The Vertical Corporate Campus: Integrating Modern Workplace Models Into the High-Rise Typology

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Title: The Vertical Corporate Campus: Integrating Modern Workplace Models into the High-Rise Typology

Authors: John Britton, Principal, Woods Bagot Steve Hargis, Global Head of Consulting, Woods Bagot

Subjects: Architectural/Design Building Case Study Economics/Financial History, Theory & Criticism

Keywords: Density Economics Office Vertical Urbanism Verticality

Publication Date: 2015

Original Publication: Global Interchanges: Resurgence of the Skyscraper City

Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter 2. Journal paper 3. Conference proceeding 4. Unpublished conference paper 5. Magazine article 6. Unpublished

Abstract John Britton Principal As the great urban migration continues to drive the growth of cities worldwide, global Woods Bagot, companies are seeking new approaches to the urban workplace and corporate campus. In San Francisco, USA light of environmental and economic imperatives to develop taller and denser central business districts, a key challenge is merging contemporary workplace concepts, which emphasize large, open floors and high levels of connectivity, with high-rise typologies with smaller floor plates John Britton, AIA, LEED AP, is a Principal at Woods Bagot and brings thirty years of design and management experience set around center cores. This paper traces the evolution of the corporate campus and emerging specializing in mid and high-rise residential, mixed-use, design strategies for translating contemporary workplace models into a vertical campus hospitality, commercial and institutional projects. His portfolio includes major international projects such as the typology that allows companies to realize the benefits of urban locations, while contributing to a Telkom Landmark Tower in Jakarta, Sunshine Insurance more sustainable future. Headquarters Tower in Beijing, and the Canary Wharf mixed- use project in London. Keywords: Campus, Density, Economics, Vertical Urbanism, Verticality, Workplace

Steve Hargis Global Head of Consulting Woods Bagot, San Francisco, USA Introduction

Steve Hargis, MCR.w, LEED AP, leads Woods Bagot’s Global The Vertical Corporate Campus is an emerging typology for urban development. Arguably the Consulting practice related to workplace, real estate and most sustainable workplace development model today, it has evolved as a direct response to corporate strategy. Steve is a globally recognized professional in the area of real estate consulting with deep industry continued rapid urban growth. The United Nations 2014 projections of an additional 2.5 billion experience in the development and deployment of workplace urban dwellers by the year 2050 demonstrate an unprecedented migration that continues strategies for global corporations. His research and design projects address the challenges facing a growing number of to drive the growth of cities worldwide. With the development of new cities as well as the corporations today, including the need to optimize utilization, transformation of existing downtowns, the key ingredients of housing, retail, dining, and walk- improve facilities performance, integrate new technologies, and better engage an increasingly multi-generational, multi- to-work offices combine to enliven urban cores, spur investment and development, and raise regional and mobile employee base. the quality of life for urbanites. This is embraced by both the millennial generation’s desire to work and live there as well as aging baby-boomers returning to city centers for retirement. Both are after the same thing – proximity to the activity, amenities, and culture that cities continue to provide us. As a result, cities throughout the world are embracing an increasingly dense future based upon leveraging verticality and integrating modern workplace models into this high-rise typology.

The 24-Hour City

In a 2015 study, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) identified the distinction between nine-to-five downtown markets and 24-hour urban markets as the key to superior investment performance as defined by trends in capital flows, occupancy rates, and relative pricing changes. The “24-hour city” concept has become part of the common lexicon of the real estate industry and of city planners (ULI & PwC, 2015). Generation Y is the largest generation, the most racially and ethnically diverse, and the one not yet fully immersed in the housing and jobs markets, but is likely to have the most profound impact on land use. The majority surveyed at 62% prefer developments offering a mix of uses with 76% placing high value on walkability (ULI, 2013). For economic viability, density is required – “cities-within-the-city” turn the streets up into the air and stack daytime and nighttime use of the land, leveraging a mix of co-dependent activities within the same structures.

The most progressive high-rise towers now incorporate all necessary resources and amenities for working, living and playing, guided by a strong urban design structure, but in a vertically stacked fashion. Efficiencies nearing 90% help these facilities respond to rampant urbanization, rapidly rising land costs, shifting demographics, tightening economic drivers, and escalating environmental concerns. Thus the claim of most sustainable workplace development model.

Of course, this vertically stacked model is not without its challenges, most often centered around connection – externally between the structure and its surroundings, and internally with the difficulty

CTBUH 2015 New York Conference | 333 of connecting occupants distributed on The Corporate Campus By the end of the 1950s, the market for stacked floors. But in general, our horizontal exclusively white-collar facilities in the past is being tipped on end with great At the turn of the past century and during the suburbs spurred private investment in office success. Four categories of concern, outlined great depression, several major city design parks. These quiet campus-like environments in Table 1, help define the value proposition movements developed in response to the poor were most often self-contained, small tracts for the Vertical Campus: living conditions of the nineteenth century of less than 75 acres with a maximum of industrial city. Movements such as Ebenezer 25-33% lot coverage (Mozingo, 2011). Strict 1. Efficiency Howard’s Three Magnets (see Figure 1) and control of setbacks, landscaping, land-use, 2. Sustainability Garden City movement (see Figure 2) as well as and design features resulted in orderly, Corbusier’s Athens Charter and Radiant City (see 3. Accessibility controlled environments. Figure 3), presented new approaches to urban 4. Urban Context planning that depended upon the segregation With the expansion of urban highway of uses so as to isolate and maximize their networks, by the 1980s office parks dotted As important as these four components are, inherent qualities. Greenbelts surrounded the suburban landscape. Positive attributes occupant experience is still the underlying driver city components, and industry was separated included open, country-like settings, plenty and most important determinant of success. from independent zones for living, working, of parking, and convenient access to As the Millennials, who were born in the 1990s, recreation, and circulation. It was on the backs suburban homes. Less desirable attributes are getting more established in the workforce of these principles that the corporate campus included increased traffic, segregation of they are looking to embed themselves in was born, launching the ongoing process of work from community, and the fueling of cities that are walkable, vibrant, flexible, have decentralization that has long shaped our cities. extensive urban flight. adequate transportation, provide social and professional experiences – an underlying desire Expanding offices of the postwar economy had In reality, cities and towns have suffered for urban authenticity. If carefully planned, there three choices of location: from strategies that segregated functions exists a natural alignment between important and favored vehicular movement. Although 1. Downtown presence at a relatively experiential expectations with others more efficient and economical in terms of high price; centered on financial and corporate social construction and management, the resulting responsibility concerns. 2. Small offices in suburban retail zones places do little for social cohesion and with limited parking; and cannot be mistaken for diverse, vibrant 3. Newer planned districts at the urban neighborhoods. Despite decades of suburban periphery. growth, the balance between suburban and urban workplaces is now tipping in favor of

Efficiency Sustainability Accessibility Urban Context denser working and living conditions. The comfortable familiarity of the self-contained Floor Plate Materials Convenience Revitalization suburban work environment that has long Occupant Microclimate Access Land Valuation Operations Carbon Footprint Circulation to/from/in Community Service dominated some markets is being challenged, and reimagined in a high-rise urban setting. Table 1. Four key components to a be addressed for a successful Vertical Campus model. (Source: Woods Bagot)

Figure 1. Three Magnets: Town, Country, Town-Country. From the Garden Cities of Figure 2. Garden City. From the Garden Cities of To-morrow, 1902. (Source: Ebenezar To-morrow, 1902. (Source: Ebenezar Howard) Howard)

334 | CTBUH 2015 New York Conference connect vertically through stacked floors, • Net to gross target for base building potentially linked by open atriums, light efficiency nearing 90%. wells, stairs, and elevator cores. Effectiveness – a key contributor is in Beyond these differences lies a great deal of providing the base building with an optimal similarities. Both rely upon the same basic module. Most effective attributes include: principles of economics – land use, occupancy costs, rental and resale values. Both have been • Support the dominance of team- greatly affected by a significant redefinition based work through the creation of workplace priorities. Work was a place with of high quality team-based a boundary, now work is generally accepted environments for knowledge as occurring anywhere at any time. A exchange, leveraging both physical general shift in organizations from a process and visual connections; to an innovation focus has resulted in the • Allow for easy accommodation of emergence of Agile Working methodologies, alternate configurations; and with the ‘Millennials’ representing the majority of employees, placing a greater • Ease of reconfiguration of tenancy value on time and flexible working (PwC, layouts to suit changing business 2013). Trust and empowerment of people in needs. the workplace is key. A wider variety of space types is implied, with ownership shifting Depth of Space – specifically to gauge the from individual to group with the potential penetration of natural light in support of: Figure 3. Ville Radieuse (The Radiant City). (Source: Le of reducing churn costs. If positioned well, Corbusier) workplace makes a notable contribution to • Quality work environments cultural change and creating a collaborative beneficial to human health and The Ideal Workplace environment for the next generation. productivity; Many factors contribute to the • Quality social environments for development of corporate environments human interaction; and – building the ideal workplace is a Success and the Right Floor Plate • Quality environmental outcomes balancing act. Recent advancements including the reduction of operating in societal thinking about the work costs. environment acknowledge increasingly In the vertical environment, few things can creative drivers. These include flexibility influence success more than an efficient floor Sub-divisibility – the potential for a floor and agility, creativity and innovation, plate, as there are many of them, and the plate to be sub-divided into multiple efficiency and effectiveness, health and manner in which they are stacked and then tenancies, all with good entrances, egress, well-being, sustainability, and perhaps most linked is critical. To ensure the earlier claim of and configurations, providing: importantly, occupant engagement. “most sustainable workplace development model” with “efficiencies approaching 90%”, • Optimum options for landlords to There are the obvious differences between balancing of the following criteria to match meet tenant demands with flexible horizontally and vertically oriented desired organizational outcomes is key. spaces; and campuses – outward expansion versus • Tenant occupation flexibility to Efficiency – highly efficient floor plates can upward, predominantly suburban location suite changing organizational be greatly facilitated with: versus urban, larger floor plates versus requirements. more compact ones. There is a fundamental • Structural and planning grid difference in how they each connect alignment, enhancing efficient Many of these issues will be illustrated people, and the values of the organization planning; through the following case study of a generally establish the preference. More Vertical Campus in Jakarta. traditional suburban campuses connect • Clear lease-spans with perimeter horizontally with visual contact being the columns (not internal), maximizing key (see Figures 4 & 5). Vertical campuses tenant flexibility; and

Figure 4. 3,400 employees on one floor – Facebook campus, Menlo Park. (Source: Facebook)

CTBUH 2015 New York Conference | 335 1. Acting as both a circulation bridge and a symbolic “cultural bridge”, the podium facilitates connectivity and ease of both physical and psychologically perceived access amongst the campus occupants. The amenities, including a mosque, provide a variety of services and common gathering places – all necessary contributions to a self- contained campus. 2. A variety of multi-floor atriums in each of the buildings provide open green space for congregation above the street plane. These spaces provide a sense of connection between floors and a means of orientation within the buildings. They also provide a focus for common facilities or amenity ‘satellites’ supporting convenient distributed access of services for occupants. 3. Indonesian cultural references contribute to a sense of comfort and cohesion across the campus. Plan geometries, façade components, and horizontal paving acknowledge design influences from Batik Figure 5. 1,000 employees on one floor – Tencent campus, Beijing. (Source: Woods Bagot) patterning and other local crafts and customs. The resulting cultural Case Study: Telkom Landmark Tower, four distinct structures begins to provide cohesion contributes to the overall Jakarta, Indonesia the variety of a suburban campus albeit brand image of the Telkom campus. in a significantly vertical fashion. The taller Telkom (PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia) is one Tower A features an average 1,650 m² floor Engagement of occupants is one of the most of the world’s oldest telecommunication plate, while the lower Tower B features larger important duties of successful workplaces. companies tracing its roots to the Dutch 3,500 m² plates. The new 6-story podium For the employee experience at Telkom, Colonial Government telegraph service building is 15,000 m², and links all three office destinations and opportunities for connection in 1856. A semi-privatized, majority state- buildings on the site together, providing within the corporate business were created at owned company, it is currently the largest common amenities along with a portion and between each floor. In support of client telecommunications services company in of the parking requirement. As a quasi- engagement, a seamless transition from the Indonesia. Following an international design speculative development, metrics were driven street to the ground floor and then into public competition, in February 2012 Telkom by the desire for an efficient, flexible, and cost receiving areas helped to create a positive commissioned a design for a new corporate effective workspace. Targets for floor plate expression of the business. campus in Jakarta. Anticipated initial occupancy efficiencies were set at a minimum of 85%. is in the third quarter 2015.

Urban Context The arrangement of the buildings and program were heavily focused on connectivity for both The project site is located on one of the main public and internal users. Each of the three business corridors in Jakarta, lined with mid buildings serve individual corporate entities, to high-rise commercial office buildings. The however it was the intent of Telkom in the entire site area is approximately 22,900 m² and relocation of disparate offices into a central contains an existing 16-story building which has campus, to encourage a more cohesive been retained, refurbished, and integrated into corporate culture. Figure 6 is a sectional the overall development. Three new buildings view illustrating both horizontal and vertical were designed, including a podium structure connections through the campus. The podium and two office towers of 48 and 20 stories. is a primary pedestrian circulation path linking each tower to common campus facilities. In total the campus contains 115,000 m² of new development with 7,500 m² in Three defining elements emerged to achieve Figure 6. Vertical and horizontal connectivity through common campus facilities. Unlike a single the vision of building a cohesive culture: the Telkom campus. Towers A and B are connected to building development, this combination of the existing building on site through a common podium structure. (Source: Woods Bagot)

336 | CTBUH 2015 New York Conference Figure 7. Vertical Highways elevatoring strategy Figure 8. Three-story atria connectivity diagram. (Source: Woods Bagot) (Source: Woods Bagot)

Architectural Features building utilizes a modified side-loaded core to campus employees however, and serves positioned in the interior knuckle. The floor to support corporate public functions as well Tower A is an iconic landmark building situated plate features lease spans of 15m resulting in a as public outreach. The experience center centrally on the site. Its form is inflected in floor area of approximately 3,350m² for levels is a multimedia space which is intended to response to the dynamic site conditions and 1 through 8, and 3,000m² for levels 9 through educate the public on the breadth of Telkom’s the many view corridors from which it will be 20. The larger size of this floor plate begins to seen. Alternate core arrangements were tested, track with a trending desire for organizations including investigations into side-loaded to collocate higher numbers of employees cores to achieve maximum flexibility. With in horizontally contiguous space (Figure 10), the project being located in Seismic Zone 3, something that is often easier to accomplish economics eventually dictated a central core in suburban locations. Tower B is organized for the Tower A 48-story building (the Tower B around a large common atrium as illustrated 20-story building has a modified side-loaded in Figure 10. To enhance connectivity each core). An all-concrete structural solution was floor is connected by internal stairways. To chosen for all buildings based on economy and further breakdown the workspace, at every common construction practices. The resultant fourth floor a conference pod and link bridge plan provides an average of 1,650 m² floor plate is incorporated to serve a more localized with 11.5 m spans at an overall 85% efficiency. working group.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 show the basic repeated The Podium, at 6-stories, connects all three organizational component of Tower A. buildings in the complex and acts as the Primary vertical circulation is provided horizontal spine in which the common campus by an elevator spine allowing multi- program elements are placed. The core in floor connectivity. To provide additional both towers is linked directly into the podium connectivity around activated spaces, the providing ready access to amenities as well building provides three-story atria to which as cross circulation between the towers. The are linked via internal stairways. podium contains a fitness center, medical clinic, auditorium, food and beverage facilities, Tower B embraces the same connectivity and experience center, banquet hall and a rooftop flexibility targets as Tower A. As a 20-story mosque. The podium is not entirely dedicated Figure 9. Internal stairway circulation linking floors within tower with an L-shaped floor plate, the atria. (Source: Woods Bagot)

CTBUH 2015 New York Conference | 337 current technology and provides insight into common gathering spaces, and need to design a building which can the company’s view to the future. meeting rooms are contained within adapt its initial intent as a single- the atrium. user headquarters to a multi-tenant The existing 16-story building is refurbished 2. Convenience – The atria provide a building. The creation of atria was and integrated into the overall development, place to locate convenient satellite limited to three adjoining floors and recognizing the environmental and economic services – a point of congregation a physical glazing separation to the value of retaining a viable asset. above the street plane. These “activity atria was incorporated to facilitate the Accessibility – the Atria hubs-in-the-sky” significantly shorten future divisibility of space. This type of travel times between work areas “exit strategy” planning is common in As the traditional horizontal campus typology and spaces that provide social relief more traditional campus environments gets turned on end to support a vertical and common services. They amplify, where multiple buildings are involved. application, the ability to humanize the without replacing, functions that are 5. Thermal integrity – Both towers experience of working in a high-rise becomes provided in the podium, and their provide a thermal separation an important factor. Atriums create unique constituents tend to be more localized, between office occupancy and the interrelationships between fundamental bringing groups and teams together atria to independently condition elements by not only providing a connection to as opposed to the podium, which each area at levels appropriate to the outside by bringing in natural light (Gritch & allows cross fertilization amongst the the intended use. For Tower B, heat Eason, 2010), but allowing for physical and visual three separate Telkom organizations. gain resulting from the southwest accessibility throughout the building. Telkom 3. Structural integrity – In Tower A, the orientation of the atrium was of leverages a series of atria as powerful organizing atria are offset in an upwardly spiraling significant concern. In initial studies, elements to accomplish a number of key goals: fashion, not only providing a different which included incorporating high- orientation for views from the atria performance double glazing in the 1. Connectivity – In the idealized on increasingly higher floors, but also façade, the cooling loads for the campus setting, the ability to create serving to strengthen the structural atrium were equal to the total office vertical connectivity and compelling integrity of the building. The number floor occupancy. An external shading spaces for interaction is primary. of inter-connected atria floors was system was developed which reduced Challenged to provide a dynamic evaluated structurally for continuity cooling loads by approximately work environment hinging on vertical in a seismic event acknowledging 60%. To further reduce overall loads, connectivity, Tower A features a series gravity and diaphragm equalization the requirements for conditioning of three-story connected atria which which resulted in rotating their the atrium were tailored to specific spiral around the tower. Beginning position around the core. The resultant space needs and uses. The atria were at level nine in Tower B, an atrium is configuration provides an iconic deemed acceptable to remain at created within the triangular void expression in the building elevation, higher conditioned temperatures joining the floors above. Vertical particularly evident when internally lit when the primary occupancy is at connectivity is encouraged by the at night. its lowest level. Higher temperatures use of atrium-oriented balconies within the void above were allowed. 4. Multi-tenant conversion – The linked to each floor by stairway. To further activate the space, link bridges, Telkom brief acknowledged the

Figure 10. Diagram illustrating subdivision by bridge connections, conference pods, and internal stair connections. (Source: Woods Bagot)

338 | CTBUH 2015 New York Conference Office Floor Efficiencies single glazed solutions. Given the year-round Each idealized campus – the suburban low intensity of solar exposure in Indonesia, the rise, the denser urban mid-rise, the densest The prevalence of stacked office floors façades also incorporate vertical shading vertical high-rise – has both positive and demanded a focus on efficiency. Floor plate elements which reduce solar exposure by negative attributes which ultimately balance planning embraced the following tenets: 20% on average for both towers. if properly aligned with occupant goals and aspirations. Now facing a considerable • Activate arrival spaces around the stair Although public transportation systems trend toward urbanization, our focus must and through the core; infrastructure is rapidly under development, necessarily shift towards refining solutions • Concentrate built space against the Jakarta currently remains heavily dependent for the urban environment. The Vertical core to allow access to light and on private individual transportation. Campus successfully integrates the physical increase views for all staff; Nonetheless, the Telkom site is located about qualities and social aspirations of the 150 meters from the nearest bus station and • Create a network of pathways to idealized campus in a vertical application. a new light rail system is proposed which will connect vertically and horizontally provide direct access to the site. In the interim, Both end users and speculative developers across the floors; Telkom is implementing a shuttle system for hold long-term asset value as a major • Create collaborative spaces at nodal its employees serving the greater Jakarta area. driver in planning their developments. The points between neighborhoods and consideration of a single or multiple tenant locate meeting spaces throughout In support of sustainable development building is paramount, and the ability for the the building to promote movement practices, Jakarta recognizes both the building to adapt to changing markets is a and integration of teams across floors; necessity and desirability in encouraging key determinant of market success. Although • Dedicate large blocks of space for increased density in the city. As densities the weighting of these decisions between a built zones which do not break the increase, the carbon footprint of any one corporate end-user and developer will vary, the contiguous nature of the floor plate, building is reduced. During the project, underlying goals and drivers will largely be the in order to maintain connectivity of negotiations around site density resulted in an same. The ability to incorporate campus design staff; and increase from an FAR of 4.0 to 5.2. strategies allowing the building to adapt over • Locate public shared spaces at the time can be readily achieved. The impact of future workplace models is unknown which atrium edge to activate the space and Conclusion connect Telkom Corporate Offices to places a focus on adaptable facilities. the rest of the business. Over the past decades, perspectives of Whether corporate or speculative, it is the the idealized workplace from the various challenge of a successful developer to Sustainability stakeholders on a societal, municipal, deliver a building which is best suited to organizational, and individual employee the local market and separates itself from Sustainability goals were set with the project level have changed considerably. There have its competitors to achieve the highest targeted to achieve the Green Building always existed distinctions between, and return. The qualities exemplified in a Vertical Council Indonesia (GBCI) standard for preferences for, workplaces either in the Campus provide a solution which is well Gold-minimum. The building incorporates city or in suburbs. Density has largely been suited to evolving workplace strategies high performance double glazing in a the driver of those distinctions, along with across multiple office user sectors. marketplace which commonly accepts convenience and well-being factors.

References:

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United Nations, (2014). World’s Population Increasingly Urban With More Than Half Living in Urban Areas. http://www.un.org/en/ development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html

Urban Land Institute (ULI), (2013). The Future of Housing Demand is Compact, Urban, and Transit-friendly, The Magazine of the Urban Land Institute, Trisha Riggs. http://urbanland.uli.org/economy-markets-trends/the-future-of-housing-demand-is-compact-urban-and-transit-friendly/

Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers (ULI & PwC), (2015). Sustaining Momentum but Taking Nothing for Granted, Emerging Trends in Real Estate: United States and Canada 2015, Chapter 1, 3-8.

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