mix Interiors 160

London Showroom 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London EC1V 0DY T +44 (0)20 7253 7652 | E enquiriessilverline-oecom

wwwsilverline-oecomPart of Group S wwwgroup-scouk

CREATECONNECTCOLLABORATECreate smart spaces for collaborative flexible working withstorage from Silverline and partitioning combined withacoustic solutions from Screen Innovations

in partnership with

Mix-Interiors-DPS_Layout 1 24-Aug-16 155 PM Page 1

6 7

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

KI EuropeLevel 3 New Fetter Place8-10 New Fetter LaneLondon EC4A 1AZE workplacekieuropecomW wwwkieuropecom

During London Design Festival KI will showcase some of the remarkable work coming out of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College Londonrsquos Innovation Design Engineering double masters course

The two winners of this yearrsquos KI Awards Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo and Christina Petersenrsquos lsquoLYSrsquo will be displayed alongside other projects whose innovative ideas and imagination will influence the future of architecture interior design product design and manufacturing to create happier healthier more productive and sustainable spaces in the future

All images courtesy of the students

KI LDF16 How will the innovations of today

shape the workplace of tomorrow

Visit us during LDF1619-23 September 2016 | 0900 - 1730 | kieurope

8 9

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

INDUSTRIALLANDSCAPENo 6 - BRICK

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways tunnels of factories workshops and warehouses The surfaces ndash cracked paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline

The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into dierent expres- sions that reinterpret the rough raw everyday surfaces that define the London landscape

London ndash The Industrial Landscape New carpet collection by Tom Dixon Learn more at egecarpetscom

Mix Interior_07 2016_DPS_Industrial landscapeindd 1 25-07-2016 151625

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

salesgodfreysyrettcouk | 0191 268 1010 | GodfreySyrett | Search for us on Instagram LinkedIn and Pinterest

Loola A4 Advert_2016 (Mix Interiors)indd 1 19082016 112922

Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

infoprogressfurnishingcoukLondon 020 7836 3636

HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

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esig

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 5: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

4

Mix Interiors 160

London Showroom 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London EC1V 0DY T +44 (0)20 7253 7652 | E enquiriessilverline-oecom

wwwsilverline-oecomPart of Group S wwwgroup-scouk

CREATECONNECTCOLLABORATECreate smart spaces for collaborative flexible working withstorage from Silverline and partitioning combined withacoustic solutions from Screen Innovations

in partnership with

Mix-Interiors-DPS_Layout 1 24-Aug-16 155 PM Page 1

6 7

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

KI EuropeLevel 3 New Fetter Place8-10 New Fetter LaneLondon EC4A 1AZE workplacekieuropecomW wwwkieuropecom

During London Design Festival KI will showcase some of the remarkable work coming out of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College Londonrsquos Innovation Design Engineering double masters course

The two winners of this yearrsquos KI Awards Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo and Christina Petersenrsquos lsquoLYSrsquo will be displayed alongside other projects whose innovative ideas and imagination will influence the future of architecture interior design product design and manufacturing to create happier healthier more productive and sustainable spaces in the future

All images courtesy of the students

KI LDF16 How will the innovations of today

shape the workplace of tomorrow

Visit us during LDF1619-23 September 2016 | 0900 - 1730 | kieurope

8 9

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

INDUSTRIALLANDSCAPENo 6 - BRICK

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways tunnels of factories workshops and warehouses The surfaces ndash cracked paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline

The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into dierent expres- sions that reinterpret the rough raw everyday surfaces that define the London landscape

London ndash The Industrial Landscape New carpet collection by Tom Dixon Learn more at egecarpetscom

Mix Interior_07 2016_DPS_Industrial landscapeindd 1 25-07-2016 151625

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

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Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

infoprogressfurnishingcoukLondon 020 7836 3636

HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

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see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

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Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 6: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

6 7

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

KI EuropeLevel 3 New Fetter Place8-10 New Fetter LaneLondon EC4A 1AZE workplacekieuropecomW wwwkieuropecom

During London Design Festival KI will showcase some of the remarkable work coming out of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College Londonrsquos Innovation Design Engineering double masters course

The two winners of this yearrsquos KI Awards Christian Felsnerrsquos lsquoAktorrsquo and Christina Petersenrsquos lsquoLYSrsquo will be displayed alongside other projects whose innovative ideas and imagination will influence the future of architecture interior design product design and manufacturing to create happier healthier more productive and sustainable spaces in the future

All images courtesy of the students

KI LDF16 How will the innovations of today

shape the workplace of tomorrow

Visit us during LDF1619-23 September 2016 | 0900 - 1730 | kieurope

8 9

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

INDUSTRIALLANDSCAPENo 6 - BRICK

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways tunnels of factories workshops and warehouses The surfaces ndash cracked paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline

The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into dierent expres- sions that reinterpret the rough raw everyday surfaces that define the London landscape

London ndash The Industrial Landscape New carpet collection by Tom Dixon Learn more at egecarpetscom

Mix Interior_07 2016_DPS_Industrial landscapeindd 1 25-07-2016 151625

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

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Loola A4 Advert_2016 (Mix Interiors)indd 1 19082016 112922

Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

infoprogressfurnishingcoukLondon 020 7836 3636

HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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ignj

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ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

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Design House Stockholm designjunction

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designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

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IN E

Sa

rtde

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d

esig

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ctio

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

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wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 7: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

8 9

Mix Interiors 160 Mix Interiors 160

INDUSTRIALLANDSCAPENo 6 - BRICK

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways tunnels of factories workshops and warehouses The surfaces ndash cracked paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline

The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into dierent expres- sions that reinterpret the rough raw everyday surfaces that define the London landscape

London ndash The Industrial Landscape New carpet collection by Tom Dixon Learn more at egecarpetscom

Mix Interior_07 2016_DPS_Industrial landscapeindd 1 25-07-2016 151625

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

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Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

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LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

Faberrsquos collection of top-of-the-range gas fires and stoves offers flexible installation and unbeatable performance to create a show-stopping focal point without the need for a chimney

With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

Beautiful fires beautifully made

t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

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LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

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featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 8: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

10

Upfront Upfront

1 SALTWATER BREWERY AND WEBELIEVERSSaltwater Brewery has partnered with advertising

agency WeBelievers to limit waste in our oceans by

creating edible beer six-pack rings made from the bi-

products of the brewing process ndash barley and wheat

This new packaging is biodegradable and can be

broken down as fish and animal feed

Innovations that re-think wasteMore than ever companies are striving to minimise eradicate re-use and recycle waste that once upon a time was destined for landll With this in mind global modular ooring manufacturer and sustainability leader Interface has highlighted seven inspiring innovations of 2016 that re-think waste

2 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Young-A Lee an associate professor of

apparel merchandising and design at

Iowa State University is working on

using the waste from kombucha tea

to create clothes shoes and bags

The tea is created using bacteria

and yeast known as SCOBY and the

discarded remains after brewing

form a bi-product with a similar

consistency to leather ndash the perfect

material for fashion goods The fibre can

also decompose meaning that eventually

these products can be used as nutrients for

plant and soil

4

1

4 FORD AND JOSE CUERVO Harvestable agave plants take between seven and 10 years to

grow before being used to create tequila and then discarded

However the plantrsquos lifespan could go far beyond this Working

together Ford and Jose Cuervo have realised the potential of

using the bi-product formed in the distillation process

Although this is still in its testing phase the bi-

product has the potential to create a bioplastic

used for cup holders fuse boxes and various

parts of a Ford vehicle in the future

3 BYFUSIONByFusion has found a way to repurpose

plastic sent to landfill by developing

RePlast technology which recycles this

waste into durable construction blocks

Needing no glue or adhesives the end

result is colourful building material with 95

lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional

concrete

7

6 WAITROSEWhere packaging is concerned Waitrose is

leading the way with 100 recyclable boxes

for products including its new gluten-free

fusilli pastas The packets are made from 15

recycled food waste meaning the box can

come into direct contact with its contents ndash

eliminating the need for additional wrapping in

the pack

5 3DOM FUEL Based in Fargo North Dakota 3Dom

Fuel specialise in developing 3D printing

filaments ndash a coiled string of material

that is melted for printing ndash from a

range of unusual and unconventional

materials Their lsquowound uprsquo lsquobuzzedrsquo and

lsquoentwinedrsquo ranges use waste produce

from coffee beer and hemp to create

more sustainable filaments for the

industry

7 HOMEBIOGASHomeBiogas tackles the issue of household food waste

by turning leftovers into clean cooking gas without

the need for electricity The system is designed to fit

neatly in a garden making it accessible for all families

and can create three hours of cooking gas per day The

bi-product also works perfectly as plant fertiliser

6

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo ndash yuno retains all the benefits of

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses wiesner-hagercom

ldquoStacking without foldingrdquo

a folding table and avoids its weaknesses

Stacking

withoutfolding

yuno_Mix_UK_05-2016indd 1 180516 0853

wwwinterfacecom

copy Saltwater Brewery We Believers

copy Brady Dyer Photography - Duplico Media Limited

copydonjulio

5

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

salesgodfreysyrettcouk | 0191 268 1010 | GodfreySyrett | Search for us on Instagram LinkedIn and Pinterest

Loola A4 Advert_2016 (Mix Interiors)indd 1 19082016 112922

Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

infoprogressfurnishingcoukLondon 020 7836 3636

HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

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We D

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88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

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Arper 100 Design

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Sagal 100 Design

Fram

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Des

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92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

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featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 9: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

12 13

Upfront

Nulty has recently completed work on

the refurbished London onotces for a

global financial services corporation

Working in collaboration with Perkins +

Will Nulty has created a sophisticated

and tactile lighting design solution

fitting for one of the worldrsquos top

financial companies

The large commercial space set in one

of Londonrsquos busy financial hubs needed

an updated cafeacute and seating area that

would promote and aid communication

and interaction between staff

Working with the engineering of the

building the Nulty team was able to

create different communal pockets

and a continuous flow of movement

throughout the large open-plan area

Upon entering a library space graces

the back wall and provides additional

seating for the nearby coffee bar A

relaxed domestic feel has been created

by using cleverly concealed luminaires

within the ceiling and punctuating

the space with a cluster of hanging

pendants

Integrated luminaires were fitted

within the bespoke bookcasersquos joinery

and provide an interesting focal point

A dropped ceiling that forms the

central point of the space features

a maze of LED luminaries mirroring

and illuminating the furniture layout

below The impressive Nulty solution

works with the exposed surfaces in

the surrounding space creating a raw

industrial feel to the design with linear

pendants suspended between the

ceiling ducts

Sustainability and energy-enotcient

lighting was key to the design

throughout and the team managed to

achieve this with approximately 1185

watts per sq m

BOSS DESIGN DELIVERS A NEW lsquoASPECTrsquo ON OFFICE PODS

Boss Design has widened its UK market-leading

range of onotce pod systems to include a new

and revolutionary model Aspect that will

be on display in the showroom at this yearrsquos

London Design Festival Taking flexibility

and collaboration to new heights this latest

innovation has workplace wellbeing firmly at

the heart of its design

Whether working in solitude focusing on a

concentrated task or working as a small group

Aspect offers the intimacy and privacy that is

vital for todayrsquos modern methods of working

When it comes to meeting spaces for bigger

groups Aspect also delivers As well as offering

a cost-effective and contemporary alternative

to formal meeting rooms and fixed partitioning

it provides the ideal solution for larger modern

onotces and delivers the ultimate in flexibility

Commenting on this latest launch Mark

Barrell Design Director at Boss Design says

At last there is now an onotce pod system with

a real point of difference People are key drivers

behind workplace design today and their

wellbeing is paramount Quite simply when we

feel better we work better We are confident

that Aspect will be a firm favourite with those

specifiers offering a holistic approach to

workplace design

BANKING ON LIGHT

Upfront

1514

Upfront

Add a touch of iconic design with Loola

An award-winning multipurpose chair ideal for cafeacute meeting and touchdown spaces

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Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

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HQ 01634 290 988wwwprogressfurnishingcouk

LOOSE FURNISHING DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS BESPOKE JOINERY

PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

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20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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Page 10: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

1514

Upfront

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Upfront

HEALTHY RESULT FROM ISOMI

The European headquarters of inVentiv Health a global

clinical and commercial professional services company

has been created by architecture practice Arcademy

Design Located in central London the design for the 1700

sq m project creates separate zones for the companyrsquos

different functions and employs a wide range of colours

textures shapes and finishes

When it came to finding the right solution for the

reception area Arcademy turned to Isomi as Director

Peter French explains lsquoThe reception area is paramount

to that first impression and this is where Isomirsquos Blok

reception desk worked superbly well It links beautifully

with the large staff cafeteria design and blends well with

the rich reclaimed wall timbers Out of all the options

we had Isomirsquos solution was a resounding lsquoyesrsquo when we

approached the large decision-making design quorum

within inVentiv Isomi had a focused process from design

to sign off to installation and we look forward to working

with them again in the futurersquo

With a minimal aesthetic the Blok reception desk in solid

surface can be specified for onotce and reception spaces of

all sizes from a selection of modular components which

are installed as one seamless highly finished piece The

Blok desk is also available as part of the Isomi in Metal

collection in hot rolled steel copper and brass

LOCAL TEAM BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BASKERVILLE HOUSE AS SPECULATIVE REFURBS RISE

Overbury and Monteith Scott have announced the completion of

refurbishment work on the lobby area of Grade II listed Baskerville

House in Birmingham The project began in April 2015 and includes

new revolving entrance doors a relocated reception desk to create a

more welcoming approach for visitors and a more discrete dedicated

route for occupiers

Monteith Scott Managing Director Alison Monteith said lsquoKey to

our design at Baskerville House was creating a new space befitting

the modern high quality onotce space throughout the rest of the

building However we were also keen to ensure that the new fit out

complemented the iconic art deco style of the original design Wersquore

confident that the end result has achieved this and wersquore looking

forward to seeing the space in usersquo

Baskerville House is one of a number of Overbury projects in recent

months that have seen the owners of onotce buildings in the West

Midlands undertaking speculative refurbishments

Overburyrsquos Danny Parmar added lsquoIt is well known that existing Grade

A onotce space in Birmingham City Centre is in much demand as no new

buildings will be coming to market for a couple of years As a result

wersquore seeing an increase in landlords speculatively refurbishing their

onotce space to attract new tenantsrsquo

As well as Baskerville House Overburyrsquos Central team is currently

working on onotce refurbishments at The Mailbox for Brockton Capital

IM Properties at No 1 Central Boulevard and last year delivered

similar work at Birmingham Business Park for British Steel Pension

Fund and 1 Trinity Park for Presbyterian Mutual

16 17

Upfront

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PROGRESSW O R K P L A C E S O L U T I O N S

Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

Faberrsquos collection of top-of-the-range gas fires and stoves offers flexible installation and unbeatable performance to create a show-stopping focal point without the need for a chimney

With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

Beautiful fires beautifully made

t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

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Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

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Download your Entry Packs at

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78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

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Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

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Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

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LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

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88 89

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Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

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90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

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Blok

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Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

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Page 11: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

16 17

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Upfront

Honesty is absolutely the best policy in

the early stages of any project especially

if the person giving the brief has a fairly

limited viewpoint of a businessrsquo over-arching

values Whilst a brief may be given by a client

representative who works day inday out

on onotce practicalities like a Studio or FM

Manager or by a client with a more complete

overview such as a developer CEO COO or

MD it could equally easily be communicated by

a Finance Director or HR Manager or the

bossrsquo PA

If the designer senses that the brief-giver

may not know the whole story themselves

and is even ad-libbing to some degree itrsquos

important to dig away gently at what is being

said to ensure as full a picture as possible

emerges It is of course a huge risk to say to

clients that a brief isnrsquot quite good enough

and people skills really have to be to the

fore Designers have to polish their interview

technique and learn to relate to people in the

moment reading the situation as it unveils ndash a

life skill that sometimes gets forgotten in a

work environment

On the design side of the equation there

are often not enough people who know how to

take a brief properly Agencies can be guilty

of sending in staff of too junior a level for this

huge undertaking If you get a junior designer

who doesnrsquot ask the right questions and a

client representative putting up something of a

front the project is in trouble from the outset

Conversely another issue can come from a

client being too design-literate If a client or

brief-giver comes from a design background

there may be a presumption that the answers

are already in hand never mind the questions

At this point a gentle reminder that external

designers are there precisely to bring in an

outsider point of view and wider frame of

reference may be useful

Budgets are always a delicate area and

internal agendas could be preventing clients

from declaring their hand Sometimes therersquos

a fixed budget for example but clients

deliberately donrsquot communicate it at the

briefing stage because they donrsquot want to limit

the design teamrsquos creativity Alternatively the

client may be testing out an idea of a budget

to see how sound it is Another scenario is that

there is very much a maximum budget in place

but the client wants to know if the designers

are going to come in under it

If a design team walks away not knowing

the budget itrsquos hard to know which of these

apply Itrsquos a good idea then for the designers

to try and structure their design in such a

way as to facilitate the prioritising of financial

decisions If everything is broken down into

fine detail and the designers quote a fixed

fee rather than the traditional percentage

everything is clear for everyone and variations

are much easier to check as time goes on

Once all these twists and turns have been

negotiated therersquos a final key stage to go

through namely checking the brief back with

the client Reconfirming shows not only that

the design and client teams have been in the

same room but on the same page This is the

time for the design team to double-check

hunches and nuances in unambiguous black and

white

Once this process is complete agreement

needs to be reached by all parties on how to

quantify the success of the project and set the

parameters for moving forward This set of

criteria could be very particular to each client

organisation Is it increased staff morale for

example or improved brand perception or

increased productivity

Of course no one knows all the answers

at the beginning and there will inevitably be

unseen challenges as the project goes on

Buildings can reveal hidden problems as walls

come down and floors go up especially if the

project entails renovating a property that

hasnrsquot been touched for a long while Itrsquos

always wise to stay open flexible and fleet-

footed ensuring communication channels are

kept clear at all times

wwwaligngbcom

Nigel Tresise is Director and Co-founder of align nigelaligngbcom

Keeping it Brief

In part two of his brilliant insight Nigel Tresise Director and Co-founder at align tells

us more about the importance of a great brief in creating a great workspace

Reconrming shows not only

that the design and client teams have been in the same room but

on the same page SARACEN AND AUDATEX CREATE OPTIMUM USE OF SPACE

Saracen Interiors has designed and delivered a full fit-out for Audatex ndash with specific

focus on welcoming visitors and providing a more agile open-plan work environment

for all employees

Audatex was presented with a Pantone guide to assess which colours it would

rather sit alongside its recognised corporate shade Saracen then picked a vibrant

selection from the clientrsquos choice and presented these colours throughout the onotce

in a random configuration using carefully sourced furniture and fittings to provide a

canvas for the multi-coloured hues

This backdrop of vibrant colour was then complemented by feature walls designed

by Saracen including a map of the world and the outline of a car which is made up of

various car parts

The car theme was continued with docked iPads outside the meeting rooms identifying

each room as an automotive brand and providing an easy reference for schedules of

events and availability

The refurbishment was undertaken in phased stages to ensure the 112-strong Audatex

team were able to continue to operate with a lsquobusiness as usualrsquo approach for its

customers

lsquoAs a dynamic technology company it is vital we remain focused on enabling our teams

to collaborate and innovate and this re-fit recognises that needrsquo explains Nicola

Mascard Operations Director Audatex lsquoSaracen offered us the expertise to create

the highest level of specification for our onotces harnessing the latest technology to

build not only a stimulating and contemporary workplace for employees but a centre

of excellence for customers prospects and partners to benefit fromrsquo

SYNERGY IN ALL THINGS

We are looking forward to catching up with our

friends at Camira in their new Clerkenwell showspace

which is now just a few weeks away from completion

Itrsquos not just the showroom that has kept them busy

however here are some of the fabric leaderrsquos latest

product innovations

Synergy is a new wool blend fabric available in

Camirarsquos largest colourway of 75 intelligent shades

from premium New Zealand wool used in the woollen

spun weft in combination with a fine worsted warp

We are told Synergy offers a smoother finish and is

combined with just 5 polyamide

Individuo a wool-rich fabric with a distinctive tie-dye

effect is available in four contemplative colourways

Its fluid graduated colour appearance is ever-

changing and ensures no two areas of fabric are the

same

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

M A N U F A C T U R E D I N Y O R K S H I R E

see the full range at wwwflexiformcoukferro

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

Faberrsquos collection of top-of-the-range gas fires and stoves offers flexible installation and unbeatable performance to create a show-stopping focal point without the need for a chimney

With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

Beautiful fires beautifully made

t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 12: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

19

Upfront

18

Upfront

The word innovation makes me think

of new stuff physical things that were not

around before like Graphene Segways or the

jet engine but I know Irsquom missing something

I probably need to consider Graphene as a

discovery not really an innovation ndash making

it into a flexible skin for a car would be an

innovation And maybe the jet engine was

what we would call an invention and the jet

aeroplane would qualify as its innovative

application

On the other hand I have missed intangible

innovations The World Wide Web must surely

qualify and that is certainly intangible and

then what about new ways of doing things are

they innovations Of course they are

The Fosbury Flop was a new way of getting

over a high jump bar and just in time delivery

was an innovation to reduce stock and improve

cash flow We can call these behavioural

innovations

So now I can see two areas of innovation

Technological things both physical and virtual

like carbon fibre bike frames or systems like

the internet and organisational ones like

Kaizen (continuous improvement) or just in time

delivery

In business as well as training people to

be more effective we change the way we do

things simply to embrace new technology Do

we innovate to exploit newly available systems

or do they exploit us

I suspect that sometimes we do things

simply because we can rather than because

we have figured out what is needed to make a

positive difference

And because of that sometimes a

business innovation can have unanticipated

consequences which work against the big

picture

In the wider world we can easily find

examples we all recognise The mobile phone

for all its benefits reduces pedestrians to

sentient tranotc cones in the street They

create annoyance in the railway carriage and

near violence when they ring in the theatre

auditorium The supermarket which was a

retail innovation which revolutionised shopping

habits over a 50-year span much like online

shopping is doing now has hollowed out town

centres and created tranotc problems that

legislation is now trying to reverse

In the workplace we have created new ways

of doing things too These new behaviours

have every right to be called innovations and

they ride on the back of technology and this

technology is frequently the internet or one

of its spin-offs Being always on and infinitely

connected provides amazing potential but we

can use this potential without always thinking

about its value

Teleconferencing allows teams from

different countries and time zones to

collaborate but when that means long calls

inevitably at unsocial hours with the reduced

bandwidth of even the best electronic

connection you can wonder why you didnrsquot find

people nearby to work with that you know and

trust Personal contact is hard to beat

Email is everyonersquos blessing and is the

standard channel for business communication

everywhere Ten years ago when I asked an IT

department for their biggest single workplace

problem I expected them to complain about

the noise disruption they were certainly

subjected to We ran two workshops which

came up with the same unexpected issue

excessive emails or lsquoemail blizzardsrsquo as they

called it lsquoSort thatrsquo they begged and they

would double their productivity and be much

happier into the bargain lsquoForget the noisy

neighbours wersquove got headphonesrsquo

Flexible working that well-worn

catchphrase basically means the ability to

work anywhere and any place A common

outcome is a radical reduction in the number of

workstations and a plethora of other settings

mainly for collaboration This is certainly

regarded as an organisational innovation and

is fine if it works but it is not unheard of for

this to offend peoplersquos idea of what their onotce

should be If you make people feel unwanted or

not valued you run a risk of losing more than

you gain in cost reduction

Just because you can doesnrsquot mean you

have to If you can reduce your real estate by

10 and exploit Wi-Fi so people can give up

their desks assess the change in productivity

before you do it If it is negative think again

Most times the plus side cannot be easily

estimated so it loses out to the demonstrable

fact of cash saved by space reduction

Innovative products like the ones in this

magazine will have plenty going for them Apply

them all but use them to make people happy

and more productive and see if they change

peoplersquos behaviour for better or worse

Steve Gale is Head of Business Intelligence at M Moser Associates SteveGmmosercom

Forward Thinking

e mobile phone for all its benets reduces pedestrians to sentient trac cones in

the street

Innovation - I suspect that sometimes we do things simply because we can

M Mosers Steve Gale

introducing ferro raw furniture with textured laminate tops amp a clear lacquered finish

BY FLEXIFORM BUSINESS FURNITURE

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20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

Faberrsquos collection of top-of-the-range gas fires and stoves offers flexible installation and unbeatable performance to create a show-stopping focal point without the need for a chimney

With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

Beautiful fires beautifully made

t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

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Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

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Design House Stockholm designjunction

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We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

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LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

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IN E

Sa

rtde

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esig

njun

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

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Bor

is K

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esig

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We D

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88 89

Preview

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

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Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

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Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

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0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 13: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

20 21

Upfront Upfront

mix magazine 3indd 1 20072016 1634

Material MattersIn this monthrsquos Material Matters the team at Material Lab shine the spotlight on up-and-coming product designers and graduates along with the latest on-trend

developments in surface solutions wwwmaterial-labcouk

District adds to Johnson Tilesrsquo new interchangeable line-up One of the newest additions to Johnson Tilesrsquo Absolute

Collection District is one of three new interchangeable ranges

created by the manufacturerrsquos in-house design team to provide

a complete solution for architects and designers Soft shades

of graduated grey and subtle surface effects are enhanced

by the sleek simplicity of its design and its five sizes With an

inclusive Mosaics option and a choice of Grip or Natural finish

for maximum versatility District offers seamless installations

and infinite design opportunities when paired with the new

Palladium or Baseline range within the Absolute collection

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Grace Gallagherrsquos designs are true to formLondon-based designer and RCA textiles student Grace

Gallagher is focused on showing us the beauty of the ordinary

through pattern texture and shape All of her handmade

pieces for surfaces and interiors are created using a mixture

of traditional and contemporary techniques with a focus on the

rawness and irregularity of the chosen material and a preoccupation

with materiality and process Her work includes lsquoSundialrsquo ndash prints

and furniture inspired by the astronomical instruments at the Jantar

Mantar park in Jaipur India and Barbican ndash a pattern inspired by the

powerful architecture of the Barbican building

wwwgracegallaghercouk

Granorte brings a new dimension to 3-D surfacesPortugal-based Granortersquos newest

collection of cork tiles create absorbing

and unique 3-D surfaces Cork

Collection_03 draws inspiration

from traditional Portuguese

tiles and retro wood panelling

to cast striking rhythmic

pattern across the wall

Delivering endless creative

possibilities Collection_03

provides exceptional texture

and tactility combined with

corkrsquos natural acoustic and

thermal properties

wwwgranortept

Izzy Webbrsquos Colour Conversion rolls out a new use for carpet waste

One of Absolut UKrsquos Top Ten

Emerging Designers for 2016

Izzy Webb is hoping to reduce

the 400000 tonnes of

carpet waste that enters

UK landfill every year with

her Colour Conversion

project Her innovative use

of unwanted and excess

carpet repurposes the

materials through hand-

dye techniques embroidery

tufting and sheering techniques

creating completely new coloured

surface products for walls and floors

wwwisabelwebbtumblrcom

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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ignj

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ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

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We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

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LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

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rtde

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esig

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

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esig

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ctio

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We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

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10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 14: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

22

Upfront

Desert Island Desks is months castaway is David J Holt

Director at seventyfour architects

2 THE LEUKU KNIFE A quality knife would be essential and with presumably an

abundance of quality fresh produce literally on my new

doorstep Irsquoll be doing a lot of cooking This knife from

Leuku is designed to serve as a hatchet a butchers knife

and a machete just in case I need to get my inner Gordon

Ramsay on with any unfriendly critters

2

3

3 CAMPING CHAIR I love furniture and have thought

long and hard about which design

classic Irsquod take with me to relax

in ndash but when it comes to outdoor

time therersquos only one So sorry

Arne but I love my camping chair

It has a brilliant design that

makes it cartable and even has a

handy drinks holder to save you

pouring your drink all over yourself

when you fall asleep Like most

things I like the humble camping

chair epitomises good design and

simplicity

1 AJOTO PEN I like to draw and being one of those organised sods

I also like to write lists and my brass pen by Ajoto

( A-journey-to) is the perfect drawing tool It was

designed by a friend of mine who set out to create

a beautiful pen something ordinary but elevate it

to become luxurious without it feeling too special to

use The pen is very minimal but has real attention

to detail in itrsquos craftsmanship Being brass the pen

gets better with age like all good things

5 CAOL ILA So another day in paradise is drawing to a close the fire is lit and

Irsquom sitting in my camping chair Apart from having my family with

me at this point Irsquod love a good whisky and for me this is it This

distillery in Isla has produced a highly crafted single malt since

1846 which in my humble opinion has an intriguing smoky taste

It is perfectly suited to a bit of reflection whilst looking at the

stars with the sound of the sea for company ndash until the revellers

arrive that is

Tel 01925 850500Email infosixteen3coukWeb wwwsixteen3couk

London ShowroomThe Gallery 21-22 Great Sutton St EC1V 0DYManufactureShowroomChesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ

4 SONOS I love music but canrsquot play an instrument and think Irsquod go mad

without anything to listen to So if the dessert island had

electricity this is what Irsquod take as it has a very neat design great

sound and is easy to transport I guess Irsquod need my iPhone as

well Maybe if I started a party more people would comehellip

5

4

2524

wwwjohnson-tilescom

Sawn a stylish collection of woodgrain eect tiles Use on their own combine dierent sizes or introduce mosaics to create something truly unique

SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

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Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

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Fram

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Des

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92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

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Manchester HOME Manchester

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Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

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94 95

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 15: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

2524

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SpotlightInnovationContents

26

The Big Question

28

Tomorrows already here

30

Smoke amp Mirrors -

Alison Montieth

31

Virtual Reality -

James Barry

32

Thinking Ahead -

Sam Sahni amp AWA Unicef

34

Cognitive Fitness -

Andrew Mawson

37

Acoustics - Rosalind

Lambert-Porter

38

The Future of work amp the

impact of technology -

Aki Stamatis

40

Striving for genuine

Innovation -

Miriam Turner

42

Products

48

Future Studies -

Phillip Ross

54

Innovation Round Table -

Hansgrohe

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

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Hyd

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on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

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ial

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st +

Hyd

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on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

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in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

Faberrsquos collection of top-of-the-range gas fires and stoves offers flexible installation and unbeatable performance to create a show-stopping focal point without the need for a chimney

With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

Beautiful fires beautifully made

t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

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LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

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LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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Estu

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ignj

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

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LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

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We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

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We D

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88 89

Preview

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

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Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

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10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 16: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

26 27

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight

The Big uestionWhatrsquos your favourite innovation ndash work or home

Jonathan Hinton Ultrafabrics e iPhone It may be quite obvious but without doubt I would say my iPhone has enabled me to work more eciently and run my whole life wherever I am and whenever I need to It is my email my phone my diary my camera my news source my music my entertainment and probably most sadly my whole life in one small black box

Leanne Wookey No Chintz Airbnb is innovation now lets me and millions of others enjoy a more unique travel experience To meet new people who allow you a glimpse into their world their space and take sanctuary For me it appeals to everything I love adventure travel culture interiors as well as being really inquisitive It also gives you the ability to live and experience a country like never before is year I got to stay in an air-stream looking over Malibu beach By far my favourite innovation

Pernille Staord Resonate Interiors

I LOVE MY NESPRESSO MACHINE Beautiful coee in every cup with a huge variety of avours and a sleek machine to make it e innovation in the capsules I think is a very clever every detail has been thought through Loyal customer ndash one at home and one in the oce

Andi eokle Scott Brownrigg

My favourite innovation in the eokle household is my lovely Vinturi aerator is fantastic little gadget has transformed my life in allowing me to transition from being an interior designer to being an interior designer and a mummy I can now have a beautifully decanted glass of wine that has the correct amount of air in it to allow the bouquet and enhanced avours be delivered to my palette after my little girl has gone to sleep Now I donrsquot have to nish the bottle like I used to before ndash because it would be a travesty to waste it

T H E F U R N I T U R E S P E C I A L I S T S

e mattumbrellafurniturecomw wwwumbrellafurniturecomt 020 3119 3130

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Umbrella editorial banner Mix Interiors July 2016pdf 1 25072016 135124

Jason Turner HLW

Work ndash Electronic sit-stand desks in our oce- interesting to watch who chooses when to stand and when to sitHome ndash e ability to choose what TV I watch when and where I want to watch it I can even record stu remotely via my mobile However my 5 and 8 year-old now mostly use the TV as 24hr animated wallpaper whilst I moan at them about Lego colouring-in books board games etc

Catherine Counsell Camira

Any innovation which enhances wellness and wellbeing in our time-starved world really interests me is might be the use of augmented reality to help people overcome phobias or allow virtual lsquogetawaysrsquo the use of SMART technologies embedded within fabrics to measure the biometrics of the user or even Camirarsquos woolbast bre fabric blends which remove impurities from the surrounding environment and oer inherent improved ammability performance

trineticcom

TrineticAdvertisingFinalAWMIXindd 5 03062016 1324

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

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Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

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LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

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PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

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Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

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Change your environment in minutes

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01604 674674OceeDesign

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

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Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

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CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

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14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

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94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 17: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

28 29

Spotlight SpotlightSpotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

28 29

MONITORING STAFF Movement is nothing new (thinking clocking-in machines) but Hitachirsquos Business Microscope goes 12 steps further It looks like an ID badge but through its sensors will give details of where a person has been who they have been with and how long they have been with said person

FLOORING Our illustration shows a rather smart carpet from Desso As most will know this joint innovation with Philips allows the Carpet Controller to change images using super thin LED panels within the light transmitting carpets As technology costs fall we expect this type of product to be specied more and more allowing an innite number of lighting options

SIT STAND DESKS Not particularly innovative we hear you say Already a standard in workplaces throughout Scandinavia well have to see whether legislation or cost benet analysis will convince UK business leaders

PRIVACY SMART GLASS e use of a tiny electrical current passed through the glass will turn it from opaque to clear in an instant or the other way around Expect to see much more of this in workplaces in the future

CHARGEABLE SURFACES Whilst wireless charging devices are increasingly common there are still issues ndash not least of all the relative eectiveness compared to just plugging it in Leaving the phone alone and untethered may not be an issue in the oce but security is still a perceived problem at being said expect to see charging devices in many pieces of relevant oce furniture

Our Spotlight feature taps into the great subject of innovation explained by some notable opinion-formers from over the world of commercial interiors which will hopefully give you some food for thought

As a precursor letrsquos put some context into the innovation in the oce discussion e key objective for the vast majority of UK businesses is to achieve the most from their assets In short that sta are producing as eciently as possible Needless to say any amount of innovation is worthless if the management

and behaviour becomes the forgotten cousin Also any amount of super kit will not achieve the productivity objective if sta spend time on Facebook oce gossip and personal emails e great news for designers is that one design does not t all e focus must be on the current and likely future ways the workforce uses its time providing exibility if and when the company objectives shift

Our illustration shows just some of the innovations in the commercial oce world of 2016

Tomorrows already here

PAPER THIN SCREENS For those that remember the rst Apple computers and televisions that took a minute to warm up one thing is clear screens have got thinner Not surprisingly the next generation of screens will take thin to the next level ndash paper thin to be precise Without wires stands and supports

LIGHTSA new breed of LED panel luminaires from innovators like SORAA and orn Lighting feature upward curves that blend elegant design with excellent glare reduction

GREEN Everyone has got the message that having planting in the oce is a good thing e logical progression is that plants along with other biophilic elements will be widely adopted and overtime be clearly shown to improve productivity ndash even to the doubters

LOCKERS Like Lucozade metamorphosised from medicinal to sport drink lockers have had a rebirth Increasingly distributed workforces inevitably mean valuable space not being used Lockers are becoming ever more popular with or without a hot desking policy providing space security and a little bit of homeleisure

ACOUSTIC BRICKSSound absorbing materials literally line every furniture manufacturers soft seating catalogue e use of moveable acoustic walls lightweight bricks on simple metal bases takes the idea of noise reduction further We think Fabricks look great and according to Ocee the creator of this delight achieves amazing results

ROBOTIC CONFERENCE Videoconference has had a chequered history at best e use of an iPad connected to a mobile unit such as Double may just be the answer to the ongoing issues of talking to and seeing people who arenrsquot in the same room

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

Faberrsquos collection of top-of-the-range gas fires and stoves offers flexible installation and unbeatable performance to create a show-stopping focal point without the need for a chimney

With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

Beautiful fires beautifully made

t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

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Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

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Bor

is K

ilmek

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esig

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We D

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88 89

Preview

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

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B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

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3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

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Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Des

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92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

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Page 18: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

30

Spotlight - Innovation

Smoke Mirrors

Technology is changing the way people work ndash we all know that in fact that statement

itself is somewhat obvious writes Monteith Scottrsquos Alison Monteith

In 2015 the UK hit a record number of new tech start-ups but itrsquos important to remember

that not every business is a Google Whilst

technology is advancing on a daily basis most

businesses still function in a 20th century

world

This begs the question how do you marry

technological advances with Stone Age human

physiology

Googlersquos oce environment clearly works

for them but not everyone is a Google and

businesses need to realise this Although having

bean bags and chill-out pods at work might

seem like a lsquocoolrsquo idea they can be inappropriate

for the majority of people and tasks that need

an ergonomic solution

Whilst technology is integral to how

business performs we need to remain sceptical

of it Why Many tasks performed in a business

simply donrsquot require advanced technology to

get the job done Take your average accounts

or HR department whilst both departments

are integral to the running of many businesses

their needs are simple ndash an ergonomic chair a

desk and a computer

When we talk about agile working

environments and collaborative spaces it

may not apply to a significant percentage of

the workforce Thatrsquos not to say these options

should not be explored and where appropriate

implemented in fact we recommend many of

them for the majority of our clients Itrsquos just that

you have to be mindful that in one organisation

there will be a multitude of different needs and

a multitude of potential solutions

The desire for a lsquocoolrsquo and lsquofunkyrsquo oce space

frequently comes from the perceived need to

attract and please Millennials and despite

this fact many tasks remain the same Non-

Millennial if you like There is growing pressure

on businesses to attract the best talent to stay

ahead of competitors but these efforts can be

superficial

As workstations decrease in size our oce

footprint is reducing and personal space is

being infringed upon Employers need to give

something back to their workforce and the use

of technology may help them do this ndash but the

question is how

Often resistant to moving around

employees need to be encouraged to do so

One simple way to do this is to restrict printer

locations an unexpected by-product is its

impact on conversations and communication

not to mention an easy way to burn off that

custard cream How long do we think it will be

before more progressive employers start to use

wearable technology to monitor their staffrsquos

movement and therefore wellbeing or do we

think thatrsquos a step too far

But before the big changes are considered

businesses should first look at the fundamental

challenges they face

Technology is all well and good but human

nature still has to be contended with ndash and

all it takes is for one person not to adopt your

changes for the whole system to come crashing

down

Itrsquos important to remember that work is an

activity not a place Some jobs may be able to be

completed in a coffee shop or indeed on a bean

bag but the reality is that itrsquos not for everyone

and itrsquos not for every task

Clients often come to us with what they

think are creative ideas for no other reason

than they think the final result will look lsquocoolrsquo

We strip this down and go right back to basics

looking at what employees need and want in

order to complete their job

Irsquom not against technology of course I

just believe that it is a tool nothing more It

is the people within the business who deliver

the results and if we donrsquot look after them

businesses will fail

Alison Monteith is the Managing Director at Monteith Scott

FurniPlus provides smart ergonomic office furniture and accessories As manufacturers we can offer a flexible working solution to suit any budget ensuring every client can benefit

Our range ensures a perfect balance of high quality high specification products and prices you might be surprised by

Call us for a brochure or more information on becoming a FurniPlus dealer and if you havenrsquot already

Join the

SIT-STAND Revolutionemail salesfurnipluseu

tel 08450 944 339web wwwfurnipluseu

VIRTUAL REALIT Y

WHAT IS VR Immersive artist and entrepreneur Chris Milk once said lsquoTalking about virtual reality is like dancing about architecturersquo says Area Sqs James Barry Itrsquos a difficult thing to explain because itrsquos something you have to feel your way through When I first experienced VR in Venice last year it felthelliplike real life I felt present in the environment my headset had conjured Virtual reality then can be described as an illusion By using visualisation technology we can create realities outside of our own and essentially lsquosendrsquo people wherever we choose

TALK US THROUGH VRrsquoS JOURNEY Stereoscopic lenses emerged in the 1950s but the desire to simulate realities started long before that In the 1600s Luca Giordano was painting battlefields on 12x2m canvasses Looking up at these grand scale paintings you feel immersed in the environments Whether they knew it or not artists like Giordano were creating stereoscopic images So VR as a concept has been around for a long time but the technology has of course evolved

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT ROLE IS VR CURRENTLY PLAYING Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily rely on onersquos ability to breathe life into blueprints floor plans and design specs However most people find it hard to visualise how a space will actually look when all they can do is glance at plans etched onto paper or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said for inviting people to experience a building before itrsquos even been built Such technology can allow a client to grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHAT POSITIVE IMPACT HAS IT HAD From Area Sqrsquos point of view wersquove had a

100 win ratio when wersquove used VR as part of our pitches Thatrsquos not to say the technology was

the only reason we secured the business but it certainly helped our designers communicate the

ideas behind the project proposals

IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHAT

Pitching design and architecture projects used to heavily

or projected onto a screen Yes itrsquos the designerrsquos job to communicate the vision but therersquos something to be said

grasp a concept when words and images only go so far

WHERE IS VR GOING Wersquove only just begun to skim the surface of virtual

reality and the associated benefits it can bring to the business world Wersquore currently at the same point with visualisation technology as we were when the first mobile phone came out in 1973

Imagine the possibilities over the next four decades Mark Zuckerberg has recently bought Oculus

VR Considering that one of the worldrsquos leading entrepreneurs is prepared to invest in this kind

of technology itrsquos safe to say the journey is well underwayhellipbut this tech is on an open endless road

and there are plenty more turns ahead

HOW IS VR TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Architects and designers have already begun to explore the

possibilities and it wonrsquot be long before everyone will be using this technology Itrsquoll improve the ways and means of showcasing a design concept VR will make things easier

better and more exciting for everyone

WITH THE IMPACT OF VR HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY ORGANISATIONS

ARE APPROACHING DESIGN AND FITOUT PROJECTS

As a commercial office design and fit-out specialist we use visualisation technology to offer our clients a glimpse of

the future theyrsquore investing in This technology allows you to move away from lsquoan idea of how itrsquoll lookrsquo to lsquoexactly how

itrsquoll lookrsquo VR tech can be used to explore various home and office environments at the design stage By using this tech

a future occupier can in theory step into their new office or home and have a play around with the furniture and even the artwork VR allows people to interact with a space see how design decisions impact the environment and become

more engaged with the process

Spotlight - Innovation

31

VR QampA By James Barry Area Sq

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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With modular outdoor and centrepiece gas fires to suit every project Faber fires have been installed in many of Europersquos leading hospitality and leisure venues

Find out more at wwwfaberfireplacescouk or call 0800 028 6122

FABMI0916

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t 0800 028 6122 e pre-salesgdcgroupcouk w wwwfaberfireplacescouk

Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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its carbon footprint

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which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 19: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

32 33

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Technological advancements understanding workforce eciency and changes to UK employment law have resulted in a fundamental shift in how employees engage with their workplace we hear from Sam Sahni Head of Workplace Consulting at Morgan Lovell and get sneak preview into some initiave research from AWA

Our occupancy research shows that on average desks have an

average utilisation of 54 Of this only 39 of the time is active use

while the remaining percentage shows what we call lsquosigns of lifersquo the

monitor is on a jacket is over the chair but no one is actively occupying

the space This internal mobility means that almost half of all desks in a

workplace are wasted space

In response to this change a number of organisations are now

focusing on empowering their employees with a complete suite of

resources wherever their work takes them This allows staff to work

easily and enotciently anywhere in the workspace ndash and good connectivity

across the workplace is vital to achieving this However as with all

major changes to how our onotces operate itrsquos important to spend time

understanding which connectivity solutions work best Equally outside

of the workplace therersquos a high demand for connectivity especially when

employees are on the go For example at Morgan Lovell employees are

tethering their laptops to their work iPhones or iPads and using the 4G

network while on the move

More businesses today are actually tailoring their technological

solutions to address the bespoke needs of their staff The technology

provided to employees must be adaptable to personal preference An

organisationrsquos solution can no longer be isolated from its employeersquos

work style use of onotce space geographical location type of device or

the access method While organisations and the workforce are advancing

beyond traditional boundaries between space and work the provision of

technology in workplaces today must make a similar transition

As we look to the future we expect to see the development of

an entirely wireless onotce space as well as a greater interest in the

lsquochoose your own devicersquo (CYOD) trend CYOD has become more popular

and this is often due to the fact that the technology we have at home

is typically much better than standard-issue company devices or Wi-Fi

infrastructure Itrsquos more about creating an environment that supports

choice and allows people to work however they want to Businesses aim

to deliver comfortable environments and generally speaking people

work better or are more productive using devices they know or want

to use

Key onotce design elements will also play their part with acoustics

or lighting being reconfigured to better suit technological needs ndash and

itrsquos important that we take note of these changes as a means of future-

proofing our buildings Ultimately to enable your workplace to be

adaptable to technology it has to become less intrinsically linked to the

physical environment and instead become more flexible

In order to provide optimal support to employees every part of the

business from IT to HR must be more joined up so that businesses can

create solutions which have the inherent flexibility to support employee

productivity wherever whenever and however it is needed

Technology is there to support and enable not to anchor and dictate

Environments today need to have almost organic adaptability so that as

the trends change your infrastructure is in place to cope Designing a one

size fits all solution for your workplace and technology needs is not the

answer but at the same time its also not realistic to tailor everything to

individual needs Engaging with employees to learn about the many facets

of their working lives allows designers to put together a standard kit

of parts with various configuration possibilities This approach results

in spaces that feel personal and those that encourage empowerment

engagement and ownership while having a prolonged positive impact on

wellbeing and the productivity of those who occupy them

It is clear that many factors affect the eciency of the typical oce

workforce Anecdotally we know that drinking enough (water) is a good

thing ndash but how much and what is the result

We were fortunate enough to be aware of some work carried out by

the workplace change management consultancy Advanced Workplace

Associates (AWA) Along with research partner MyCognition AWA

worked with Unicef UK on a research pilot that sought to understand how

much impact certain factors have on cognitive performance ndash and what it

takes to encourage people to adopt new beneficial habits

Whilst AWA are keen to point out that their research was based on a

small sample and much more research is needed we think it is worth a

mention within this Innovation feature

Prior to working with Unicef significant work was carried out in to

previous research asking the question lsquoWhat is known from the scientific

literature about the factors that impact cognitive performancersquo AWA

plans to run a second trial to test the initial findings with a larger

population and illustrate how workplace professionals can impact on

peoplersquos health and performance through these simple practices

A total of 13 Unicef UK employees participated in a two-month trial that

involved practical interventions coupled with cognitive assessments of

five key domains memory speed and accuracy decision making planning

and attention Having reviewed the impact of breakfast hydration sleep

and exercise on the brainrsquos performance the first phase of this ground-

breaking trial has confirmed that these factors do influence cognition

There are many variables involved in cognition and this research

provides some valuable understanding of the benefits that developing

new habits can deliver to cognitive fitness Here are the results A

Breakfast trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete a baseline

questionnaire prior to the first briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to pay attention to their

breakfast practices and to make changes if they

wished to (based on the information they had been

provided regarding benefits of eating a healthy

breakfast)

bull A MyCQ (cognitive assessment tool) assessment

was taken at the end of the trial period

Hydration trial

bull Volunteers were asked to complete an assessment

and questionnaire about hydration prior to the

briefing session

bull Volunteers were asked to continue with their

breakfast practices and to pay attention to

hydration and to make changes if they wished to

(based on the information they had been provided

regarding benefits of drinking more than they

would usually)

bull An assessment was taken at the end of the

trial period

Attention (concentration) the ability

to focus onersquos perception on target

visual or auditory stimuli and filter out

unwanted distractions

Processing speed (speed amp accuracy)

Working Memory (calculating and

problem solving) is the system

responsible for the transient holding and

processing of new and already-stored

information and is an important process

for reasoning comprehension learning

and memory updating

Episodic Memory (memory) the ability to

encode store and recall information In

most studies memory is further divided

into recognition recall verbal visual

episodic and working memory Each type

of memory has specific tasks associated

with that memory function

Executive functioning (planning and

strategy) the ability to strategically plan

onersquos actions abstraction and cognitive

flexibility ndash the ability to change

strategy as needed

CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE BREAKFAST AND HYDRATION TRIAL

IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURED DURING TRIALS

Thinking Ahead

1

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep +

Exe

rcis

e tr

ial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on +

Sle

ep t

rial

Bre

akfa

st +

Hyd

rati

on t

rial

Bre

akfa

st t

rial

1

6

7

age

impr

ovem

ent

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al (c

umul

ativ

e)

age

incr

ease

in c

ogni

tive

per

form

ance

fol

low

ing

each

tri

al

Breakfast trial Breakfast + Hydration Trial

Attention Processing speed

Working Memory

Episodic Memory

Executive functioning

Overall cognition

20

15

10

5

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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Estu

dio

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ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

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Arper 100 Design

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Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 20: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

Spotlight - Innovation

COGNITIVEFITNESS

e majority of our creative readers will be fully aware that their role is not just about beautiful and practical design Convincing the client about the less obvious benets to the bottom line is now a key part of the designers required pitch Whether seen as innovative or not in 2016 the following factors massively impact on cognitive performance and are a useful reminder about getting the most from the workforce

Caffeine amp glucose drinksProvide good quality ndash but encourage moderation in caeine and high energy drinks

Breakfast nutrition breaksIf possible provide breakfast options with somewhere for people to gather socially ndash perhaps a more domestic setting for breakfast

HydrationEnsure good access to quality water and supplies of fruit Encourage hydration breaks

Noise speech distractions task interruptionsProvide dierent spaces along a noise gradient so people can nd the best locations for them enable people to be mobile to take advantage of these develop noise and interruption protocols within teams

SleepIf they need it do educate people about the importance of sleep Whilst not something that culturally will work in many oces you might want to consider nap areas

Cognitive stimulation mindfulnessProvide areas that will make the tackling of new tasks and projects a joy connecting people in a safe and comfortable environment

Exercise physical activityCreate a culture of exercise ndash and this usually needs to come from the top Do you think the sta of the property giant JLL would have such a keen interest in triathlons without the complete support of boss Guy Grainger Design should encourage promote movement during the day ndash think use of stairs walk to printers etc

Lighting temperature scentConsider dierent lighting designs for dierent tasks providing people options for optimum conditions As remarked upon at a recent Mix Roundtable Men are hot and women are cold Whatever the case the challenge is get the temperature right throughout and keep everyone happy

1

5

6

7

8

2

333

4

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Spotlight - Innovation

34

Thanks to Andrew Mawson Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

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Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

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the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

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which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 21: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

36 37

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

MConnectStreamline Your Space

Introducing the Ergonomic Docking Stationwwwhumanscalecommconnect

For the past 10 to 15 years our

understanding of acoustics in oces has

progressed in leaps and bounds While many

of us intuitively know that noise in open plan

oces is often a problem there is now a large

body of research to show that not only does a

poor acoustic environment affect onersquos ability

to carry out a task eciently it also affects

productivity in general The sense of comfort

and wellbeing within the workspace is also

impacted by an acoustically uncomfortable

environment contributing in a large part to

what ergonomists describe as presenteeism

Contrary to what many believe people are

able to work effectively in both quiet and noisy

environments For example most of us at some

point have had to work in an aeroplane or in a

noisy cafeacute and can do so relatively easily But

what is it about the open plan oce that causes

us so much distraction when noise levels are

comparatively low This question has been

investigated again and again and one factor

stands out as the main cause of distraction

ndash speech intelligibility We are able to work

in a space where speech is audible however

the clearer and more intelligible the speech

becomes the less able we are to ignore it and

focus on our work This knowledge has changed

the way we design good acoustics in a space

and the focus has shifted from lowering noise

levels to reducing speech intelligibility

This new understanding of our biggest

distractor has led to the development of the

relatively recently adopted standard ndash BS EN

ISO 3382-3 ndash which enables us to quantify

the acoustics in an oce in relation to speech

intelligibility and distraction By testing an

open plan oce to this standard the number of

people distracted by one speaker in the oce

can be established as well as the level of speech

at certain distances and the general rate at

which loudness decreases as sound travels

across the oce This powerful method of

accurately assessing the quality of the acoustic

environment has resulted in the development

of better more effective products that are

designed for purpose

Armed with this new insight into oce

acoustics many designers have started to

introduce the type of oce furniture that

will assist in reducing speech intelligibility

with distance Because of this typical oce

furniture products such as screens and booths

are increasingly being developed in such a way

as to make them perform well in the speech

frequency range

Of course the way these products are used

is just as important as the performance of the

products themselves and it is not unusual to see

clients spend large sums on acoustic products

only to use them to solve a problem that the

products are not designed for In some cases

the installation of the incorrect product can

make the acoustic environment worse

With new acoustic products being developed

all the time it is important that the performance

and appropriate use of these products be made

clear to clients

A common misconception is that a product

is acoustically effective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric A more prevalent belief is

that the quieter the oce environment the

better Both of these are oversimplifications

and lead clients to make incorrect choices

in selecting a solution While no formal test

standard exists to enable the user to compare

for instance one high-backed sofa with

another there is a need for more data on how

that product behaves in a real oce and a

greater degree of transparency regarding

what a client can expect from a product

Perhaps if such a standard is developed

solving acoustic problems will become less of a

dark art enabling oce-dwellers to design an

environment that works for them

Rosalind Lambert-Porter MSc MIOA MIED MInstSCE Independent consultant advising Ocee Design

Leading acoustics consultant Rosalind Lambert-Porter tells us that we

shouldnt make workplaces feel like libraries ndash it might not be noise levels

driving you to distraction

A common misconception is that a product is acoustically eective simply because it is

wrapped in fabric

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

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LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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Estu

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ro

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ignj

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ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

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Change your environment in minutes

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London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

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3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 22: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

38 39

Spotlight - Innovation

Design a space that supports employeesThe general consensus among the roundtable delegates was

that it is essential to understand how a business functions

before designing a space that can support employees The 10

industry experts agreed that an organisation must first conduct

research about the workforce including how people use the

space depending on their various activity portfolios Itrsquos then a

case of being playful with a space and creating different zones

that support a variety of individuals all undertaking an array

of tasks

Encourage collaborationA key requirement of tomorrowrsquos workforce regardless of

how the world of work is changing is the opportunity for

collaboration From the roundtablersquos collective experience

workers want a place to share learning knowledge and ideas

Organisations therefore need to review how technology and

flexible working impacts such collaborative pursuits

Create a sense of communityStriving for a sense of community can foster that all-important

need for collaboration that in turn can boost productivity

This can be achieved through implementing a working model

and designing a space that naturally brings people together

Creating a community at work also feeds into the overall culture

of a business A set of clear and undisputed values underpins

any given culture and to drive it forward itrsquos important to make

employees feel like they lsquobelongrsquo

THE FUTURE OF WORK amp THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY

Earlier this year Area Sq part of Fourfront Group and GCS Recruitment Specialists got together with 10 business leaders at the Kyocera HQ to discuss the future of work and the impact that technology continues to have on our sector

Aki Stamatis Chairman of Fourfront Group summarises the key ndings

吀栀攀 ǻ爀猀琀 一漀爀琀栀攀爀渀 猀栀漀眀挀愀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀攀爀礀 戀攀猀琀 唀䬀 䌀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀䘀甀爀渀椀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 䘀甀爀渀椀猀栀椀渀最猀

BCFAOPENWWWBCFAOPENCOM

26th amp 27th October 2016Bridgewater Hall Manchester

Facilitate the demands of the modern day workforce From the roundtablersquos collective experience workers want

and need the latest technology This is particularly true of the

younger generation ndash the Gen Zeds ndash now entering employment

for the first time Organisations also need to understand that

the modern day worker expects a combination of the latest most

effective tech in addition to an element of flexibility Embracing

such offerings can help to both attract and retain talent

Theres no place like home In order to tap into the potential of a workforce business

leaders need to make people feel lsquoat homersquo and relaxed A

flexible work environment tends to mean the people working

are happier and more engaged ndash and this is what essentially

improves productivity Aside from the location proximity to

local transport links and onsite facilities such as showers and

breakaway areas the panel were united in thinking that adopting

a flexible approach to work in addition to bringing domestic

elements into the workspace is key to attracting talent and to

improving output

Recognise the attitudinal shift The concept of a lsquowork life balancersquo has been replaced by the

idea of a lsquowork life blendrsquo and the roundtable delegates believe

technology has played a fundamental role in this attitudinal

shift Organisations need to recognise that the line between

the personal and professional worlds is blurry it is therefore

necessary to offer flexibility in return for the constant and

unwavering connection to work demands The onus needs to be

placed on establishing a working model and a workspace that

encourages a healthy work life blend

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

Discover now at designermodulyssscom

modulyssreg designer

Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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ignj

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

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Design House Stockholm designjunction

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Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

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LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

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rtde

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esig

njun

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

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Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

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nnel

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ilmek

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Change your environment in minutes

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

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Sagal 100 Design

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Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

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Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

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CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 23: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

40 41

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

More information wwwmodulysscom I 0800 096 2702

styles in carpet tiles

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Make floor design easy with modulyssreg designer an online tool that creates customisable floor layouts and calculates quantities in five easy steps

From marketing to manufacturing

companies are using the term innovation

to encompass anything from new ways of

working to different techniques and alternate

approaches However ultimately itrsquos about

thinking differently

For manufacturing architecture and design

businesses to stand out they are striving

to be as genuinely innovative as possible ndash

this means focusing on radical change and

transformative thinking With sustainable

practice climbing the business agenda itrsquos

vital that the industry as a whole takes a step

back to rethink any negative impact of existing

products and processes on the supply chain

the market and ultimately our planet

For Interface genuine innovation includes

spearheading sustainable ways of working

This doesnrsquot just mean changing the way we

do things but dramatically rethinking ideas

so our practices evolve to surpass original

expectations This involves having the freedom

to challenge long held perceptions and

break traditions that are held as the norm

When it comes to sustainability by looking

at completely new ways of working with a

restorative vision in mind major breakthroughs

can be made

However this cannot be achieved by any one

company in isolation When implementing an

idea ndash no matter how far-fetched ndash sourcing

support from like-minded partners and peers

can make it much more effective

Genuine innovation can have significant

impact on a companyrsquos bottom line ndash it brings

both opportunities and risk ndash and therefore it

can be a daunting and intimidating proposition

for anyone involved However by working

together businesses up and down the supply

chain can pool resources share vital insight

and varied expertise to address a wide range

of manufacturing and supply chain challenges

with minimised risk

These collaborations can come in the form

of research bodies and partner organisations

or forward-thinking companies that share

the same common goal whatever that may

be Sometimes unlikely partnerships can be

the most effective when finding revolutionary

solutions that can transform the way materials

are produced and consumed

Through partnership here at Interface

wersquove been able to achieve not only a series of

firsts but breakthrough developments for the

whole supply chain

PVB (poly-vinyl-butyral) for example is

a laminate material found in car windscreen

glass that prevents it from shattering and is

a common waste element from the automotive

industry Shark Solutions is a company that

specialises in recycling the product and

worked with us to look into the potential use

for the flooring industry

This has resulted in the development of a

solution that extracts PVB from glass refines

it into dispersion and can act as a precoat

to fix yarn to the backing compound when

manufacturing Interface flooring

This innovative thinking means a shortened

supply chain by eliminating the need to source

virgin latex for the companyrsquos operation In

addition waste to landfill has been minimised

for the automotive sector ndash an achievement for

both industries

So how do we bring back focus within

the industry towards genuine innovation

The answer is to look at how new ideas and

creations affect the broader industry rather

than a single business

It requires thinking beyond isolated roles

and instead needs to look at how an idea or

invention can shape the future for all For

example how or where the next generation of

manufacturers will source raw materials or

how designers can re-use waste in unusual and

inspiring ways

By understanding the wider impact we

can collaborate to share othersrsquo knowledge

and experience and push the boundaries even

further to make radical change

The end result is real innovation that can

transform and revolutionise the existing

industrial landscape and will help us on our

journey to achieving a common goal for all ndash a

more sustainable future

Miriam Turner Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability at Interface

Striving For Genuine Innovation

e answer is to look at

how new ideas and creations aect the broader industry

rather than a single business

Miriam Turner is Assistant Vice President Open Innovation and Product Sustainability

at Interface Miriam is responsible for brokering relationships with external

organisations and networks to develop and successfully commercialise innovative

sustainable products and services

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

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Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 24: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

42 43

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Innovation can be defined as a new idea device

or method Taking this concept to the workplace

Knightsbridge has approached its furniture design

with a new method creating pieces that feel

remarkably reminiscent of the home environment

to help encourage social interaction between

colleagues and heighten productivity and wellbeing

of employees

Alfie designed by award-winning British designer

Sean Dare is inspired by the 1960rsquos film of the

same name Its masculine finish and angular lines

makes for the perfect standalone feature for any

workspace Exuding style with a structured wooden

frame and soft textured upholstery this chair offers

comfort and class making it an innovative piece for a

breakout space or open-plan onotce

AS LITTLE AS FIVE

YEARS AGO FEW PEOPLE

WOULD HAVE DISCUSSED

INNOVATIONS SUCH

AS DRONES WEARABLE

TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE 3D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

AGILE ROBOTS SMART

WIND AND SOLAR POWER

TAKE A LOOK AT THE BBC

NEWS WEBSITE TODAY

AND THEY WILL ALL BE

FEATURED THE PACE

OF TECHNOLOGICAL

DEVELOPMENT IN THE

LAST 20 YEARS HAS

BEEN SIGNIFICANT

BUT EXPEDIENTIAL

INNOVATION GROWTH IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS MIGHT

JUST BLOW OUR MINDS

UNBELIEVABLY

PREDICATIONS FOR

2025 INCLUDE THE

END OF PETROLEUM-

BASED PACKAGING

SOLAR POWER TO BE

THE NUMBER ONE

SOURCE OF THE WORLDrsquoS

ENERGY ACCEPTANCE OF

GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS REGULAR DNA

TESTING FOR CHILDREN

TO PINPOINT FUTURE

DISEASES THE WORLD

OF OFFICE INTERIORS

IS AWASH WITH

INNOVATION

TO CONTINUE THE

THEME OF INNOVATION

WE HAVE COLLECTED

A DELIGHTFUL GROUP

OF PRODUCTS AND

PROCESSES THAT HAVE

INNOVATION IN THEIR

VERY DNA

TREAD LIGHT

Desso and Philips ndash partners in

carpets and lighting respectively ndash

have developed the pioneering and

patented Luminous Carpets Think

moving images the latest news

broadcast on the floor personal

greetings for important guests ndash all

changeable at the click of a button

Luminous Carpets also allows

businesses to display videos

infographics and logos underfoot It

can be used to share and celebrate an

occasion or simply inform visitors of

the current waiting time

On a functional level it can provide

directional information and highlight

emergency exists The solution is

designed for high tranotc areas and

comes in different colours shapes and

sizes

WHATrsquoS IT ALL ABOUT ALFIE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

QB OFFICE FULL RIGHT HAND PAGE MIX_SEPTpdf 1 29072016 1033

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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dio

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ro

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ignj

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ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

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refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

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ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 25: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

44 45

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Discover a world of unique and creative floor designs

Moduleo Moods is a wealth of possibilities you can use to transform commercial and leisure spaces with maximum creative freedom With a set of 10 innovative and creative new flooring formats all compatible with each other it provides a choice of 15 laying patterns and over 110 design combinations

The formats are available in a selection of 14 stunning stone and wood styles from our popular Impress and Transform ranges Using them as building blocks you can mix and match different tones and textures to create a unique harmonious flooring solution for every space

Scan the QR code to visit the amazing Moods room visualiser

Itrsquos the perfect way to bring your ideas to life

moduleocoukmoods

Scan the QR code to play it your way

playityourway

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Continually evolving onotce environments demand a flexible

approach to lighting but one that until recently has been dinotcult

to achieve

Designers would want to adjust the CRI (Colour Render Index)

and light distribution for example and have to change the

luminaires in given areas to achieve the desired effect

Now the introduction of enotcient and cost-effective lenses for

LEDs means that an onotce lighting environment can be changed

easily and swiftly to meet new needs that present themselves as

businesses change

For example Verbatim has developed new lenses that shift

the CRI from 85-90+ while SORAArsquos SNAP lens range provides

control over beam angle colour and other parameters with no

negative effect on energy enotciency

The ability to change lenses with minimum fuss also means that

onotce environments can maximise the energy savings from fitted

LED luminaires over their very long working life while having

complete control

FAB FOUR

Ocee Design believes in constant innovation lsquoEven with a

great product we always keep searching for improvementsrsquo

To prove the point the new FourregCastrsquo2 chair collection

embodies the same features of the original FourregCast

design including the ergonomic V-shaped back and flexible

shell but the new construction method streamlines

production improves recycling and creates a stronger chair

FourregCastrsquo2 also has sleeker contours thanks to the new

construction The development of a structurally stronger and

even more durable frame removes the need for a crossbar

so now the design is even cleaner Ingeniously designed to

be constructed with fewer parts and no screw fixings the

construction creates a stronger lighter chair and makes end

of life recycling easier and more effective

INNOVATION TAKEN TO TASK

Trinetic by Boss

Design is a brand

new task chair that

incorporates a brand

new type of movement

It creates a superior

and completely natural

user experience and its

design is set to change

the face of the task

chair market

Boss Design conducted

two years of intensive

market research in

which the concepts

of how onotce chairs

should move and what

they should offer

users were completely

deconstructed

The outcome was to completely overturn the marketrsquos fixation

with developing task chairs of greater complexity and with

increased functionality and ranges of adjustability

Trinetic provides revolutionary dynamic support through fluid

movement and does not require any user adjustment multiple

components complex assembly or even training

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

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Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

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Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

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We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

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LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

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IN E

Sa

rtde

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esig

njun

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

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desi

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is K

ilmek

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esig

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We D

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88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

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Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

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3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

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Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Arper 100 Design

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10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 26: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

46 47

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - InnovationSpotlight - Innovation

Showroom_Broad Yard Turnmill Street Clerkenwell EC1M 5RR

frovicouk

Furniture for social spaces Block Wood

_Table and poseur available at varying lengths

_Handcrafted solid oak from sustainable sources

_Optional power and data ports - integrated and invisible

BUILDING FABRICKS

Fabricks is so simple and yet so clever ndash just

like good design should be

As you can see from the illustration on pages

2829 we like this so much we thought

wersquod give it a little more coverage Fabricks

transforms open plan spaces into separate

areas in moments fulfilling the need for

modularity with effective simplicity An

acoustic wall that is flexible quick to install

and easy to reconfigure Fabricks has been

rated Class A for sound absorption and sound

attenuation tested to ISO 10053 and BS EN

ISO 3542003 The lightweight bricks simply

slide onto aluminium posts and the interlocking

lsquohouse brickrsquo style creates a strong wall Power

is hidden through the extruded posts The

brick colour options even allow you to create

pictures logos or messages to suit your brand

You can create a meeting room in 15 minutes

while nothing is permanent if you donrsquot want it

to be

BeCode Public is a new highly innovative

locking system A green flashing light on the

BeCode MiniPad keyless lock indicates a free

locker using a mobile phone simply scan

the QR code on the lock After registering

(just once) you are immediately connected

to arrange payment and receive the access

code Fast and easy payment is made via

PayPal or credit card with billing calculated

by the minute You can even receive a text to

remind you that your rental time is running

out With BeCodersquos TANmode software

the lockers and locks are operated offline

so they are protected against online

manipulation

PANEL SHOW

The focus on wellbeing of employees and growing awareness

of Sick Building Syndrome has sparked a wave of innovation in

lighting Mark Sait CEO SaveMoneyCutCarboncom tells us

Itrsquos now pretty much universally accepted that getting the

lighting right is essential for any healthy onotce environment

Physical and psychological wellbeing is inextricably linked to

lighting conditions

Quality of light its effect on shades and colours and the need to

avoid glare are front-of-mind when planning or refitting onotce

space along with energy enotciency

In response to the growing need to combat glare and provide

excellent quality light we are seeing a move away from the

standard LED panel to a new form of LED panel luminaires that

combine elegant design with innovation to reduce glare and

provide human-centric lighting in onotces

These panels from innovators like SORAA and Thorn Lighting

feature graceful upward curves that minimise glare especially

in large open plan onotces while helping to reshape the onotce

aesthetics

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 27: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

48 49

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

When we rst looked at pulling together a major Spotlight on Innovation our thought quickly moved towards technology

Now who could we talk to about the technology of tomorrow and how it is likely to impact on the workplace of the future

ere was always going to be one man for the job

FUTURE STUDIES

Philip Ross is the leading consultant commentator and writer on emerging technology and its impact on work the workplace and peoplersquos lives

He has worked with organisations such as Ernst amp Young Allen amp Overy McKinsey amp Co Cushman amp Wakeeld and Royal Bank of Scotland on future concepts and opportunities for innovation

Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including the Wall Street Journal Europe CEO Forum on Converging Technologies altoce in the USA and CoreNetrsquos Global Summits in Beijing and Melbourne

In 1994 he wrote and published e Cordless Oce Report and in 1996 launched his incredibly successful business Unwired He has written three books on the

future of work and workplace e Creative Oce e 21st Century Oce and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) and has contributed to a number of books including the Responsible Workplace and the Corporate Fool Today Philip is CEO of UnGroup comprising Unwired Ventures and UnWorkcom as well as chairman of Cordless Consultants and a founder of Building Zones and Building Sustainability

lsquoOur mission is for Ungroup to be thought leaders in the impact of new technology on the behaviour of people and their use of buildingsrsquo Philip explains lsquoWe set out to predict trends and shape the future through innovative and inspirational research analysis and forecasting A Interiors photography courtesy of the Onotce Group

Hen

ry W

ood

Hou

se

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

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Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

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the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 28: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

50 51

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

Phot

ogra

phy

Oliv

er P

erro

tt

A-FRAME BENCH

wwwjennifernewmancom

N E W S H O W R O O M8 CLERKENWELL GREENL O N D O N E C 1 R 0 D E

are really cool little sensors ndash the ones we are using are powered by ambient light ndash and they pump out a Bluetooth signal that works with your device So people like the banks in Australia are now using this to let people into the building rather than giving them a silly little security card

lsquoOnce yoursquove put on the Bluetooth to get into the building it triggers the link to the iBeacons ndash and the vision is that you have an iBeacon in every building and space and rather than having to look to nd out where yoursquore going you pull out your phone and it already knows where you are and where you are going

lsquoSimilarly if I want to nd someone I can see exactly where they are e key here is that it starts to mine knowledge ndash what you read what you write about whatA

lsquoWe aim to communicate succinctly and clearly avoiding jargon so that people in non-IT roles can gain an understanding of how technology can enable or achieve innovation in their worksphere

rough consultancy and advice presentations and thinktanks as well as publications and training we seek to inform educate inspire and present visions of the future

lsquoOur events bring the best minds together around the globe to envision the future We now run WORKTECH events in Amsterdam Auckland London Manchester Melbourne New York San Francisco Shanghai and Singaporersquo

In fact wersquore lucky to catch Philip who as you might have already guessed does more than his fair share of travelling In fact at the time of our meeting hersquos preparing for a well-earned break from the 21st century world he spends the majority of his days discussing by trekking the Inca Trail

Right now however we couldnrsquot be much further removed from the Machu Picchu and the trail as we sit in a smart meeting room at the Oce Grouprsquos fantastic facility in e Shard looking out across London and beyond

lsquoWersquore just putting some iBeacons in this weekrsquo Philip grins with his mind clearly still in the 21st century lsquo eyrsquove been shipped to us by MIT and wersquore hoping to become the rst in the country to link iBeacons to Amazonrsquos Alexa ndash so you can talk in a room like this and ask which rooms are free on the third oor for example or ask where Mick is and it will answer you straight backrsquo

It is this type of research and implementation that has put Philip and the team at the very forefront of workplace innovation right across the world We ask about him to tell us a couple of examples of the global trends and the continual innovations hersquos seen on his various travels lsquoI think therersquos been elements of people taking a leap forward in dierent markets for dierent reasons which is quite interestingrsquo he reveals lsquoIn Australia for example they are starting to use technology in a very advanced way Westpacrsquos new headquarters building in Sydney has some of the most advanced workplace Apps ndash where you canrsquot just nd a person you can even nd a capability So in a building of 5000 people if I need to talk to an expert in a particular eld this App will let me know whorsquos available to talk to about this

lsquoFor the rst time wersquore now seeing real time real estate So the building for the rst time has got the infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think Itrsquos about connecting the unconnected Wersquove all got devices on us but theyrsquore not connected to anything ndash the building doesnrsquot know who we are it hasnrsquot engaged with us ere could be a guy stood just outside in the hallway who happens to be a designer yoursquod love to meet ndash but yoursquove got know idea who he is ere is no reason why we couldnrsquot have a real time social network here Itrsquos really close is is engineering serendipity ndash or accelerating serendipity is is the next paradigm shift

lsquoiBeacons work on Bluetooth low energy ese

So the building for the rst time has got the

infrastructure from the technology to know whatrsquos going on inside it ndash this is the next big turning point I think

Whitechapel

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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S E L E C T I O N S

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

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wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 29: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

52

Spotlight - Innovation Spotlight - Innovation

[w] wwwprotocolukcom [e] salesprotocolukcom [t] 0208 591 6770

amp yoursquore working on ndash and thatrsquos the real secret So all these people are on a system through an App

lsquoFacebook has launched its own iBeacon that allows small business like retailers to connect with their customers in real time inside a shop or other environments as part of the Facebook platform is lsquolocation layerrsquo in a building is having a real impact in retail and my gut feeling is that it will also make a huge breakthrough in the workplace

lsquoWersquore getting used to the idea of location aware Apps and experiences is technology is now taking that forwards and because we are getting used to this I believe itrsquos going to take o in the oce environment

lsquoWersquore building Apps for a couple of our big workplace projects right now and theyrsquore asking for two things ndash whorsquos nearby and whorsquos nearby that you might know It might be someone who started at the same time as you ndash this makes so much sense

lsquo erersquos always negative reaction to this kind of innovation ndash but the benets are huge and if you donrsquot want to be disturbed you can either ag that up or even turn your Bluetooth o But the idea that there might be someone really interesting to you in the next room is incredibly exciting

lsquo ere is a whole new culture in workplaces now ndash wersquove gone from blue collar to white collar to bare collar is can massively impact on the way in which the next generation works communicates and interacts To make all this work you have to build innovation into the physical space

lsquoWhat this all means is that the oce starts to become much more of a business driver rather than just an overhead You can start to really manage the space e people who do manage buildings will be able to understand and become involved in all this interaction and productivity ndash not just policing an oce It becomes a much nicer role for themrsquo

is is the true innovation we were after Does it

mean that wersquore never going to get that oce robot we always hoped for Maybe not lsquo erersquos a really interesting new development from a company called Double Technologyrsquo Philip tells us lsquoIf you take a look at a typical meeting room you still have a widescreen TV hung on the wall and a landline phone on the table that is hardly ever used What this company has done is to take something that looks like a Segway with a pole out of the top of it and an iPad If you are in a typical video conference conguration everyone in the meeting room is staring at a screen up on the wall and nobody is able to have eye contact with one another e idea of Double Technology is that you put the person you are video conferencing on the iPad at the same height as the rest of you and you wheel them up to the table You have a virtual person in the room Irsquove used it and itrsquos brilliant Itrsquos much more human ironically

lsquoIrsquom a big fan of technology becoming much more human and challenged in terms of how they are used in a space Too much of this stu simply isnrsquot challenged You need to push boundaries ndash the technology and innovation is certainly therersquo

is month Philip ndash along with the international workplace design expert Jeremy Myerson ndash will launch the WORKTECH Academy

Building on the success of the WORKTECH conference series it will create a global knowledge community linked to the WORKTECH conference series oering its members a wide range of top-level editorial content on the future of work and workplace plus opportunities for learning networking and peer recognition WORKTECH Academyrsquos six content streams are People Culture Technology Architecture and Design Space and Innovation Curators writers and workplace experts around the world have been recruited through the WORKTECH conference network to develop high-level content For more information go to wwwworktechacademycom

53

The

Sta

nley

Bui

ldin

g

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

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Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

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the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

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Page 30: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

54 55

Spotlight - Innovation

THE ROUND TABLE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MATTHEW KOBYLAR

ARNEY FENDER KASALIDIS

PINO CATALANO

MORGAN LOVELL

KRISTIAN PIOLET

HANSGROHE

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHY

WORKPLACE FABRIC

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOS

GREENLAND HOLDING GROUP

STEVE GALE

M MOSER

MOBINA NOURI

STUDIO INTEGRATE

MARK RUSSELL

HANSGROHE

lsquoInnovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organisationrsquo someone far smarter than ourselves once proclaimed Of course it is No one has ever written a brief ndash whether for product design interior design or architecture ndash which specifies that there must be little to no innovation

THE INNOVATION GAME

Itrsquos easy to focus purely on technology

when talking about innovation but it goes

much further than that of course Wersquove pulled

together an expert panel to discuss how our

places of work rest and play are changing and

what innovations we are now seeing start to

emerge

Wersquove gathered at Hansgrohersquos impressive

Water Studio in Clerkenwell where we begin by

discussing exactly the word innovation itself

Throughout the industry it has become woefully

overused ndash and often misused we contend

PINO CATALANOItrsquos certainly a buzzword in the workplace

Whether it actually holds any weight anymore

ndash Irsquom not so sure When a client gives us a brief

they will always ask for a modern workspace or

an innovative workspace and I donrsquot really think

they know what theyrsquore asking for Theyrsquore

often just throwing those words out there We

still have to go in there and fish for that brief ndash

discover what they really mean

STEVE GALEWhat is the opposite of innovative

MARK RUSSELLMaybe itrsquos continuity That can also be

attractive to clients Some of the most

successful companies we deal with really

look for continuity and consistency as well as

innovation ndash itrsquos the Ying and the Yang

BRUNO ALMEDIDA SANTOSI think another word wersquore now getting bored of

hearing ndash especially from agents ndash is lsquouniquersquo

Itrsquos being used to death Itrsquos interesting what

was being said about clients not knowing what

theyrsquore asking for ndash but I think that is now

changing Some companies will play it safe

while other developers will look to be more

innovative I think the key to being innovative

or unique is to understand the value of design

Being a designer working on the client side itrsquos

really hard to justify this to agents ndash who now

have extreme power in the market In my view

they shouldnrsquot have this power Someone once

told me lsquoIf an agent tells you to go right go

leftrsquo They will never tell you what is innovative

ndash theyrsquoll tell you whatrsquos safe for them to sell

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYItrsquos incredibly dinotcult to get a new concept

adopted in the market Whatever is innovative

is not fully tested ndash which means it may go

wrong How many people are willing to take

that risk There are things that have happened

over time that have slowly evolved and we now

look back and think lsquoYes that was innovationrsquo

Flexible workspaces are a good example ndash it has

taken 10 years for them to evolve This is a true

innovation that not everybody has adopted yet

So there are innovations but they take a long

time and many of them wonrsquot stick

STEVE GALEI totally agree I think innovation in the

workplace is really weird I was working in

this business 25 years ago and I left it and

then came back ndash and it doesnrsquot seem as if A

Itrsquos incredibly dicult to

get a new concept adopted in the market Whatever is innovative is not fully tested ndash which means it

may go wrong

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 31: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

56 57

Spotlight - Innovation

Different environments

affect peoplersquos emotions and some emotions affect cre-ativity ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

anythingrsquos changed if Irsquom honest I can pick

up on a few little things but globally it hasnrsquot

moved much ndash itrsquos glacial I wonder why there is

that much inertia in a market that claims to be

hungry for innovation I donrsquot think it is really

Itrsquos not in the product so much but if you went

to sleep and woke up 10 years later not a lot

has changed in workplace design Irsquom happy for

people to challenge that ndash itrsquos just my opinion

Clients often say lsquoWe want our people to be

innovative ndash what can you do as a designer to

promote thatrsquo Irsquom thinking right yoursquore in

insurance and want to be innovative ndash what

does that look like

MARK RUSSELLAs a manufacturer we do hear people say is

this proven Is it tested I think one of the

things that levels that is the amount of time

a companyrsquos been in business ndash a companyrsquos

proven track record A lot of the schemes we

are now involved with are quite legislation-

driven As much as wersquod like to be more creative

actually you can have the most innovative

product but it simply isnrsquot compliant That can

be a frustration

MOBINA NOURINot every innovative idea needs to be creative

and vice versa Irsquove studied how the workspace

affects peoplersquos creativity and productivity

through their emotions for five years now and

found some really interesting results It is

really dinotcult to assess peoplersquos creativity ndash

but there are some theories out there We used

design tasks for example to assess creativity

We looked at usefulness and originality We can

say that an idea is creative or is useful ndash but

is it innovative I think this depends on the

context on the timing ndash it is relative You can

bring something to the market that is really

useful really functional but that does not

mean that it is original

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYIf an idea is useful then people will adopt it

far more quickly ndash and often almost before

we know it you have an innovative approach

to something Just look at Bring Your Own

Device ndash is it an innovation Probably not ndash

but the fact is that it happened before anyone

could say that it shouldnrsquot happen and before

you know it corporates were rushing around

trying to put their own Bring Your Own Device

strategies in place People were bringing their

own devices in anyway Innovation happens ndash

and it happens because it is useful for people

STEVE GALEThatrsquos a really interesting example and going

back to what Mobina was saying the innovation

here is a behavioural one ndash it is not to do with

the invention or development of a product This

is about new ways of doing stuff rather than

new kit

MOBINA NOURIWe look at how people feel in the workplace

environment ndash we assess peoplersquos emotions

in different spaces and different settings

Different environments affect peoplersquos

emotions and some emotions affect creativity

ndash anger can be good for creativity for example

That is quite an extreme example But we did

find that it very much depends upon the task

So the environment should adapt to the task

PINO CATALANOThis is probably where the true innovation in the

workplace lies ndash in the understanding of activity

based working Thatrsquos where when clients give

us a brief they are starting to become a little

bit more educated in how their teams work and

how they collaborate and integrate with one

another ndash and this is where they are starting

to bring in different furniture pieces that can

help with this activity based working The true

innovation here is the knowledge I think

MATTHEW KOBYLARCertainly for some organisations activity

based work settings might not be seen as

particularly innovative ndash as someone said a

little earlier some of this stuff has been around

for 10 years Innovation can mean very different

things to different people Two different

companies can have completely different

cultures and completely different DNA There

are some places that you walk into and theyrsquove

never seen this kind of thing ndash theyrsquore a group

of people in petri dish who have never seen

outside of their own walls We worked with a

company in Toronto who still had Action Onotce

18m high partitions around everyonersquos cubicles

ndash I said lsquoYou have to preserve this onotce ndash seal

this onotce off for 20 years and it will be like

a museum piece of how onotces were in the

1970rsquosrsquo When we talked about people using

smartphones and laptops their jaws dropped

I thought lsquoThis is innovative to yoursquo I think the

perception of innovation is in the eye of the

beholder

RAJ KRISHNAMURTHYI think when you give something to people

who are ready for change rather than forcing

something upon people changes the results

yoursquoll get dramatically In one particular case

for us we used a very disruptive way of using

workspace when two major businesses came

together as part of a merger ndash and when we

put this disruptive technology in this new onotce

it was adopted really quickly because one half

thought this was how the other half were

already working and vice versa So it worked ndash

but the key thing was that they were ready for

this and keen to adopt it l

CONCLUSION

We certainly couldnrsquot have summed things up any better than Matthew and Raj have Innovation is in the eye of the beholder ndash and doesnrsquot necessarily belong to the

technology companies and leading manufacturers To be sure (or as sure as you can be) of success behaviour

and culture must first change

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

Milliken-Mix_Aug_16indd 1 27072016 1803

It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

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100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

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ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

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IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 32: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

58 59

Case StudyCase Study - Ogilvy

SEA CHANGE

However today wersquore visiting a project that is as big as it is impressive full of

innovation and interest The new landmark

headquarters for Ogilvy Group UK has been

designed in a collaborative venture between

BDG and Matheson Whiteley to deliver a truly

unique response to the client brief

The end result is a fresh vision for

workplace architecture of the future The

20000 sq m workplace located within Sea

Containers occupies a prominent location

on the river Thames between the iconic Tate

Modern and the Oxo Tower

Armed with future-proof technologies

the workplace delivers a cultural shift for the

1700 Ogilvy staff and 700 people working

for WPP sister company MEC who are

co-located within the building To create a

dramatic flexible working space to encourage

collaboration between different parts of the

organisation

The building itself is complex presenting

significant space-planning challenges The

result ndash a successful collaboration between

landlord client design team contractor

and other consultants ndash is an inspirational

workplace that makes maximum use of

Londonrsquos best views while providing the

perfect environment to support Ogilvyrsquos future

growth and success

The space is arranged around a series of

structural interventions within the existing

building These have been smartly organised

to create vistas platforms and connections

between different groups and departments

while providing alternative places to work

Nearly half the usable floor area is given over

to shared space and facilities supporting

work that is increasingly informal flexible and

connected

By concentrating workspace on the lower

parts of the building the upper two floors are

dedicated to shared and hospitality functions

including a cafebar bistro private dining A

Whilst walking through many a new workplace project we often think to ourselves that our greatest challenge is going to be how we do real justice to the scheme in what is a relatively short number of words And size really doesnrsquot matter with the smallest of projects also bringing innovation and interest

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

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It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

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featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

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worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

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Page 33: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

60 61

Case Study Case Study - Ogilvy

T +44 (0)1942 612777wwwmillikencarpetcom

ARTISTIC LIBERTIESStylised interpretation historically clashes with artistic liberties Traditional references lead to twisted timelines Spray-can embroidery stitches together ornate compositions with post punk influences Timely or timeless traditional designs are reinterpreted and colour clashes reinvented to change opinion ARTISTIC LIBERTIESmdasha new collection of five modular carpet designs all featuring Comfort Plusreg cushion backing and ECONYL 100 regenerated fibre

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It was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really benecial It enabled us to build a tight relationship

with the contractor and oversee all aspects of construction

200-person double-height amphitheater and

spectacular new roof terrace

Such is the scale and complexity of this

project wersquore more than slightly relieved that

BDGrsquos Toby Neilson is on hand (we lsquoknocked onrsquo

for him from BDG HQ next door) to guide us

lsquoOgilvy was previously based in Canary

Wharf and also had an onotce in Paddingtonrsquo

Toby tells us as we walk across to Sea

Containersrsquo main entrance lsquoIt was time

to make a move both geographically and

culturally and they looked at a few different

places and this one came to the top of the pile

about three or four years ago

lsquoThis building had been developed as a

fairly typical Cat A fit-out designed to be let

out to a number of tenants Ogilvy and WPP

then came along and said that theyrsquod take the

whole lot By the time we came on board they

had started the Cat A fit-out fortunately we

were able to stop that on some floors and

implement our own designs although the

ground floor had already been developed

Floors 1 and 2 were just shell and core the

middle floors were Cat A ndash and the top floors

were shell and core Ideally we would have like

all floors shell and core

lsquoIt was great that we were on the doorstep

as it were ndash it was really beneficial It

enabled us to build a tight relationship with

the contractor and oversee all aspects of

constructionrsquo

Toby tells us that the complexity of the

space here is heightened by the Mondrian

hotel ndash which has a large number of floors in

the middle of the building on certain floors

Furthermore radical remodelling was required

to the middle zone floors 6 to 11 to alleviate

the effects of low ceiling heights and deep

floorplates In the final design Ogilvy took the

uppermost three floors in this block (levels

9 10 and 11) while WPP sister company MEC

occupies the lower three floors (6 7 and 8)

BDG and MW appreciated that cutting

large openings into the concrete floor slabs

within this middle zone of floors would

open up spaces and alleviate the oppressive

atmosphere created by the low ceilings Ogilvy

agreed and fortunately could see past the

slight loss in floor area that would lead to the

environmental benefits of quality space and

daylight

These openings would also create much-

needed new opportunities for vertical

circulation within this dynamic building A

critical initiative was to divide the three storey

zone from floors 9 to 11 into three distinct

vertical lsquostacksrsquo each occupying one-third of

the width of the building known as the west

central and east stacks This created a grid of

nine spaces creating a series of manageable

lsquohumanisedrsquo volumes of space A

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

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areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

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the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

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which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

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energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 34: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

62

Case Study bespokeSTAIRS amp BALUSTRADES

wwwcanaleucom

British engineered bespoke staircases balustrades and architectural metalwork for commercial and residential buildingsInstalled throughout the UK amp abroad

100DESIGN

upstairsE259

Case Study - Ogilvy

Two types of new connections between

floors were conceived ndash lsquofastrsquo connections

are simple staircases aimed at providing rapid

access while lsquoslowrsquo connections meander

between floors encouraging interaction and

chance encounters

Toby and the team then treated the

workplace in terms of city planning with

a collection of neighbourhoods connected

by common spaces Each self-contained

neighbourhood contains an Ogilvy Group

company while the common areas support

flexible working collaboration and circulation

Inspired by ideas of landscape and urban

design the central stack here is a series

of gently cascading terraces suspended

platforms and wide stairways creating an

lsquoundulating landscapersquo that connects floors

while creating a lsquocollaborative nucleusrsquo for

the building This also creates a series of long

diagonal vistas through the building and over

the Thames while generating double and

triple-height volumes completely obviating

any sense of claustrophobia that may have

been caused by the low ceiling heights The

long views through the space were also

about encouraging people to adapt to flexible

working by making the facilities highly visible

lsquoThe top two floors have this full height

glazing and great views over the Cityrsquo Toby

points out lsquoand rather than give that over to

the executives (as the developer envisaged)

this is now a shared cafeacute restaurant and

conference space ndash facilities that everyone

can use

lsquoThere are no private onotces throughout

Toby points out They did want space for as

many different settings so whatever your

preference you can find a work setting to suit

you and what you are doing Ogilvy is made up

of approximately 15 different brands and each

of those brands has its own separate area

Each floor also has what we call a lsquograb and

gorsquo coffee barrsquo

Although industrial finishes and exposed

ceilings run throughout the majority of the

floors here there are subtle differences in

each lsquoneighbourhoodrsquo lsquoThere is a slightly

different feel between the brandsrsquo Toby

confirms lsquoEach department was allowed to

choose their own furniture and there is also

a difference between how each of the brands

work and how much noise they make ndash real

cultural differences Of course we were on

hand to advise in keeping with their individual

budgets and their choices

lsquoThe space is completely flexible in nature

It started off being more fixed but as people

became more comfortable with the idea the

agility went up Again this is slightly different

for each brand who have their own separate

requirements In terms of flexibility itrsquos about

13 throughout Some of the workspaces might

look quite densely occupied but then there

are others which are quite lsquoslackrsquo so there is

actually plenty of space for future expansion

The shared spaces are also designed so that

they can provide extra workspace if neededrsquo

The entire central stack of space on

these three floors is designated as shared

space lsquocommon areasrsquo acting as the lsquoslowrsquo

connections between floors as well as

supporting various flexible working activities

ranging from solo touchdown spaces to large

meeting rooms

The East and West stacks provide the

self-contained workspaces for the different

brands with their own lsquofront doorsrsquo buffered

by the central stack lsquoFastrsquo connections within

these east and west stacks allow rapid access

between floors and the possibility for an Ogilvy

Group brand with greater spatial requirements

to occupy more than one floor with its own

internal vertical connections This created a

large variety of different spaces which helped

determine which company went where

These lsquofastrsquo stairs were fabricated on-site

from steel plates in a variety of configurations

to add variety and character to the spaces

including spiral and scissor stairs Timber

treads provide a warm and natural feel

The overall result was the ability to create

a large variety of spaces available for the

different Ogilvy Group companies which vary

significantly in size and activity all connected

by a central shared zone

A special mention must go to the amazing

Acrylicize artworks we find throughout the

building ndash we particularly like Soundskate

which is an amazing noise-activated display

formed from skateboard wheels We also really

liked the elevated fully glazed meeting room

towards the top of the building which feels

very Bond baddie ndash in a good way

World-class catering and hospitality

facilities aimed at competing with Londonrsquos

top bars and restaurants are another

standout feature of the project Restaurant

bar and events operator Green amp Fortune was

commissioned to operate all facilities within

the Ogilvy workplace delivering a multitude of

different food and beverage offers throughout

the building

The ground floor lobby features the Green

amp Fortune cafeacute with homemade fresh produce

At sky terrace level there are a number of

options The Sunset Bar serves as the main

employee dining area evening bar and terrace

and the elegant lsquoCucumberrsquo which offers a

more formal experience with full waiter service

with a private dining room and two 12-seat

terraces overlooking the river It is a perfect

setting for client dining and is every bit as

impressive as the leading restaurants here on

the South Bank

We finish with a drink on the terrace

overlooking the river Brilliant ndash both outside

and in

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

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ro

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ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

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has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

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the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

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shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

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Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

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Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

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featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 35: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

64 65

EssentialsLead Architect

BDG architecture +

design

Project Manager amp Cost Consultant

Bollingbrook

Main Contractor

Structure Tone

MampE Consultants

Arup

Cost Consultant

MampE Quantem

Lighting

FUTURE Designs

Catering

Green amp Fortune

Branding and art installations Acrylicize

Consultant Architect Matheson Whiteley

Exterior feature lighting

Jason Bruges Studio

Furniture

Abstracta Alias Aliki

Arflex Arper BampB

Italia Benchmark

Brands Brunner

Cappelini Carl Hansen

Cassina Centrium

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

CMD Coexistence

Crest Contracts Dare

Forest London Fritz

Hansen Gubi Hay

Heals Humanscale

Icons of Denmark

Interstuhl James

Burleigh Jennifer

Newman Ritson Knoll

La Palma Lammhults

Lampe Gras Ligne

Roset Loehr Magis

Maine Max Design

Mitab Modus Moroso

Muuto Normann

Copenhagen Offecct

Poltrona Frau Pinch

Punt Resident Sancal

SCP Senator Tacchini

Tollgard USM VGP

Viaduct Viccarbe Vitra

Case Study - Ogilvy

Such was the magnitude of this project that we felt it only right and tting to acknowledge the many ne companies and people who helped put it all together And what better way to illustrate and decorate this nale than with a selection of some of the incredible Acrylicize branding and artwork that features throughout Sea

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

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HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

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Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

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3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

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90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

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Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

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CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

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94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

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sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 36: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

66 67

Case Study

EASTERN PROMISE

This also means that we (well some of the more mature members of the team) have known a number of our key clients

for the best part of 20 years While the lsquoglass is half emptyrsquo

brigade might worry about where the time went we prefer to

be incredibly proud not just of our own longevity but also that

of our friends

One such company is Task Not only has the business

continued to be the furniture company of choice for many of the

Cityrsquos financial blue chips it has now developed into a design-

led supplier of leading Italian brands which include ICF Marelli

and most recently Penta lighting

As such the company has recently relaunched under a new

fresh brand complimented by a stunning refurbishment of its

Shoreditch showroom

Wersquove come to the impressive redesigned Great Eastern

Street show space to meet with Task stalwarts Managing

Directors Tony Daltrey and Costas Karavias who began the

business 35 years ago

Whilst remaining true to its traditional and loyal customer

base the company has taken the strategic decision to elevate

and expand its presence within the architectural and design

community through its design manufacture and supply of

quality commercial and hospitality furniture As Tony explains

lsquoWe looked at the trends in the marketplace and reassessed our

product portfolio in line with the demands of end clients and

specifiers In support of our own Task products we represent

two fantastic furniture brands in Marelli and ICF both of whom

manufacture products of exceptional quality and design and

they needed greater presence in the showroom

The market has inevitably moved on since we began this

business and we recognised that we needed to address our

branding and positioning within it So we took an in-depth look

at the business the outcome of which led to the appointment

of Pernille at Resonate to redesign both the showroom and

our Head Onotce and logistics facility at Beckton ndash and also the

engagement of a brand specialist to redesign our logo

lsquoWersquove always had a great space here working with some

top practices and winning fabulous projects but we asked

ourselves what else could we do to be different what else

could we do to make us more attractive to the

design community

lsquoWe had already met Pernille and felt

she really understood our business and

importantly what we were looking to achieve

As part of the process Pernille visited both ICF

and Marelli in Milan ndash and we were delighted

with how impressed she was

lsquoIt wasnrsquot just about the showroomrsquo Costas

reveals lsquowe approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the future of the

business We knew that the time was right

because we have enjoyed a strong three

or four years and could see our presence

growing in the marketplace as a result We

have invested in our people bringing younger

people in to bolster our AampD sales They have a

different approach from us senior guys ndash and

thatrsquos really healthy Thatrsquos where the market

is today ndash and it helps that they now have the

right showroom environment to support them

lsquoThe ICF product range has given us access

into a number of practices ICF has continued

to invest in its product offering and we are

able to offer a complete solution

lsquoI think yoursquove got to be prepared to investrsquo

Tony agrees lsquoWe have to give our people the

best tools to compete in this competitive

market and with which to further develop and

grow our business

lsquoWe want this to be a memorable

experience for people We want clients to

come in here and go back to their onotce saying

lsquoHave you seen the fabulous new Marelli

lounge at the Task showroomrsquorsquo

Task appointed Resonate to create the

new showroom environment providing a

showcase for the three brands whilst still

functioning as a workspace for employees

The key joinery elements reflect the bespoke

side of the companyrsquos business while the

impressive new light fittings are supplied by

Penta ndash with whom Task now has an exclusive

UK distributorship

The journey through the new showroom

begins from the street as suspended frames

magically float chairs in mid-air providing an

enticing an dynamic shopfront whilst allowing

an uninterrupted view of the gallery space

beyond A

A friend of ours recently asked if we were celebrating our 10th anniversary soon When we told him that wersquore already 16frac12 his jaw virtually hit the oor lsquoHow did that happenrsquo he asked We keep asking ourselves the same question

We approached this holistically

and with our eyes set on the

future of the business

Case Study - Task

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

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Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

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LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

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VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

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BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 37: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

68 69

Case Study

WE KNOW THE KEY TO A GOOD LOCKER

WWWJAMES-TOBIASCOM

For a start therersquos over 25 years of experience Then therersquos the skilled engineering design and manufacturing

using only the best quality fixtures and fittings Wersquove also put in a huge amount of time ensuring that the smallest

of details are taken care of Add to that a huge amount of pride and ownership and yoursquore some way

into understanding that our product really is exceptional All that is also the key to our success

4830-Key Advert Full Page_v2_OUTindd 1 22082016 1205

Inside the showroom the completed design ensures that the

furniture is of key prominence and the ground floor has become

a museum gallery with pure white monolithic display plinths to

define key areas and collections

Floating ceiling rafts echoing the plinths below cast

uniform light over the set pieces and mirrored surfaces permit

customers to view the products from a 360 degree perspective

The white gallery theme contrasts with black Crittal framed

Optima glazed partitions behind the bespoke reception desk

referencing the industrial context of the building and its

exposed brick surfaces

Warm timber accents create focal points of the hybrid

reception desk-come-glass display case and bar area which

starts to set the scene for the more luxurious lounge furniture

of Marelli Passing through the black framed glazed screening

visitors are transported into the aforementioned Marelli Lounge

ndash a choreographed collection of sumptuous fabrics and warm

bronze hues

The lower ground floor accommodates Taskrsquos everyday

working environment in a live animated gallery of onotce product

as well as the impressive executive boardroom Beyond this a

naturally top lit courtyard formed in an existing unused light

well has been transformed into a decked outdoor space for

staff to retreat and take time out

The acoustics throughout the showroom are managed with

a new product line called Gecho an acoustic panelling system

that has been newly designed exclusively for Task

As well as the stunning new interior the new Task showroom

also benefits from state-of-the-art AV and technology to

enhance the customer experience

lsquoOverall this is a scheme that celebrates the productsrsquo

Pernille comments lsquotheming the interiors in a very neutral but

sophisticated way that enables the individual pieces to shine

lsquoWhen we first looked at the original designs of different

settings and how to split the Marelli and the Task offerings we

knew we had to look at the entire brand

The Resonate concept changed very little from that first

presentation and was all about setting the furniture in an

almost gallery atmosphere with a 5-star lounge approach for

the Marelli products with their hospitality market appeal

lsquoWe looked at how we could get over that line how we could

get recognisedrsquo Tony concludes lsquoI think itrsquos happened ndash and

I think things are only going to get better for us Itrsquos taken a

lot of hard work but I think wersquore really starting to get that

recognitionrsquo l

Case Study - Task

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

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Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

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Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

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Design House Stockholm designjunction

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designjunction

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85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

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IN E

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Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

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We D

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01604 674674OceeDesign

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1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

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Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

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Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

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10

0

Des

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92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

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but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

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This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

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Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

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Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

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Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

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96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

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CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 38: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

70 71

Profile Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

Believe it or not there are a number of things a great designer and journalist have in common ndash not least the thrill of discovery and a naturally inquisitive nature

Over the years one of the key things wersquove discovered is that the more inquisitive the designer in front of us the more likely it is wersquoll be rewarded with a great article Mehran Gharleghi is a perfect example

Mehran founded Studio INTEGRATE ndash the innovative London-based architecture design and research studio ndash back in 2011 but (and we have to be totally honest now) it wasnrsquot until our friends at Morgan Furniture showed us the brilliant new Rio collection that our own heads were turned

Developed by Morgan in collaboration with Studio INTEGRATE Rio cleverly combines the craft of yesterday with the craft of tomorrow As well as the traditional timber and upholstered elements there is a 3D printed component that creates an intricate curved sculptural arm It is constructed using a mathematical algorithm and printed in polyamide or resin We immediately wanted to know more

So today wersquove headed into that coolest of boroughs Hoxton to meet with Mehran and discover more about his original and much heralded design philosophy

e studiorsquos diverse work decorates the space ranging from research projects looking into the uid dynamics of ancient Iranian bridges ndash Mehranrsquos own heritage comes from Iran ndash through to designs for technology driven mobile phone and gaming accessories 3D printed miniature GeMo vases and dynamic new architectural projects As Mehran kindly grabs us a drink we canrsquot help but notice the sizable library and the fact that a number of the books arenrsquot what wersquod normally nd in a design studio

lsquoWhat we do is design and architecture for peoplersquo Mehran tells us as he picks up a copy of Darwinrsquos e Origin of Species lsquo ese are my bibles Books such as

Sean B Carrollrsquos Endless Forms Most Beautiful talk about how the entire ecosystem is related and how each of them evolves Itrsquos written how an architect would write it ndash it talks about building blocks how things grow and how things are put together is is really the beginning of the idea that objects can be related ndash how a sculpture can be related to a table to a building ndash and all of them are a series of codes and that led me to look at how we can use the language of design to extend possibilities ere are sections in the book that look at the relationship between species ndash how we are more than 40 related to fruit ies for example In other words we studied fruit ies to understand more about ourselves erefore when you look at things in this way ndash in code ndash you start to understand that there is not a great dierence between an everyday object and a building A coee cup will have a similar DNA code to a city If you then lsquogrowrsquo them based on a body plan you are then able to control them and evolve them and add more and more information to them over time A

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

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LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

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LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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REGENTrsquoS CANAL

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YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 39: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

72 73

Case Studies

01254 673400 salespulse-designcouk wwwpulse-designcouk

3 size options with additional bench variationA perfect accompaniment to the modern breakout area

LIBERTY

Specify in a variety of environments

LIBERTY_FULL_MIX_2016indd 1 26082016 134439

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

lsquoSome of the theories might not be scientically valid any more ndash but for designers this is still a great reference All species all things are so related e geometric dierences are very smallrsquo Mehran describes as he shows us the book On Growth and Form by DrsquoArcy ompson

One of the studiorsquos rst projects was the fascinating GeMo collection of vases and miniatures e collection perfectly illustrates Mehranrsquos original design philosophy lsquo is is a series of individually unique vases ndash there are 500 of them and every single one is unique but is formed from the same code ey are genetically modied Itrsquos a two-dimensional drawing which rather than proliferating them horizontally I proliferated them vertically and captured each one of the changes in the algorithm ey are all dierent ndash but they are really all the same

lsquo is is really my lifetimersquos project ese are individual and yet accessible You donrsquot even see the dierence until you look closely

This all relates to people and how

people behave Not everyone wants to be different from other people

Itrsquos a fascinating process

lsquo is all relates to people and how people behave Not everyone wants to be dierent from other people Itrsquos a fascinating processrsquo

Mehranrsquos right is is an incredibly fascinating process and approach We do all see ourselves as individuals yet there is still a need to conform ndash to be not too dierent We see it through fashion through arts through design and through architecture

e studiorsquos original approach doesnrsquot look to mimic nature but to take the essence of what is all around us and apply it to design e aforementioned Rio chair is a perfect example of this ndash the beautiful 3D printed back and arms have been developed through research into the skeletal evolution so are strong and yet incredibly light A

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 40: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

74 75

Profile - Mehran Gharleghi

As we mentioned earlier Mehran has also taken a great deal of inspiration and inuence from the great architectural and design works of the past and then looked to apply his own future methodologies and manufacturing capabilities As an example he shows us a residential property in Croatia he has designed lsquo e whole building acts as a spongersquo Mehran explains lsquo is is the Mediterranean ndash you have these amazing views and an amazing environment and yet these houses have these shutters which completely shut all of this orsquo Mehran explains lsquoSo we used the genetic algorithm not in terms of creating the overall form but to allow it to settle down with its environment So we have used these setbacks to allow the views to be opened while also ltering the sun You donrsquot need the shutters any morersquo

Mehran has used modern technology coupled with classical ancient principles and local materials to deliver an

amazing project that boasts incredible natural ventilation that is completely sensitive to its surroundings

Moving on we are shown more of the studiorsquos incredibly impressive concepts including a vibrant multicoloured residential tower in South America that takes its inspiration from the stacked hillside of the favelas and an equally eye-catching molecular lighting structure

So what drives Mehran Hersquos certainly not afraid of diversity lsquoI wanted to do architecture one-o designs and every day product design ndash I wanted to link these things Itrsquos just a matter of scale Irsquom really excited by the idea of linking supposedly dierent elements When you look at these things closely they all start to come together

lsquoIrsquom not afraid of challenges is is why I started my own multidisciplinary practice four and a half years ago after I nished working with Foster + Partners I wanted to look at the word lsquodesignrsquo in a more holistic way to drive it with research and to link it with other worlds

lsquoI might not become the richest person on the planet ndash and Irsquom not afraid to fail I do like to be challenged though Irsquom focused on what happens next

I donrsquot go after projects ndash I simply donrsquot have the resources to do so Irsquove been lucky that work continues to nd me ndash and sometimes we donrsquot make money on unusually ambitious projects but Irsquoll still look to take them on because this is my life this is how I get my kicks and this is how we can contribute I cannot change this

People tell me that Irsquom wrong ndash but Irsquom not prepared to become an extension builderrsquo

Nor should he We cannot think of a more suitable prole to sit within an issue that focuses upon the subject of innovation l

Profile

viasit UK Ltd | The Gallery | 21-22 Great Sutton Street | Clerkenwell | London | EC1V 0DY | wwwviasitcouk | Contact sales-gbviasitcom

Visit us atStand B040 | Hall 7

Re-pendDesign | Martin Ballendat

Black and White was yesterday

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 41: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

76 77

Mixology North 16 sponsors

8TH DECEMBER 2016Manchester Central

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries close 7th October 2016

Tickets on sale - Limited availability

For more information visit

wwwmixology-awardscom

Or email us at

rebeccamixinteriorscom

Download your Entry Packs at

wwwmixology-awardscom

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

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S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 42: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

78 79

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

S T E P SD E S I G N E D B Y

D AV I D F O X

HEAD OFFICE Platinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SA Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOM 65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL Tel 020 7242 5709

wwwgofcouk

HEAD OFFICEHEAD OFFICEPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SAPlatinum Park Lynstock Way Bolton BL6 4SATel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422Tel 01204 664422

LONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOMLONDON SHOWROOM65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL65 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BLTel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709Tel 020 7242 5709

Mix Interiors Stepsindd 1 27062016 1525

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

e following pages give you a taste of what to expect from this yearrsquos commercially focused shows and events London Design Fair can be found at the Old Truman Brewery (the umbrella brand for Tent London and Super Brands London) ndash 22nd-25th and tickets for this will also get you in to the lsquosofterrsquo Decorex event

100 Design is once again at Olympia this year and oers a wide range of sectors and exhibitors and includes a number of interesting specially designed features ndash think CDW

However our rst destination of choice for LDF 2016 will be designjunction If you are not already aware designjuntion has moved from its former home on Southampton Row With the support of the Kingrsquos Cross Development Partnership designjunction will be at Kingrsquos

Cross ndash and to be honest wersquore really looking forward to seeing the outcome

e former industrial heartland was once a pretty rough area but is now being transformed into one of the capitalrsquos most exciting destinations with the redevelopment creating 1900 new homes 20 new streets 10 new public parks and squares and some 3 million sq ft of commercial oce space If yoursquove visited Kingrsquos Cross recently yoursquoll know things have changed a great deal

Anna Strongman Partner at Argent commented Kingrsquos Cross has a rich history of industrial design ndash the gasholders grain stores and railway itself were all outputs of our countryrsquos creative heritagewe are excited about designjunction arriving and see it as further endorsement of Kingrsquos Crossrsquo great reputationrsquo

LONDON DESIGN FAIR 22-25 Sept

Old Truman Brewery Brick Lane

Tube Shoreditch High Street

Holds the largest collection of international

exhibitions designers brands country

pavilions and galleries in one destination Also

included are Tent London and Super Brands

DESIGN JUNCTION22-25 Sept

Kings Cross

Tube Kings Cross

Critically acclaimed international design

show Relocated to Kingrsquos Cross 2016 theme

lsquoImmersed in Designrsquo

100 DESIGN21-24 Sept

Olympia

Tube Kensington (Olympia)

The archetypal exhibition of the LDF with three

areas Interiors Workplace and Kitchens amp

Bathrooms

DECOREX18-21 Sept

Syon Park

Train Syon Lane

Resource for high-end interior designers

architects specifiers retailers and property

developers

FOCUS1618-23 Sept

Chelsea Harbour (Design Centre)

Train Imperial Wharf

Luxury in interiors 120 international

exhibitors modern and contemporary art

The London Design Festival (LDF) is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world LDF 2016 will run 17-25 September and whilst some of the shows that sit under its umbrella have been around longer LDF itself was launched in March 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans

Deadgood brand designjunction

100 Design at Olympia

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 43: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

80 81

Preview - London Design Festival

REGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANALREGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

REGENTrsquoS CANAL

YORK W

AY

YORK W

AY

YORK

WAY

KIN

GrsquoS

BO

ULE

VARD

EUSTON ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

PANCRAS ROAD

CAMLEY STREET

GOODS WAY

PANCRAS ROAD

YORK

WAY

GRAYrsquoS INN ROAD

PENTONVILLE ROAD

WHARFDALE ROAD

MIDLAND ROAD

STAB

LE S

TREE

TCOPENHAGEN STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

HANDYSIDE STREET

GOODS WAY

CANA

L RE

ACH

MIDLAN

D RO

AD

Coal Drops

A

DC

B

A

B

C

D

Gasholder No 8

GasholderTriplet

House ofIllustration

PancrasSquare

The GuardianHeadquarters

Kingrsquos CrossStation

St PancrasStation

CentralSaint

Martins

LewisCubittPark

GRANARY SQUAREFeature projects and installations

CUBITTContemporary lightingand furniture

THE CROSSINGRegistration pointinstallations and flash factories

THE CANOPYPremium retail design

Four distinct exhibition sites will make up the designjunction show

e centrally located (A) - GRANARY SQUARE will feature 10 custom exhibitions for headline sponsored projects and installations

(B) - CUBITT a two-oor pavilion in Lewis Cubitt Square will have a strong trade focus featuring the best in contemporary lighting in the lsquo lightjunctionrsquo as well as furniture from international design brands

(C) - THE CANOPY will be a temporary pop-up venue for premium retail brands including everything from fashion accessories to technology textiles and stationery Located between Central Saint Martins and Waitrose the large market area will take shape under a heritage protected wrought iron structure

(D) - THE CROSSING running through the Central Saint Martins building will provide the showrsquos registration point as well as a platform for specially commissioned installations and ash factories Both Granary Square and e Crossing will remain accessible to the public throughout Septemberrsquos festival

Sibille designjunction Another Country designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Morgan designjunction

wwwtangentfurniturecouk e infotangentfurniturecouk t 0800 389 3112

Regionthe new table system from tangent brings harmonious fusion of materials to a collaborative workspace

MixAd_Bondindd 1 31082016 132511

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 44: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

8382

Case Study Preview - London Design Festival

WWWCOMFORTGLOBAL | 01560 324440

VISIT US ON STAND B031 HALL 61

Mesh Office Seating just got even better As part of the globallyrenowned Comfort Seating Group Comfort Europe are nowmanufacturing in the UK With the same great choice of ergonomicoffice seating lead times are now exceptionally fastFind out more and unleash your creativity on our customseating configurator at wwwcomfortglobal

DESIGNED BY YOUMADE BY COMFORT

Mix-Comfort-September-orgqxp_Layout 1 24082016 1414 Page 1

Estu

dio

Cla

ro

des

ignj

unct

ion

Estudio Claro designjunctionTFL designjunction

Morgan designjunction

Design House Stockholm designjunction

Design House Stockholm

designjunction

We Do Wood designjunction

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 45: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

85

Case Study

84

Preview - London Design Festival

LOOK TASK CHAIR

i m p e r i a lO f f i c e f i euu rr n t

Imperial Office Furniture LimitedBankfield Business Park

Quebec Street Bolton BL3 5JN

Tel 01204 364602 Fax 01204 381509

wwwimperialfurniturecouk infoimperialfurniturecouk

LookMesh task chairupholstered with non stretch mesh fabricheight adjustable lumbar supportAT synchronous self adjustable mechanismpneumatic lift mechanism

Sibile designjunction

Estudio Claro designjunction

Hagit designjunction

IN E

Sa

rtde

sign

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

Ethnicraft designjunctionLabel Edition designjunction

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 46: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

86 87

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

COMMITTEDTO THE HEALTHOF

Forborsquos new Synergy carpet amp luxury vinyl tile collection is designed to improve well-being in the workplace featuring light LRVrsquos and nature inspired designs Multiple format tiles and planks can be installed side by side with a seamless transition contributing to creative interiors which can boost collaboration amp innovative thinking

To nd out how Forbo is committed to improving the health of one and all visit wwwforbo-ooringcoukCHO

Improved indoor air quality

High LRVrsquos

Hylur Desk designjunction

Cha

nnel

s

desi

gnju

ncti

on

We Do Wood designjunction

Bor

is K

ilmek

d

esig

njun

ctio

n

We D

o Wood designjunction

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 47: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

88 89

Preview

Super Acoustic Bricks

Change your environment in minutes

Class A Sound Absorber

Up to 16dB Acoustic Blocker

London Showroom20 Old StreetClerkenwellLondon EC1V 9AB

Ocee DesignDesign House Caswell RoadBrackmills Industrial EstNorthampton NN4 7PW

01604 674674OceeDesign

ergonomicsoceedesigncomwwwoceedesigncom

1 Choose the size style colour and quantity of bricks for your space

A

B

2 Lay out the base plates and insert

the posts to the required height

3 Slide the bricks onto the posts

Preview - London Design Festival

Sagal 100 Design

Ornamenta 100 Design

Arper London Design Fair Johanson Design 100 Design

Framery 100 DesignMass Productions 100 Design

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 48: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

90 91

PreviewPreview - London Design Festival

Innovative modular desk systems in brass copper and hot rolled steel designed by Paul Crofts

+44 (0)20 7388 8599 infoisomicom wwwisomicom

Blok

Visit our Clerkenwell showroom 1 Sans Walk London EC1

in Metal

MIX_Isomi_metal_single_newindd 1 01092016 1555

Out For Space London Design Fair

Arper 100 Design

Poiat London Design Fair

Sagal 100 Design

Fram

ery

10

0

Des

ign

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 49: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

92 93

Preview Preview - London Design Festival

CardiffBristol Story Museum Cardiff

(The Old Library)

14 September 2016

Manchester HOME Manchester

29 September 2016

Cupallo London Design FairKarl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Karl Andersson amp Soner London Design Fair

Vera Kyte London Design FairNature Lab London Design Fair

Redshed Collective London Design Fair

Design Point London Design Fair

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 50: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

94 95

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

A NEW ZENITH BA highly innovative solution Style has installed their unique

Skyfold Zenith automatic partitioning wall in prestigious

refurbished onotces on the 31st floor of the iconic Walkie Talkie

building As with all Skyfold partitions the Zenith descends

from within the ceiling cavity at the touch of a button

but rather than unfolding as concertinaed panels it slides

automatically into place as almost entirely flat vertical panels

This allows the space to be quickly divided with minimum

disruption or reorganisation of furniture

wwwskyfoldcom

Health of one and all DForbo Flooring Systems Environment Specialist Mark Bauer

has become a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Task Group The councilrsquos mission is to radically improve the

sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it

is planned designed constructed maintained and operated Forbo

has always strived to create better environments by focusing on the

sustainability of its products and supporting initiatives that reduce

its carbon footprint

wwwforbo-flooringcoukCHO

Knauf AMF adds a touch of luxury CKnauf AMF Thermatex Acoustic ceiling planks create a

luxurious feel for a new exclusive apartment development in

a prosperous area of Newcastle Thermatex Acoustic ceilings

offers excellent acoustic control and are ideal for busy

areas The planks improve privacy for residents by ensuring

unwanted noise does not travel from the external hallways to

the apartments ldquoWe wanted an alternative to the standard

square ceiling tile and liked the white unperforated surface

which gives the planks its unique appearancerdquo

wwwknaufamfcouk

Let there be (more) light with modulyss AAll modulyssreg carpet tiles are tested for Light Reflectance Value (LRV)

so that designers can assess the impact of each style and colour on

light within the space Itrsquos well known that more natural light improves

wellbeing and the reduction in use of artificial light helps to reduce

energy consumption Carpet tiles from modulyssreg can play a significant

role in ensuring that natural light is maximised within interiors ranging

from corporate onotce spaces to public buildings and education facilities

wwwmodulysscom

Advertisment

S E L E C T I O N S

Antron carpet fibre reveals Confident colour ahead AGlobal Trends 201718 presents key trend themes influencing

colour throughout 2017 Around a central theme of

exploration Antronreg carpet fibre reveals a new-found

confidence in colour as we approach the latest discoveries

shaping our future Aquatic Voyage explores the unknown

capacity of our oceans discovering strange and surreal

material combinations Infinite Shadow takes a look beneath

the excess placing emphasis on core form and structure

wwwantroneu

BA masterclass in luxury carpet at Boclair House With ambitions for an intimate and luxurious hotel and wedding venue the interior

of Glasgowrsquos Boclair House Hotel has been transformed with a masterclass

in restorative interior design including bespoke carpets from Wilton Carpets

Commercial Carpets from Wilton have been instrumental in creating the

atmospheric interior fitted right throughout the hotel in an array of truly stunning

designs bringing individuality glamour and wondrous comfort perfectly in keeping

with the unapologetic luxury of Boclair House

wwwwiltoncarpetscom

Landmark London development modernised with Moduleo BLuxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo was selected for its stylish

finish thickness and compatibility with underfloor heating by

Jigsaw Interior Architecture for a recent project at Premier

House London Premier House is a landmark development

featuring 120 luxury apartments making style durability and

good-quality flooring key Nathalie Serdons senior interior

architectural designer at Jigsaw Interior Architecture ndash who

worked on the project on behalf of Reichmann Properties says

ldquoModuleorsquos catalogue of products offered us the perfect cost-

effective solution in addition to a portfolio of colours to choose

fromrdquo

wwwmoduleocouk

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 51: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

96

Just an ideaThe Office of the Future is a Snark writes Mark Eltringham So we should stop

pursuing it and focus on the Office of the Present he argues

Mark Eltringham is the publisher of workplace design and management website Oce Insight markworkplaceinsightnet

Lewis Carrollrsquos second best known work The Hunting of the Snark is a long nonsense

poem that describes the pursuit by a group

of adventurers of an elusive creature called

a Snark This turns out to be a much more

dangerous Boojum when it is finally seen

causing one of the crew members to vanish

The poem may or may not be an allegory for

the pursuit of happiness but it could easily be

about our pursuit of anything elusive imaginary

or ephemeral The author never explains

In the parochial world of workplace design

and management the great Snark is The Onotce

of the Future the pursuit of which has been

ongoing for decades Wersquore sometimes shown

pictures of it but on closer inspection these

always turn out to be hyper-realised versions

of The Onotce of the Present What we see in

them is a Boojum

Yet there appears to be something much more

profound and visceral going on with regards to

this yearning for some idealised Onotce of the

Future that will solve all of the workplace ills

of the present We feel in our guts that things

will get better when certain factors come

into alignment And that when they do we will

witness the transition to something that marks

an end point The happy ever after

We know this to be true because it is how

we see ourselves From an early age we are

presented with an image of The Tree of Life

with us perched at the top The Ascent of Man

depicts a process which culminates with us

This is not just dangerously solipsistic in its

own right but leads to some flawed thinking

about how the world works

For example critics of the Theory of Evolution

like to ask why there are no transitional forms

in the fossil record This not only ignores the

fact that there are plenty but also perhaps

the more pertinent fact that all animals are

transitional forms including us We are all in

the process of becoming something else

This is a slow process of course imperceptible

in the now but transformative in the long

term As the astrophysicist Martin Rees puts

it Most educated people are aware that

were the outcome of nearly 4bn years of

Darwinian selection but many tend to think

that humans are somehow the culmination

Our sun however is less than halfway through

its lifespan It will not be humans who watch

the suns demise 6bn years from now Any

creatures that then exist will be as different

from us as we are from bacteria or amoebae

This is not a comforting thought but it is the

truth

As for the onotce we have no way of knowing

what the future holds especially in an era in

which so many disruptive technologies are

about to make their mark on the world all at

the same time So we should discard any hard

notion that we can ever define what the onotce

of the future will be like That does not mean

that we should not plan to be ready for it nor

does it mean we should assume it will die out

Humans need each other and so there are no

grounds to believe wersquoll get rid of the places

where that happens

What I can say with certainty is that depictions

of the Onotce of the Future are Snarks and we

should give up the hunt for them Itrsquos likely we

canrsquot even imagine what will happen As the

biologist JBS Haldane once remarked I have

no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly

more surprising than anything I can imagine

Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is

not only queerer than we suppose but queerer

than we can suppose

From an early age we are

presented with an image of e Tree of Life with us perched at

the top

wwwworkplaceinsightnet

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 52: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

Dauphin HumanDesignreg UK Limited1 Albemarle Way I GB London EC1V 4JB Phone +44 207 2537774 I Fax +44 207 2531629wwwdauphinukcom I infodauphinukcom

NEW ADDRESS LONDON OFFICE

The PERFECT COMFORTABLE ALLROUNDER to meet all demands in a modern offi ce thanks to Syncro-Relax-Automaticreg with automatic body-weightadjustment for changing users

SPEED-O FUTURISTIC DESIGN | INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

AZ_MIX_speed-o_160825_hiindd 1 26082016 090217

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment

Page 53: September 2016 Mix Interiors 167

CMDs New Inca power and USB charging module has been designed specically for communal areas and meeting rooms It is available in black grey and white and has four faces that can be congured to provide a range of power and charging solutions for any working environment