Workplace Environments

Workplace Environments

CH2M HILL is a global leader in full-service consulting, design, design-build, operations and program management services for public and private clients. We founded our company with the belief that high-performance buildings must combine a clear architectural vision with advanced systems engineering.

Our clients include major international corporations, like Bayer and Dial, major academic institutions in the United States (U.S.) and Europe, and government agencies including embassies and consulates, and we often present at conferences on the topic of office space design.

We have designed office space for corporate, government, and higher education clients that supports their business goals and empowers their employees. We believe that office space is not neutral—it either helps a company succeed or it hinders progress. We have designed open and closed office plans, those to encourage collaboration, as well as to provide isolation—it all depends on the needs of the users.

Select Client ListDomestic100 Industry Drive Partners

45th Street R&D Lab

American Tokyo Kasei

Axcelis Technologies

Bayer HealthCare

Bayer MaterialScience

Bell Communications Research

Boeing Electronics

City of Chesapeake

Confidential Consumer Products Client

Confidential Semiconductor Client

Dial Corporation, a Henkel Company

GG1 Microelectronics Facility

Hewlett-Packard (Multiple)

Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp.

Hughes Aircraft Corporation

Industrial Scientific Corporation

Infineon Technologies

Life Technologies (formerly Molecular Probes)

Johnson Controls, Inc.

National Semiconductor

NEC America (Kajima)

RCA Sharp

Sprint

Texas Instruments

TOK

VLSI Technology

Wacker Siltronic Corporation

InternationalDigital Equipment

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Macronix

Motorola

Nike

Pacific Telesis International

ProMos Office Building & Fab

In the last decade CH2M HILL has

designed over 12M sq.ft. of office space.

88% of C-level/upper management respondents believe that the workplace environment would have a positive impact on their company’s bottom line.*

*Harvey Ellis Devereux

Most companies recognize that their people are their greatest asset. From a business perspective their goal is to find ways to get greater productivity and creativity out of their people.Human productivity involves many issues; job satisfaction, motivation, health and wellbeing, meaningful missions, interaction with others, enthusiasm and rewards all play into the productivity equation. The built environment is among these factors, never neutral, but always either contributing or detracting from human performance.

Besides its impact on productivity, the built environment can affect business success. Reducing the real estate footprint through efficient space utilization directly benefits the bottom line. Energy efficiency reduces operational costs which also lead to financial benefits. A company’s built environment becomes part of their brand; Banal or shabby environments can project negatively on a company’s customers and the public, and overly luxurious environments can leave an equally detrimental perception.

Mobile technology is a game changer; and provides new ways for individuals and groups to occupy the workplace. The traditional workplace can be seen as analogous to a dormitory or a hotel; one inhabits a specific room which is ‘theirs’, and occasionally makes use of public amenities that are shared by all. Mobility allows an individual to inhabit the workplace in the same way that they inhabit a house shared with others. They may have space personally designated (a bedroom) but they inhabit the whole house equally; each space provides variety, and a different range of features (or affordances) that allows a wide range of different activities and experiences. This radically different way of working and inhabiting space afforded by technological mobility demands a different way of thinking about the design of the workplace.

Assuming a US employee salary of $48,000, the benefits of an appropriately designed workplace range from $1,440 to $7,200 per employee, amounting to 4.7-23.7% of the average corporate profits per-employee.*

*Haworth, Revisiting Office Place Standards

Generational Gaps Should Be Considered:

work : live work : livework : liveBABY BOOMERS

b. 1946-1964GEN X

b. 1965-1980MILLENIALS

b. 1980-present

Values conveyed by parents can lead to a workaholic approach

Need balance between work and home

Work must fit their needs

1940

Reach Age 65

1960 1980 2000

2011 – 2029 2030 – 2045 2046 – 2061

A well designed workplace can impact a business either positively or negatively in many cumulative ways, so workplace design decisions become important business decisions.

• Design is a team sport: We believe in engaging our customers as active participants (rather than passive observers) in the design process; and this approach has a track record of achieving better designs, stronger consensus, and greater satisfaction. The use of 3D modeling in live work sessions has proved valuable in helping all participants comprehend and meaningfully contribute to the design process.

• Design begins as problem solving, but doesn’t stop there; it was perhaps best said by the Italian Renaissance architect and scholar LB Alberti when he suggested that great design is the transformation of necessities into virtues.

• Design is about human experience: Our design focus has shifted away from seeing the built environment as an object to be designed and towards seeing our goal to design satisfying experiences. Taking a cue from HCI (Human Computer Interaction); we focus our design efforts on (HEI) Human Environment Interaction. This approach erases the false dichotomy between form and function.

• Designers should not confuse beauty with luxury: we are passionate in our pursuit of beauty and believe it is essential to improve the quality of work, education, and life. Human-centered design nurtures the individual and encourages collegial behavior, and can be achieved within a wide range of budgets.

“Increased collaboration will be a defining feature of the company of 2020.” – survey of 1,656 executives from 100 countries.*

*Knoll, Steelcase, Haworth

Empowering employees through the work environment.Communication and collaboration can be enhanced through careful space planning that is focused on movement and flow. Taking advantage of a site’s natural features, such as access to natural daylight and views, improves occupants’ morale, energy, and mental functioning. The provision of carefully planned multi-functional social areas can improve productivity and reduce the real estate footprint, making them both practical and beneficial. Improved indoor air quality can positively affect an occupant’s health, alertness, and attitude.

Going beyond efficiency, towards effectiveness.One size does not fit all. Some individual work styles benefit from open, collaborative spaces, while others may benefit from a greater level of isolation at any given time. Providing isolation does not necessitate closed office space; often quiet and privacy can be achieved through position and orientation within an open plan.

Designing for affordable flexibility.The only constant is change; designing for affordable flexibility allows for both temporary and permanent change over time. It is difficult to predict how work styles, generational attitudes, business strategy, and technology will continue to drive change in workplace design. We know from experience that trends are ephemeral, so our approach to design both embodies a flexible attitude and seeks flexible solutions.

We are intensely collaborative.Our approach is not to design ‘for our client’ but rather to design ‘with our client’. We aim for collaborative workshops where ideas are generated and evaluated by the entire project team, not just the design team. We encourage our clients to be active participants in the design process rather than passive observers--decisions are made sooner; broader consensus is built among stakeholders; design decisions tend to stick over the long term, avoiding wasteful backtracking and rework; and the quality of the work is improved.

On-site 3D modeling from the earliest stages of conceptual design.We have developed modeling techniques that allow us to generate 3D concepts ‘live’ during interactive design workshops with our clients and other key stakeholders. The early use of 3D models allows the project stakeholders to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of various options. Even those who may not understand conventional design drawings can easily visualize from virtual 3D models. We use various types of 3D models throughout the conceptual design phase, from simple, multi-colored space models to complex models suitable for renderings and presentations.

Design is fundamentally an iterative process. As Thomas Edison suggested, the best way toget a great idea is to begin with many ideas. Our approach to 3D modeling enhances our ability to quickly generate meaningful, alternative solutions by transforming and building off of previous ideas. Through comparing multiple options, preferred design concepts naturally emerge, stakeholders make more reliable decisions, and long term consensus is strengthened.

Many corporations have highlighted a shift from the military-inspired, command-and-control organizational structures to the flexible, flat structures of today and tomorrow.

Ten years ago the average allocation of space per employee in the U.S. was 250 sq. ft. Today it’s 185-195 and projected to shrink to just over 150 sq. ft in 5 years.

©2015 CH2M HILLIAT013014054302PDX

East Coast Office400 Industry DriveSuite 100Pittsburgh, PA 15275USATel: 412.249.6495

West Coast Office2020 SW Fourth AvenueSuite 300Portland, OR 97201USATel: 503.736.4054

www.ch2m.com

About CH2M HILLEmployee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in full-service consulting, design, design-build, operations and program management services for public and private clients. With US$6.6 billion in revenue and over 26,000 employees worldwide, we deliver innovative, practical, sustainable solutions-helping clients develop and manage infrastructure and facilities that improve efficiency, safety and quality of life. CH2M HILL has long been recognized as an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm as ranked by Engineering News-Record (2013) and has been named a leader in sustainable engineering and environmental services providers by Verdantix.

Visit us at www.ch2mhill.com, twitter.com/ch2mhill and facebook.com/ch2mhill.