Alternative Work Styles

University of Michigan transformed Weiser Hall—a 1960s brick tower with floor after floor of double-loaded, concrete block corridors—into a dynamic and flexible “center of centers” that brings together international and interdisciplinary institutes and centers so they can share space, services, and ideas. The provost’s charge was to renovate the building to create the “academic workplace of the future.” With the help of brightspot strategy and Diamond Schmitt architects, the team accomplished that mission with a seven-step formula that yielded impressive results, including an average overall productivity savings of 4.26 hours per person per week, the equivalent of every unit being able to grow its staff by 10 percent at no cost.

More and more, workers aren’t going to an office and sitting at the same desk Monday through Friday. Today’s architects, builders, institutions, and designers need to plan for a future in which workers are nomads—moving from one place to another within a building or campus, or showing up in the office just one or two days a week. These nomadic workers are often mobile by choice, taking advantage of the flexibility that technology has enabled for academic staff, knowledge workers, and even healthcare employees.

EMD Serono’s Project SagaMORE has been named the 2018 Green Building of the Year by the Massachusetts chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Located on EMD Serono's biopharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Billerica, the two-story, 30,000-sf addition offers open-plan work areas, a central auditorium, and numerous meeting spaces to support the development of advanced medical therapies. The $12 million project has jointly achieved WELL Gold certification for New & Existing Construction.

Cargill opened its $70 million protein headquarters in Wichita in December of 2018. Supporting product research, development, and testing, the four-story, 188,000-sf facility can accommodate up to 950 employees in open office environments designed to promote interaction and innovation. Offering collaboration spaces throughout the building, the technology-rich structure includes a café, a conference center, a state-of-the-art sensory center, and a customer presentation kitchen.

Most A&E teams will never have to plan the descent of a highly sensitive, one-of-a-kind particle accelerator a mile down a wet, dark, crooked shaft to an astrophysics research facility built in a decommissioned gold mine. Or collaborate on a strategy to acquire and store the equivalent of 20 percent of a year’s production of xenon gas without making a massive one-time purchase that could trigger a drastic spike in market prices. Or order equipment from around the globe that has to be transported by ship, rail, or truck because of the exposure to radiation in flight. The professionals who faced these challenges will probably not encounter them again on future projects. However, as scientific discovery continues to push the frontiers of the unknown, the need to create unique research environments is likely to become more frequent.

The University of Melbourne began construction in October of 2018 on Melbourne Connect, a AUD$425 million innovation precinct. Created in partnership with a development consortium steered by Lendlease, the 800,000-sf project will include a fabrication lab, student accommodation, commercial offices, a co-working center, retail amenities, and space for Science Gallery Melbourne. Designed by Woods Bagot, the mixed-use complex will comprise five buildings connected by a 35,000-sf superfloor and a central public outdoor garden.

Uptown Consortium is planning to build the $26 million CoMade innovation hub in Cincinnati. Designed by BDR Design Group, the three-story, 100,000-sf facility will provide leasable space for startup companies engaged in product development and early-stage manufacturing operations. The building will also accommodate integrated job training programs to support the creation of a skilled workforce. Completion is expected by fall of 2020. The construction and land acquisition cost for the project is $21 million. 

Anyone who has ever set foot in a hospital knows the scene: doctors, nurses, residents, and interns huddling in the hallway discussing a patient’s care. For any number of reasons, that is not the best way to confer, but traditional academic medical centers offer few alternatives. The situation is exacerbated by the increase in adjunct faculty who lack even scattered departmental resources like office space. At the same time, millennials are entering academic medicine with even higher expectations—of greater collaboration, pervasive technology, and continuous connectivity.

Charles Schwab is engaged in a major expansion of its 50-acre Gracy Farms campus in north Austin. In June of 2018, the financial services company opened two five-story buildings providing 469,000 sf of office space, as well as an amenities center and a parking garage. Featuring a 275-seat multipurpose auditorium and an onsite yoga studio, the complex offers integrated campus walking trails and flexible sit/stand workstations.

AstraZeneca opened its 163,000-sf South San Francisco facility in May of 2018. Located in the Cove at Oyster Point, the project houses a total of 400 employees from four organizations: Acerta Pharma, MedImmune, Pearl Therapeutics, and Technology Innovation & Delivery Excellence (TIDE). Designed by HOK to promote collaboration and innovation, the open lab and office environments incorporate AstraZeneca’s iWork philosophy, an activity-based approach that embraces industry best practices.

Global biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb opened a 62,000-sf biologics discovery center on its Redwood City campus in April of 2018. Designed by Stantec to support the development of new cancer therapies, the facility provides research labs and 115 perimeter workstations in an open office environment. The building is illuminated by abundant natural light and offers huddle rooms and conference rooms adjoining the main circulation area to enhance collaboration.

Accenture is creating a 126,000-sf innovation hub in Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. Designed by Gensler to promote collaboration, the 126,000-sf leased facility features open offices and meeting areas arranged in neighborhoods to foster interaction. The project will support Accenture's technology, digital business, and consulting operations, and is one of ten innovation hubs that the company will open nationwide by late 2020.

NextCorps opened an entrepreneurship hub in Rochester in February of 2018. Located in the Sibley Square building, the project was created by the University of Rochester, the state of New York, and the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Princeton University is partnering with BioLabs to create the 31,000-sf Princeton Innovation Center BioLabs on the James Forrestal Campus in New Jersey. Accommodating up to 25 startup companies, the business incubator and coworking space will offer 68 lab benches, private offices, and hot desks in a collaborative environment designed to foster entrepreneurial innovation. Occupancy is expected in April of 2018. BioLabs is a national provider of shared lab and office facilities, with locations in San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, and New York. 

Global manufacturing company Henkel opened its North American consumer goods headquarters in Stamford in February of 2018. Designed by Ware Malcomb to promote interaction, the three-story, 155,000-sf facility provides flexible work spaces for 425 employees. The building offers collaborative offices arranged in team neighborhoods as well as focus rooms, huddle rooms, and conference rooms. On the first floor, a research and development facility is sited adjacent to offices and presentation suites.