dialogue

Talking about… Workplace Revolution 2.0 The Changing Startups and Post-Startups Nature of Work Reinventing the Headquarters 22. Susan Cain and Sherry Turkle A Gensler publication 22 Features 2 2 Workplace Revolution 2.0 Twenty years into a revolution that workforce mobility trig- gered, the office workplace We should be designing is being transformed yet again. 10 work settings where First Person: Susan Chapman The American Express SVP on there’s an ability to pick workplace enablement and the importance of personal choice and choose how much to a workforce in 41 countries. 18 stimulation you want, Fringe Benefits Coworking spaces that help at any given time. Being independent workers network and collaborate are getting the able to shape your own attention of bigger companies. 24 space is hugely important. Up from Startups The new media/social media Susan Cain, author of the New York Times best seller Quiet sector grabbing the headlines is also transforming the tech industry workplace.

“A revolution in personal empowerment is under way,” the Street Journal 14 18 proclaimed. “In the marketplace, the largest and most durable opportunities are those based on freedom.” The topic was retailing, but it could just as well have been the office workplace. The first workplace revolution got us to the point where people can choose among a range of work settings to orchestrate their workdays. The second workplace revolution takes this further, responding to a mostly millennial workforce. Open-ended and experiential, the latest work settings encourage people to shape them as they use them. The aim is to engage and Join the Conversation empower, channeling all that personal energy into the business at hand. Follow our thought leaders ON THE COVER: at GenslerOn.com The Minneapolis office of the Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency (also shown above). opposite, clockwise from top: Departments NVIDIA, Austin; The Tower at PNC Plaza, ; 1871 coworking center, Chicago. 14 22 28 32 Case : PNC Tower Gensler’s Workplace Research Susan Cain and Sherry Turkle News + Views Could a breathe? This Now in its sixth year, the firm’s In separate books, these two A Tower update and question led Pittsburgh-based research generates insights that authors question the wisdom the debut of Gensler LA’s stun- PNC to reinvent the highrise are reshaping workplace design of the fully open-plan workplace ning new office and the World headquarters. to benefit clients and end-users. and always-on connectivity. Food Prize of Laureates. 2.0

By allison arieff

The workplace is ripe for reinvention.

As the millennial generation comes into its own in the workforce, the expectations for the workplace are changing. Here’s a report from the field on where it’s headed next.

The modern workplace has its roots in the a sense of urgency and excitement among It’s not that people are collaborating less, opposite: The new Plantronics technological revolution that ushered in these designers as they talk about their but rather that they’re distracted more. The headquarters in Santa Cruz, CA, encourages informality. mobility circa 1990. For more than 20 years, work—urgency because the problems they’re core WPI finding is that the inability to focus organizations have exploited innovations solving are crucial to clients, and excitement undermines performance in a broader sense. above: The Facebook head- in networks, computing, and communication because the paradigm is shifting as impor- The implication: focus is fundamental. quarters in Menlo Park, CA, lets people shape the space to to boost productivity and drive down costs. tant questions about the workplace are being meet their immediate needs. Parallel gains on the building side have answered. To capture the flavor of this dis- This flies in the face of the open, densely made for healthier, more sustainable work course, let’s look at six questions that came populated workplace that’s considered settings. The need to support innovation up the most. basic to supporting the informal interaction has produced flatter organizations and open, that spurs innovation. Will cubicles and pri- fluid, flexible work settings. Nirvana? Why the renewed focus on focus? vate offices soon make a comeback, despite A key finding of Gensler’s Workplace Perfor- their documented lack of utilization? “It’s Not quite. Conversations with the Gensler mance Index® (WPI®) surveys of US office about finding the right mix,” says Gensler’s workplace practice point to deficits, dilem- workers is that while collaboration is hugely Janet Pogue. “Most people’s work styles mas, and untapped opportunities. There’s important, the ability to focus is even more so. vary, even over the course of a day. You can

2 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 3 In many organizations today, individuals expect to work in an open- ended way, with a workplace to suit.

Across age groups, there’s a desire for choice and flexibility.

design spaces for varied activities without plays an important role in creat- sacrificing openness or density.” ing spaces for focus or collaboration, Macri says. “You need furniture that’s comfort- Facebook opted to go beyond open plan. able and varied. The move to smart devices With Gensler, it developed a deliberately means that workstations, in particular, can un-designed headquarters workspace that move away from the ‘knowledge worker’ reflects its flat organization. Not even the standard.” The new mix provides openness, CEO has a private office—everyone gets what but also inserts areas in its midst where amounts to a blank canvas and is asked to people can work without distraction. create an environment that suits. Desks are customizable and height-adjustable, and Can design really help spark innovation? there’s a choice of chairs. That the workspace The answer is yes, but not as conventional would be largely open was a given, says wisdom suggests. In abandoning the old Gensler’s Randy Howder. “The real issue was office paradigm of rows, , cubes, how to support different levels of privacy. and linear thinking, “there was a tendency We used screens, movable and otherwise, to to go with edginess for its own sake,” says modulate the open collaboration spaces.” Gensler’s Mandy Graham. To understand better how workplace design really supports The advertising agency 22squared took a innovation, she and her team began a dia- different tack, rebalancing the workspace in logue with a cross section of innovators. favor of more “we-space,” as Gensler’s Richard Macri calls it. “Working anytime and Take 3M, a company known for its system- anywhere is the norm now, so we provided atic commitment to invention. “There’s a a variety of shared spaces that support rigorous process to support it,” Graham says. work-mode choices.” By pairing them with a “The rhythm of that process is built into slightly denser workspace overall, 22squared the workplace. It’s both a platform and kept its costs in line. a creative tool, making it safe for people to

right: 22squared in Atlanta is designed to let different kinds of work occur without creating distraction.

4 5 70% of the US workforce is either not engaged or actively dis- engaged at work, according to a 2012 Gallup poll. This is why progressive workplace design emphasizes individual as well as team performance.

clockwise, from top left: Autodesk, San Francisco; BASF, Florham Park, NJ; TM Advertising, Dallas; Costa Rican headquarters of a take risks.” Or consider Whole Foods. Can change management change? European telecommunica- Right off the of its new headquarters Workplace change management “uses tions company, Escazu, CR. is a residential-style —a constant frequent advice and both practical and inspi- reminder of who benefits from the com- rational communication to take people pany’s innovations. Sporting goods maker from one reality to another,” says Gensler’s Wilson also re-created a retail setting in Johnathan Sandler. What is changing can its headquarters to help accelerate the run the gamut from minor to major, but product-development cycle by immersing engagement is key, his New York colleague its designers in the real world of their cus- Amanda Ramos stresses. Change man- tomers and end-users. agement is traditionally imposed on people. Today, though, Gensler is leveraging social A Gensler research team in San Francisco media to shift the frame from top-down to led by Lisa Bottom is asking how pervasive something that is more two-way and grass- computing and digitally “alive” materials— roots. “We call it change networking. When applied to , , and tables, for things are in flux, the fears that arise are example—could change the way the work- best countered through active discussion,” place supports creative work. “The technology Ramos says. “Social media makes that easier isn’t there yet,” she says, “but we need to because the people who are affected by anticipate how to incorporate it.” the changes can drive the conversation.”

6 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 7 Another approach is to use pilot programs, been on environmentally benign design and, as American Express did with its BlueWork in some cases, access to fitness centers. initiative. A pilot in New York let the company Meanwhile, our sedentary ways have been test and refine ideas, and then apply the fingered as a contributor to poor health. results. “It can be very challenging to get There’s a real cost to employers in lost pro- people to buy into new ideas. With a pilot ductivity and higher insurance premiums: program, you can address their issues directly, $80 million per year in the US alone, accord- along with the organization’s readiness and ing to McKinsey. Yet, as the Mayo Clinic capacity to change,” Sandler says. reports, just standing more and sitting less can help office workers shed considerable How do you bridge global and local? amounts of weight. Locational differences are partly about work style and partly about identity. The BlueWork “Wellness is becoming a priority in the program set out to address both, Sandler workplace,” says Gensler’s Janine Intonato. explains. Based on four predominant work Bayer Healthcare, for example, is taking a styles across American Express, it gives the holistic approach to wellness in its new company’s offices and business units the Whippany, NJ, campus. Among its features leeway to tailor each work setting to reflect are adjustable, sit-to-stand desks for each local preferences and reinforce team iden- of its 2,500 on-site employees, healthy menu tity. Yet it supports the American Express choices and nutritional snacks, indoor and brand through overall look-and-feel and outdoor walking trails, a stand-alone fitness performance. It also meets the company’s center, and bike parking and showers. real estate cost and space utilization targets— “Even the are designed to encourage in 41 different countries. people to skip the ,” Intonato says. The campus will include a medical suite Can a workplace make people healthier? with three exam , a lab, a nurse, and The desire for healthy work settings dates a part-time doctor. There will also be two back to concerns about indoor air quality in mothers’ suites, each with three nursing the 1980s. Most of the focus since then has rooms. While wellness aligns with Bayer

left: The Facebook headquar- ters is organized around an activated interior street that serves as a gathering place.

right: Outsell’s Minneapolis headquarters gives people the option of treadmill desks as a wellness measure.

8 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 9 FIRST PERSON Healthcare’s brand, others are not as familiar The idea is to get people to walk more— them—and even multiplied them—to be below: The Amgen headquar- with it, Intonato notes. She points them by locating printers or recycling bins at a closer to their markets. For Amgen, one of ters in Thousand Oaks, CA, is designed to give the global to the data. “It clearly shows that a healthy greater distance from their seats, for exam- the world’s leading biotech companies, glo- company a base with workplace is a great investment for our ple. Other measures include convening bal expansion made the “back to the future” an openness that encourages clients. It boosts morale and increases work- walking meetings that take place outside notion of having a real center appealing. people to interact informally. People Are place productivity.” and subsidizing bike commuting. Amgen also saw the value of its headquar- ters as a platform for transformation. the Core The staircase has emerged as a key part of In Washington, DC, Gensler is applying active the wellness strategy, says Gensler’s Cindy design to itself. An award-winning Active “This is a wider trend,” says Gensler’s Philip Coleman. “We design the staircase to be Design Week created awareness of the issue Tidd. “In Europe, for example, there are ‘thickly programmed’ with amenities, with activity zones for everything from jump- two megatrends happening simultaneously: Why “workplace enablement”? along the way, they will tend to revert back to what’s so people want to use them, but not just ing jacks to disco dancing, fitness classes at a growing number of companies are reclaim- comfortable. The changes can’t come as a surprise. to get from to floor.” An activated the end of every workday, and recommen- ing the headquarters as the home base and Susan Chapman: It comes down to people. Alternative staircase may have a coffee bar near a mid- dations for nearby eateries with healthy social nexus of their brand, values, and workplace environments usually come from a place of saving What role does technology play? point landing, or even serve as a casual food options. “We followed up with weekly culture; and a number of them are returning money. Part of the answer has to be around expense man- meeting place, with the steps designed to yoga and sports classes,” says Crespo. to the city center to have access to talent.” agement, but rather than thinking about it as just reducing SC: Technology drives workplace flexibility. We plan every double as bleacher-type seating. “Several clients have picked up the program For both, “headquarters are the first-choice expenses, we can also focus on having the right amount BlueWork project with our tech team at the table, because in their own workplace.” place to work for people and teams, despite of the right kind of space—space we can utilize to its maxi- the end-user experience is so important. If people decide Reimagining the stair is an aspect of what an abundance of other choices,” Tidd adds. mum potential. Our business units look to us to help them to work from home and the technology doesn’t work, they the US Green Building Council calls “active Does a headquarters still make sense? make more money. We’re demonstrating that they will do are going to be frustrated. We also have to deal with hard- design,” now a source of points that count Between a mobile workforce and the When Amgen first thought about its head- better when their people are involved and excited about ware and software defects as they come up. Getting people toward LEED certification, says Gensler’s often-global reach of many organizations, quarters, capacity was the issue. The company making the workplace work for them. from tragic to magic isn’t easy, but they’re happier when Cristina Crespo. The activated stair is part the role of the headquarters is in flux. believed its headquarters campus could be they know that if they have a problem, it will be solved. of the broader strategy of introducing Some companies have shrunk their head redeveloped to accommodate more people What led Amex to BlueWork? “intentional inefficiency” into the workplace. offices dramatically, while others have moved at less cost, and, more important, support Technology has become a strategic competency that drives SC: American Express is growing and the business is chang- revenue growth. It’s not just about enabling productivity. ing as we grow. We’re becoming more of a digital company, Companies like ours spend more on tech now, but we also so we need the speed that comes with that. Our projects spend more on the workplace. That’s because we’re com- American Express SVP Susan Chapman is in have shorter life cycles and we need to innovate faster. peting for tech talent, especially in places like Boston, New charge of “workplace enablement” for a global Also, dedicated office space is expensive. If we’re only get- York, and Silicon Valley. If you’re not a startup offering real estate portfolio that takes in 41 countries. ting 40 percent utilization, we’re leaving a lot of money on stock options, you have to think how you’re going to attract BlueWork, her company’s alternative workplace the table. So we asked ourselves if we could achieve higher the talent you need. The workplace can be a differentiator. guidelines program, lets its 65,000 employees utilization and meet our business goals more effectively. align their work settings with their individual We constantly rethink workplace flexibility, because people Are startups a benchmark for Amex? work styles. BlueWork has improved user satis- don’t sit in one place anymore. BlueWork gives them the faction, increased space utilization, and held ability to match work settings with their changing activities. SC: American Express isn’t a startup. Our work settings may down costs. Launched with pilot programs sup- reflect some aspects of the startup culture, but they’re ported by a constant flow of information, Making that work means thinking about each person from designed in direct response to our brand and our business BlueWork has taken hold. “We’re only as strong A to Z. We ask them what, where, and with whom they needs. Startup offices are usually open plan because it’s as our workforce,” Chapman says, and American work. What do they need to get their work done and have less expensive. Also, when you’re in startup mode, collabo- Express agrees: BlueWork recently prevailed it be a positive experience? It’s often the small things ration is the name of the game. You don’t want anyone over 300 competing entries to win the company’s that keep people from being productive. They can’t access behind closed . One of our industry peers is in the pro- prestigious Chairman’s Award for Innovation. what they need or find a place to meet with someone. cess of implementing an entirely open-plan workplace. BlueWork put American Express on the path of thinking That’s not us. Enabling our people means recognizing their differently about that. It’s helped loosen the formality and different work styles. BlueWork provides a mix of offices, controls. It’s the right moment for it—the company is open plan, drop-down areas, conference rooms, and other ripe for competition, so the business case is easier to make. settings. It’s designed to support the life cycle of each per- son’s experience. An all-open-plan workplace can’t do that. Part of the BlueWork journey is getting into people’s hearts and minds so they embrace it rather than feeling that Allison Arieff, who interviewed Susan Chapman, writes Key Facts it’s being imposed on them. Unless you keep them informed for the New York Times, Wired, and the Atlantic Cities. and Insights

Aligning work styles with flexible work settings and giving people 1 choices are key to supporting them cost-effectively on a global basis.

Technology is critical to people’s workplace experience. Technology 2 drives revenue growth; it’s not just about enabling productivity.

American Express provides a variety of settings to support the different ways of working across its 65,000-person global workforce. They range from soft seating areas (above, left) to unassigned offices (above, right). Café settings serve as social hubs. Highly flexible, BlueWork is designed to change easily as work styles evolve. It can also be tailored to local preferences and business unit identities within the company’s overall brand and standards.

10 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 11 new work styles in the context of a global company, operating 24/7.

“Synergy is a big issue for Amgen,” says Gensler’s Barbara Bouza. “The need for it drove the design.” She and her team devel- oped a pilot project to move the global headquarters workspace toward a more fluid model with different levels of openness and flexibility. A sophisticated rezoning strategy supports both on-the-fly collaboration as well as focus work. Within Amgen’s culture, people have much more latitude today about how, when, and where they work—on their own and with their campus colleagues and global peers. What the pilot project gives them is a work environment that lets them fully leverage this flexibility.

“The broader trend is that people expect to be treated as individuals,” says Gensler’s Diane Hoskins. “They bring more of what used to be considered ‘outside life’ to the workplace.” The millennial generation is more explicit about this, but it shares with older peers a preference for working in an open- ended way. This is why even companies that are “very metrics-driven,” as Bouza de- scribes Amgen, are equally concerned now with the intangibles, the qualities that they can’t measure as easily, but are recog- nizably no less important.

The metrics aren’t going away. “This isn’t about reviving the private office,” Hoskins says. “It’s about giving each person the ability to navigate the workday and orches- trate the workplace to suit changing needs. If it’s designed well, the metrics will be just fine.” Providing choice and flexibility serves larger goals like supporting com- munity and hitting sustainability targets. “The work settings that result may look radically different, but they share an under- lying logic.”

Allison Arieff edits SPUR’s magazine, The Urbanist, and writes on design and society for Wired and many other publications.

right: Amenity goes hand-in- hand with informal gathering and conversation at Edelman’s London office.

12 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 13 OPEN POSITION CASE STUDY

PNC’s new headquarters in Pittsburgh A BREATH OF FRESH AIR reflects the pioneering spirit of a company that makes sustainability integral to its brand, saying, “It’s the right thing to do.”

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has an the tower’s lead designer. Considering the outsized impact, with a real estate portfolio building’s location in Pittsburgh, where that ranges from bank branches to office and winters are harsh and summers are hot and mixed-use towers. As Gary Saulson notes, humid, that was a startling revelation. sustainability has been a PNC priority since 1998. Saulson, an EVP and director of cor- Making this work takes a unique — porate real estate, is leading his company’s a high-performance system of operable latest and greatest venture into sustainable panels that are controlled by an automated design—its new headquarters in downtown system. Under ideal weather conditions— Pittsburgh, The Tower at PNC Plaza. what Ko calls a “net zero day”—large air WHAT IF on the exterior open automatically, “Our marching orders were to drive perfor- signaling that the tower is breathing. When mance to a new level,” says project director the gates open, air will fill a vented cavity Doug Gensler, who has worked closely and sliding panels can be opened by build- with Saulson on PNC’s sustainable building ing occupants to access fresh air. A BUILDING initiatives, including the new tower. Aiming On moderate days when outside for a “highly rational, highly analytical Air will flow into the building with the aid air provides comfort to occupants, approach to the tower’s design,” Gensler of an additional design feature: a the air gates open. teamed with engineers Buro Happold and . In a conventional highrise, an open green-building consultants Paladino & Co. window would cause air to be pushed out COULD of the building by the positive air pressure Rising 33 stories near the confluence of the inside. Opening a window in the PNC tower, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, The however, will draw air into the building. CLOSED POSITION Tower at PNC Plaza symbolizes PNC’s com- People inside will quickly feel a pleasant mitment to the city. Plans for the tower change in air temperature. BREATHE? embrace three broad strategies that guide The solar chimney draws air upward and exhausts it at the top, decision-making and forge an integrated “It’s like a breathing machine,” Ko explains. pulling fresh air through the open windows at each floor. By vernon mays solution: responding to the climate, driving Here’s how it works: Just inside the tower’s organizational productivity, and contribut- angled glass is a massive concrete pad. ing to the Pittsburgh community. As sunlight warms the concrete, air inside the space heats up and vents out through A VERTICAL COMMUNITY Breaking new ground meant going beyond a high in the mechanical penthouse. standard solutions. This led the designers Warm air vacating the building creates to question the conventions of the modern an updraft in shafts that go down to each office tower. Could the building’s windows floor, pulling cool air through the office open to bring in fresh air? Could they apply space. “In this mode, there are no fans,” he passive cooling and heating strategies at adds. “It’s a fully passive system driven by a highrise scale? Most provocatively, what the sun’s heat.” In the winter, warm air in the THE if the tower itself could breathe? chimney will be recirculated to help heat the building. Responding to climate NEIGHBORHOODS To lessen the building’s energy dependence, Incorporating local materials into the tower the design team integrated several passive will raise its sustainability quotient while strategies. They configured the tower to showcasing the natural abundance of west- maximize southern exposure and trimmed ern . Interior details for the the lease span to 35 feet. These two moves window system, for example, incorporate created the optimal geometry to bring local white oak. Gensler’s design team also daylight deep into the workspace, minimiz- is working with PPG, a Pittsburgh-based ing the need for electric lights. They also glass manufacturer, to develop the first heat- set the stage for a third strategy: a breath- insulating coating for glass to be used in able outer skin that gives people the ability North America. LOBBY to open windows and bring fresh air inside. “Climate analysis showed that occupant Two and half years ago, PNC committed comfort in the building could be satisfied by to lowering its energy costs by 30 percent Retail and community facilities occupy the base, with 12 opening a window 42 percent of the work- over a 10-year period. The company’s already “neighborhoods” stacked in the center, and the upper On days when heating or cooling is sharing the five-story “porch.” The angled mechanical floor required, the façade is shut tight. ing hours in a year,” says Gensler’s Hao Ko, almost halfway there, Saulson notes, and is a key functional element of the building’s solar chimney.

14 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 15 CASE STUDY

PERFORMANCE GAINS DOUBLE-SKIN FAÇADE EXTERIOR WALL TYPES

Passive mode Fresh air enters when sliding 42% is opened Portion of total working hours that the building can operate in passive natural ventilation mode.

Mechanical cooling mode Summer heat stays outside, 91% radiant cooling inside Portion of total floor area that can be naturally day- lit if illuminance levels are expanded to 150 lux.

Mechanical heating mode Double wall insulates, radiant DOUBLE-SKIN 50% heat and fresh air flow inside FAÇADE THIN DOUBLE WALL Reduction in energy use that will be achieved with innovative MEP systems

and passive strategies.* As the seasons pass, the double-skin façade functions in differ- The fully operable, double-skin wall is strategically placed next * compared with ASHRAE 90.1 2007 baseline ent modes to maximize natural heating and cooling. to areas where employees spend most of their focus time.

As the building’s energy performance is being pushed to new AN OPEN-AIR “PORCH” PRIME MEETING SPACE PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION limits, the design team also is enhancing the tower’s ability to drive workplace performance.

the tower is a big part of the strategy. “It “neighborhoods,” each one shared by two the tower and a symbol of the building’s it visually to the surrounding cityscape. raises the bar. Like everything we do, it’s de- single-story office floors. Twelve of these ambitious energy goals. Planned to open in 2015, PNC’s bold new signed for functionality, purpose, and pay- neighborhoods comprise the majority of the tower will bring economic benefits and a back. We’re not doing it just to be different.” tower. “From a workplace standpoint, the Strengthening the community renewed spirit of innovation to Pittsburgh’s neighborhood is a great addition,” says Doug Beyond satisfying its internal programmatic downtown core. For PNC, it’s all part of Performance with people in mind Gensler. “By creating an open, two-story needs, PNC is committed to the role it being a good neighbor. As it pushes energy performance to new space, we bring people together and allow plays in making Pittsburgh a better place, limits, the design team is also focusing on them to connect vertically between depart- driving growth and business development Vernon Mays is a contributing editor at driving workplace performance. “We want ments.” Amenities of the neighborhoods, downtown. From an aesthetic point of view, Architect magazine and a senior editor at to make it a place where people want to go such as conference rooms and communal the tower—with its distinctive Gensler based in Richmond, VA. to work,” says Saulson. Office floors will tables, provide a variety of workplaces and landscaping—will complement the be organized in a horseshoe arrangement, while facilitating creativity, innovation, and city’s skyline and add a creative element to with workstations and enclosed offices for a sense of community. the blocks defining the site. The building focus work along the north, east, and south will also support downtown’s evolution into walls. The collaborative spaces will face west, The idea of the community space is carried a 24/7 center of activity. capturing the best views. Locating them a step further in the top five floors, which FOCUS COLLABORATION there also creates a low-energy buffer for the overlook an open-air . Ko envisioned Good urban design is valued highly. “PNC office floors. the space as an exterior “porch” that will doesn’t want the tower to be a fortress,” The top of the tower features an open-air atrium that will Large conference rooms (top) and open collaboration spaces Locating collaboration spaces to the west orients each floor provide an experience much like sitting in a says Ko. To engage the street, it has retail above, from left: Two-story neighborhoods with shared amenities connect pairs of office floors, attract people from throughout the building. (bottom) will give employees opportunities to enjoy the views toward the best views, but more important, these spaces are a The architectural potential of these west- park—albeit a park that overlooks the city. on the ground floor and the base of the overlooking the exterior “porch.” low-energy buffer for the remainder of the floor plate. clearly expressing the stacked neighborhoods facing spaces benefits from double-height The space will function as a destination in tower makes a transition in scale that ties on the tower’s west façade.

16 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 17 A third of US workers are independent, and their numbers are growing. As more of them opt for work settings that support collaboration and networking, mainstream companies are paying attention.

The ranks of independent workers—free- drawing a scene of independent workers has a compelling desire and reason to be opposite: Venables, Bell & lancers, the self-employed, consultants, and who perk out on the hotel’s artistic atmo- here. There’s no place to run or hide.” Partners, the San Francisco advertising agency, has inte- contractors—swell in recessions, but lately, sphere and free wireless. On the other grated a coworking space into their growth reflects an entrepreneurial end of the spectrum, dedicated coworking The right space can encourage interaction its offices to nurture talent. surge of startups and sole proprietorships. spaces are emerging for midsize startups and support productivity. Between 10,000 above: Blackstone Group’s In search of supportive places to work that want to hang on to the communal and 20,000 square feet is ideal, Dufner coworking demo floor helps it beyond home offices and Internet cafés, benefits and low overhead of the informally says—big enough to feel spacious without market 229 West 43rd Street they’re driving the emergence of a new cat- shared settings they’ve outgrown. Even discouraging sociability. Openness and in Manhattan to tenants. egory of workspace: coworking. large companies are getting into the act. privacy have to be balanced, though. In Grand Rapids, MI, four large but non- Grind’s new spaces will incorporate privacy Unlike accelerators, incubators, and mobil- competing companies developed Grid70 as without exclusivity, Dyett says. “We want ity centers, coworking space “focuses on a shared “design hub” that gives each a ideas to flow and innovation to be nur- community to attract the diversity that inter- creative boost. Nesting development teams tured; barriers can literally stop that flow.” disciplinary collaboration requires,” says in coworking space is seen as a way to To minimize vocal distraction, Grind coun- Gensler’s Sonya Dufner. The concept dates hasten innovation. ters it with “pink noise”—low-level sound back to 2005, when San Francisco’s Brad generated at the same frequency as the Neuberg moved his on-demand workplace Building community human voice to keep real conversations for freelancers to the Hat Factory to found Although coworking space is often used on contained and unobstrusive. the first coworking operation. Today, there a first-come, first-served basis, Dufner says are more than 500 coworking locations in that those with a curated membership work Technology can also connect. Grind’s online the US and some 1,300 worldwide. better, since a balanced set of skills and marketplace, Agora, helps members find interests accelerates their synergy. Grind, each other. A gallery of 12 LCD screens dis- fringe The economics of coworking are not unlike a successful collaborative workspace in plays member content and a flat-screen the mobility-friendly workplace: most people Manhattan, has grown through referral, monitor in the café highlights their skills. benefits don’t need a desk at all times. The leverage invitation, and application. Now Gensler is Events are another community-builder. By YUKI BOWMAN of desk-and-equipment sharing means that helping Grind expand, with new branches Grind’s monthly—and public—speaker series, 72 percent of coworking spaces are profit planned in New York and . Says #Rethink, is recorded and uploaded to able after two years. A few, like the lobby of cofounder Benjamin Dyett, “It’s important a Vimeo channel. A full-time “experience ’s Ace Hotel, are free of charge, in an open-space environment that everyone director” keeps it all moving.

18 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 19 Jumpstarting a new industry community at Fifth and Mission streets, Government is investing in coworking as it along the city’s downtown transit corridor. looks to spur economic growth. Chicago’s “The Hub promotes values that connect newly opened 1871, designed by Gensler, its coworking community in a different way,” is a nonprofit collaborative tech hub that’s says Forest City Senior Vice President Alexa partly supported by a $2.3 million grant Arena. “It’s not just about sharing space from the State of Illinois—seed money to and hard resources, but about the cross- spawn new industry. Named for the year of pollination that builds capacity for improving rebirth after the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 the world.” For example, the Hub sponsors caters to the city’s unique breed of socially a lively series of do-it-yourself events active tech startups. This drives its hybrid and roundtables, inviting its members to character: part incubator and part coworking get involved in programming the space— space, 1871 reflects many of the values a model that can work for 5M as well. and design elements that make other com- munal workplaces tick. The synergy in the Hub’s two-story, 20,000- square-foot space is palpable. Surrounding Says Carlos Martinez, who led the design, each floor’s shared work area are small offices “1871 suggests things in the making.” Its that the startups, venture capitalists, Merchandise Mart setting is the ideal back- trainers, consultants, and nonprofits that drop. The 50,000-square-foot space “has feed into the entire community. Gensler an industrial feel that encourages people to worked with Forest City to explore how a make it their own,” he adds. “They can do similar dynamism could be cultivated at the what they really want and need to do.” urban scale. Flexibility, mobility, and transparency are achieved with reconfigurable furniture, Arena believes that the Hub’s growth and robust technology, and glass partitions that energy will also benefit 5M: “We definitely allow light to penetrate the space. see companies that could expand within and emerge from the Hub, so we’re thinking The design is playful—Martinez calls it a about how this ecosystem can play out at “hackable” aesthetic—but it’s also carefully the scale of the development.” planned for its different users. There are suites for universities and investment groups. As Arena notes, “Ultimately, the Hub and Parts of the incubator area have startup 5M are asking the same question: how can suites and reserved workstations, while place be a tool for people to build com- other parts support on-demand coworking munity?” The answer is to provide a mix in various configurations. “Not everyone of spaces that maximize interactions has the same work habits, so you have to let and shared experiences among the differ- people find their comfort zone,” he says. ent tenants and the surrounding city: The lobby and café bring the entire commu- the coworking strategy at an urban scale. nity together for socializing and events— UK Prime Minister David Cameron dropped As this suggests, coworking space is the in during a break in the NATO Conference “physical manifestation of social media,” in Chicago in May, drawing a crowd. Dufner believes. “It allows the breadth of our digital networks to deepen through Catalyzing the city shared experience.” If technology lets peo- The ability to encourage economic growth ple work independently, outside traditional and serendipity makes collaborative work- organizational structures, then coworking places a powerful placemaking tool, a key space gives them the possibility of coming role of the Hub, a coworking community back together to create something radi- in San Francisco’s 5M. As envisioned by cally new. Forest City, 5M is a mixed-use development that will join entrepreneurs, social vision- Yuki Bowman is a San Francisco–based aries, nonprofits, arts organizations, food writer and 2012 architecture resident at vendors, and artisan “makers” in a 4-acre Marin’s Headlands Center for the Arts.

right: Chicago’s 1871 calls itself a coworking community. Illinois invested $2.3 million in the project to jumpstart new industry in the region.

20 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 21 U SER-BASED P LACE-BASED C LIENT-BASED RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH

With over 80,000 survey responses from They overwhelmingly prefer working alone Gensler’s Activity Analysis—an ethnographic considerations earlier in the design pro- To understand the issues that clients face, to virtual conferencing. WPI surveys of law THE more than 140 organizations, Gensler’s to working in groups. When they were research tool that delivers data on the cess. Gensler’s Environmental Mapping the business drivers and trends that impact firms support this: lawyers are collaborat- Workplace Performance Index (WPI) gives asked about effective study space, “quiet” occupancy and use of space—brings a dif- tool and online database of LEED-certified them, and the ways that they measure the ing more, but use their offices, not their our clients unique insights on the work- rose to the top. ferent perspective. We know that in the projects is helping our teams deliver location- value and performance of their work set- conference rooms, to do so. place. It provides before-and-after data on average workplace, individual workspaces specific climate, material, and certification tings, our research engages client executives POWER OF specific projects and comparative data Corroborating our research findings for are occupied only 55 percent of the time data to inform sustainable design decisions and senior-level decision-makers. The con- A recent survey of corporate real estate about sector peers. The WPI shows that office workers and students, the importance on average. For clients looking to make their and discussions. sulting practice, for example, researched executives at financial services firms found workspace effectiveness drives job satisfac- of focus work and the power of the intro- spaces more efficient, knowing how and the impact of the workplace on innovation that cost per square foot, square feet per tion. How well the individual workspace vert have captured recent media attention. how often the spaces are being used means In the coming year, Gensler researchers are by interviewing executives charged with employee, and percentage vacancy are the D ESIGN supports heads-down, focused tasks is the Our data confirms many of these argu- their decisions are more informed and combining observational, literature, and fostering innovation at their companies. This top metrics by which they measure real strongest predictor of a workplace’s over- ments, but more important, helps point us have a greater chance of success. Looking demographic research with conceptual research revealed that the creative process estate and workplace performance. When all effectiveness as reported by employees. toward future strategies and design solu- at our Activity Analysis data over time, design solutions to speculate on the future mixes concentrated work with interaction. asked the greatest challenge faced in man- RESE Support of focus work also affects their tions. Space to focus is essential, but that we’re also seeing a distinct rise in the levels interaction between work and the city. Ideas arise unpredictably, and the settings aging their workplace portfolio, the ability ability to collaborate, learn, and socialize. doesn’t mean we should all be working of virtual collaboration. From 2010 to 2011, Another team is considering the workplace that balance focus with collaboration are to obtain reliable data came first. A follow- By tim pittman alone. Visual contact with others from for example, the percentage of meetings from the perspective of health and wellness, the most effective. up survey found that these cost-centric Consistent with what we’re learning from one’s workspace drives levels of organiza- with at least one virtual participant rose from asking how we can design work settings metrics persist because workforce engage- office workers, a Gensler survey of 250+ tional commitment. 40 percent to almost 70 percent among to promote healthier lifestyles. The professional services firm practice held ment and productivity are still hard to university and college students tells us that professional service firms that we observed. a roundtable with senior executives from measure. Gensler-developed tools like WPI, while collaboration is important, focused To explore this dynamic further, Gensler is To support that level of virtual interaction, Still other researchers are looking at top-ranking international law firms to under- Activity Analysis, and 4-1-Where aim to work is how they spend the majority of their planning a new US-wide office workplace offices need to integrate more and more technological innovation from a human per- stand how the changes they see in the bridge that gap. time. The survey considered how college survey, the results of which should provide seamless virtual collaboration technology, spective, asking how workplace design can global business environment will impact the students—soon to be workers themselves— a better understanding of the ways that and not just in meeting rooms but at desks more effectively integrate the increasing way they work and the space they need. Tim Pittman is Gensler’s research commu- This year, Gensler is funding 19 research use and experience on-campus settings. workplace design enhances individual and where many of these interactions take place. number of tools that support and define our One unexpected finding is that despite cost nications manager, based in New York. projects, the most in its history. Work and Initial findings suggest that the popular organizational performance. work lives. pressure and a new emphasis on teamwork, image of an ultra-social cohort is a myth. Our Commercial Office and enclosed offices persist. What’s new is the workplace are both important empha- Students reported that working alone takes Consulting practices used research to cre- the expectation that the office will serve ses of the program. The deliberately up the largest proportion of their time. ate tools to help document sustainability multiple purposes, from small team meetings broad scope of qualitative and quantitative research efforts encompassed by the program makes its findings robust and nuanced. It also benefits from our proprie- tary survey and observational research tools, as well as from the breadth and depth 48% 71% 45% 75% 70% 87% of our market exposure. of the average US office workday is spent of college-aged students prefer studying is the average office space utilization rate is the increase in virtual collaboration in US of the collaboration in law firms occurs in of US CRE executives use cost/square foot doing focused work alone to studying with others among US organizations law firms from 2010 to 2011 attorneys’ offices, not in meeting rooms as a key measure of portfolio performance

Our research gives us an in-depth under- standing of how people’s interactions with the workplace enhance or diminish their satisfaction, sense of engagement, and per- formance. What we learn validates, informs, and challenges the knowledge and assumptions we bring to workplace design, helping to ensure it supports client goals.

Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA. Boston Consulting Group, New York. TM Advertising, Dallas.

22 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 23 The rise of social networking FROM companies and their offshoots UP STARTUPS is newsworthy all by itself.

By allison arieff Behind the headlines is another story: how they’re transforming the tech industry workplace.

The story line is better known now than distinct preferences of a young workforce: campuses is on some companies’ radar David Packard’s : Young entrepre- raw and nonhierarchical spaces, for example, screens. Once people are at work, there are neurs start a company in their dorm—or at and generous amenities. There’s nothing lots of inducements for them to stay—from a café or a coworking space. Soon, they buttoned-down about these settings. On the varied dining options to on-site day care need space to grow. By necessity, it’s casual contrary, they’re geared toward preserving and health care. and inexpensive, thrown together from every last bit of the freewheeling ambition IKEA. Fast-forward and some of these com- that got them where they are. On the flip side, the real urban core is panies are on a growth tear, with hundreds attractive to some social-media companies. if not thousands of people. Those startup Given that the social-media sector contin- Millennial workers, the majority of the days are in the past, but the impulse that got ues to expand its scope, scale, and reach, social-media workforce, have expressed a them going—the fast-moving culture that the work settings these companies are now preference for living in town in opinion sur- first set them on fire—remains very much putting in place are unlikely to be the last veys. San Francisco’s Mid-Market and in mind. They don’t want to lose it. word in where the trend is going. Yet it’s South of Market districts are hotly competed possible to discern some common themes. for by social-media companies, an experi- In this era of social media and Web 2.0, the ence replicated in other cities. To identify challenge of maintaining excitement and Urban, even if suburban suitable office space for them in urban tech dynamism in the workplace is an impera- Many of these companies still opt for cam- hubs, Gensler has developed a geographic tive. But how do these companies reconcile pus settings, but the way they inhabit them information system (GIS)-based query tool. the pace of bricks-and-mortar with the is much transformed: the feel is definitely Another new Gensler tool helps social- pace of innovation? “Tech is fast, and real urban, even if the location isn’t. Unlike tra- media companies track their employees’ estate is slow,” says Gensler’s Joan Price. ditional suburban campuses, these new preferences for amenities and proximity to “Trying to resolve that conundrum is what’s ones have a Jane Jacobs–like streetscape transit and other urban must-haves. driving the social-media workplace.” ambience, with lots of activities along the ground plane. Movement is encouraged, Dense, but open-ended Social-media companies, including those as Gensler’s Randy Howder notes. “The From an organizational standpoint, social- structured around social media and others amount of places people check into every media companies are built on transparency that depend on its existence, dismiss the day is astonishing.” There is parking, but and trust. Top-down is out and dialogue Olson, headquartered in trappings of more traditional businesses. shuttles are provided—often with generous and coaching are in. They see employees as Minneapolis, is a “post-ad agency” whose work lever- But that’s not to say they haven’t defined incentives not to drive. Getting new hous- fellow entrepreneurs, not as workers to be ages social engagement. new trappings of their own that reflect the ing built within walking distance of their controlled. This ethos, which is absolutely

24 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 25 reflected in the social-media workspace, can’t be static,” says Price. “If it’s too famil- ing existing urban and suburban properties results in settings that are denser than the iar, that’s a signal that innovation is flagging.” the more frequent option. typical tech workspace. Openness is the Yet—hoodies, food trucks, and fixed-gear norm. Howder notes, “One challenge is to bikes aside—this is not zaniness for its own If there’s an overarching commonality to find the right balance between open-plan, sake. These companies mean business. the social-media workplace, it’s about sup- collaborative settings, which predominate, porting broader goals than innovation and places where people can hide away.” From a real estate perspective, social-media and speed-to-market. While these remain Social-media space is highly flexible to the companies are still better known for taking absolutely critical, there’s an ethos in social- point of being open-ended. “The expecta- over existing workspace, buildings, and media companies—perhaps reflecting the tion is that people will constantly reshape campuses than for developing their own. boundary blurring of their young work- it,” he explains. “It can’t be overdesigned.” That may change, of course, as these force—that goes beyond them to emphasize companies continue to grow and mature. self-expression and self-fulfillment. Expressive by design The millennial workforce that’s so associ- At every scale—individual to communal— ated with them is also maturing—there’s a Allison Arieff writes for the New York a loose, varied, often playful, and always postmillennial generation right behind them. Times, Wired, and the Atlantic Cities and eye-catching visual expression is the norm. The relatively youthful profile of these edits SPUR’s Urbanist. Again, the effect is urban street, not art companies may impact the office building/ museum. The artists are young and local. campus template in the future, but that There’s nothing precious about the work, remains to be seen. Right now, the ability either—nothing that says it’s forever. “It to get up to speed quickly makes repurpos-

Social engagement is about creative self-expression, which these companies actively encourage as a force for innovation.

opposite: Local artists helped set the tone at Facebook’s Menlo Park, CA, campus.

clockwise, from top: The AT&T Foundry, Palo Alto, CA; PeerMusic, Burbank, CA; NVIDIA, Austin.

26 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 27 CONVERSATION

“We should be Stressed Out designing spaces by Openness

where there’s Key Facts achieve. It should be that the minute you need to work and Insights alone or in a quieter place, you can. You shouldn’t have to an ability to pick jump through a bunch of hoops to be able to do so. I realize this makes me seem antiquated, but I don’t under- Both extroverts and introverts find stand why the private, personal office has fallen so greatly and choose how the openness of the modern out of favor. I think there’s been a massive overcorrection. 1 workplace a source of distraction, Steve Jobs famously designed Pixar so that, just to go to but introverts suffer more from it. the restroom, you had to pass through a big open atrium much stimulation where you would run into people. That’s a great idea, but Innovation is best served by letting why can’t you couple it with some sense of privacy? There people choose openness or quiet should be ways to design the workplace so you have more you want.” 2 and allowing them feel at ease and of a choice to work in an open area or in quieter places— able to be themselves. in the nooks and crannies.

SUSAN CAIN So did you write your best seller at home?

Susan Cain struck a chord with Quiet, Openness is the “new normal” today. Why? SC: This is the funny thing: I wrote my entire book in a her best seller, which criticizes the mod- café. I felt isolated just sitting at home and working. But— ern workplace. Not everyone is served Susan Cain: It starts with the widely shared belief that and this is the challenge for companies—there’s a huge by its openness, she argues. In fact, creativity and productivity emerge from a gregarious place. difference between the environment of the café and an open a sizable percentage of the workforce There’s a sense that more and more work should be done space within a company. The essence of café life is free- finds it thwarting. through group work and through collaboration. While those dom. You’re free to come and go as you please; you’re free things are great and valuable, I think we have gone a little to sit on the margins, seeing but not being seen. Nobody A self-described introvert, Cain is a for- haywire with it. The US workplace reflects that—more than can tap you on the shoulder and pull you into a meeting, mer lawyer and negotiations consultant. 70 percent of offices are open plans. Most people I encoun- a team-building session, or an office social event. Her February 2012 TED Conference ter, including extroverts, are really not happy with the talk, repackaged as a TED video, gar- open-plan workspace. They feel that it’s too noisy and dis- If openness isn’t the key to innovation, what is? nered its first million hits faster than tracting, that there’s no chance for personalization, and no any other. privacy. It’s worse for introverts than extroverts. And that’s SC: I believe the key to innovation is spaces where people something to pay attention to, because introverts are a feel accepted for who they are, and are comfortable and third to a half of the population. emotionally safe, so they’re not using up any excess energy on anything besides thinking and exchanging ideas. For Introverts experience openness differently? example, look at offices where you can bring your dog to work. In that setting, a dog is more than a pet, it’s a symbol SC: Introverts are more sensitive to stimulation than extro- that says that this is a place where anything goes, where verts. In one study, the psychologist Russell Geen gave you can be yourself and think up outlandish ideas. Symbols math problems to introverts and extroverts to solve, with like that are important, and that extends into physical set- varying levels of background noise. He found that the tings where you can make choices. Being able to shape and introverts did better when the noise was lower, and the extro- personalize your own space is hugely important. verts did better when the noise was higher. Other studies show that it’s actually harder to develop personal connec- Is online collaboration a work-around for introverts? tions, especially trusting relationships, in open-plan offices, because you can’t have a conversation without being SC: A few years ago I would have said the online world is overheard. You can’t confide in people. clearly more comfortable for introverts. It gives them a way to connect and express your ideas. But social media What does this imply for workplace design? increasingly are becoming more about self-presentation and less about the exploration of ideas. Having said that, SC: We should be designing spaces where there’s an ability I’m actually optimistic about the role of online collabora- to pick and choose how much stimulation you want, at tions. Research shows that electronic brainstorming actually any given time. Serious flexibility is crucial. We need more works better than in-person brainstorming, because it of a choice to either work in a big, open clattery area, frees people from the distortions of group dynamics that or in quieter places, in nooks and crannies. A lot of compa- often set in when they connect face to face. When you’re nies nowadays have quiet rooms, but usually they’re few talking about groups coming together to solve a problem or and far between, and so they’re in huge demand. You have innovate, so many problems with group dynamics are to book them hours or days in advance, which is actually solved by working online that I feel like we should be pay- counterproductive to what those rooms are supposed to ing more attention to that particular usage.

28 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 29 CONVERSATION

Slow is the “We measure New Fast success by

Key Facts If the company rewards them for this behavior, it’s not emails or texts and Insights going to change. Slowing things down often means taking a major look at company values. answered— At a personal level, overconnectedness erodes the capacity Being overconnected turns multi- for solitude—to gather oneself and concentrate without tasking into a habit, but research anxiety. It’s what enables creativity and relationship. Without metrics that 1 shows that when people multitask it, we turn to other people to make us feel less alone, less their performance degrades. anxious. In that situation, we can’t really learn who they are. We may try to collaborate, but we’re really looking for don’t mean Overconnectivity erodes the soli- validation. That state of mind does not make us ideal collab- tary reflection that fuels creativity orators. So encouraging solitude rather than frenzied 2 and relationship. Don’t just con- isolation is part of slowing down. anything at all.” nect, Turkle says. Converse. We also have to learn to substitute conversation for mere connection. We need to retrain ourselves to recognize the SHERRY TURKLE difference. The most important thing about conversation, Alone Together, Sherry Turkle’s latest Are we really overconnected? if we take a long view of it, is that we’re having a conversa- book, argues that always-on commu- tion with ourselves, too. It teaches us self-reflection in a nication is making us overconnected, Sherry Turkle: Yes. People text at meetings now, even at way that all those online tweets and texts do not. hindering our ability to focus and to corporate board meetings. Being able to text while making collaborate. Her advice: slow it down! eye contact with the person you’re with is an important Is online connectivity ever a good thing? new skill. It’s hard, but it can be done. A businessman I Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller know, who sits on many important boards, unapologetically ST: Online tools are good for sharing documents among Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies does his email during their meetings. He’s a member of collaborators who are editing or commenting on each oth- of Science and Technology at MIT, a “tribe of one,” he says, and only he knows what’s best for er’s work. This works best when the collaborators know where she also directs the Initiative his tribe. But “tribes of one” cost us our sense of being in each other, because there’s less chance of being misunder- on Technology and Self. a community. stood. There’s also more trust and with it more leeway to go back and forth. So, for a new team without that familiar- Overconnectivity means that we’ve become habituated to ity, it’s better initially to opt for face-to-face interaction, multitasking. We do it in our office environments. We are because every tweak may come with a long explanation. almost punished if we don’t do it in our office environments. But research shows clearly that our performance degrades Another good use of electronic connectedness is what might for every task we multitask. We have to take this lesson to be called broadcasting—when you have a complicated heart. There are some things that simply cannot be multi- piece of messaging that needs to go out to a large group tasked. These tend to be the most important ones, the ones and has to be carefully worded, but does not call for con- that require thinking things through to the end. versation with the recipients. Related to that are the “handshake” email that affirms consensus on a question that We ramp up the volume and velocity of our exchanges to a the parties have fully discussed, and emailed notes that point where we can only respond to each other by email are for review only, face-to-face discussion to follow. Every or text. We measure success by emails or texts answered— use of email that prepares people for getting together in metrics that don’t mean anything at all. Always-on connec- a more constructive way later is helpful. tivity encourages instant answers, dumbing down our exchanges. This is not good. We live in an ever more com- What isn’t helpful is a constant barrage of comments. We plex world, as we say, but our communication culture leads need to ramp down the volume and velocity of electronic us to go for the simple and the glib, just to have things communication, which is why my very favorite email along move faster. Instead, we should all be slowing things response is one that says, “I’m thinking.” This sends a very down, intentionally and mindfully. powerful message. I like to watch it go viral.

How do you slow things down? Andrew Blum, who interviewed Susan Cain and Sherry Turkle, is the author of Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the ST: Start with food. Make it against company policy to take Internet and a contributing editor at Wired magazine. lunch at your desk. Then work up to more serious dimen- sions of company culture. Why do people feel they are more productive when they’re walled off into tribes of one?

30 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 31 upwa rd spiral T HE shanghai tower NEWS+VIEWS P udong, shanghai

Targeted completion 2015

When it is built and open, In June 2012, construction of the Shanghai the Shanghai Tower will Tower, the world’s second-tallest building, be the tallest in China and reached its halfway point of 300 meters the second tallest in Asia. (985 feet). Scheduled for completion in early 2015, the 632-meter (2,073-foot), mixed-use super-highrise wraps a tapered and spiral- ing exterior around an efficient structure divided into nine vertical neighborhoods of 12 to 15 stories, each anchored by its own mechanical floor and atrium. The amenity- filled atria provide an armature for highrise community-building and act as climate buffers. Distributing the mechanical floors to serve the individual neighborhoods also saves energy. The spiral form of the tower cuts wind loads, reducing structural mate- rials by 32 percent. Over 90 percent of tower is made from regionally sourced materials, further minimizing energy and transport costs.

Both the interior and exterior curtain walls of the innovative double skin have under- gone multiple full-scale tests to speed on-site assembly. The unitized exterior cur- tain wall was similarly tested and refined to meet stringent code requirements for light pollution. Its stepped configuration and high performance glazing also reduce interior glare and heat gain. Contributing to industry-wide advances, the Shanghai Tower will house the world’s fastest and longest . At 18 meters/second (59 feet/second) it will bring guests from the lobby to the tower’s open-air observa- tion —the world’s highest—in a single run. This is an unprecedented achievement.

32 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 33 NEWS + VIEWS bringing the future downtown t he new gensler LA office Los angeles

To spark an urban renaissance, the City of a vibrant social and visual hub. More than Before the design started, Gensler LA did Los Angeles has spurred 24/7 developments half the space is collaborative, with project, a WPI survey of itself to understand how downtown, like AEG’s L.A. LIVE. Attracting team, and conference rooms, impromptu work styles varied across its teams and the creative sector is equally high on its work areas, and the Red Zone, the main com- what kinds of settings they needed to work agenda, which is why Gensler LA’s 400 munal space for the office. effectively. The new office supports the designers are now at 500 South Figueroa. present and future needs of a globally con- The new office transforms a long-vacant Achieving this meant removing parts of nected, tech-savvy design collective. And City National Plaza banking pavilion into the roof and top floor of the 1971 pavilion it dramatically displays Gensler’s commit- a true workplace of the future that is and inserting a 12,000-square-foot mez- ment to downtown LA as the showcase designed with the firm’s mobile teams and zanine. Two disconnected floors became a of the city’s renowned creative sector, one highly interactive clearly in mind. dynamic three-story volume with a larger of the engines of the economy. floor area—45,000 square feet. Colorful, Gensler LA is an eye-catcher, its transparent soundproof breakout rooms act as visual main façade revealing the kinetic activity landmarks for the open floors. inside. Conceived from the outset as a flex- ible, technology-rich innovation lab, the Designed and built in just nine months, the office keeps pace with its fast-moving teams. LEED Platinum-certified building incorpo- Floating conference rooms line the center- rates such sustainable features as radiant piece—a skylit atrium and stair that define chilled sails and motion-sensor .

34 dialogue 22 I Thinking About Work 35 dialogue NEWS + VIEWS story building t he world food prize hall of laureates editorial contributors editorial board des moines Editor Allison Arieff Robin Klehr Avia John Parman Andrew Blum Andy Cohen Yuki Bowman Art Gensler Creative Director Vernon Mays David Gensler Mark Coleman Tim Pittman Diane Hoskins Issue Editor Vernon Mays

Lead Designer Ngoc Ngo

Managing Editor Erin Luckiesh

Photography Editor and Team Manager Tiffany Strike

Digital Designer Jonathan Skolnick

credits thanks

All images are credited to Gensler unless Christine Barber, New York Gensler is a leading architecture, design, otherwise noted. Yulia Bortkevich, Boston planning, and consulting firm, with offices in American Express provided: page 10 top Lisa Bottom, San Francisco the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle Farshid Assassi: page 34–35 Barbara Bouza, Los Angeles East. Dialogue magazine, published twice a Robert Benson Photography: page 22 Amanda Carroll, New York year, focuses on design’s ability to transform Susan Cain provided: page 29 Cindy Coleman, Chicago organizations and improve people’s lives. Kevin Chu + Jessica Paul: page 19 Cristina Crespo, Washington, DC Paul Crosby: cover, ifc Sonya Dufner, New York Dialogue articles also appear as features on Bruce Damonte: page 7 bottom; page 23 right Doug Gensler, Boston www.gensler.com (now iPad compatible). Gensler: page 33 Mandy Graham, Chicago An archive of past issues in PDF form can be Ryan Gobuty/Gensler: page 11; page 27 Diane Hoskins, Washington, DC found in the Viewpoint section of the site. bottom right Randy Howder, San Francisco David Joseph: page 7 top Janine Intonato, Morristown Dialogue is produced by Gensler Publications. Eric Laignel: page 36 Robert Jernigan, Los Angeles © 2012 Gensler. To comment or request The World Food Prize was established in new geothermal wells and cisterns, all Chris Leonard/Gensler: page 10 bottom; Hao Ko, San Francisco copies of the print edition, please write us at 1986 by Norman E. Borlaug to recognize contributing to the building’s application for page 23 left Erik Lucken, Minneapolis [email protected]. significant contributions to eradicating LEED Platinum certification. The design Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal: page 9 Richard Macri, Atlanta global food scarcity and hunger. Borlaug, team integrated the restoration with such Michael Moran/OTTO: page 4–5 Carlos Martinez, Chicago Dialogue is printed on FSC®-certified, 10 percent an Iowa native, is known for his Green new uses as a museum, a convocation cen- Owen Raggett/Gensler: page 12–13 Tom Mulhern, Chicago postconsumer-waste paper with ultralow- Revolution—a series of mid-20th-century ter, and a community hall. New allegorical Jasper Sanidad: page 2; page 3; page 6; page 8; Brenda Nyce-Taylor, Morristown VOC (<3 percent) vegetable oil–based ink. agricultural advances that helped save artwork in the rotunda links the original page 18; page 26 Tim Pittman, New York Savings to our natural resources include: millions from starvation. Celebrating his library to the prize. A mezzanine above the Peter J. Sieger: page 24 Janet Pogue, Washington, DC achievements and providing a home befit- stacks was recast as a , while the Antuany Smith/Gensler: page 1 bottom left; Joan Price, San Francisco 8 million BTUs of net energy ting agriculture’s highest international stacks themselves were transformed into page 20–21 center left, bottom; Leah Ray, Chicago 17 fully grown trees honor were important goals for the prize’s a formal whose inlaid floor marks page 21 top Amanda Ramos, New York 528 pounds of solid waste sponsors. When the Des Moines Public their original location. Uniting past and Julia Stotz: page 20 top; page 21 center right Johnathan Sandler, New York 1,455 pounds of greenhouse gases Library outgrew its original 1903 build- future, this thoughtful renovation honors Sherman Takata: page 27 top Monica Schaffer, New York 7,892 gallons of waste water ing, they saw the opportunity and asked Borlaug’s legacy and the accomplishments Sherry Turkle provided: page 30 Jay Shen, Shanghai Gensler to transform it into the new World of the World Food Prize laureates to come. Craig Washburn: page 1 top; page 27 Philip Tidd, London Food Prize Hall of Laureates. The design bottom left Lauren Torgerson, New York celebrates the significance of the prize Sasha Zeljic, Chicago and its recipients, provides an important educational venue for the public, and strengthens Des Moines’ role as a hub for agricultural science and innovation.

Located along the Des Moines River near the state capitol, the regal building and its extensive gardens help revive the civic waterfront. The grounds discreetly house

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