93Issue 100 January-March 2017

SHAPING LONDON | SIR TERRY FARRELL CBE

The future of workspace in London

London is going through a rapid transformation of the waycommercial space is being designed, marketed and occupied.The emerging and evolving models of co-working are chal-lenging the established paradigm of CAT A commercial spaceprevalent in the capital over the last 20 years. Indeed, theshape of London’s future workplaces is feeding discussions atevery level.

We held a panel debate earlier in the year at the co-working

space in our recently completed mixed-use building ‘The Eagle’

in City Road, whilst the NLA are currently holding an exhibition

entitled WRK/LDN at The Building Centre in Store Street*. Our

challenge as planners, designers and occupiers is to draw upon

this research and these discussions to understand the deeper

socio-economic shifts informing this new ‘rent economy’ and to

innovatively design buildings that incorporate adaptive internal

placemaking.

Design has always been a factor in commercial property but

now it is recognised as key to the success or failure of office

environments. Not only have the spaces evolved but smaller and

more agile business models have appeared, requiring a radically

different design approach to the traditional model. Designers are

creating increasingly popular co-working spaces, accommodat-

Peter Barbalov is a design

partner with Farrells

The mostsuccessfulcommercialbuildings arethose thatconsider theever-changingnature of theworkplace fromthe outset saysPeter Barbalov

>>>

92 Planning in London

ABOVE:

Regent’s Place, London –

Design from masterplan

through to interiors

RIGHT:

Our refurbishment and

upgrade of the Grade II*

listed 7 Albemarle Street

transformed this building

into a 21st Century work-

place.

68 Planning in London

Keep taking your PiL!

Magazine of the Year (non-weekly) International BuildingPress Awards WINNER 2007 & finalist 2006 – 2012DCLG, Transport for London, LSE Library, Deloitte Real Estate, London Councils, Circle 33

Housing Trust, P&O Estates Ltd, Greenwich University, Steer Davies Gleave, City of

Westminster, British Architectural Library, CBRE, Delancy, Paul Davis & Partners, Bellway

Homes, Jestico & Whiles, London & Quadrant, Ecology Consultancy Ltd, Tesco Plc, Ramboll,

Harvard College Library, London Wharf PLC, L B Islington, L B Greenwich, Sport England, Entec

UK, Berkeley Group, Workspace Group, LB Bexley, RBK&C, RTPI, LB Bromley, PRP Architects,

Durrants, British Land Company, L B Islington, CBE, GL Hearn, King Sturge, Holistic, White

Young Green, SNR Denton, i-Document Solutions, Trowers & Hamlins, British Land, Montagu

Evans, Hayes Davidson, Precise Media, NLP, L B Merton, Cluttons Planning, Speechly Bircham, TP

Bennett, The London Society, Ebsco, Brockton Capital, Turley Associates, Munkenbeck &

Partners, Terence O'Rourke, Assael Architecture, Metropolitan Workshop, PRP, Urban Research,

AMEC,GLA, LCR Stations and Property, Terence O'Rourke, Rolfe Judd Planning, Southbank

University, Lurot Brand, Slaughter and May, Alliance Planning, Harvard College Library, Cluttons,

DPP, Savills, Henley Business School, Grosvenor, Sainsbury's, Hamptons International, Barratt

Homes, National Grid, Network Rail, Foster + Partners, PRP, Gorkana Group, London &

Continental Railways, LCA, Cardiff University, Indigo ...

... Just some of the firms and organisations who have taken their Planningin London subscription. ONE YEAR FOR JUST £99. To subscribe: click on www.planninginlondon.com or please return thisform. A subscription is a licence for 5 copies emailed in PDF format.Please supply up to 5 email addresses to planninginlondon@mac.com

Signature:

Name on card:

Firm:

Card billing address:

Delivery address if different:

Tel: Fax:

Up to 5 Email addresses:

I would like to subscribe from:

last issue 98, July 2016

this issue 99, October 2016

next issue 100 January 2017

I enclose a cheque for £99.00 (no VAT, payable to Planning in London)

I am interested in advertising in the Advice directory (£300 for one year)

Please debit my card £106 (£99+£6.00 for credit card administration, both VAT inclusive)

Card number:

Card type: VISA MASTERCARD

Expiry date: security no:

Post cheque to: Planning in London, Studio Petersham, Gorshott, 181 PetershamRoad TW10 7AW for the attention of Natalie Barratt

Please complete and mail or fax the form below or click SUBSCRIBE at www.planninginlondon.com and pay with PayPal or credit card

Go to planninginlondon.com > Subscribeand pay online with

Aman Dalvi OBECorporate Director for Development &RenewalAman.dalvi@towerhamleys.gov.uk Owen WhalleyService Head Planning and Building Controlowen.whalley@towerhamlets.gov.uk020 7364 5314

Paul BuckenhamDevelopment Manager020 7364 2502

Adele MaherStrategic Planning Manager020 7364 5375

Jackie OdunoyeHead of Strategy, Regeneration &Sustainability, Development and Renewal jackie.odunoye@towerhamlets.gov.uk

London Borough of Waltham ForestTown Hall,

Forest RoadLondon E17 4JF

020 8496 3000http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/planning

Martin EsomChief Executive martin.esom@walthamforest.gov.uk 0208496 4201

Lucy ShomaliDirector of Regeneration & Growth lucy.shomali@walthamforest.gov.uk 0208496 6734

Ken JonesDirector of Housing & Growth Ken.jones@walthamforest.gov.uk 020 84965309

Ron Presswell, Design & Conservation Ron.presswell@walthamforest.gov.uk 0208496 6736

Head of Planning, Policy & StrategyHead of Building & Dev ControlLondon Borough of WandsworthTown Hall, Wandsworth High StreetLondon SW18 2PU

020 8871 7620 www.wandsworth.gov.uk/planning

Paul MartinChief Executive pmartin@wandsworth.gov.uk

Nick CalderHead of Development Permissionsncalder@wandsworth.gov.uk 020 8871 8417

Nigel GrangerDevelopment Management East AreaManagerngranger@wandsworth.gov.uk 020 88718415

Mark HunterDevelopment Management Nine ElmsOpportunity Area Managermhunter@wandsworth.gov.uk 020 88718418

John Stone

Head of Forward Planning andTransportationjstone@wandsworth.gov.uk 020 8871 6628City of Westminster

Westminster City Hall64 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QP020 7641 6500 https://www.westminster.gov.uk/planning

Charlie Parker, Chief Executive cparker@westminster.gov.uk 020 7641 2358

John WalkerOperational Director Planning Delivery Unitjwalker2@westminster.gov.uk 020 76412519

Barry SmithOperational Director City Planningbsmith@westminster.gov.uk 020 7641 2923

Ben DentonExecutive Director for Growth, Planning andHousing bdenton@westminster.gov.uk 0207641 3025

OTHERORGANISATIONS

Greater London AuthorityCity Hall, The Queen's WalkLondon SE1 2AA020 7983 4000 https://www.london.gov.uk/

Boris JohnsonMayor of Londonmayor@london.gov.uk 0207 9834000

Colin Wilson Senior Manager, Development &Projects

colin.wilson@london.gov.uk 020 79834783

Justin Carr Strategic Planning Manager(Development Decisions) justin.carr@london.gov.uk 020 79834895

Graham ClementsSenior Strategic Planner Graham.clements@london.gov.uk 0207983 4265

Christine McGoldrick Strategic Planning Manager(Development Plans) christine.mcgoldrick@london.gov.uk020 7983 4309

Martin Scholar Strategic Planning Manager (PlanningFrameworks) martin.scholar@london.gov.uk 0207983 5750

Urban Design LondonPalestra197 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE1 8AA020 7593 9000www.urbandesignlondon.com

Design for LondonCity Hall, The Queen's WalkMore London, London SE1 2AA

info@designforlondon.gov.uk

Department for Communities andLocal Government020 7944 4400

enquiries.br@communities.gsi.gov.uk planning.policies@communities.gsi.gov.uk

sponsored by

Please notify any changes immediately by e-mail to jonathan.manns@colliers.com cc to planninginlondon@mac.com with the subject ‘planning in london directory’.

13/10/2016 13:23 Page 68

ing the specific needs of freelancers and entrepreneurs – those

that would usually work from home, but still want the benefits

of an office environment.

The spaces we inhabit have a profound effect on our health

and wellbeing too; successful internal placemaking has a positive

impact on this whilst improving staff retention. Research tells us

that the wrong kind of internal environments affect the per-

formance, experience and sense of engagement of both visitors

and occupiers.

This trend has inspired designers to look beyond the more

technical needs of an office and the perception of the workplace

as a 9-5 only autonomous activity is changing dramatically. New

technology, such as smart phones, tablets, webinars and cloud

computing, has freed employees from working in one spot.

Flexible internal urbanism is therefore key, with break-out spaces

and impromptu meeting areas to empower collaboration and

co-creation. Beyond this departure from traditional desk-based

working, there is also more interest in the quality of the interior

design – colour, graphics and quality of natural light for example.

The importance of coffee machine conversations become crucial

to collaboration and communication. Employees are able to

break up time spent in the more formal work environment of

the desk with short spells of communication that brighten up

the day, improve employee engagement and facilitate a produc-

tive and positive working environment. Good office design cre-

ates a sense of community and togetherness, breaks down hier-

archical boundaries and increases communication horizontally

and vertically.

Flexibility has become intrinsic to our thinking and the ability

to adapt to change must be embedded within the building’s

internal urbanism. Recent changes to planning policy, which have

meant that office space can be converted to residential without

planning permission, certainly wouldn’t work if buildings weren’t

flexible. We should not only be designing buildings for the imme-

diate client, but long-lasting buildings that may have a com-

pletely different use or occupier in the future – better facilitating

retrofitting which has become the norm. Poor design will result

in buildings requiring bigger adjustments and refurbishments

between use change, having a shorter life span and potentially

demolition, all of which are economically and environmentally

unsustainable.

Sustainable design has progressed rapidly in recent years and

the construction industry is becoming more environmentally

aware. New technology has had a major impact on commercial

properties in terms of the materials and techniques used whilst

recent trends and regulations have moved towards greater sus-

tainability, more natural environments and less reliance on

‘sealed box’ technology. The embodied energy of the construc-

tion process is also a factor all architects and developers must

consider, and the necessary carbon used to construct maintain

and run commercial buildings can now be offset with initiatives

such as re-forestation and urban tree planting.

Commercially, workplace design has increasingly become a

statement about a company’s values and a corporate branding

tool, actively improving public realm and amenities whilst con-

veying the company’s style and ethos to clients. New offices

embrace the coffee shop and the park around the corner to cre-

ate a more inclusive and fluid work environment. Modern work-

places often a variety of extended amenities and create places of

interest open to the city and its inhabitants - a gallery in the

reception, a roof garden, a canteen or coffee shop - all contribut-

ing to the variety and richness of the wider urban environment.

This is a reciprocal relationship - the office as an extension to the

city & the city as an enabler of more inclusive workplaces.

The most successful commercial buildings are those that

consider the ever-changing nature of the workplace from the

outset. Our own office is in a 1930s furniture factory which, hav-

ing seen many refurbishments in its long life, has accommodat-

ed everything from furniture-making to spitfire production and

now architecture. Currently housing offices as well as residential

accommodation, we have worked rentable office space into our

internal placemaking. The Farrells Creative Hub, open this

month, is the latest manifestation of this living building and a

great example of how buildings can adapt over time when

design proactively plans for change. n

*The NLA’s WRK / LDN: Shaping London’s future workspaces exhibition runs until Saturday 21st January at The Building Centre, 26 Store St, London WC1E 7BT

94Issue 100 January-March 2017

BELOW:

Farrells in the Hatton

Street Studios – 90 years

of change and

placemaking.

ADVICE

95Issue 100 January-March 2017

Planning and Advice

ADVICE

71Issue 99 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2016

Planning and Advice

Planning solved bydesign

Planning consultantsand architects

www.bwcp.co.ukTo advertise here for just £300 p.a. please email planninginlondon@mac.com

indigoplanning.com

town planning consultants Old Bank ChambersLondon RoadCrowboroughTN6 2TT

Telephone: 01892 610408Mr Andy Stevensandy@asplanning.co.ukwww.asplanning.co.uk

13/10/2016 13:24 Page 71

ADVICE

Planning and Advice

 

pil99 OCTOBER 2016 2.qxp_pil pp15-18 13/10/2016 13:24 Page 71