) ISSUE 03 THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SCIENCE ART AND THE (

THE POSSIBLE THE

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U (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE 03 4 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE

If work is a thing we do rather than a place we go, why do we still spend so much time at the office?

In a world where computers and their algorithmic minds can far outstrip us in crunching data, humans are valued P54 more than ever for our idiosyncrasies, our creativity and the connections we make. And the magic really happens when we’re together. P18

So today’s offices have to be better: not just a functional backdrop, they must actively draw us in, and out of ourselves, nurture our wellbeing, inspire us, help us to flourish in environments that are ever more saturated with technology.

P28 That technology doesn’t need to overwhelm us if we apply it intelligently and sensitively. Data is what we make of it. The funny thing is, the more we use our robot assistants, THE ART AND SCIENCE OF the more we can refocus on what makes us human.

Tom Smith, WSP

“Great design will always be about human creativity. The computer doesn’t take that away, it just augments it. It’s like having a very geeky designer on the team”

Arjun Kaicker, Zaha Hadid Architects / page 52

Editor-in-chief Julie Guppy Editorial consultants Mark Bessoudo, Cover illustration by Noma Bar Published by Wordmule © WSP Editor Katie Puckett Fredrik Bergström, David Cooper, Bridget wordmule.co.uk 1600 René-Lévesque Blvd. W Production editor Nick Jones Kennerley, Helena Klintström, Linda Design by Supermassive 16th floor Creative director Sam Jenkins Lövgren, Frank McLeod Printed by Greenshires Montreal, Quebec the-possible.com H3H 1P9 Canada wsp.com 6 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE CONTENTS 03.2018

CONNECTED THINKING THE HUMAN FACTOR 42 6 42

Too smart for our own good? / Mark Bessoudo 7 INTERVIEW: Designing out loneliness / David Symons 8 JOHAN EDSTAV Envisioning the all-electric city / Barny Evans 11 Sound the cyber alert / Peter Richards 12 With Sweden in the grip of a housing crisis, Infrastructure, realpolitick and the age 15 a new wave of smart cities could provide the of the city / Tom Cargill 14 answer. The man behind them reveals how he Could our idealization of genius be causing the plans to avoid the mistakes of the past gender gap? / Andrei Cimpian 15 28 SPACES 48 HUMANS REBOOTED 18 18 AI researchers believe robots have a 50%

chance of outperforming humans in all tasks THE PURSUIT OF WELLNESS in less than 50 years. We need to find new It’s become a trillion-dollar industry almost employment and new ways of living — and we overnight and it’s still growing. But will designing need to do it quickly for wellness really make us healthier? 26

TOOLS 26 48 THE SMARTEST PLACE I KNOW 54

HOK’s Kay Sargent picks a Stockholm office that balances high tech and human REALS WITHIN REALS 54 Advances in digital modelling and visualization are transforming everything from on-site training to city planning — changing not only the way we build, but the way we think about the world

28 THE FUTURE OF THE WORKPLACE

More of us than ever are working from home 66 or third locations such as co-working spaces. 66 How can the office fight back? BLANK CANVAS

Transport hubs play a central role in our towns and cities. But what’s the best way to develop the land around them? 7 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE

#SMARTCITIES #AI #TECHNOFEAR

THE DARK GREEN CITY Smart urban technology has the potential to transform our cities — but watch out for unintended consequences, warns Mark Bessoudo

hat would cities look like if they the project would represent one of the constraints and starts freeing us from It’s not just physical jobs that AI is W were built from scratch, from most comprehensive models of how data those things that we should not want to poised to take over. It’s also begun to the internet up? This is the question related to just about everything — from be rid of? Questions about data privacy encroach on a wide range of activities being asked by Sidewalk Labs, the traffic congestion to noise to air quality and digital governance aside, Carr that demand intellectual judgment, urban innovation unit of Google’s parent to trash bins — can be used to not only argues that liabilities associated with from medicine to law. The rate of this company Alphabet Inc. What’s emerging guide a city’s ongoing operations, but also some technologies — in particular AI and intellectual outsourcing shows no signs from this thought experiment is a new teach it to improve itself, continuously automation — may become so advanced of slowing down. approach to city-building, one that sees and without human intervention. that they ultimately threaten to impair Historically, technology has delivered urban districts as platforms for testing “Technology,” Sidewalk Labs insists, “can the conditions required for us to pursue us with exponential gains in quality of and refining technologies that improve help create complete communities that meaningful work and meaningful lives. life. The advent of something as novel quality of life. Sidewalk Labs’ mission, it are highly interactive and accessible to As AI improves, it makes work faster and powerful as AI has the potential to

claims, is not to create a city of the future, all, freeing residents from the constraints and more efficient, and can lower deliver even more benefits. But it also has P48 but to create the future of cities. imposed by the heavy infrastructure and environmental impact. It is estimated the potential to disrupt cities, and entire This approach demonstrates how cities spatial hierarchies of the last century.” that a fully automated factory, without the societies, with unintended consequences. are on the cusp of a revolution in urban While this may turn out to be true, need for lighting, heating or cooling, could Technology has also always been a technology driven by sensors, ubiquitous it reflects a wider, commonly held operate using 35% less energy than a double-edged sword; only now, the blade connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) assumption: that as technology improves conventional one. But the products of its has become that much sharper. and advances in digital fabrication and it will always be for the betterment of labour also require far fewer workers: that construction. Nowhere is this more humanity. Nicholas Carr, a US journalist same energy-efficient factory could cut Mark Bessoudo is research manager and apparent than in Toronto, where Sidewalk who writes about the intersection of labour costs by 80%. So while the factory sustainability consultant at WSP in Toronto. Labs recently partnered with Waterfront technology and culture, believes that this of the future may be green, it is also dark. He is also founder of platoforplumbers.com Toronto, a government agency, to create a narrative of inevitable progress clouds our new kind of neighbourhood. The 12-acre real relationship with technology. What mixed-use district along Lake Ontario we take as incremental improvements aims to be a global benchmark for how an in our everyday lives may in fact obscure “What happens when technology moves beyond lifting genuine advanced “smart city” can be built from more nuanced and ambiguous changes. Paddy Mills Paddy constraints and starts freeing us from those things that we scratch, quickly and effectively, using What happens, he asks, when

Portraits data-driven technology. If successful, technology moves beyond lifting genuine should not want to be rid of?” 9 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE CONNECTED THINKING

#URBANDENSITY #DIGITALHERMITS #BOWLINGALONE

“Social issues are rarely 01 considered in the design of HOW OFTEN, IF AT ALL, DO YOU MEET SOCIALLY WITH FRIENDS, RELATIVES OR WORK COLLEAGUES?

residential developments, and Age 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ traditional approaches may exacerbate the problem” At least once a week

research, asking 1,000 Londoners how At least once a month Less than once they felt about their lives, how regularly Every day a month they socialized, and how well they knew their neighbours (see opposite). We found that 75% didn’t know the 12% 23% 16% names of more than three neighbours, 47% and more than half didn’t know more than two. Looking only at those who live in apartments, three-quarters didn’t know the name of anyone in their block. This is a fascinating conundrum. Cities and regions see themselves as centres of community, and yet here we seem ALONE TOGETHER to have people bowling alone. It’s also an interesting one for us because it’s 02 uncharted territory. Few programmes HOW MANY OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS DO YOU SEE IN AN AVERAGE WEEK? More of us than ever are leading solitary lives, isolated by changing social to address loneliness consider design structures, digital networks and denser cities, writes David Symons. approaches, and engineers are very rarely Can we design stronger communities? asked what they can do to help. But we’ve None 25% found that when you do ask designers, there are a great many practical actions 1 18% rbanization, an ageing population, and more than one half in Sweden, the theoretically have much wider networks that we could take. We recently held a 2 17% U ever greater connectivity — three current capital of singleton life. than they did. But research in the social Future Ready innovation lab in-house to 3 13% megatrends already having a profound This is partly due to demographics — sciences has found that this type of brainstorm ideas, and in just one hour it 4 9% 5 7% influence on our lives, on society and as the babyboomer generation ages, connection does not address loneliness generated 250 suggestions for ways that on the built environment. And together more older people are living alone. But it’s in the same way as offline interaction masterplanners and building designers 6 or more they add up to a fourth prognosis for also due to longer-term social changes, — and that it may often make us feel could help to create more sociable, 11% our future. We may be living longer, as people choose to marry later, or not worse. Numerous studies have linked cohesive communities. surrounded by thousands of others and at all, more marriages end in divorce, greater use of social media and feelings Right now, these kinds of social issues digitally linked to millions more — but we and the birth rate drops. The American of unhappiness, dissatisfaction with our are rarely considered during the design of will potentially be more lonely than ever. Housing Survey found that single- lives and social isolation. We don’t yet residential developments, and traditional Loneliness seems the inevitable person households were split across all know whether this is cause or correlation approaches may serve to exacerbate 03 conclusion of several things. First of age groups, millennials, gen-Xers and — people who feel unhappy or isolated the problem. Back in 1969, Donald HOW MANY NEIGHBOURS DO YOU KNOW THE NAMES OF? all, there’s the growth in one-person babyboomers alike. may be more likely to turn to social media Appleyard found that people living on households across developed countries. We are living more solitary lives in other for comfort, for example — but it does streets with relatively heavy traffic had None 1 2 3 4 5 6 or more In all OECD countries for which ways too, as technology allows us to work suggest social media isn’t an effective one-third fewer social connections than

projections are available, the number and obtain the things we need without way of combating loneliness. people living on quieter streets, a pattern 18-24 is expected to increase. By 2030, they leaving home. There is now a group of This social isolation is more common confirmed by more recent studies. It’s will account for more than a quarter in people who work at home and do all in cities, particularly large cities — intuitive when you think about it: if there’s 25-34

the US, New Zealand, Australia, and their shopping via the internet, and who where an increasing number of us will a dual carriageway outside your house, 35-44 around two-fifths in Japan, England, potentially never have to go out at all. live — and among those who live in you’re much less likely to play football in Austria, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, That’s not necessarily a good place to be. apartments rather than houses, which the street with your kids than if you live in 45-54 the Netherlands and France. In 2016, Perhaps our need for human contact are an inevitable solution to greater urban a street where traffic speeds are very low. 55-64 one-third of households in the European will be met through digital networks density. We wanted to understand this But on most developments, the traffic Union were made up of just one person, instead? Through social media, people trend better so we commissioned some network and flows are the starting point, 65+

P30 P42

32% 11 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE CONNECTED THINKING

#ELECTRICFUTURE #POLLUTION #POST-CARBONCITY

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 04 06 HOW MANY ITEMS HAVE YOU BORROWED FROM YOUR NEIGHBOURS IN THE PAST YEAR? HOW MANY CLOSE FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE, BEYOND FAMILY?

None 9% 74% None 1 6%

2 14% 1 11% 3 10%

2 7% 4 10%

5 15%

3 2% 6 or more 36% FIVE THOUGHTS ON THE ALL-ELECTRIC CITY 4 2% and then houses and businesses are can help at an apartment level. Even planned around those. An alternative the way that building access codes are It could happen sooner than you think, says Barny Evans approach is to design in walkability — controlled can have a significant bearing 5 2% and sociability — as a primary function of on community — very often, a security an area, so streets are for people rather pass only gives you the right to go to the than cars. Take Poundbury, the urban level that your apartment is on. extension to Dorchester in south-west We need to take this seriously. Social 6 or more 2% 1 2 3 4 5 England, where WSP was part of the isolation can trigger or exacerbate mental masterplanning team. This was designed health disorders, identified by the World We need to stop unnecessary People want fossil-free cities The car revolution will happen A gas boiler might already be a We will have a completely expressly to forge strong social bonds, Health Organisation as one of the leading deaths quicker than expected bad investment different attitude to cooling with housing layouts that encourage causes of disease and disability in the 05 walking, human-scale buildings and world. Loneliness affects our physical According to our research, 4,250 In our survey, we found that Small numbers of all-electric cars Heat pumps have a much lower People living in cities are streets that are deliberately winding, and health too: researchers have found that premature deaths in London each Londoners were generally in favour are sold today, but they will become carbon intensity than gas, as increasingly complaining that HOW MANY SOCIAL MEDIA (FACEBOOK, TWITTER, SNAPCHAT ETC) CONTACTS DO YOU HAVE? half of the site given over to open spaces it can be as bad as a chronic illness, year can be directly attributed of the city becoming fossil-free more affordable. Governments are well as air-quality benefits. From their homes overheat in summer. and allotments. It won’t be fully built until with lonely people 50% more likely to to breathing bad air. One in four within the next 20 years. They now setting their own targets for auditing and modelling buildings Electricity is the only realistic 2025, but it’s already a popular, thriving die prematurely than people who have a residents has seriously considered supported an electric car-hire full car electrification. Last year, the across Europe, Asia, Canada solution for future cooling systems. community, luring both older people and good social network. A meta-analysis by moving out of the city because scheme, and reducing energy UK government announced that all and the US, we demonstrated But in an all-electric city, we will young families. We are now applying Brigham Young University of 148 health of noise and poor air quality. We bills was considered a priority. cars sold will be electrified by 2040, that using heat pumps rather also be able to open our windows.

None 1-20 21-50 51-100 101-250 251-500 501 or more these ideas as part of the design team for studies found that feelings of loneliness worked out that if electricity could It is becoming standard for new and France intends to have ended than gas boilers and traditional Streets will be quieter, cleaner and Tregunnel Hill in Cornwall and adapting increase mortality risk by 26%, while power all of its transport needs developments to be all-electric sales of petrol and diesel for cars by air conditioning chillers can cut cooler as less heat is generated 18% 18% 18% them to the local culture and vernacular social isolation and living alone increased and replace gas for heating and and designs have been changed 2040 too. Volvo has stated that it the cost of commercial building from building services and 16% for the Bahrain Southern New Town. it by 29% and 32% respectively. cooling, we could reduce the to electric at the request of the will only sell hybrid and electric cars ventilation by a quarter as well as vehicles. We will be able to have P18

Poundbury has become a genuine These are big, wide-ranging issues nitrogen oxide emissions that planning authority. A lot of people from 2019 — in one year’s time. reducing NO2 emissions. Electric more open spaces and pavement mixed-use development. If you design with complex causes and effects. As harm our lungs by 37%, and ask where we are going to get all Buildings will need electric car buildings are reporting lower cafes, and we could put housing 11% 10% homes and workplaces next to each designers, we don’t have the magic carbon dioxide emissions by two- the electricity from. Renewables, charging points, increasing energy carbon every year as electricity in places that are currently 9% other, it’s inherently sociable — you bullet, but if we fail to consider how the thirds. So we challenged London, energy efficiency and smart energy demand. So we need to think production itself becomes more undesirable because they are too create a commercial hub where there places where we spend time affect us, and all other leading cities, to management with energy storage about what additional equipment efficient. If you install a gas boiler noisy and polluted. will always be people around, rather than we are missing a crucial opportunity for commit to becoming all-electric are already addressing these will be required, how energy will or a CHP engine that will last, say, the suburban model where people leave healthy, happy lives. by 2035. challenges. be stored and how smart energy 20 years, that’s going to look like Barny Evans is head of sustainable their homes in the morning to drive to systems can be introduced. a bad decision in ten or 15 years’ places, energy and waste at WSP work somewhere else. At the other end David Symons is global leader of WSP’s time (and arguably even now). in the UK of the scale, there are many aspects that Future Ready innovation programme 13 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE CONNECTED THINKING

#BOTNETS #INTERNETOFTHINGS #HUMANNATURE

CYBER BLINDNESS

The smarter our lives, homes and cities become, the greater the risk that they could be taken over by hackers and used against us, says Peter Richards. It’s a scary thought … so why aren’t we more worried about it?

here’s a perception that cyber- buildings, smart cities and the internet neighbourhood is gridlocked, resulting Everyone knows that their company malicious code into a network-connected T security is an IT problem alone and of things become a reality, every object in loss of life and preventing first has a cyber-security policy, but very few machine. But it’s not just about physical “Once the virus gets onto a device, it continues to replicate that the solution is purely technical. It’s in our homes, streets and cities will responders from attending events. And employees are aware that they’ve signed protection. A significant threat today not: it’s a human behaviour problem. I’ve be network-enabled so that they can then the controller of the botnet can hold it, let alone understand it. They very rarely is “social engineering”: psychologically itself to infect everything that connects … A noteworthy just completed a masters thesis on the communicate over the internet. That us to ransom. A noteworthy percentage follow it. But then most companies don’t manipulating people so that they give relationship between people’s awareness means they could be potentially be taken of our computers are likely to be infected audit the policy or keep a record of how up confidential information. Social percentage of our computers are likely to be infected already” of cyber-security policy and whether or over by hackers and used against us. already, but we will only know when they many violations there have been. engineering is far more successful when not they comply with it. The disturbing One of the biggest threats is the are activated. A simple example of bad practice is the aggressor holds information about spread throughout the company network. take a photo of a company leader from a thing is that there is no correlation. It’s creation of a botnet — a robot network People don’t take cyber-security storing personal files on a work laptop. you. Somebody might call you claiming Photos on social media could be used corporate website or a site like LinkedIn human nature to believe that we’ll never made up of many devices. Once the seriously yet because there has not been If you store a lot of information about to be from your bank and ask for your in the same way, and once information is and run these apps to find every photo experience these threats, the “optimum virus gets onto one device, it continues a major event. There will be: a “cyber yourself in one place, a criminal can build security information. Or they might call out there, it can never be guaranteed to that’s ever been published of them. The bias theory”. However much you may to replicate itself to infect everything 9/11” is all but inevitable. If somebody a profile around you. This will greatly you at work and say they’re from the IT be fully taken down. Photography inside intelligence services have been using know about cyber-security, you probably that connects. It lies dormant until, at turned the internet off for a week — and increase the chances that they can department, and ask you to install an offices is now being reviewed and often these sorts of techniques for decades, put yourself and your organisation at some point in the future, the person who it’s possible — people might take more crack your passwords or pass security update from an email they’ve sent. They banned. You never think about what’s in but now it’s possible for anyone to do it. risk every day by doing things that run controls the botnet takes control of all notice. But my research showed that fear checks to access company networks and can find your phone number and the real the background, but the quality of the It is scary. But this time tomorrow, I counter to its policy, even if they are those devices. A botnet in a road traffic doesn’t work as a deterrent. Even when sensitive information. name of someone in IT on the internet, cameras on smart devices is so good guarantee that you probably won’t be socially or culturally acceptable. system or the Uber app could turn all we fully understand the risks, it doesn’t Cyber-security is linked to physical and they can link their story to corporate now that information on screens can thinking about it. And that’s just human The cyber-security threat is increasing the street lights red or tell every car to change our behaviour. We still download and operational security, so we have to events publicized on LinkedIn or Twitter potentially be seen. There’s a Russian nature as well. exponentially, and it is becoming cyber- go to the same address and lock down a files and apps without knowing where look at it holistically. One of the easiest to develop plausible and convincing cover application called FindFace that can physical: a cyber attack can have a direct whole area of a city. Hackers could block they come from, and plug in USB ways to hack a company is to go into the stories. As soon as you click on the link, identify faces in the background of Peter Richards is head of security risk consequence in the real world. As smart access to a hospital because the entire sticks that haven’t been virus scanned. office and insert a USB drive containing that’s it. The botnet virus is in and it can photos posted on social media. You can management at WSP 15 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE CONNECTED THINKING

#GLOBALCITIES #INFRASTRUCTURE #GEOPOLITICS #GENDEREQUALITY #GENIUS #SELECTIVITY

mart cities is a concept that is much are already seeing this in various stages S in vogue, though it can be hard to tie in the Chinese government’s Belt & Road down to specific products and services. Initiative to link Eurasian countries. This The key is to understand the politics, is not to suggest that there will be some not just the technology, driving urban Manichean competition between blocs. development and the changing role of Competition and cooperation between cities in the international system. One companies from different parts of the way is not to try and envisage how the world will likely continue as immediate world might have changed in five, ten or commercial interest dictates. But there 15 years’ time, but to look to the forces will also be a larger competition to that are already at work and which are define or redefine the global rules for likely to drive that change. competition, influence and trade. At the macro level, we could look at the City leaders will face unprecedented world’s economic centre of gravity — the pressures from increasingly demanding point of balance around which economic populations. Climate change, automation activity is distributed. No surprise that and AI may make employment and for much of the 20th century this was migration more central security concerns, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. And and the resilience of infrastructure to no surprise that in recent decades it criminal, state or accidental compromise has begun to move east and now rests will become critical as ever larger somewhere under central Asia or the numbers depend on it. The ever- P65 Middle East, depending on your criteria. expanding data this infrastructure But it would be easy to misread this as produces will become far more valuable the rise of the “Asian century”. What it in its own right — for good and ill. actually implies is a de-concentration To deliver in this complex environment, THE TROUBLE WITH BRILLIANCE and dispersal of economic activity around POWER companies throughout the built the world — yes, with China and perhaps environment supply chain will have to India making up significant ground, but in adapt. From business development right Architecture and engineering are both fixated on the idea of genius. Could this reality, creating more of a balance to the POLITICS through to operations and maintenance be the source of their gender imbalance? The Possible spoke to psychologist global economic weight of Europe and and decommissioning, they need to Andrei Cimpian about the implications of a groundbreaking piece of research the US. This could lead to hot conflict, Cities are the new battleground of the global become more politically and culturally but will more likely just create renewed economy — and infrastructure will be their sensitive — aware of the strategy that competition for influence and access. secret weapon. We all need to understand their public-sector clients are pursuing This takes us back to cities. Barring in the global competition between some cataclysmic public health or other this fundamental shift in foreign affairs, rising powers with their state-centric event, urbanization is set to continue. writes Tom Cargill model and the more private-sector- hy are there so few women in PhD and undergraduate level, it was persistent under-representation of For example, you can imagine that With the global population expected orientated approach taken by most W some professions, while very also more predictive than many other women in architecture and engineering women themselves might become less to reach 11.2 billion by the end of the advanced economies and promoted by similar ones may be far more diverse? popular explanations for gender gaps, — both professions in which a powerful interested in these fields, both because century, cities will continue to grow in international financial institutions. Mystified by the discrepancy in their such as the extent to which a field relies mythology surrounds the almost they’ve internalized some of these population, complexity and resource Most critically, however, governments closely related fields, psychologist Andrei on mathematics or demands long work exclusively male leading lights … stereotypes and because they think appetite. The needs of Lagos, São Paulo each other as they are to those of London become ever harder for their western in advanced economies need to better Cimpian and philosopher Sarah-Jane hours. (On the scatterplot they produced, others might not see them as qualified. or Jakarta are likely to be as different to or Dallas. But one thing will unite them: counterparts, as well as national, regional appreciate the role that infrastructure will Leslie suddenly had a brainwave: could engineering sits near physics and The Possible: So what’s happening I’ve recently published a paper looking they will all be centres of geostrategic and local governments, to ignore this. The play in the politics of the coming century. it be something to do with their very computer science, with genius relatively here? Why should an emphasis on at men and women’s interest when job competition and, more fundamentally, most significant decision for local and As the influence of cities grows, and different ideas of success? Cimpian and prized and less than 25% of PhDs brilliance keep women out? or internship opportunities are described “Cities will be arenas for arenas for competing lifestyles, values, national governments is between a state- economic, and cultural activity is ever Leslie wondered whether philosophy’s awarded to women.) as requiring brilliance. That could also be cultures and economies. Infrastructure, centric or non-state-centric approach. more concentrated within them, there emphasis on brilliance — the superstar They were even more stunned to AC: The other component is that our relevant to how architects or engineers competing lifestyles, values, which enables, defines and records This will increasingly define and display needs to be a more coherent strategy to with an exceptional mind — acted as discover that the discrepancy was already society associates these traits with advertise positions to potential job cultures and economies … so much of this, will become a central their wider strategic choices, whether it ensure that they make the best long-term a “keep out” sign to people less likely present in children who had barely begun men more than women. So it’s the candidates. weapon. Over coming decades, that may is in road systems, telecommunications infrastructure decisions, not only in their to think of themselves, or be thought their education: by the age of six, girls combination: the extent to which fields Over coming decades, that require us to rethink our whole approach or power, because the more state- own interests, but in global ones too. of, as brilliant. To see if there was a were less likely than boys to associate emphasize that you need to be brilliant TP: So they might say, “we want to delivering large-scale projects. integrated model offered by China (and relationship, they surveyed almost 2,000 being “really, really smart” with their to succeed, and societal stereotypes that brilliant people to join our team” or may require us to rethink our In countries such as China, large- some other countries) leads inevitably — Tom Cargill is executive director of the academics in 30 fields — and were gender, and less interested in activities associate high-level intellectual ability something like that? approach to delivering large- scale infrastructure companies clearly if not at first consistently — to a distinct British Foreign Policy Group, a not-for-profit blown away by the results. Not only for really smart children. with men more than women. already understand the political as well set of data, finance and operational organisation that encourages national debate did the idealization of genius strongly The Possible wondered whether this We’re actively investigating how these AC: Exactly, and the data show that once scale infrastructure” as economic purpose they serve. It will choices that lock in future alignment. We on foreign policy predict female participation at both hypothesis might help to explain the combine to lower women’s participation. you start talking about a job like that, 17 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE CONNECTED THINKING

% OF WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE MEASURING THE PIPELINE THROUGH THE PROFESSION “You can imagine these beliefs exacerbating as you move up the ranks — the brilliance bar becoming higher and higher, and fewer and fewer women being perceived as meeting it” AIA GOLD MEDALS PRITZKER PRIZES AIA/ACSA TOPAZ MEDALLIONS Another variable we measured is how in letters of recommendation, where on men’s. So [the brilliance hypothesis] strategies they come up with, the advice selective a field is — what proportion men are described as “groundbreaking needs to be supplemented with they get — these concrete things that IDP SUPERVISORS of PhD applicants were accepted. researchers likely to make the next big awareness of other structural constraints they have control over — the more likely ACSA DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORS Assuming for the sake of argument that discovery”, whereas the women are that might impede women’s progress. they are to be buffered against these LICENSED AIA MEMBERS men are more intellectually gifted than described as “solid workers”, even when One project that I hope will be sorts of stereotypes about who has AIA MEMBER PRINCIPALS AND PARTNERS women, then you should find that more their achievements are quite comparable published in the next year or so looks at innate ability and who doesn’t. selective fields have more men in them. on paper. career switches. We find that when you Exposure to role models, examples of DEANS We didn’t find that either. look at what careers women switch in successful people that are like them, ARCHITECT EMPLOYMENT TP: You focused on academia, but and out of, you find these beliefs about could also be a protective factor. But the LECTURE SERIES SPEAKERS TP: Or could selectivity make a could the same mechanism be at work brilliance are a better predictor than role model has to be made relatable to field more accessible to women by in professions and companies? many other variables. Women, more so the children — research shows that not SCHOOL DIRECTORS, HEADS AND CHAIRS removing an element of prejudice…? than men, are likely to switch from a field a lot of girls are motivated by people like AIA ASSOCIATE MEMBERS AC: Yes, I believe so. There isn’t anything that emphasises the need for brilliance Marie Curie because she has two Nobel NCARB RECORD APPLICANTS AC: That’s an interesting one. Actually, specific about the mechanisms that more, and to fields that emphasise it less. Prizes and that feels unattainable to a lot IDP INTERNS when we looked at that variable there we’ve identified that would limit So that could be one of the ways in which of mere mortals. The more similar the wasn’t a significant relationship — but their application to academia. In fact, certain fields end up with fewer and role model is, the more the children can P48 ARE TEST TAKERS the relationship was in the direction of psychologists Mary Murphy and fewer women. fill in the steps from where they are to ARCHITECTURE DEGREES (ALL LEVELS) fields that are more selective having Carol Dweck have done similar work where they could be in the future. ACCREDITED ARCHITECURE DEGREES more women in them. We also wondered at the level of organizations. When TP: What do you think we need to do ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS whether some fields were more selective an organization describes itself as differently to improve diversity? TP: Could cultural attitudes to Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture because they had bigger pools of focusing on talent and fixed innate brilliance explain differences in the US POPULATION candidates but perhaps they weren’t traits, that changes how members of the AC: This is the big question and we level of female participation in certain Graph Graph as high quality as others. So we also organization present themselves and the haven’t yet tackled it head on. I do fields around the world? For example, 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% adjusted for the average GRE score, the extent to which they feel comfortable think the messages that we send to in the US, assertiveness is good, standardised test that people take when failing. These are exactly the kinds of young people are really important. whereas in the Nordic countries, it’s applying for a PhD. That didn’t really mechanisms that would work differently Changing those is an easy first step less socially acceptable to claim to be change any of the conclusions either. across genders. towards making the environment more better than anyone else — and they are women lose interest. It’s not that they’re TP: But surely talent is important? into our assessment. It’s a slippery slope In the original study [published in welcoming. We were stunned at how ranked as the most gender-equal in inherently less interested in these jobs, from talking about individual differences Science], which was not an experiment, TP: How could we find out if this TP: How might this influence early some of these beliefs set in. So the world. Could there be a link? they’re less interested because they’ve AC: Some people might feel in talent and brilliance, to having a field we tried to rule out plausible alternative mechanism is at work in other fields, diversity at different levels within an if you want to intervene with college grown up in a society that sends certain uncomfortable downplaying the role of where there are group-level differences explanations. We asked participants such as architecture? organization? age students or graduate school age AC: Yes, it’s really important to take messages about who has high-level talent, but it’s important to understand in the extent to which people feel valued a number of other things about their students, these are individuals who may culture into account when thinking intellectual ability. that the moment you start talking about and welcomed and encouraged. fields, such as how many hours a week AC: We could look at the messages AC: We don’t yet have the evidence have held some of these noxious beliefs about these issues. It is possible that Of course there are also mechanisms talent as being paramount for success, one puts in, both on and off campus. So about architects and brilliance — whether for that. But you can imagine these since the time they were in elementary cultures differ in the extent to which they such as bias and discrimination, when because of the stereotypes that we’re all TP: How can you show this is a cause, maybe in some fields you need to spend there is a sense that some people just beliefs exacerbating as you move school. associate brilliance with men, as well as people evaluate others on the basis of marinating in, some of your students or rather than just a correlation? a lot of time on campus, in a lab perhaps, have a gift and those are the ones up the ranks — the brilliance bar in terms of which fields and occupations the little information that goes into a junior colleagues more than others, will and that might be more of an obstacle who become the leading architects becoming higher and higher and fewer TP: So what can we do about that? they believe to require brilliance. The job file or PhD application. These are feel like they don’t have what it takes. AC: That was one of our goals in the to women. The idea being that women of our time. You could do a study of and fewer women being perceived as Should we talk to children differently beliefs that are at the core of our complicated decisions. If you’re looking People can get defensive and say, paper that I just mentioned, where we have a different preference for a work- the language used in job ads or by meeting it. More generally there are or explain our professions to them in a hypothesis are cultural products, so in our for brilliant people, this is exactly “when I look at talent I don’t see men, I randomly assigned men and women life balance, probably in part because looking at letters of recommendation other things that present obstacles to different way? current work we are really interested in the kind of amorphous, ambiguous don’t see women, I don’t see white, I don’t to read different job ads and saw that women still have to carry the brunt of for a particular job, and seeing whether women’s participation. As you move up exploring what shape these beliefs take context where stereotypes might see black”, but that’s much easier said women’s interest was undermined by talk child rearing. But we didn’t actually find there are messages that are more likely through the ranks, that often coincides AC: So the extent to which we convey to around the world. come into play. So you might evaluate than done. We can’t help seeing these of brilliance. Those were experiments, that the number of hours that one has to be negative for women. There is with beginning to have a family and children from a young age that success men’s files as being superior to those differences and often we’re not aware of which allow us to make claims about to spend on campus was predictive of some research suggesting that there unfortunately these are things that still is more a matter of how much time Andrei Cimpian is an associate professor of of women. factoring this demographic information causation. women’s representation. are differences in the language used fall more on women’s shoulders than they spend with the subject matter, the psychology at New York University 19 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

THE PURSUIT OF

It is a US$43bn market and growing. But is the focus of building developers and designers on ‘wellness’ entirely healthy?

WORDS BY TONY WHITEHEAD

ake a breath, stop what you’re doing, economy was worth US$3.7 trillion in T focus: how are you feeling? Good, 2015, encompassing a sprawling range of energized, at the top of your game? Not sectors from beauty, fitness and nutrition so good? Tired, anxious, stressed out? to personalized medicine and wellness Have you ever wondered if it’s the tourism. This also includes “wellness workplace you’re sitting in that’s making lifestyle real estate” worth US$118.6bn, you feel that way? How is the noise level? and a US$43.3bn workplace wellness Lighting? Air quality? Do you have a market, at present covering less than a view and, if so, of what? And why are you tenth of the global workforce. Both are sitting anyway? When was the last time forecast to grow strongly. you stood up or took the stairs? Few would argue with the idea that all The new sustainability of these things — and a great many more — have the capacity to affect not only What this adds up to is huge potential our health, but also our stress and energy demand for buildings, even whole levels, happiness and motivation. Bundle neighbourhoods, that are designed to all these hard-to-define factors together, make their occupants healthier, happier and you have what is fast becoming a and more productive. There are already a hugely significant global trend: wellness. number of certification programmes for Wellness is a booming industry, such schemes, including WELL, Fitwel, despite — or perhaps because of — the Reset and the Living Building Challenge;

Simon Pemberton fact that it’s a difficult concept to pin and established sustainability standards down. The not-for-profit Global Wellness such as LEED and BREEAM are now

Illustrations Institute estimates that the wellness adding wellness criteria too. 21 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

Wellness looks very much like the People are very aware, for example, of next big thing in building design — the pollution levels here in London. In China, FEELGOOD FACTORS new "green", as the blurb for University where it is an even more pressing issue, Happiness and wellbeing are not universal concepts College London’s postgraduate course people pay a lot of money for places with in Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable cleaner or filtered air.” A building conducive to wellness in one country might not be so Buildings, launched in September Increasing gym use, wrist gadgets, even beneficial in another, according to Dr Anna Mavrogianni, senior lecturer 2017, would have it. For decades, the popularity of organic food all testify to at the UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering at the environmental considerations have our growing preoccupation with health: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources at University been to the fore in architectural and “So naturally we are also taking more College London, which launched a masters course in Health, Wellbeing engineering thinking, the aim being to interest in our working environment.” and Sustainable Buildings in September 2017. create highly efficient buildings that used Borchers says that this is having a big Climate is the most obvious factor to consider: “Factors such as as little energy and water as possible. impact on the competitive markets for temperature, solar radiation and humidity are all key drivers in how Now, however, there is a growing both corporate occupiers and employees: we shape our built environment. Different social norms have evolved, concern that a focus on efficiency might “The top-down driver is that for building partly in response to this, which influence the way we interact with our have caused designers to lose the plot owners, wellness has become a way buildings.” The Mediterranean siesta, or the shorter lunchtime somewhat. Certainly efficient buildings of attracting big tenants. And for the nap customary in certain Asian countries, is a good example of this, save money and are better for the planet, tenants, occupying a building designed affecting both the duration of building occupancy and the facilities but what about the people in them? for wellness has become a way of needed within an office. “Over the past few decades we’ve attracting and retaining the best staff.” There will be no one-size-fits-all set of conditions to promote spent a lot of time and effort trying Trends in office development bear this wellness, and buildings will need to be designed so that they can to reduce energy use, and there are out. High-ceilinged, naturally ventilated respond to a range of individual preferences. “We are moving away very good reasons for that,” says John office space is becoming more popular — from the idea that highly engineered environments that use air-con and Mlade, director at YR&G, a sustainability for example, developer Derwent London heating to maintain a constant temperature for everybody are always consultancy recently acquired by WSP. justified the added investment in its the right thing,” says Mavrogianni. “Research demonstrates that thermal “But look at it from the point of view recently completed White Collar Factory, comfort expectations vary a lot across the world and depend on how of a building occupier. Energy might which has floor-to-ceiling heights of different cultures react to changes in the weather, what clothes they are represent 1% of their expenditure, with 3.5m, on the grounds that such buildings wearing and so on. Whether occupants feel cold or not depends another 10% or so going on rent and let quicker and rent for more. on more than temperature. Even the texture of interior surfaces can leases. The rest, the vast majority, goes Wellness can also be a powerful point have an effect.” on employee salaries and benefits.” of differentiation in vibrant but less People also have different acoustic expectations. Research by architect This is the killer statistic that has established property markets. Polish Gensler, for example, found that tolerance to office noise varied among allowed wellness to rise up the agenda developer HB Reavis has just achieved different ages and cultures. “Often it’s to do with what you are used to,” far more quickly than sustainability but we are a lot more competent around launched in 2013. It is rigorous and building. “It is not as in-depth as WELL, Europe’s first WELL core-and-shell says Mavrogianni. “Sometimes when people move to an airtight, triple- did before it. Saving 1% is all very well, it now. A lot of this research on internal “As designers we have to focus relatively expensive, costing perhaps but is much more accessible,” says precertification for the Varso Place glazed, thermally efficient house, they find they cannot relax because but if you can increase the productivity environment and productivity has been US$40,000 per year for a 100,000ft2 Mlade. “Not everyone can afford WELL, tower in Warsaw. It is designed by they cannot hear neighbourhood sounds and they feel disconnected. It’s of the workforce by improving their around for a long time­ — some of it dates on our clients’ goals, and we building and involving continuing which I think will succeed mainly among Foster + Partners and set to be Poland’s a good example of where we make decisions driven by one imperative — environment, the potential returns on from the 1980s. The design industry has evaluation by an independent assessor. higher-spec office buildings.” tallest building when it completes in such as efficiency — which turn out to have unintended consequences investment are far, far greater. been very slow to pick it up and slow to have to recognize that energy In addition to monitoring the qualities WELL certainly seems to be taking off. 2020, but the developer has chosen to where wellness is concerned.” “Now you’re talking about something recognize the benefits.” of light, noise, air and water in a In spring 2016, 107 buildings totalling pursue the WELL standard to further Latitudinal variations in daylight present particular challenges to that will really make an impact,” says is not their primary business” building, the assessor will look into 22 million ft2 were certified. By spring set it apart. “We know that almost wellness designers seeking to reinforce the natural circadian rhythms of Mlade. “Sure, the client wants to do the Why now? John Mlade, YR&G areas less obviously within the purview 2018, 753 projects, more than 140 million anyone running a business these days, building occupants. Should they seek to mimic a standard 12 hours of right thing environmentally and they have of building designers — canteen menus ft2, had been registered in 32 countries. of any size, is highly concerned about daylight, or accommodate local adaptations to long days or nights? “It that responsibility. But as designers we The game-changer, Mlade believes, and paternity policies, for example, or But while such schemes do provide recruiting and retaining talent and about seems likely that local populations will have adapted to their local hours have to focus on our clients’ goals, and has been the introduction of wellness wearable tech that monitors occupants’ a framework for conversations about productivity,” says HB Reavis chief of daylight. But there are things you can do anywhere to enhance the we have to recognize that energy is not standards, in particular WELL and activity and sleep. Certain standards are wellness, they don’t in themselves explain executive Pavel Trenka. “So we believe connection to daylight — such as putting spaces that are more heavily their primary business.“ Fitwel. “You can design with the wellness prerequisites for certification while others why this is now becoming a priority for so that creating workspaces that keep occupied in the morning on the east of a building and those used more Like many others in the field, Mlade of occupants at the heart of what you are optional and enable buildings to many building owners and employers. people healthy, happy and energized is a later, perhaps for socializing in the evening, on the west.” has spent most of his career focusing do, but it’s hard to sell that without achieve the higher levels of certification, As so often, the momentum for change critical service we should offer.” There are certain approaches to wellness that appear to work on sustainability and the technologies frameworks to inform the design process graded silver, gold and platinum. seems to have sprung from a timely worldwide: “We find a good correlation between personal control and that can reduce energy consumption and — a handle to grab onto, something to In contrast, US-based Fitwel, confluence of several trends, as WSP The wellness measure comfort levels. Where occupants can open a window, for example, they therefore mitigate climate change. He show the client. WELL and Fitwel do administered by the Center for Active technical director and wellness specialist tend to be happier. This is partly because they become more temperature admits that the current refocus towards that, and it’s made all the difference.” Design, has no prerequisites and is Meike Borchers explains: “First, there is a The presumption behind all this is that tolerant because they understand there will be natural variations, but also people has involved a change of mindset, WELL certification is offered by the more subjective, relying on feedback bottom-up driver. These days, occupants a happy, healthy workforce is more because they feel empowered. The positive effects of a connection to the one that has been a long time coming. International WELL Building Institute from occupants. It also costs much less — employees — understand how the productive and less likely to take time off outside and to nature also seem to work wherever you are.” “Energy hasn’t stopped being important, (IWBI) a public benefit corporation — perhaps US$5,000 for a 100,000ft2 environment affects them far better. through illness or to change jobs than

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a tired, stressed and unhealthy one. So they do. One experiment in Delhi, India, much is intuitive and hardly new. In the involved putting 1,200 plants into a INTERVIEW: BILL BROWNING 1870s, George Cadbury helped to set building with 300 occupants. The new standards for working conditions mixture of areca palm, mother-in-law’s It’s contagious … “Retail, advertising and car design all make use of in England with his Bourneville Factory tongue and money plants were chosen WSP is working near Birmingham. Less clear, however, because of their particular ability to on the first WELL this technology, but architects hardly ever do” is which design interventions are the filter impurities and boost oxygen levels. certifications in New Bill Browning is a renowned sustainability thinker and writer. In 1991, he most effective. Working conditions have Indian government researchers reported York and the Nordic founded the Green Development Services consultancy at the influential come a long way since Victorian times that the building’s staff benefited from countries, as well as Rocky Mountain Institute energy think tank. He’s also a founding member and so further improvements inevitably a 34% reduction in respiratory problems the first registered of the US Green Building Council and, in 2006, co-founded the consultancy suffer from diminishing returns, which and a 20% boost to productivity. project in the UK: Terrapin Bright Green. Increasingly, Terrapin has led the field in drawing are, furthermore, difficult to calculate. Pay Borchers warns against taking all such (clockwise from right) attention to the effects of buildings on the health and wellbeing of occupants. rent on a dedicated meditation space in findings at face value: “For example, 425 Park Avenue by your uptown HQ for example, and you recent research suggests people are Foster + Partners, will struggle to work out whether it has generally happier and more productive Eminent in Malmö by “My interest was sparked in the But what is it exactly about Browning says his clients been worth the money. in green-certified buildings. The Kanozi and Castellum, 1990s when we found interesting natural light and views that causes represent a wide range of industries Does the science really prove the case inference is that they like the fact that and Twentytwo in productivity data coming out of new, these results? “The effect of daylight and interests, but tech companies, that wellness design boosts productivity? their employer cares for the planet. That London by PLP ­— green-certified buildings,” says Bill on our circadian rhythm is obviously keen to recruit and retain quality Research on this topic has a tendency to may be true, but it may also be that the featuring a 125m-high Browning. “At a factory in Michigan, important,” says Browning, “but personnel, are to the fore. Terrapin descend into glibness along the lines of occupants are reacting positively to the “climbing window” for example, we found productivity what you see also matters. Research has even helped Google to tailor its “people prefer to work in nice buildings” appearance of a smart new building. We increased at the new building, but using eye-movement trackers has own set of biophilic design metrics. or, as one UK university discovered: can change and measure various factors, only during the day. When there was found that a natural scene holds the For those without Google’s “Building temperature should be neither but it’s how they work in combination to no view to the outside, productivity eye’s attention for longer than, say, financial leverage, however, too hot, nor too cold.” produce wellness or improve productivity remained unchanged.” a street scene. We don’t get tired of Browning says certain aspects of “The research ranges from the that is important, and that’s much harder Browning set about collecting it. It’s strange that people in retail, biophilia are worth prioritizing: “One robust to the frankly somewhat flaky,” to understand or quantify.” research on the beneficial effects advertising and car design all make easy strategy is a visual connection agrees Borchers, adding that the most of nature. One of his discoveries use of this technology, but architects to nature — even if it’s just bringing convincing studies tend to focus at a The power of light was that patients with a view from hardly ever do.” a plant or living thing into the office. more basic level. Take air quality, for their hospital window recovered Further research is explaining And if you can arrange it, a view of example. In 2015, researchers at Harvard A key area, and a controversial one, far quicker from surgery than those how the benefits are achieved, he nature outside is very valuable.” University subjected groups of office is lighting. This is the focus of much without, from an often-quoted study adds: “For example, if you walk in While such a view will necessarily workers to three different air-quality research that aims to understand the carried out in Texas in 1984. a wood, your levels of the stress vary from region to region, the environments: conventional, “green” links between increased time spent Since then, numerous others hormone cortisol will decrease, and effect of a savannah-type landscape and enhanced. The enhanced group indoors and the ills that seem endemic have reached similar conclusions. the benefits will last several hours. appears to be beneficial wherever enjoyed air with the lowest levels of in modern society, namely anxiety, Patients with access to natural light Does a view of nature have a similar you are. “Note that parks and carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatile organic depression, stress and insomnia, all of and good views feel less pain and affect? Yes it does.” golf courses, places where we compounds (VOCs) of the type emitted which tend to decrease productivity. are released from hospital sooner Terrapin’s thinking on biophilia traditionally relax, are analogues from paint and synthetic materials in Jay Wratten, a vice president at WSP than those without. Children in has been published in a report, 14 of savannah. Given humans’ early carpets and plastics, as well as boosted in Colorado and specialist in lighting classrooms with a good supply of Patterns of Biophilic Design, which evolution on the plains of Africa, it ventilation generally. This group were design, says that the role has already natural light both behave better and analyzes features of naturalness makes sense. A prospect gives us found to perform cognitive tests 101% shifted from simply ensuring sufficient perform better academically. including variability (of temperature early warning of a threat (such as a better than those breathing conventional luminance levels to seeking more In 2015, a researcher at the or airflow) and the use of materials storm or dangerous animal) and so air, while those in the workspace typically efficient light sources. “But now we have University of Oregon studying such as timber or rock within a is relaxing.” found in a green-certified building scored a new arrow in our quiver: using light to absenteeism in an office building building. “We find different patterns For best effect, it must also be

61% higher. CO2, VOCs and ventilation promote wellness.” found that employees with views of support different outcomes,” says combined with potential refuge: “If rate all had significant, independent The body’s natural circadian rhythm trees and landscape took an average Browning. “So the presence of water you think of an open-plan office as impacts on cognitive function. is determined by non-visual photo- of 57 hours of sick leave per year, seems to help with memory, while an interior prospect, then a booth Do such findings stack up in real- receptors in the eye that are sensitive to whereas those with no view took a visual connection with nature can or even a wing-backed chair could world situations? Other studies suggest different intensities and wavelengths of 68. Closer analysis revealed that the improve attentiveness.” provide that sense of protection.” better the view, the less sick leave was taken. Not only was the view a primary predictor of absence, the Foster + Partners, Castellum, Twentytwo + Partners, Foster “The research ranges from the robust to the frankly study also found that those with the “A natural scene holds the eye’s attention for longer somewhat flaky” Meike Borchers, WSP best views of natural features also than, say, a street scene. We don't get tired of it” Visualizations spent more time at their desks. 25 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

Rating the raters Right 720 Bourke Street in Docklands, “Our bodies don’t react in the same way for a 12-hour period, How do certification schemes for health and wellness compare? Victoria is the first core-and-shell WELL- so why should the building?” Jay Wratten, WSP certified builing in Australia. It has an LEED v4 LEED Pilot WELL v1 May Living Building Fitwel v1 BD&C Credits 2016 Challenge 3.1 atrium designed to to minimize their risk, he adds. Over and the air inside is routinely boosted Building-related aspects encourage pedestrian the last five years, a growing number with oxygen to keep them awake and

Active design l l activity, and outside have adopted the GRESB — Global gambling. To put it another way, they air levels are 150% Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark deliberately interfere with the circadian Biophilia l l higher than standard — system to assess the environmental rhythm of the occupants. On-site food options l l performance of their portfolios, he says. Another aspect of this “influence versus Materials specification (lifecycle health impact) l “Significantly, GRESB has added a health control” dynamic arises in relation to Daylight u l and wellbeing module for investors the data that wellness technology can

Interior light quality l who want to know if their assets are generate. “Essentially, it’s a privacy issue,” addressing wellbeing issues. If they are says Wratten. “The more information you Natural ventilation l P7 not, then that is a risk. That’s helping to have, the more you can help people. But l Thermal comfort drive take-up of wellbeing policies and that involves people sharing information Air quality (VOCs, flush out, testing etc.) l Testing optional l u l certification.” It certainly represents a about themselves in order to receive Drinking water quality l u great deal of money now seeking better the benefit.”

Acoustics l For schools l u governance: GRESB currently covers WSP is testing a workplace productivity 77,000 global assets and 30% of GRESB tool that cross-references smart building Mental health participants have adopted the health and data with how happy or motivated Ergonomics/adjustable furniture l wellbeing module. individuals are. At the moment it is fairly basic, comparing building conditions Location and site Influence vs control with simple satisfaction ratings, he

Walkability l says. “But I would love to use the kind of Of course, there is potentially a more data that wearable tech could provide. Public transportation access sinister side to wellness. There are It would be useful to know how people Proximity to green space light: “So using certain LED technologies, we can stimulate the players before a environment. “Wearable tech, phones already concerns that unscrupulous sleep, when they woke up, how active On-site green space creation for example, we can tune the spectrum game and help them relax afterwards.” and cheap plug-in monitors provide employers could misuse the tools at they are — and then use that to tune Proximity to health food options j and brightness to help keep people alert But he also advocates caution when people with huge amounts of data,” their disposal, and these are likely to the way they occupy the building and

Services and employment access during the day and also help them to translating research into practical design: Mlade points out. “They can measure become more pressing as science and how the building responds to them.” relax toward the evening.” “A lot of this technology is pretty new and their activity and blood pressure, monitor technology in this area progress. Health But Wratten is keenly aware such data Safety Essentially, this means boosting colder there’s still much we don’t understand,” light levels and get an app that tells them and productivity, while correlated, are not is highly personal: “We would need to Resilient community or bluer light after lunch, and decreasing he says. “Personally, I feel nervous about about air quality. So if they get ill, they necessarily the same, Borchers points anonymize it without losing its value. I it, along with intensity, towards evening. dosing people with prescribed amounts might well have the evidence to support out: “Employers monitoring their staff’s don‘t blame people for being cautious.” Operations and management In this way, the circadian rhythm is of certain light. It’s advisable, where a claim against a negligent building every move and health level through Not all employers may be so principled.

Ongoing indoor air quality management j u maintained. As Wratten says: “Our bodies possible, to use natural light to reinforce owner. If the owner has certification, such wearable technology and keeping the As Wratten puts it: “That’s a real fear don’t react in the same way for a 12-hour an awareness of the day outside. With as WELL, showing that the building is blue light on until midnight to keep their with this kind of solution. We are relying Promoting healthy behaviours P26 period, so why should the building?” electric light we need to know more okay, then that is a defence.” workforce working hard — there is line on the occupants of the facilities we The importance of the circadian rhythm about appropriate application of tunable It follows that such measures could between caring and exploitation that design to use them ethically.” How does the system work? to our health, once a niche area of study, spectrum technology. Suppose we get have the potential to reduce insurance should not be crossed.” It will be fascinating to see how the

Is it certified by a third party? Yes Yes Yes Yes has come to be recognized more widely it wrong and make people ill? Beyond premiums for employers and perhaps If that sounds alarmist, it is worth wellness megatrend pans out. Starting

How high are the costs of certification? Medium High Medium Low — the 2017 Nobel Prize for medicine was our goals, both as designers and as also their healthcare costs. “In the US, remembering that there are already from the apparently simple, appealingly awarded to three US researchers who humans who use these spaces, there is where most Americans with private plenty of instances where the built wholesome desire to make our buildings Is recertification necessary? No j Every 3 years No No identified the mechanism by which the a professional liability issue.” health insurance receive it through an environment is used to manipulate us. more comfortable places to be, the 2 37 All None Number of health-related prerequisites body’s clock uses light to regulate itself employer-sponsored programme, there Retail environments are meticulously pursuit of wellness touches on some of How mature is the market? High Medium Medium Low over a 24-hour period. Worth the risk? is a particular incentive to embrace designed to influence the consumer the most sensitive debates of our time, General environmental benefit (eg, carbon Comprehensive Comprehensive The potential for using this mechanism wellness and wellness certification,” — from maze-like layouts to detain us, around big data and its power to both footprint, air and water quality, resource l l u management) to improve performance has also caught Legal issues are likely to figure more and points out Mark Bessoudo, WSP’s to relaxing muzak and smells. Other control and empower. Navigating this

the attention of employers in many fields. more in discussions about wellness — Toronto-based manager of sustainability environments seek not so much to unknown territory is set to be one of the

Covered in detail Includes on-site performance Wratten installed spectrally tunable not least because occupiers now have a and energy research. influence as to control. Casinos, for greatest, but potentially most rewarding, Covered, but not in great detail measurements lighting in the locker room of the Atlanta much clearer picture of the relationship Institutional investors in real estate have example, seldom have windows, keeping challenges of building design for decades Addressed, but leaves out some aspects Precondition or prerequisite Not covered j Included in other LEED rating systems Source WSP and BuildingGreen Falcons football team: “The idea is that between their health and their working a similar interest in using certification punters oblivious to the passage of time, to come. 27 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

THE SMARTEST PLACE I KNOW KAY SARGENT / DESIGNER AND WORKPLACE STRATEGIST

“Thirty years ago you could go off the grid, you could fix your own car, you “THE DANGER IS THAT WE could manually control almost everything. Somehow we’ve lost that control” FORGET WE’RE HUMAN”

here are lots of conversations ecently I was listening to a speaker ost people are very hesitant to s the Internet of Things comes ut what makes it such a great oing forward we believe that the hirty or 40 years ago you could he more high-tech we’re going, T today about smart buildings R describe a technology that could be M allow their employer to track A online, it will revolutionize facilities B space is that they also balance the G IoT will shift the role of the facility T go off the grid, you could fix your T there’s a grittier, Black Mirror side and there are a lot of really innovative used in the workplace today. Everyone everything that they’re doing. There’s a management. Buildings will be able to human elements — it’s all about service. manager to creating compelling places, own car, you could manually control coming out. One of the biggest trends and sophisticated solutions. But in the audience was totally intrigued up whole lot of things that we can do today automate themselves to control cleaning, The technology is human-centric and great experiences and a community almost everything. Somehow we’ve in design right now is transparency, raw somehow smart technology is bumping to a certain point, and then they became that we just aren’t leveraging. The auto security, maintenance and temperature. intuitive, meaning it focuses more on that people want to be part of — smart lost that control, and I don’t think we materials and authenticity. It’s not an up against human acceptance. We’re really uncomfortable. Because not only industry is forging ahead. I can walk People are comfortable with things like enhancing the experience and less on not from a technology standpoint, but all collectively sat down and said we accident, it’s our human instinct fighting still trying to define what smart actually could it be used to tell how many people up to my car and it knows it’s me, so it that being taken over, because they tracking the use. And there’s a sense from a human standpoint. We need to were ready to give that up. If you had back, saying we are still organic beings, means and what our comfort zone is. were in a room, but who was in the room unlocks the car and automatically adjusts see the benefit for themselves. One of connectivity and community that focus on how to bring people together told people that getting a smartphone we want to be in touch with nature Right now, we’re grappling with what the — and that 10 minutes into the meeting, everything — the seat, the mirrors, the of the best examples is Coor Service is created via the internal atrium and and what draws people to a space. was going to mean that they’d be on and we want some control. A balance right level of smart is. The danger is that one of them started to fall asleep. By temperature, the radio — to how I like it. Management’s HQ in Stockholm. They social spaces, using technology as an That’s the secret sauce. The best spaces 24/7, there might have been a little bit between our high tech and human side we go so high-tech that we forget that using facial recognition and biometrics, We have the ability to do that in the have created a lab where they test enhancement and enabler. balance the two to make people feel more pushback. — that’s a smart solution. we are human. it could tell that when one person started workplace right now, but we’re not. things like automated receptionists welcome and empowered. A high-tech

talking, another got agitated, or who was and cleaning robots, using all kinds of space is only successful if people feel Kay Sargent is senior principal and director CoorManagement Service

engaged and who wasn’t. technology to take FM to the next level. comfortable in it. of workplace at HOK Photo P28 28 29 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

Every day, millions of people around the world go to one place: the office. Why? “The workplace is not about the one place you go to every day. It could be anywhere: a park bench, a restaurant table, a client office or the gym. It’s all workplace now” David Gooderham, WSP

The office began as a factory The office is now a factory for processing information. If you for “knowledge work”. Knowledge “Workers of the future will spend more time on activities were building ships, teaching children workers are those who “think for a living”. or caring for the sick, you had to go Their work is characterized by creativity, that machines are less capable of, such as managing people, where the work happened: to shipyards, problem-solving and developing new schools and hospitals. But if you were ideas and resources — roles that applying expertise and communicating with others … a clerk or a civil servant, a lawyer or an computers cannot take on so easily. The skills and capabilities required will also shift, requiring accountant, you just needed a place to The term “knowledge work” was first sit and write, somewhere to store papers, coined by management consultant Peter more social and emotional skills, and more advanced and access to colleagues. So you went to Drucker.[2] He defined knowledge workers [4] an office. As the machinery of companies as autonomous: they begin by defining a cognitive capabilities” McKinsey Global Institute swelled, offices became larger and more task themselves and are responsible for specialized, swallowing up more space in their own progress. Continuous learning, towns and cities, and more and more of continuous teaching and continuous the people who lived there. innovation are intrinsic to knowledge work, and output is judged on quality, Today, computers have made many of not quantity. those processing jobs obsolete — and it’s only a matter of time for the rest. In “Knowledge-worker productivity the years to come, advances in artificial is the biggest of the 21st-century intelligence will see machines take over management challenges” [3] even highly sophisticated activities. Peter Drucker According to McKinsey Global Institute, around 50% of current work activities Across cities, towns and suburban business parks, in super-tall towers, are technically automatable by adapting sprawling groundscrapers and everything in between, the global office spans currently demonstrated technologies.[1] 14,700,000,000ft2 [5]

[1, 4] MGI, “Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transition in a time of automation”, Dec 2017 [2] The Landmarks of Tomorrow, 1959 [3] California and accommodates almost Management Review, Winter 1999 [5] JLL estimate, 1 billion workers [6] based on Global 650 Cities database [6] Based on 151ft2 per worker in North America, CoreNet Global 2017 31 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

No one has their best ideas at their desk. So why do we still go to the office? Will there be anyone left to go to the office? “With 5G networks on the horizon, it’ll soon be faster to connect outside “Companies used to hire full-time employees. It was like a family environment where they would most offices than it is inside” Philip Ross, Unwork.com stay for a long, long time — ideally even a lifetime” William Kerr, Harvard Business School

In the 20th century, Automattic, owner of WordPress.com, closed its 15,000ft2 San Francisco “We are seeing a change in autonomy, measure performance rather Superstar firms of yesterday and today[14] people had to go to the office office in 2017 because too few of its Bay Area employees chose to use it. the way organizations think about than attendance, and judge results, because that’s where the tools a big chunk of their workforce,” not the process that is used to create Employees Market Market capitalization capitalization per employee of their trade were: telephones, says William Kerr, a professor at them. Upwork, the largest platform fax machines, computers. That’s Harvard Business School and for knowledge work, claims to have not true any more. With laptops, co-director of its Managing the Future 12 million registered freelancers, from smartphones, wireless networks and of Work initiative. “Rather than lifetime designers and creatives to marketing cloud computing, people can work employment, companies are working experts and accountants. anywhere. When they do go to the office, towards lifetime employability. Now the McKinsey Global Institute estimates US$49.77bn US$248,000 they’d rather access company networks view is, ‘we want to make sure you value that 20-30% of the working age per employee Ford Motor 201,000 using their own computers: 53% of your time here, that you’re productive population of the US and Europe Company employees workers feel they’re more productive and constantly learning new skills. engages in independent work.[13] The when they use their own devices,[7] while But at some point you’re going to go vast majority are engaged in selling six out of ten companies now have a somewhere else, and we want you their labour. For some, gig work is a “Bring Your Own Device” IT policy.[8] to look back and say this was a great poor, insecure second choice to full-time

Automattic Photo part of your career’.” employment. But MGI found that a The “dark matter” of the economy is significant proportion would prefer to be People went to the office best talent, they are having to rethink temporary help, as companies have freelance: if everyone could pursue their US$22.76m Facebook because that’s where everyone traditional approaches to work. Younger Social media start-up Buffer decided to close its San Francisco office in 2015. outsourced non-core activities such preferred working style, 40-50% of the per employee 23,000 else was. That’s no longer true either. workers are much more mobile, says With a fully distributed team spread around the world, spending so much on as maintenance and catering, and working-age population in the US and employees US$523.45bn Companies are often diversified, global Carroll, both within the office itself and a base stopped making sense. Now its 70+ staff work from home, co-working support functions such as accounts Europe would be independent. networks, with as many contractors and in the places where work is done: “That spaces and coffee shops, travelling to meet up just a few times each year. and customer relations. Historically freelancers as permanent staff. Team could be client offices, home, co-working large companies would directly employ members don’t work in spaces, airports.” A JLL hundreds of thousands of people. “Today That’s one reason why the same place or survey of more than we hear more about ‘superstar firms’ companies still need offices: as even in the same In 2013, 7% of meetings in US 7,300 employees in 12 that are much smaller in size, but have an embodiment of their brand time zone, and workplaces involved a virtual countries found that an enormous impact and generate and culture. As companies rely on a they may choose participant. By 2016, this had 54% worked from home enormous economic rewards for those smaller number of short-lived employees, to structure their almost doubled to 13% [11] at least once a month, who are part of the company.” they must impart their culture and hours differently. and 34% worked from values more powerfully, more quickly. third places such as cafes When call centre employees at Ctrip, a Chinese travel agency Offices have always been a physical According to a study by with 16,000 employees, were allowed 9% to workfrom fromworking home, more or co-working spaces. This is it led to a 13% performance increase: 9% The rise of the gig economy manifestation of a corporate ethos. That’s Upwork and Freelancers Union, They went because employers driven by millennials: 47% of under-35s minutes per shift and 4% from taking more calls per minute. will fragment organizational even more important when some team at the current rate of growth, told them to. But in the 21st-century worked from third places, compared to Home workers also reported improved work structures even further. Digital members may never visit them. most of the US workforce would [9] and their attrition rate halved. [15] knowledge economy, the power balance just 27% of over-35s. satisfaction platforms and smart devices enable Kerr studied the ultimate superstar be freelance by 2027 has shifted. Employees have a greater Gensler’s US Workplace Survey [12] companies to access a vast global firm, Finland-based Supercell, one of the say in how they do their jobs. “The 2016 found that in the most innovative pool of talent, and allow footloose world’s most successful mobile game number one success factor for many organizations, employees only spend 74% workers to pursue new kinds of developers. “There are only about 200 organizations will continue to be talent of their time in the office, the equivalent portfolio careers. “Every single business employees at the corporation, but they management,” says Tom Carroll, director of 3.5 days a week, compared to 86% at [7] CITO Research, 2016 Executive Enterprise Mobility Report [8] BYOD is having its operations transformed also have more than 1,000 outsourced of corporate research at JLL in EMEA. the least innovative companies. Those Usage in the Enterprise, Syntonic, 2016 [9] Workplace — Powered By Human by automation and by access to digital player support personnel. Even though “There is always going to be a need for somewhere that people “That’s only going to become more who spend 80% or more of their time in Experience, 2017 [10] [11] Gensler US Workplace Survey 2016 [12] The Quarterly talent platforms — the human cloud,” the outsourced vendor is a different pronounced as automation chips away at the office are significantly less satisfied Journal of Economics, 2014 [13] Independent work: Choice, necessity, and says Carroll. company, Supercell paid to decorate the can congregate and feel a sense of belonging to a unit” the more process-driven activities.” with their jobs and workspace and find the gig economy, 2016 [14] Latest figures, December 2017 [15] Freelancing in The gig economy is a good fit for facilities of the outsourced vendor to look As companies compete to attract the less meaning in their work.[10] America: 2017 knowledge work: both prioritize like Supercell’s own offices.” Andrew Chadwick, Chadwick International 33 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

The office is the embodiment of company culture. The Uberization of everything: But what kind of culture is it embodying? All companies are tech companies now.

“Workplace design is interesting because it holds a mirror up to the economic models “Every industry is being disrupted by start-ups, so organizations are under pressure to innovate. in which we operate” Jeremy Myerson, WORKTECH Growth will be driven by high-skilled, creative individuals” Tom Carroll, JLL

Things move slowly in Since the turn of the millennium, place says Myerson. “For organizations who dominant model for some time to come, Distinctions between office design.Since the dawn of the has become increasingly irrelevant and have still got Taylorist offices and social believes Myerson, although it does have business sectors are collapsing. FOLLOW THE 20th century, there have been three the “networked office” is the model democratic offices, the more fluid, flexible limitations. “People are already talking Banks, car makers, professional services distinct waves, says Jeremy Myerson, du jour. “Gathering everybody in one pattern of the network is difficult to about fluidity rather than a network, — for every company, digital technology CREATIVES director of WORKTECH Academy and physical place is no longer possible,” manage. We’re in a period of restless because the network itself is bounded. is now the key to success and growth. GE steps out of the research professor at the Royal College says Myerson. “Work is more distributed, improvisation and experimentation. But networks take different forms, some “It’s no longer about specific technology suburbs of Art in London. collaboration is often between companies We’ve moved away from efficiency to are well-defined, and some are organic products that a company might use or The “Taylorist office” has rows of rather than within one company. effectiveness, but now we’re trying to and unpredictable, and then there are not, but technology integrated into the US industrial giant desks and very little else. It was based Innovation involves a lot of partners.” It understand what effectiveness means in networks within networks. So I think it’s business model,” says William Kerr at General Electric is on the principles of American engineer means the end of presenteeism too: “The a knowledge economy.” quite a good model for looking at what’s Harvard Business School. “Every leading moving its headquarters Frederick W Taylor, whose system of reason people sat at desks in a Taylorist The networked office will be the happening right now.” bank is no longer thinking of themselves from suburban Fairfield, scientific management broke every task office is so managers could keep an eye as a bank, but as a technology company.” Connecticut to downtown into its individual motions and timed on them. But everyone leaves a digital On Harvard’s Managing the Future Boston, home of Harvard, factory workers with a stopwatch. The trace now, so you can see exactly what of Work course, Kerr includes a case MIT and Tufts and a modern industrial office was conceived people have done.” study of bank ING Netherlands, which hotbed of innovation. of as a machine: “People are cogs in the reshaped its working practices and There it is building a machine, and organizations are giant offices using the Agile methodology US$200m, 2.7 acre pieces of engineering, and it’s all about Networked office layouts to emulate tech firms such as Spotify, campus, dubbed GE economy and efficiency,” says Myerson. are much more fluid and workers Google and Netflix. Innovation Point, to house Things loosened up after the Second more mobile within them. 800 GE employees as well World War with the “social democratic Management hierarchy is much less as “collaborators from the office”, a place of human interaction apparent and many of the desks The Agile methodology innovation, start-up and and social relations, where getting on have been replaced by a range of originated in software learning communities”. with other people was key to getting different spaces for activities such as development, but is now being “Fairfield was a traditional the work done. “This is the era of the brainstorming in groups, more focused adopted by firms in many fields. [16] suburban corporate corporate campus,” says Myerson, “It’s a teamwork, quiet concentration or Not to be confused with “agile working” setting,” says Kerr. “A GE much more place-based approach, that confidential calls, in recognition that — the ability to work where and when Agile favours a fluid layout. “ING moved Spaces will no longer be executive commented introduced urban planning principles to open-plan layouts do not suit every you choose — it is fast and flexible, with entirely into open concept space. There dedicated to processing how you couldn’t walk create a more pleasant environment and worker or every task. This is activity- the emphasis on collaboration between are few walls and no offices — even the information, but to sharing it. out of the suburban office involved people collocating to the same based working. “Networked offices, small, self-directed teams. They are CEO doesn’t have an office. Instead, “I spend a lot of time with clients centre and find a place to physical space.” Like mini-cities, campus in theory, give people choice, more created for a specific purpose, evolve there are long working tables throughout talking about the things that make us buy a sandwich; in Boston, layouts featured streets and boulevards opportunity to move around the network over time and disband when their work the building and there are whiteboards human,” says Sarah Kay, director and you walk out of the office and green spaces, and desks were in and more agency over their work.” is done. “So instead of breaking down everywhere and flipcharts.” ING is now workplace designer at Woods Bagot. and run into four start-up clusters rather than in rows. All three office types are still with us, marketing from distribution from R&D, rolling this out around the world. “We need environments that enhance companies immediately.” you have an Agile team that’s devoted Tech companies have led the way those attributes of ‘humanness’: so to mortgage and loan applications, in new kinds of office space: they are experience, emotions, senses, the ability which includes everyone from customer naturally disruptive and they have a to make mistakes and to fail. We need “The office is a convenient container to support to development to how it’s being young workforce. Non-tech firms are places where people can come and distributed to customers,” says Kerr. following suit in order to attract that share their experiences and emotions put the values and protocols and shared “There are now 300 self-directed teams same talent, says Kerr. “Many traditional and interact with other humans in a aspirations of any organization. But you working at ING. That’s a tremendous companies are moving into the heart of collaborative setting.” [16] GE Innovation Point, image change from an organization that had downtown in order to observe the very courtesy of General Electric, don’t need to fill it with desks” seven or eight hierarchy levels.” punchy ideas that are bubbling up.” copyright Gensler 35 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

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Factories for creativity. The office is no longer a place, FITTER, HAPPIER, MORE PRODUCTIVE “We’re no longer just designing an environment, we’re designing the experience” Kay Sargent, HOK but an experience. “We do a lot more ‘day in the life’ scenarios,” says Is a healthy workplace the key to keeping staff satisfied? Gordon Wright at HOK. “For example, we talk about what you want the arrival Employers are rushing to lure health-conscious millennials with experience to be like. Do you want fresh air, daylight and plant-filled spaces, and in-house chefs serving A high-quality workplace next to. Those impromptu conversations visitors to have to walk up to a desk and up organic meals. It has become much harder to let a building is essential for attracting and spur connections and ideas that may not be sent to sit in a chair off to the side, or without decent bike storage, says JLL’s Carroll. “Cycling to work is retaining talented people, and travel as quickly in a traditional set-up.” do you want to make it more informal and fundamental to the younger generation, so it’s one of the biggest for supporting them to do their But crucially, there is a balance welcoming, like ‘come in and get a cup discussion points for our agents.” But just storing bikes is no longer best work. Designers have long between encouraging collaboration of coffee’? It’s about designing the space enough: a music streaming company told him that staff wanted an known this intuitively, but Gensler’s and supporting the individual work from the user perspective and creating on-site mechanic to service them. “The corporate mindset used to be US Workplace Survey 2016 made the that remains essential to employee an amazing place for them to be.” ‘build it and they will come’. But now there’s a much greater focus on link explicit. It asked more than 4,000 performance: “To focus effectively, Amazing spaces tap into all of our making people feel happier.” office workers in 11 industries a series of you should not have distractions or senses, including smell: “We’re talking [20] The hope is that healthier employees will also be more productive. questions about innovation within their interruptions, you need to get into that about creating sensory experiences that WELL building standards have been found to reduce sick days by up organization, and about the functionality groove. That’s the direct opposite of go beyond just branding. Space should to 28%, says Matthew Marson, UK head of smart buildings at WSP. and effectiveness of their workplace. collaborating,” says Pogue McLaurin. be the physical embodiment of what a “That’s just one benefit but it’s probably the easiest to measure.” In his The correlation between the two was “If people are trying to do the two next to company’s culture is.” previous role, he was responsible for implementing WELL principles even stronger than expected, says Janet each other, that can be a misalignment.” As office environments become more in Accenture’s global R&D centre in Ireland — a potential saving of Pogue McLaurin, principal and co-leader high-tech, there is a corresponding US$220,000 on sick days alone. of its workplace sector. Employees with Autonomy is important desire for “high-touch” maker or MEMO a Workplace Performance Index score of — respondents in the most spaces (“maker environments, mobile 90 or more had an average innovation innovative companies were occupants”). At AOL’s Toronto office, 58% of millennials would rating of 4.4 out of 5, while twice as likely to be able HOK created casual, interactive spaces choose a better quality of life at those with a WPI score to choose where in a rustic, brick-and-beam interior, work over a higher salary [22] [21] of 50 or less averaged and when they designed to feel like an oversized living A JLL survey found just 2.6 for innovation. worked as the room. “It’s more hands-on,” says senior that 69% of employees “We saw that the least innovative. project interior designer Caitlin Turner. believe a work environment most innovative top The choices available “You can move things around and tinker should facilitate “happiness” quartile behaved to respondents and play and get your hands dirty, almost HYBRID SPECIES — their number one priority very differently and appeared to have like a scrum space or extended project The office of the future will for a unique workplace had better designed narrowed since the rooms. We’re seeing this ‘garagification’, encompass different types of experience [17] workplaces,” she says. previous survey in 2013 to support more agile, creative, beta- space from many sectors “They spent more time — but Pogue McLaurin innovation type spaces.” collaborating and more time suspects this may be down “The next big innovation in workplace away from the office.” to our increasing expectations, as Innovative workplaces are is not going to come out of the In the most innovative workplaces, technological freedom becomes the new 2.5 times more likely to offer blue, it’s going to come from taking [18] employees can choose from a diverse normal. “What employees are looking specialty coffee on site[19] elements of what we already have and mix of spaces for focused work, virtual for is always changing. We don’t just combining them together,” says Gordon and face-to-face collaboration, learning settle for the status quo any more, we’re UNIVERSAL TRUTHS Wright, director of workplace at HOK. and particularly socializing. “By moving striving for that new experience or the “Corpitality” fuses the office with hotel- around, you’re building social networks latest, greatest technology. The physical When Gensler repeated its Workplace Survey across Latin America, the style lobbies or lounges. Workplaces [17] Workplace — Powered By and touching base with people across work environment always needs to be UK, Asia and the Middle East, it found three universal truths are borrowing from retail with tech bars Human Experience, 2017 the organization, not just who you sit evolving, always in beta.” — inspired by the Apple Store’s Genius [18] Washington Post offices n There are no generational differences at work “The way we may shop Bar — and juice counters and coffee by Gensler. Photo by Garrett online may be very different but the way we work is very much the same,” bars staffed with in-house baristas. Rowland [18] Gensler US says Pogue McLaurin Sweeping staircases or gathering Workplace Survey 2016 [20] AOL “Sometimes it’s not about providing everything so n Everyone focuses at home “Home was consistently ranked as the second spaces echo college campuses, and Toronto by Gensler. Photo by conveniently, it’s about creating special moments” most used space for focused work, after the primary desk at the office” presage a requirement for lifelong Tom Arban [21] RSA Toronto n We all need to eat “The amenities that people used most and which are learning, as knowledge becomes by Gensler. Photo by Richard Janet Pogue McLaurin, Gensler most important are food and drink” obsolete ever more rapidly. Johnson [22] Fidelity Investments 37 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

‘You can tell people, “I’m in the Boat!”’ Aaron Taylor Harvey, creative director of Airbnb Environments, explains how the company’s app inspired its immersive office

Games designers spend reminded of the feeling of travelling,” their days trying to create digital says Harvey. Each zone accommodates experiences that feel real. The 50 employees at custom-made sit-stand Airbnb Environments team have built desks, a “garage” project space with a the opposite at its San Francisco HQ: pull-down door, and “caves” for one-to- a workspace that makes employees ones or video-conferencing. feel they are immersed in its vacation Every non-structural element of the rental app. building was removed to enhance the “I thought about how to simulate atrium, from which a huge staircase Left The “duck-in” the app experience,” explains creative connects the floors. “As an architect, it spaces of the Boat director Aaron Taylor Harvey. “How is rarely the right thing to do to create a offer privacy, and are can I bring the feeling of scrolling you giant white sweeping stair,” he concedes, almost always full, get when you move your thumb up the “but this is one of those places where it says Harvey screen into the physical experience of actually made sense. It makes you feel, walking through space?” ‘I’m supposed to move up and use this is still only two-thirds occupied, the Scrolling becomes strolling: glass-sided whole space, not just stay on my floor’.” Boat’s single-person “duck-in” spaces are meeting rooms, each themed around Circulation routes fan out from the almost always full, says Harvey. “Duck- a different Airbnb listing, are stacked central core, “so you’re never sitting in a ins are always successful wherever we two-deep along a ramp that descends spot with hundreds of people walking by are, but not like this. There is a feeling of towards the centre of the building. every day. You’re just with the people you excitement of getting to inhabit the Boat “They have a kind of flatness — maybe work with and hearing the conversations — you can tell people ‘I’m in the Boat’. 2-and-a-half D. Now when you descend you need to hear, and you can choose to That symbolism means a lot to people. that ramp, you’re instantly embedded move towards the centre.” It simplifies the mental picture they’ve in the product experience, but also the Harvey realized that the same hub- painted of the place they work.” workplace experience. You can see the and-spoke layout is found at Disneyland, The Boat offers privacy too. Harvey variety in Airbnb and you can also see the which has become something of a thinks that the need for privacy is action of the office. It has a quasi urban reference point. “It allows shortcuts underestimated, but that so is the need feel of density to it that’s really exciting.” between lands but also keeps them for cafe space. “I think people want very Amazon

The 20-person boardroom is a dining separate, so even though Disneyland is high-contrast environments that they can Photo room in Stellenbosch, South Africa; other not very big, you have a sense of travel.” move between. Not just different-shaped spaces recreate a cabin in the woods in There are also a few of what Walt Disney furniture but real environmental change. Solnechnogorsk, Russia, a Shanghai loft, called “weenies”. “It’s taken from the Distraction is a result of there not being … Or what about a rainforest? and a living room in Rio de Janeiro. silent films, when they’d wave a sausage enough distinction, when the space isn’t Amazon has just opened The Spheres at its campus in downtown Seattle, three Each floor is also themed around one of off-screen so a dog would look at it. For telling people how to use it.” interconnecting glass domes filled with more than 40,000 high-altitude tropical four cities — Kyoto, Amsterdam, Jaipur, Disney, things like Space Mountain and Even though desks are still allocated, plants, where employees can hold meetings in treehouses and beside rivers and Buenos Aires — with a vibrant colour the castle were weenies — they pulled there are “standing landings” in each waterfalls. It is intended to “create an instant botanical immersion”, drawing on pallet and zones named for different you deeper into the space.” neighbourhood where anyone can research linking biophilic design and creativity. neighbourhoods, and a cafe on every Airbnb’s most successful weenie is pitch up, though not many people take “You walk in and it’s like no workplace you’ve ever seen,” says Tom Marseille, floor. “There are some pronunciation the Boat, projecting out over the atrium. advantage. “The desk and the meaning of national director of Built Ecology and managing director for WSP in Seattle, part of challenges, but it helps people to be Even though the 1,000-person building the desk is great to people,” says Harvey. the team behind The Spheres. “It isn’t just a nice space, it’s an amenity that’s going “It has incredible emotional value. The to help attract and retain people because you’re giving them something unique.” desk is a symbol from the employer of Creating a space that’s comfortable for both plants and people required “I thought, how can I bring the feeling of scrolling into their commitment to you. You have to sophisticated environmental and lighting systems, but they also had to be hidden, have a great deal of confidence not to feel says Marseille. “This one took all of our engineering and design horsepower to the physical experience of walking through space?” that thing is valuable.” deliver.” Just don’t look too closely at the fallen logs … 39 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

[23, 24] Global Coworking Survey, 2017, Deskmag [25] Estimate by JLL

Left WeWork in How can offices compete? Chelsea, New York, one of 171 locations Learn from the masters. in 64 cities. “When you have a mix of businesses, you get “Traditional offices don’t work because people don’t like them. a very unique type of collaboration,” says Co-working is the canary in the mine” Jeremy Myerson, WORKTECH WeWork’s Eugen Miropolski

The co-working space is by large corporates. They offer be closed during the day. Or it could the largest corporate occupier in central the ultimate networked office. memberships as a perk, to free up fixed even be someone’s house: the Hoffice London — only the UK government has The concept has come a long way since desk space or to tap into the creativity community supports individuals to turn more office space. Its footprint in the its origins in 1990s Berlin and the earliest and innovation of local start-ups. their homes into free co-working spaces financial district alone doubled in 2017. community-oriented “hackerspaces”. Today a co-working space might be for the day and invite like-minded people “We see a lot of different types of Some co-working locations welcome little more than a grungy “coffice” to join them. business collaborating,” says Eugen all-comers and let them get on with it, with a high tolerance for Global brand WeWork Miropolski, managing director for Europe “London is the global leader while others host a carefully curated laptop users nursing a offers individual and and Israel. “At the beginning, there were a in terms of the growth and blend with community managers to single latte. Or it might Large corporates corporate memberships lot of financial services companies, then facilitate interactions. span many thousands of make up 20% at more than 170 a lot of start-ups, but now a lot of larger maturity of the market. But it’s Co-working spaces started as hubs feet in a slick downtown of WeWork’s locations. Firms can corporations like IBM or Barclays are where freelancers and entrepreneurs location, with custom- membership lease floors or entire coming to join that community. When still only 3.5% of office stock” could make connections and build a branded spaces for large buildings, or hand their you have that mix of different types of Tom Carroll, JLL support network, but their extraordinary companies. It may just be a own space over to it to businesses and companies, you get a proliferation has been driven in part restaurant that would usually fit-out and manage. It is now very unique type of collaboration.” By 2030, co-working How can corporates and setting aside 10 or 20% of their portfolio Harvard Business School. Centrally spaces could account for 30% developers compete? If you can’t to provide a co-working for the building, located, beautifully appointed co-working The rise of the co-working class of corporate office portfolios, beat them, join them … “Bigger a great big space that everyone can use. space is inherently expensive, and it according to JLL. “Organizations are businesses are starting to realize that It’s becoming an amenity — just like offers little protection for intellectual [23] Ten years ago, the world had 75 co-working spaces. Now there are 13,800 having to absorb tremendous amounts of they’ve lost their mojo and they’re years ago, having a gym in a building was property, especially in a fluid, mobile 2008 geopolitical and macroeconomic change, wondering how to get it back, so they’re an amenity.” layout. “Companies will continue to and they’re having to change their taking a page from co-working, creating choose the model that is most effective 2018 workplace at a much more rapid rate,” curated experiences with a strong sense Could co-working spaces for their needs, and some will employ says JLL’s Carroll. “Co-working space community wthin their office space,” ever replace the traditional office both approaches in different parts of In 2017, nearly 1.2 million people used co-working spaces. 56% did so for the first time[24] gives them the ability to flex rather than says Wright at HOK. “Developers are altogether? Unlikely, says Kerr at the organization.” fix their real estate requirements.” 1.2 million Co-working has become synonymous with cool, beautifully designed spaces, 56% a high-quality service and, of course, Co-working currently accounts for less By 2030, it could hit 30% [25] great coffee. They’re this good because than 5% of the global office market they have to be: co-working spaces must compete to attract a footloose market Companies mobile the rise of and they have elevated it into an artform. cutting fixed technology the “sharing costs and long and cloud “Co-working is the consumerization of economy” the workplace,” says Myerson. “You’re leases computing paying for a service and if you don’t like it, you can go somewhere else. That’s why they are so acutely attuned to building communities and providing the growth the right atmosphere and ambience. of “space as a They’re constantly iterating in a way that service” traditional workplaces are not.” 41 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE SPACES

The intelligent office: Smart design in the era of Big Data “We used to talk about ‘class A’ office space, but now it’s ‘class T’. Technology firms have driven these y? concepts, but now other companies want to offer the same environment” Herbert Els, WSP t i v i adds Els. “Agile working really means When companies are t defined by their use of technology, densification, but as you squeeze more a why wouldn’t they apply it to their people in, the real estate benefit is hugely e own workspaces? Just coming on offset by the drop in productivity. What is r stream is the ability to collect and analyze the optimum space density before social Is the coffee maker really the font of c data about every aspect of a building’s decorum breaks down because there’s a Software can model and engineer how collaboration happens operations and the activity that takes lack of personal and reservable space? place within it. The workplace of the Smart technologies allow us to measure “Until now, workplace designers have strategic approach to collaboration, and methodologies require physical stuff and future will be fitted with a dense mesh of a successful workplace.” had to rely on people bumping into each this is where data comes in. Activity- teams to be physically located together.” tiny multisensors, constantly collecting other around stairs or coffee makers based working (ABW) is not a very When Commonwealth Bank of information on light levels, sound, or water coolers or whatever to create sophisticated way of allocating space, Australia noticed its free-desk layout temperature, air quality and occupancy, Technology will empower us. collaboration,” says Sarah Kay, director says Kay, nor is it a good fit for the Agile was hindering teamwork, Woods Bagot’s and transmitting it wirelessly. Smart systems can give people greater at Woods Bagot. “I don’t think it does. methodology that is spreading from the SUPERSPACE data team, led by Dr “The technology is getting better and control over their environment and help It might create socialization, but truly tech sector to companies of all kinds. Christian Derix, wrote a piece of software better, and there’s more and more we’re them find a space that works for them, valuable collaboration starts when a “Agile relies on visual management, to model how Agile teams come together able to do,” says Herbert Els, senior vice says Els. His team is developing an app group of people come together as a Post-it notes all over a wall that are a and disband over time. “It showed us that president of building technology systems that will show which desks are free, as project team for a period of time. It might visual manifestation of the tasks that teams were actually much more stable at WSP. At the company’s innovation well as the noise levels, lighting and be in a workshop for three hours or sitting people need to be doing on that team,” in terms of allocation of space than a centre in Boulder, Colorado, there are 50 temperature in each space, and guide at a shared work table for six months.” she says. “With ABW, everything is virtual typical ABW environment,” says Kay. multisensors in a 6,000ft2 space, which users to their chosen spot. They are also Companies need to take a more and real-time and digital, while agile “They might be in the same location for a Els’ team is using to develop applications Right At its Colorado working on a meeting room system to month before they had to relocate.” including a virtual reality model. “When innovation centre, clear “zombie bookings” and show real- So the next evolution of ABW might P54 we pull that live datastream into the VR WSP has developed time availability of rooms. be an app that allocates space based environment, a building operator wearing a VR model that Employers can use the same systems on collaboration: “On the way into work, a headset can sit comfortably in their can be used to to see who’s talking to who: “A lot of you’ll check in to see where your team chair and teleport [walk virtually] through visualize the data firms are very interested in using this is located on that day. Because it’s more the space to see how it’s performing.” from its workplace to measure community building.” From stable than an ABW environment, the multisensors a privacy point of view, it’s the same visual management board can be moved as social media, he says: “As long as to suit the teams. And then individuals This will transform the way their visitors are at all times,” says Els. or performance with their location in convenience comes with it, people are will fill in the gaps around the Agile we manage and occupy buildings. “They could geofence them and send a the building: “So we could see that if more willing to share personal data.” teams to maintain the efficiency.” Real-time granular data will make notification the moment they go outside we put the designers on the north of “We need to stop thinking Another of Kay’s clients, a tech firm maintenance more efficient — by the area, asking if they need any help. the building, where there is a certain in Tokyo, is using the software as a identifying which areas are used most, And at the same time, notifying security.” level of blue light, they’re three times of buildings as a cost business strategy tool. Where there for example, to inform cleaning schedules more innovative. Or if we’ve got teams centre and start seeing Giving people more choice are many people scattered through the or charge different business units for the spread across the globe working on the “ organization working for the same client, energy and space they use. It will be used Building data will become same bid, if we pay for them to travel them as a strategic is higher on the agenda than they could be brought together for one to create more pleasant, comfortable an invaluable business strategy and sit together, will we find that we’re day a week, for example. Or the company environments — so a poor air quality tool. Companies will derive the greatest 6% more likely to win because of that driver of value, whether reducing space. That means Woods Bagot’s might analyze where its engineering reading could trigger a higher number of benefit by combining sensor data collaboration? It’s by adding all of this SUPERSPACE capability is growing and position the air changes. Combined with presence- from the building with data from other data together that you find out the secret that’s for productivity or using it entirely differently” WX.Layout software marketing teams close by. “You can aware technology, it can support access corporate systems, says WSP’s Matthew sauce of your organization.” engagement or collaboration” Ingrid Stevenson, Chadwick integrates many manipulate how collaboration happens, control, safety evacuation and security: Marson. For example, they might “There’s a fine balance between real- metrics to optimize as opposed to just leaving it completely “A tech company wants to know where cross-reference employee timesheets estate optimization and space scarcity,” Matthew Marson, WSP International workplace design to chance.” 42 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE THE HUMAN FACTOR

JOHAN EDSTAV IS A GREEN PARTY POLITICIAN IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST

SUSTAINABLE COUNTRIES. SO WHY e are standing in a big empty W field on the outskirts of Uppsala, Sweden’s fourth city. The snowy expanse is broken only by trees, and DOES HE the occasional farm building or steeply pitched house. But Johan Esdstav sees something else. WANT TO “This is the south part of the new city, there might be housing or shops here. The new tram will go somewhere along here,” he makes a sweeping gesture, BUILD A drawing a track along the field boundary, “and in that direction there.” He squints further into the distance: “Down over the stream, 3 or 4km away, will be the new NEW CITY station. But I can’t show you that because there’s no road there now.” If Edstav has a good imagination, OVER THIS he needs one. It’s his job to identify potential sites for new cities and then strike deals with local municipalities to make it happen, trading infrastructure FIELD? investment for large-scale housebuilding. Sweden is one of Europe’s fastest WORDS BY KATIE PUCKETT growing economies, but it’s seriously constrained by a lack of affordable housing: the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning says that it needs to build approximately 600,000 homes by 2025. In 2017, 255 out of 290 municipalities reported a housing shortage. The situation is most acute in the Stockholm region, which has a population of 2.3 million and 606,105 languishing on the waiting list for a rent- controlled apartment. Sweden’s housing crisis may be extreme but it’s not alone. Like many other countries, it is struggling to balance city prosperity with affordability, help Evan Pantiel Evan an ageing population to downsize, and

Photos Photos decarbonize its economy. What sets 45 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE THE HUMAN FACTOR

Sweden apart is that this small country agreement, they may lose their privileged of barely 10 million has welcomed “In many of these areas — not only in Sweden — there are position. “We could say that we won’t more refugees per capita than any push the infrastructure any more. For other in Europe. In 2015, at the peak owner-occupied houses in one part and rental houses in Uppsala, it would take another 20 years of the European migrant crisis, more at least before the track was on the way. than 160,000 people arrived seeking another, with a forest in between. The people never meet” But I don’t think it will come to that. The asylum. Sweden’s immigration policy is municipalities want to deliver the best justifiably a source of national pride, but they can for the people in their cities and it has also raised questions about how for the state. Otherwise they are building so many newcomers can be integrated new social problems and it’ll cost a lot to — or even housed. The challenge for do something about that — it costs more the government is not only to increase not building right in the first place.” a paltry rate of housebuilding, but for 14 years, has agreed to build 33,000 state should lift the burden of regulation, Local politicians will also be hoping that to plan new developments to bring homes, which could see its population of or start building itself. “I don’t think it’s new connections can placate existing people together in more cohesive, 220,000 rise by almost half. It will benefit so much about that, the discussion has residents. Sweden has its fair share of better functioning communities. The from two new train lines to Stockholm been too simple. Neither of them are NIMBYs — it’s the same word in Swedish Nordic countries already lead the world and a new station serving the southern fully right. It’s necessary to have some — and by definition, Edstav wants to in environmental sustainability; now development area. regulation about rents, or there will increase the population in successful Sweden is seeking to isolate the DNA What makes Edstav’s job harder is be areas where people without high places where not-in-my-backyard of the more complex and much less that he’ll be trying to steer development salaries can’t move in at all. If you don’t sentiment will be strongest and most explored social dimension. at a third remove. Contrary to its image have any regulation, you have a society easily mobilized. Will infrastructure be as a “socialist utopia”, Sweden has no where politicians and planners don’t enough of an incentive? “Yes, I hope so, Man for a crisis social housing. In its egalitarian model, have much say and I don’t think that is a but it’s necessary to work with them. It is everyone is entitled to the same, which good society. But if you have too much a challenge to make the neighbours see This is why a Green Party county is provided by the market but heavily regulation on construction, what type of that development will make things better councillor appointed by a Green Party regulated by the state. building, how you should build and rents, for them too. If you have a new station, housing minister is making plans to build This is why so little has been built since you will stop development at all. You prices for the existing houses should go housing on greenfield sites, albeit close the financial crisis of the early 1990s. need to balance it.” up as well.“ to major cities. “We have too few houses Central government sets regulations Is Sweden’s utopian reputation fair? The agreements with the municipalities in the parts of Sweden that are growing, and standards, but it’s down to the “I think we are misunderstood. In many include a range of targets on affordability, so the most important thing is to build municipalities to ensure that there is areas we are the most unregulated mobility, green spaces and environmental more,” says Edstav. “If we build more, the enough housing for the local population, country in the world.” Sweden is the only standards — the goal is net zero carbon. queue for rental houses will be shorter.” or to exercise a veto on new schemes. It European country with no laws on when They average 30 pages in length; the The field we are standing in is farmland, is private developers that must come up shops can open, he adds, and its financial longest is 46. Edstav’s small team of but it’s not the best, he stresses: “We with viable schemes and deliver them, regulations are much lighter. three will be enlarged into a dedicated should take care of the farmland that’s with the help of Europe’s most expensive government committee, and every year, very good, not only in Sweden but in construction industry. The infrastructure card he will follow up to check that the cities every country. But some of this part, I Of 45 municipalities Edstav visited, are shaping up as planned. think we can build on.” he has made deals with four, though he Edstav’s unassuming, almost timid Since coming to power in 2014, the thinks another five or 10 may follow. What manner is married with a clearly genuine Learning from the past left-of-centre coalition government has about the rest? “Some of the politicians conviction in the possibilities of the new succeeded in increasing Sweden’s very said ‘we don’t want to build here now, cities: he has said that they should be like The cities’ most important characteristic sluggish housing construction with the we don’t need to grow’. It’s not so much a permanent World’s Fair. But given the will be variety — the key to avoiding biggest state investment for 20 years. right wing, it’s more a conservative way state’s hands-off role, how exactly will he the mistakes of the past and to But it’s still nowhere near the target of thinking. ‘We shouldn’t be too fast, we bring this about? His leverage is in the creating authentic, functioning places. level and piecemeal development just don’t need the state to come here’, things detailed deals with the municipalities and Sweden’s last attempt to build its way isn’t going to cut it. In November 2016, like that. If they don’t want it, that’s okay, in his killer bargaining chip — transport. out of a housing crisis was the “Million the government appointed Edstav to it’s up to them.” The Swedish government plans a Programme” in the late 1960s and think bigger, as national coordinator of Markets respond to demand from Kr700bn (US$73bn) investment in early 70s. Today, like their equivalents a programme to build sustainable cities those who are willing and able to pay. infrastructure over the next 12 years, and in other countries, those estates have from scratch. So far, he has secured Sweden’s bigger problem is housing it empowered Edstav to offer priority to become synonymous with poverty, agreements from four municipalities for for those who can’t: young people and those municipalities that agree to build social segregation and civil unrest seven new areas, about 100,000 homes immigrants. Proposed solutions to the housing and meet challenging targets — theoretically for everyone, but in in total. Uppsala, where Edstav has housing crisis are often characterized on sustainability. If local politicians practice, housing of last resort. “Much been a member of the county council as “more market” or “less market”: the don’t deliver the cities as set out in the of our planning is about making sure

P66 47 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE THE HUMAN FACTOR

that the social sustainability is better component of helping the cities to a framework around how you can test than it has been,” says Edstav. “In the flourish. “If you plan areas close to new things, how you get companies to The city now arriving at platform one … 60s and 70s we built a lot because it “I think we are the railway station for commercial want to try it and the municipalities to try A railway interchange south of Stockholm is getting a new lease of life was necessary, but it was just one type: development from the beginning, you something new.” rented houses on a very large scale. In misunderstood. can get enterprises to go there. In [the They will also be testbeds for new In Hemfosa, every third resident is a municipality and the government, and freely and there could be taller buildings.” our deals with the municipalities, we’re ABC cities], very few people walk or construction techniques — low-energy horse. It is home to around 100 humans, will now inform the future development. They also considered how to create very clear that they should not just build In many areas cycle to work because it’s too far. If you developments have been expensive, but a riding centre for Icelandic ponies and They came up with a four-step plan a city rather than just a collection of houses for rental or houses for sale. It we are the most can put new jobs next to a station, it’s Edstav doesn’t think that they have to very little else. What it does have is a to densify and eventually urbanize houses. “There’s the question of identity must be a mix, and the population should easier for people to get to and it’s easier be: “Many are very expensive in other disproportionately well-served train Hemfosa. “Right now, it’s very sprawly — you need to invest in some kind of be mixed, in age, in income levels, in unregulated to get entrepreneurs to set up there. ways — they use very high specification station. Hemfosa only exists because with small villas,” says Reinius. “We knew culture. We talked about moving part of education and in whether you come from Some workers may come from the new for flooring and kitchens, for example. that’s where the two-line railway from we couldn’t start by building high-rises, the university or establishing an industry, Sweden or not.” country in the areas but others will be travelling in, so You can build houses that are cheaper Stockholm drops down to a single track, we needed something smaller to attract perhaps a timber housing factory — Before the Million Programme, there world” it’s essential that enterprises are close and still have a good energy performance and so every single train to and from the families to move there.” Instead, they something to make people proud that were the “ABC Cities”, supposed to be to very good communications. The more by focusing more on the structure and Swedish capital stops there. proposed starting with terraced houses they’re from Hemfosa.” self-sustaining communities with homes, changes that are necessary on public insulation, and using prefabrication.” “In the 1990s, there was a debate — “something slightly denser than what Part of the role was also to help jobs and entertainment. But industry transport, the less attractive it will be. For Edstav, the biggest risk to the new about whether they should stop the trains there is now” — and progressing to two the municipality understand potential never came and today they are dormitory Transport is the key to it.” cities is a repeat of the economic crises there at all,” says Fredrik Reinius, a spatial and three-storey buildings. The final demand for new amenities as Hemfosa towns: the most successful, Vällingby, Edstav was impressed by a visit to that shook Sweden in the early 90s and, planner at WSP in Stockholm. “From step would be to move the station and grows: “You need things that you don’t became the oppressive suburban setting Utrecht in the Netherlands, where the to a lesser extent, after 2008. “If we take an economic point of view, you would construct a new urban centre, with larger think of normally because projects are for 2008 vampire film Let The Right Central Station area is being rebuilt: “You too many years before starting up, the say just don’t stop there, go where there numbers of homes creating demand for a little bit smaller. We thought, 20,000 One In. “They meant well but they didn’t can see that entrepreneurs are moving people who have had these discussions are more people. It holds up each train shops and restaurants. “The station is people is pretty big — maybe we need a see the social dilemma. In many of these in. If you have a very good transport will not be there any more and we will for two minutes. But then if you turn it very near to the existing villas and it’s new cemetery. Do we need a hospital? areas — not only in Sweden — there are hub, it’s possible.” He’s also visited lose momentum.” around, the train stops there — that can hard to densify there because we can’t Maybe not here, but in the region. The owner-occupied houses in one part and Freiberg, renowned as Germany’s most City planning is an unavoidably be a motivation for something …” tear all that down. If we built a new scale of this is so big, we need to take all rental houses in another, with a forest in sustainable city and a similar size to long-term pursuit — but Sweden is Hemfosa’s moment seems to have central station, you could build more of these things into consideration.” between. The people never meet, the kids Uppsala, and in turn, hosted a delegation approaching a general election in finally come, as part of the Swedish don’t play together.” from China. Closer to home, he cites September. The Green Party has never government’s plans to build at least

In Edstav’s new cities, there should Linköping in the middle of Sweden, been part of the government before, and nine new sustainable cities. Haninge Principles for a new city WSP’s proposals for how Hemfosa might develop Den nya staden innebär en unik möjlighet att kombinera innovativa idéer och principer med beprövade metoder PRINCIPER FÖR DEN NYA STADEN och ideal för att bygga en hållbar stad. be something for everyone — in close where a sustainable new district is under with polling showing a diminished 4% municipality, in which Hemfosa lies, has Den nya staden erbjuder möjligheter som inte finns i den sa traditionella staden, genom t ex närhet till grönområden proximity: “For social sustainability, you construction: “They have built culverts for of the vote, there’s no guarantee that it agreed to build 12,000 homes there in emfo with H a och förbättrade boendemiljöer samt modern och hållbar al m tr i n x infrastruktur. Utvecklingen inom teknik och digitalisering TY e o I f C C gör att hållbar utveckling kan ske även i glesare miljöer. need different types of people. Children all the pipework and cabling instead of still will be after the election. Is progress return for additional investment in its G s N e I r D v D i A c BLANDAD STAD e E M s IX develop better in mixed schools than burying it, so you don’t need to dig up the reliant on the Greens holding on to the infrastructure — in this case, a new road LU E Den nya staden är en blandad stad som skapar förutsätt- A Green value center J D V C ningar för människor med olika bakgrund, behov och er- IT Y farenheter att bo, mötas och verka. En variation av grön- in classes where everyone’s parents streets to repair or replace it. It’s much housing minister post? “No, I think it will to connect Hemfosa to the motorway. If områden bostäder, service, arbetsplatser och upplevelser skapar också en god livsmiljö och ger närhet till det vi en D se re behöver. De olika funktionerna befolkar staden över dyg- have the same background. The goal more expensive at the beginning, but it still live on. Here in Uppsala, we have that doesn’t exactly sound sustainable, sid e eas n n ar net och skapar liv. ti ba a r l u a e is that some of the houses will be for shouldn’t be over the lifecycle.” eight parties and seven of them were for without it nothing else can happen: “You r s En förutsättning för en blandad stad är en mångfald av e n a e

s bostäder som människor vill, och har råd att, bo i. Det be- D elderly people, some for younger people, this deal, so even if we change majority can’t bring all the construction materials tyder att den nya staden har såväl villor som bostadsrätter

och hyresrätter i olika prisklasser. I den nya staden är det

vanligt med nya ägandeformer som exempelvis hyrköp, some for people who are just coming refugees, it’s for the whole population of or other things, but if you have what you Laboratory cities here or in central government I don’t by train, so unless there is a road, you byggemenskaper och bokaler. Genom blandning, mång-

fald och god planering kan ett ambitiöst bostadsbyggan-

de användas för att motverka geografisk uppdelning. out of university and getting their first Sweden. And some of them are refugees, need for a week, I think it makes people think it will change anything, because can’t build 150 villas, let alone a city,” J I den blandade staden gör man mer än att bara bo. home, others for the people in the of course.” Did that satisfy them? He want to live there.” Perhaps cultural Edstav wants the new cities to be this is necessary. Otherwise we will still says Reinius. Man lever, leker, arbetar och blir gammal. Därför har den blandade staden ett stort utbud av olika verksam- heter, arbetsplatser och service. Staden ska bestå av en middle, who want to buy a larger flat laughs ruefully and shakes his head: “No.” institutions could be relocated from laboratories for digital solutions, just build for the people who can afford it, Haninge municipality was already variation av rum där några är intensiva och några lugna.

Människorna möts på offentliga platserna som har en stor variation av funktioner och upplevelser med allt från when they have kids, and there will be The reality is that Sweden’s poorest and existing centres: “It’s important for the with state subsidies to de-risk the and we won’t get this social mix.” aware of WSP’s work with Skanska, torg för matmarknader till lek- och sportytor och natur-

miljöer. De offentliga rummen ska utformas tillgängliga och trygga så att alla invånare har tillgång till och känner more exclusive homes for people with newest citizens are unlikely to be able municipalities to make some cultural investment. “When you’re building Swedish housing history is littered with Scania and MTR to develop a new city Ny tät stadsbygd sig välkomna i staden. higher salaries.” to move in. The high-performance new investment in the new areas. Otherwise new places, you have the chance to well-intentioned failures, and there’s a lot concept, dubbed ABC-city 2.0 and Ny luftig stadsbygd

Nya småhustomter

Befintliga villatomter

homes will be expensive, and with rental people will just come to sleep and go build all the infrastructure from the riding on the success of the new cities — intended as a genuinely sustainable Privatägda större öppna ytor an

e urb are s a ar s Park/natur

Balancing act housing allocated by time spent on the away to work. A successful housing beginning and test new technologies. for the health of the economy and society successor to the ABC cities built in Sp

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waiting list, those who’ve just arrived area is a place where people want to So we have discussed that these should more broadly. The difference this time A Sweden in the 1950s. When it suddenly

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Y Kommunal anläggning

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KLIMATSMARTA MATSTADEN T I

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• Skapar möjlighet till närodling. S

is that state spending on infrastructure I

Edstav’s work has inevitably come to find themselves at the back of the queue. be in their spare time. The new areas be innovation areas. A laboratory for N

• Skapar möjlighetneeded till återvinning av tomatprodukter draw på olika up sätt: a detailed plan for B

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kompostering, biogasmaterial osv. P

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VATTENSMARTA STADEN T

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They will have to wait for cheaper, older will be successful when the shops and is being directly linked to municipal N Ne dense urban areas the attention of the far-right Swedish Swedish companies to see how the expanding a tiny hamlet into a fully

• Genom att återanvända regnvatten, istället för kranvatten, för att A

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tvätta kläder, bilen eller vattna gräsmattan kan staden minska

V I

ordinarie vattenförbrukning med upp till 60 procent. T

A Ne sparse urban areas V

workplaces are closed and people are responsibility for housebuilding, which O

Democrats, the third largest party, housing to be freed up. technology is working and that it’s functioning urban centre, it appointed

N

N I

SMARTA LIVSCYKELSTADEN Ne small house dellings

currently polling at 19%. “People have Creating a socially sustainable city is still walking around and going to cafes economical.” should result in more effective town • Stadsdelen ska WSPproducera förnyelsebar to explore energi tidigt i sin the livscy- options. Reinius led

kel, redan innan byggnaderna är på plats, för att förnyelsebar

energi ska kunna användas på platsen till produktionen av Ne dense urban areas Current dellings

byggnader och transporter. called me from the far-right saying ‘why about more than affordable housing. and things like that. I cannot express it These subsidies will be written into planning: “To make an area where people • Digitala lösningara koordinerarteam transporter of between till byggen för att five and 20 experts minska utsläppen. Ne sparse urban areas Privately oned large open areas are you planning these new areas for the Edstav is aiming for “safe, friendly” better than it should be a good feeling to the deals, but not the specifics of the want to move to, I think it’s necessary for in disciplines ranging from architecture Ne small house dellings Park/nature 6 FRAMTIDENS HEMFOSA FRAMTIDENS HEMFOSA 7 refugees?’ I say they’re not for refugees, neighbourhoods, with a mix of local be there.” technology. “It’s very difficult because you society to plan it together. We don’t have and transport planning to demographics NeNew dense dense urban urban areas areas CurrentCurrent dellings dwellings Preschool/schoolPreschool/school they are for anyone who wants to live shops and restaurants. “Of course, you’ll What about jobs? Transport is not can’t see what will be possible in five or a very good history on this, but we are a and market forces. This plan formed NeNew sparse sparse urban urban areas areas PrivatelyPrivately oned owned large large open open areas areas CommersialCommercial services services at at street street level level there. It has nothing to do with the go into the city if you want to buy clothes just a bargaining chip, it’s an essential ten years. So we have more discussed learning people — I hope.” the basis of the agreement between the NeNew small small house house dellings dwellings Park/naturePark/nature PublicPublic services services Current dellings Preschool/school

Privately oned large open areas Commersial services at street level

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Public services 48 49 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE THE HUMAN FACTOR THE HUMAN FACTOR

The rise of the robots will make millions of jobs obsolete in the very near future. What are we going to do?

WORDS BY OLIVIA BOYD

ou’re a 40-year-old accountant widely cited Oxford University paper from than a technical point. And for society people struggling to cope after finding Y with a masters degree, two 2013 estimated that almost half of jobs in more broadly, the rise of the robots raises their services no longer required, offering decades’ experience and a stellar CV. the US were “at risk” of being automated knotty human challenges. How do we some clues about the challenges in store Like everyone you know, you’re also in the next two decades. cope with the psychological fallout of — and strategies for managing them. broke, unemployed and living with Not everyone signs up to the Domesday mass-scale redundancies? How do we That includes recent history, explains your parents. The year is 2035 and the narrative. An analysis from UK-based ensure that people can afford to live Dawn Norris, associate professor of robots have landed. consultancy PwC released earlier this comfortably if there is less work to go sociology at the University of Wisconsin- It’s a bleak — and contested — view year predicted that automation would around? And if, in the end, robots do take La Crosse and author of the book Job of the future for professionals. But if the create new employment and boost all our jobs, how do we find meaning in Loss, Identity and Mental Health. Norris’ bolder predictions about the march of the productivity, even as it threatens the jobs lives without livelihoods? study of the psychological battles of US machines have any merit, it’s also one to of 10 million British workers performing professionals made redundant during the take seriously. routine tasks. While the forecasts vary in Coping with obsolescence Great Recession has convinced her that Computers are already capable of a outlook, however, they appear to agree on society needs to manage advances in AI wide range of complex tasks traditionally one thing: upheaval in some form is on its Mass, robot-induced obsolescence may carefully if we are to avoid widespread reserved for highly skilled humans, way, and some skills are on their way out. not yet have befallen humanity, but mental health problems. from diagnosing cancer to monitoring For people who depend on those skills lay-offs are hardly a new phenomenon. A key issue, says Norris, is how bound progress on construction sites, and they to make a living, this is obviously more History is littered with examples of up with our sense of identity paid work is. show no signs of slowing down. Take it away and we become vulnerable Artificial intelligence (AI) researchers to various forms of mental distress. Many believe robots have a 50% chance of “I think that societies are differently positioned in of the participants in her study reported outperforming humans in all tasks in anxiety, depression and other problems Picture credit Picture Shonagh Rae 45 years, and taking all jobs in 120, their capacity to support people through this transition” linked to the blow they had taken to their according to a study by Oxford and Yale sense of self, she says. “When I asked

Ofer Sharone, University of Massachusetts Photograph: Illustrations Universities published in March. Another what the hardest part of job loss was, 51 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE THE HUMAN FACTOR

P54

for skills and employment in 2030 Economic Research. And their ability — itself produced in part by machine to mimic people is improving all the HOW AUTOMATABLE ARE YOU? learning — which provides a granular time. A chatbot called Eugene passed Building designers stay ahead of artificial intelligence­— for now view of the future for different sectors, the so-called Turing Test back in 2014, and is intended for use by “educators, successfully tricking at least some Humans are strangely sanguine about their job prospects in a future of AI. A US survey businesses and governments for members of a panel of judges into by the Pew Research Centre found that while two-thirds believe robots or computers strategic and policy-making purposes”. thinking it was human. In 2016, a will “definitely” or “probably” do most of the work currently done by humans within 50 The report’s sanguine message is novel co-authored by a Japanese AI years, 80% expect their own jobs to exist largely unchanged. that automation will not be a story of managed to get through the first stage Among experts, it’s a different story. They may differ on when, but there is broad obliteration, but adjustment. Some of a literary competition. agreement that an “artificial general intelligence” is coming, able to perform any professions, including design and Tim Dunlop, author of Why the Future intellectual task that a human can, and that it will have profound implications for every engineering, are strongly complemented is Workless, thinks changes in the aspect of our lives. by digital technology and will thrive workplace will mean more than simply Even with currently demonstrated technology, about half of the activities in the in coming decades, while others, like swapping some skills for others. He sees global economy could be automated, according to McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), financial specialisms, will fare less well. the future of work as “a wicked problem which analysed the automation potential of more than 2,000 work activities across 800 Rather than panicking about robots, on the same level as climate change”, and occupations. MGI predicts that this will happen by 2055, give or take 20 years. More we should be rationally preparing the believes we are at the least in for a long occupations will be changed rather than eliminated completely, but this change will be workforce for a different skills landscape. and challenging transition period. significant: about 60% of jobs consist of at least 30% automatable activities. The keep-calm-and-adapt approach is For Dunlop, the crucial question is Physical activities in highly structured and predictable environments are ripe as much grounded in history as future- not will they or won’t they take our jobs, for automation, as are data collection and processing. But construction sites gazing, explains Harry Armstrong, head but how the nature of our daily lives will are unpredictable, which makes this industry less automatable (47%) than, say, of futures at Nesta. Society is stuck in change when there’s less need for us to manufacturing (60%) or accommodation and food services (73%). a cycle where every few decades we work. It’s a question that alarms people, Design professions such as architecture and engineering have a far lower automation have “exactly the same conversation” he says, but it’s also one with a potentially potential, says MGI, “since they require application of specific expertise such as high- about automation, with dire predictions positive answer. Passing formal work value engineering, which computers and robots are currently not able to do”. about mass unemployment that never over to robots could give humans more In fact, the World Economic Forum, in its The Future of Jobs report, singled out these come to pass, he says. “Partly because time to devote to undervalued activities professions for expansion. It predicts that although 7.1 million jobs will be lost over the it’s such an exciting idea, being able to like childcare, he says, with profound next five years, 2.1 million jobs will be created, mainly in more specialized “job families” capture something innately human in implications for how we interact with and such as Computer and Mathematical or Architecture and Engineering. Competition for something artificial, it captures people’s judge our fellow humans. talent in these areas will be fierce, and recruitment will be more difficult in 2020 than almost half told me it was their loss of This view is informed by Sharone’s “If you think the issue is about the imaginations and they kind of run with it.” “At the moment there’s paid work and it is today. “If you are choosing your college degree today, STEM skills are a good bet,” identity. They said, ‘I don’t know who I am own comparative research into the market and it’s external to you it’s not In fact, workplace evolution is almost we take that seriously. You have a job say the report’s authors, “but most importantly you will need to learn and specialize any more’.” “When I asked what the experiences of laid-off tech workers in as debilitating,” he says. “You are able to always more gradual, he says: “With and you pay your taxes and that’s the throughout your lifetime.” If entire professions were to be hardest part of job loss was, San Francisco and Tel Aviv. This revealed make adjustments. Maybe you’ll try to some occupations you get complete measure of your worth as a citizen,” says displaced by robots, the identity crisis significant differences in US and Israeli apply for a new kind of job, or retrain. The disruption, but that’s pretty rare. What Dunlop. “But we completely undervalue could be particularly acute, says Norris, almost half said loss of responses to unemployment, with difficulty with thinking it’s about you is normally happens is you’re getting the informal economy — looking after The point is not that we should return since there would be no obvious remedy. implications, he says, for their ability to that that seems unchangeable.” tasks or aspects of jobs disappearing kids, aged care, volunteering and “With some occupations to the past, but that our attitudes are An effective coping mechanism she identity. They told me, ‘I don’t deal with the fallout. There are concrete lessons here for how or shifting into other places … and the community work. Without that, the malleable. “We have to stop thinking in observed during the recession was know who I am any more’” Like Norris, Sharone found high levels societies can deal with growing numbers occupation then adapts to that, so it formal economy of paid work collapses you get complete disruption, terms of good work and bad work,” he for people to find ways of using their of self-blame among his American of long-term unemployed, says Sharone, takes on other tasks, or it morphs and entirely, but we don’t value it. says. “I think once we break down those professional skills in the short term while Dawn Norris, University of subjects, even in the context of wider who has been working with career combines itself with another occupation. “As technology integrates itself into the but that’s pretty rare” sorts of barriers, people are more likely to they waited for new paid work. A former market shifts, something he ascribes to coaches in Boston to put these lessons It’s only after a period of time that you formal economy more, you theoretically think, actually, I don’t need to prove my banking vice-president, for example, Wisconsin-La Crosse the “insidious” message sent out by into action at a local level. For one, they’ve see there’s been a bigger change.” open up the possibility of everybody Harry Armstrong, Nesta worth and gain meaning simply by doing found solace in voluntary accounting for US self-help culture that individuals ditched the relentless messaging about The argument that “this time is doing less work … So it gives us an paid work. There’s other ways I can feel his church. But if your skills are simply just need to take control of their lives positive thinking and seizing control in different” gets short shrift from opportunity to reassess what we mean fulfilled and contribute to society.” obsolete, how to cope then? to succeed. In Israel, where workforce favour of clear facts and figures about Armstrong. Apparently people always by work and what we value in a society.” There’s just one problem. Swapping Part of the answer may come from support is less focused on individual the obstacles people face and market say that too. The assumption that paid work is gruelling hours in the office for time with sharing lessons between cultures, responsibility than market analysis, conditions. Armed with knowledge, says fundamental to human experience is a loved ones may sound lovely, but those says Ofer Sharone, assistant professor people were more likely to blame Sharone, people are better positioned to The meaning of work modern construct, Dunlop adds. In the gruelling hours are how we pay the bills. of sociology at the University of the system, he says. While the US think strategically about jobs. US, the idea of selling your labour was If we’re all going to work less, we’ll also Massachusetts. “When you’re looking at professionals were prone to depression Sharone is not alone in advocating an But what if this time it’s different? anathema to the founding fathers, who need new ways of affording life. automation replacing jobs … I think that and anxiety, the Israelis were more likely information-based approach to helping There’s at least a case to be made. envisaged a nation of yeoman fathers, he It’s one reason why support is growing societies are differently positioned in to feel angry and betrayed — a form of humans muddle along with robots. Robots are already eliminating jobs says, while in Ancient Greece, “work was for an overhaul of social security, and their capacity to support people through mental anguish also, but one that allows In September, UK innovation agency and depressing wages in the US so badly thought of that a self-respecting specifically for the introduction of a that transition,” he says. for greater resilience, suggests Sharone. Nesta released a report on the outlook according to its National Bureau of citizen wouldn’t do it”. Universal Basic Income (UBI), under 53 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE THE HUMAN FACTOR

“The future of work is a wicked problem on the same level as climate change” Tim Dunlop, author, Why the Future is Workless

which all citizens would receive an says Adrian Randall, emeritus professor unconditional stipend each month from of English social history at the University the state. A number of countries are of Birmingham, resulting in friction that NO, IT”S JUST A GEEKY IT ALREADY HAS … experimenting with limited forms of the might otherwise have been avoided. YES, BUT WHY idea, including Finland. In January 2017, “If you go back into the later parts MEMBER OF THE TEAM AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS it launched a trial under which 2,000 of the 18th century when the major STOP THERE? unemployed citizens receive €560 per innovations took place … people are far Arjun Kaicker / co-head of Zaha Hadid Analytics month for two years. more open to exploring ways in which Rory Hyde / curator of & Insights / Zaha Hadid Architects One argument is that predictability of they can amalgamate new technology contemporary architecture and income would give people the confidence rather than simply resisting it. The urbanism / V&A, London When I joined ZHA, I walked The ultimate goal is to have to seek out new opportunities. Another resistance gets more and more desperate in and something seemed buildings that are self-learning. is that, in a world of higher productivity as the employers and innovators use all It depends how you define the job of an different. When I looked across The design would look at itself but lower employment, we need new the devices they can to force through architect. If you really limit the problem the workplace, all the screens and say, ‘these spaces are well mechanisms for redistributing national change,” he says. Even the Luddites, who to being about materials, engineering were white, not black as you’d used, these spaces are not, income. Dunlop even suggests such smashed up machines in fear for their and the way that things go together, expect with CAD. I wondered people complain when they sit payouts could be considered rightful jobs, were not the blind opponents of we’re developing quite complex digital if everyone was writing emails. here but they’re happy when compensation for the free data we supply progress we imagine, says Randall. They modelling programmes that enable all of Then I realised that they were they’re somewhere else’. So to companies like Google and Facebook. just wanted change to be incremental. those things to be coordinated already. scripting and coding. So much maybe every three or six months Heikki Hiilamo, professor of social “I suspect the real lesson we could learn But I would say that working with design work at ZHA is done it could come up with its own policy at Helsinki University and from the past is to have some respect for the client, designing the brief, getting computationally. It occurred to ideas on how it should change. close observer of the Finnish project, those whose skills are under threat and to planning permission — that really is the me that we could use that same The computer never comes says growing interest in UBI reflects seek ways to integrate them in the new job. I can’t see those being automated ability to work out what users up with a design for us, it comes a recognition that existing welfare processes of production,” says Randall. any time soon because it is so much need from their buildings. up with a diagram. I think great structures are unfit for the uncertainties “But to do that would involve seeing about context and people and navigating So we’ve created algorithms design will always be about of the modern labour market. “This people not as mere units of production.” between the complex demands of that evaluate a design based on human creativity. This doesn’t idea of long-term employment with Might technology help us to shift our people performing more valuable tasks different stakeholders. user requirements. We come take that away, it just augments one employer over your whole career view? It’s the hope of David Ferguson, “Government absolutely needs — solving problems, caring for customers I think we should be pointing our up with an option and then run it. It’s like having a very geeky doesn’t exist any more. It’s why we need head of digital innovation at EDF Energy and sorting out difficult situations rather computers at the bigger questions of the a series of algorithms to assess designer on the team. to rethink social protection.” When it and member of the advisory board to a to lead the way. And we need than asking people to read out their city and housing. The city is a complex how well it’s performing on We’re using it to find the comes to middle classes displaced by UK parliamentary group on AI. He argues account number and pointing them to an system that’s constantly adapting itself views or daylight, or visibility, or best location for the core of a automation, however, he says it’s too early that the advance of intelligent machines this to happen really quickly” answer on a website. That in turn could through the millions of decisions of collaboration. Before we would building. That’s not a computer to tell if it’s the right policy instrument. will require “humans to become more require a less regimented management individuals but also through the big run simple studies manually, designing a building, it’s There are other concerns too. Anna human and to focus on the things we’re David Ferguson, EDF Energy approach, says Ferguson. “You’re going to decisions of policymakers. A machine but now we can do them a lot helping us establish one of the Coote, principal fellow at the UK-based actually good at.” have to put more trust in your people and could try to unpack and play out the quicker in a lot more detail, a lot fundamental blocks of a design. New Economics Foundation, for example, Robots, says Ferguson, are fantastic let them take responsibility for outcomes consequences of those decisions in real more objectively. Rather than We also used it for view has argued that a basic income could at doing very specific tasks — EDF now rather than just following specific steps.” time and perhaps give us a way forward just comparing two options, we analysis on a conceptual design weaken pressure on employers to provide uses an AI to spot seaweed or jellyfish Even if companies reorganise that is more equitable and affordable can compare 30. And you can in Hong Kong. It was really decent pay and secure jobs, in effect blooms that may get sucked into the themselves for an AI world, however, and fairer. That’s really the promise do it within milliseconds. obvious what the good views letting them “off the hook”. cooling water intake of coastal power they still face an overarching challenge: Fabrice Dall’Anese of AI in architecture. It goes back to were, but when we ran this stations, for example. But when it comes if there is mass unemployment, who Photo Photo Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of analysis we found that it was Finding our role to complex situations requiring empathy, will buy their products or services? For the Media Lab at MIT and an architect different to what we’d expected. At ETH Zurich, architect-programmers Michael Hansmeyer and understanding and lateral thinking, he Ferguson, the societal question is urgent, too, who said that intelligent systems “The computer never A very small change to the angle Benjamin Dillenburger have used algorithms to create what The degree to which employers should says, humans are still your man. but not one companies can tackle alone. could be more like a partner than a tool, of the facade, just a few degrees, is claimed to be “the most complex architectural structure in be on the hook for the pace and scale of In the longer term that has implications “Government absolutely needs to lead suggesting good ideas rather than just comes up with a had a massive impact. It meant history”. Digital Grotesque II, built for the Centre Pompidou in Paris, is change in the workplace is itself a fraught for company structure and culture, he the way,” he says. “And we need this to executing the ones that we give them. It design for us, it comes that hundreds of people who 3.5m high and has 1.3 billion individual surfaces. The design required question, and one with warnings from suggests. In customer services, for happen really quickly because the speed sounds a science fiction but things are wouldn’t have had a view before 156GB of production data and it was fabricated using a sandstone history. During the Industrial Revolution, instance, where EDF currently has 3,000 of progress in AI is exceptionally fast. going along pretty quickly.” up with a diagram” now had a good view.” 3D printer, able to print details to the level of a grain of sand. the state failed to protect the population people manning the phones, it’s likely “Things are going to change quite from the impulses of the new capitalists, there’ll eventually be a smaller number of quickly.”

P31 54 55 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE TOOLS

alum Sinclair is standing at With the latest digital modelling technologies, we C the edge of the motorway, cars can immerse ourselves in building and city designs, speeding by. When he spots a gap in the marshal vast quantities of data and conceive of places traffic, he runs out, snatches a piece of REALS we never thought possible. Prepare to step inside the construction debris and races back to the WITHIN safety of the hard shoulder. He’s learning REALS most realistic game you’ll ever play … to do a “dash and grab”, a dangerous manoeuvre that he’s never done before. WORDS BY STEPHEN COUSINS AND KATIE PUCKETT Then he makes a fatal misjudgement. If this was real life, Sinclair would probably be dead. Fortunately, he’s safely seated in his office wearing a VR headset, shocked but unharmed. Being run over in virtual reality is a deliberately overwhelming experience: “The camera really shakes so it makes you feel a bit bizarre,” says Sinclair. “It’s something you’re going to remember, and it needs to be. Before it would have been ‘read this four-page document about how to collect something from the middle of the road’. This is a lot more engaging.” Sinclair is not a highway engineer, he’s a specialist in immersive technologies and he joined WSP after a degree in visual effects and a masters in “serious games” — the application of gaming technologies to real-life problems. He never expected to be working in the built environment, but it’s a career trajectory that’s set to become more common. An industry long derided as Luddite is beginning to adopt a range of powerful tools from the gaming and entertainment sectors, while technology firms seize on the wider potential applications for their inventions. Rapid advances in digital modelling and visualization, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI), big data and 3D printing, are transforming everything from on-site training to city planning. They enable forms that could never have been conceived of or built, internal environments that respond intuitively to users, and an unprecedented degree of analysis of design, construction and performance. Together they hold the promise of better designed, more efficient, more pleasant buildings and cities.

The virtual realm

The most immediately obvious benefit / wspvisual.se Maja Ljunggren

is clearer communication. VR brings Images 57 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE TOOLS

Top left: doluptatinci bea voluptatia sunt “We turned off the trees and accum quis autem ipsant minctati antiur aut occatem poreped utet laccum laborio illabor all of a sudden we could see eperit earum quiasit ma parum harum nesecto the vista. That kind of thing is esecus, nonem re pe nit quid quid eatur, quaes really powerful” Ricky Sandhu, molupta voloriorit hit lamusandit, od q Foster + Partners

technical drawings to vivid life and “Another advantage is graphics. It looks makes them comprehensible as never better, so it’s really good for visualizing before: you don’t have to imagine what a and communicating a design. Not 2D plan might feel like in real life, you’re everyone is going to jump into Revit right there. For clients and the public, this engineering software and just start helps to prevent unpleasant surprises making changes, but anyone could open and expensive or impossible alterations The Sims and build a house. There’s no at later stages, improving the product reason why it has to be that complex.” and the experience. For the project team, On the New Slussen urban it can make collaboration easier and transformation project in Stockholm, more effective. which aims to be one of the first in the As well as safety training aids, world to deliver all design information Sinclair has produced VR simulations digitally, a fire protection engineer from and interactive walkthroughs for a Greater Stockholm Fire Department consultation on an NHS hospital and a donned a pair of VR goggles to carry out WELCOME TO VIRTUAL CHICAGO configuration tool for a new apartment a 1:1 scale safety review inside the lock WSP’s 3D model incorporates infrastructure and covers 450 square miles building in France. Medical staff were channel. Using two joystick controllers he able to roam freely through the virtual was able to navigate through the complex In 2009, the Chicago engineering design software, engineering design software to Autodesk and the model was spaces flagging up issues in the design and examine how ambulance personnel Architecture Foundation to communicate with the city’s like AutoCAD Civil 3D.” enhanced using LIDAR laser and suggesting improvements, while would enter to carry a person out after unveiled its Chicago Model data portal, and display not just It took a few years to build surveying equipment. apartment buyers customized the an accident, and check corridor widths — the largest, most detailed buildings but transport and the model, and it is also Coleman believes such finishes in their new home and could and stairway angles. “Drawings wouldn’t physical replica of the city other infrastructure projects. undergoing continual upgrades real-time models will become immediately see the impact on their have been able to give the same mental ever made, representing 400 “Most visualization models are as it is used on projects across fundamental to city planning. budget. “That’s the power of gaming understanding of the spaces,” says blocks and more than 1,000 focused on a site or a project the city, including the River “Real-time isn’t there right engines: they work in real-time,” he says. Johan Stribeck, business area manager buildings across 320ft2. because it’s too time-intensive Edge Ideas Lab to redevelop now, but software providers Like many residents, Tom to go larger. I wanted to create Chicago’s second waterfront. are pushing the market in this Coleman gasped in wonder. a bigger picture that engages Coleman proposed that the direction. Eventually, you’ll be Then he decided to go one people to solve problems.” model be used as a resource able to go to one application better. “I wondered if we He decided to use for the nine competing design and download buildings into could replicate the stunning Autodesk’s InfraWorks, a teams as well as a way to your own models. Designing in visual display, but make it a tool originally intended for showcase their proposals for 2D is not natural, but we now smart model, linking data, individual structures, like roads three sites along the Chicago have the tools and technology projects and infrastructure,” or bridges, not a data-filled River — a total of 27 designs. to get closer to what is.” explains Coleman, manager of cityscape covering 450 square “InfraWorks enables us The River Edge Ideas Lab technology integration at WSP. miles. “InfraWorks allows you to to create sub models, so we is curated by the Chicago Left and right The WSP project visualization bring in many different kinds of could select an area, package Department of Planning On the Twentytwo group in Denver had already information — geospatial files, it and give it to the architects. and Development and the development in produced large visual models CAD files, other building files, They said it was great for Metropolitan Planning Council,

4D BIM image Freeform4D BIM image London, 4D BIM of cities including Seattle, New Revit and other 3D model files. giving them the context, but with funding from Comcast, the was used to move York and San Francisco, but It also has a database behind they wanted more detailed Richard H Driehaus Foundation

Twentytwo Twentytwo backwards or they were just that: visual, with that can link to sources such information, such as the water and Related Midwest. forwards in time no intelligence behind them. as the city’s data portal. And it height and the delineation of ChiRiverLab.com through planned Coleman wanted to link with can transfer information with the river bank.” He went back vizportfolio.com

Visualizations Visualizations sequences of work 59 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE TOOLS

3D sound into the mix could further enhance the immersiveness, something currently under development in WSP’s San Francisco office. “One of our guys is working on a way to create a VR acoustic model of a space, so a client wearing a VR headset and earphones could understand how echoey a space will be or how dampened the sound,” says Wratten. “Where we’re headed is a VR model where we can all jump in together and work through some of these relational or experiential issues.” Until recently, producing a realistic 3D simulation from a building design model has been a complex, multistage process. Real-life models are much more detailed than game worlds, and one downside of a serious game is that you can’t cheat. “In a game, you can design a level so that the computer doesn’t need to calculate that many things at once,” explains Kristian Svensson, visualization “If you’re building a road between point A and point B, there are specialist at WSP in Stockholm. “You can’t do that with a model of a subway Exporting reality players, and it’s already embedded in Above The triangular SEEING THE LIGHT IN SILICON VALLEY infinite solutions. Are we really going to find the best one by station or a city.” Windows 10 and the Microsoft Office roof design of Nvidia’s One way to get round this is to strip What if the designer and the client suite of products. Santa Clara campus Nvidia and Gensler simulate lighting and materials testing only three of them?” Pontus Bengtson, WSP out unnecessary features that don’t add aren’t in the same room? Even optimized For very large datasets, 3D tiles, was modelled using in real time on a campus HQ to the experience, he says. “In a Revit 3D visualizations can be very large another open-source format, is gaining a GPU render engine, model of a wall, there will be geometry files, up to 20 GB, so they are not traction. “Up to 50MB is fine to load which simulated Graphics processor giant Nvidia’s 500,000ft2 campus in Santa Clara, for BIM/VR at Tikab, lead technology glazed tower project, a WSP team on top of the wall and beneath it, but easily shared via conventional means. in a web browser,” explains Svensson, how the materials California, covers just two storeys, giving it one of the largest footprints consultant on the project. “In less than in Boulder, Colorado produced time- that information is not really useful when “Accessibility is a big focus for our “but when you have a dataset of a few would react to outside of Facebook’s 430,000ft2 single-room headquarters in a minute he understood how to move lapse videos to demonstrate how sun you’re walking around in VR.” department,” says Svensson. “It’s not gigabytes, you need another technology changes in daylight Menlo Park. P41 around and had started his review. In 30 would penetrate throughout the space There are now one-click tools to do this. the coolest, but it enables so many that can chop it up into thousands of Just as chip design prioritizes the flow of information, the design of minutes he had finished his work and at different times of day and year. “We Unreal Engine’s Datasmith, for example, other things. It will have a huge impact pieces and send it to the viewer to put the building focuses on the flow of people, providing opportunities to was quite impressed by the technique.” wanted to show them why motorized simplifies the process of importing on our industry.” back together.” interact and collaborate. The designers say that the optimized layout Architect Foster + Partners used VR external shades were necessary to CAD data and optimizing textures and Until recently, viewing 3D renders over increases the chance of employees bumping into one another by 20 to review the design of a large building improve the user experience in internal geometry, making it as easy to create the internet involved the installation Just like the movies times compared to a traditional commercial office building. on the site. “Although many issues could conference rooms,” says vice president convincing visualizations as to export a of a browser plug-in — requiring The iconic triangular pattern of the roof takes its design cues from be uncovered using drawings and a Jay Wratten, who leads the BOLD&R PDF. An architect or engineer can hit a administrator privileges and, according As for the VR experience, the Holy Grail polygons — the foundation of computer graphics. A huge atrium at the physical model, VR makes it easier and innovation centre. “As soon as we played button to produce a model that can be to Svensson, “a major hassle as IT is “inside-out” tracking: getting rid of centre provides access to all key amenities and even functions as the more immediate,” says project partner the video, nothing more was required to viewed on a VR device, allowing them to departments don’t want to support the wires. “Right now, you have to have main entrance to the parking garage below. Ricky Sandhu. “For example, we had an convince them.” sit with a client and incorporate changes too many plug-ins”. But with an open- quite a beefy computer, cables, external Nvidia wanted to push the capabilities of its technology to help internal debate about a roof garden on VR technology is improving in leaps instantly and tangibly. source technology called WebGL now sensors, and to be up and running in an Gensler visualize its designs. The GPU (graphics processing unit) render the building. I wanted to create a form of and bounds, with new developments For now, this will only work for relatively integrated into 95% of browsers, there office will probably take you half an hour,” engine Iray was developed to make it possible to produce extremely allotment, others wanted a thick forest. in hardware and software for every small datasets or simulations taken from is no need: 3D rendering takes place says Svensson. “With inside-out tracking, accurate simulations of light and materials in real time, when multiple When I was in the VR model I realized budget. VR experiences are accessible a single model: for more complicated directly in the browser. you will be able to just put the helmet on GPUs were linked together. Building materials were scanned and the trees would obscure beautiful historic to anyone with a smartphone and a projects, 3D artists will often combine There was also the problem of a lack and start navigating in any space. That’s represented in the Iray renderings, which allowed each material to views of Gamla Stan [the old town]. We low-cost “cardboard” headset through information from as many as 15 different of a standard file format, but this is also the technology leap that’s happening react to light as it would in reality. All design changes on the projects turned off the trees and all of a sudden a growing number of apps. Meanwhile, models together. “The technology is being resolved by the growing adoption right now.” were visualized in VR for interrogation at client review meetings. Every we could see the vista. That kind of thing the resolution of VR headsets such as quite fresh, but there are better tools all of glTF, the equivalent of a jpeg for 3D Infrared sensors will be embedded day during the construction phase, Nvidia flew drones over the site is really powerful.” Oculus Rift, HTC Vive Pro and Samsung the time,” says Svensson. “Game tools files. This allows easier interoperability into the helmet to produce a pointcloud to take photographs of progress; these were used as the basis of 3D Visualizations are particularly useful Gear VR is steadily improving and the are not really used to optimizing building between software, so files can be to recognize the wearer’s movements, progress models, also viewed in VR. Nvidia added in the ability to scrub for illustrating hard-to-imagine field of view widening to create more and information models, but they’re getting authored once, consumed everywhere. similar to Microsoft’s Kinect motion through multiple days at a time to understand the overall progression of experiential qualities. For a 60-storey more lifelike experiences. Introducing there with each iteration.” There is great interest from all the major sensor technology for the Xbox. The construction at a single meeting. 61 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE TOOLS

technology has now shrunk so it can or to rent them through cloud services. AR also supports project collaboration, fit inside a phone, though it’s quite Distributed rendering offers a cheaper as designs for 3D components for MEP, power-hungry and will drain the battery alternative by allowing computer owners architectural details and furniture can quickly. The other essential component with graphics cards to sell processing be viewed in context, overlaid on the of inside-out tracking is geolocation: the power they’re not using — similar to the landscape or existing infrastructure to VR device needs to know exactly where way in which cryptocurrencies such as the correct scale and orientation. Site you are with pinpoint accuracy. “If you Bitcoin are mined. work could be greatly simplified if those turn your head rapidly and then turn undertaking complex specialist assembly back to look at a building and it’s moved True disruptors could be guided by visual cues projected 10m, you’re not going to trust what you’re onto the visor. seeing. GPS technology can position A less immersive but potentially even Global design firm Gensler used AR the user at the beginning, but after that, more transformative alternative to VR when it remodelled its Los Angeles we need stable image tracking that is augmented reality (AR), or its more office, to visualize the impact of adding Left and below never fails.” immersive sibling, mixed reality (MR). a glass-encased skybridge to connect Matterport is a For the future, Light Field technology This is a hybrid approach where 3D two buildings. “Using augmented reality 3D data capture holds the possibility of cinema-quality holograms and context-specific data allows us to view designs in context at system that uses a imaging, which Svensson says will be are projected onto a glass visor, allowing very early stages,” says Retha Swanepoel, rotating scanner to “like walking in an animated movie”. users to view and manipulate 3D models associate and design technology fire infrared grids over “VR works great, but it doesn’t have the while maintaining visual contact with manager. “AR helps immensely to surfaces, recording highest fidelity yet. This will increase it other people and their surroundings. communicate these things on site and dimensional depth. to a level where you can’t tell if it’s real or “We believe augmented and mixed reduces back and forth communication. Within 1-4 hours not.” Light Field will shortly be available reality will be the true disruptors of the solutions but it’s a great eye-opener for It allows the architect, contractor of the scanning for gaming, and it will be baked into industry,” says Octavian Gheorghiu, a what it can do.” and client to have the same spatial process, users have rendering software so that 3D artists member of the Specialist Modelling For example, AR could be used in the understanding of the environment.” a photomapped can create and walk inside movies. Group at Foster + Partners. “At present, planning process for new developments, AR and other forms of “mixed reality” 3D model “You can imagine how many extra the technology is not developed enough to demonstrate the impact on the local will definitely become more integral to frames that requires — when you move for mass adoption, but we expect that to environment, Svensson adds. “If I stand the design and delivery process, she buildings themselves might be void of of each component, they may also your head a centimetre, you need to change very soon.” looking out of my window at a future adds. “Potentially people will be able to physical decoration or wayfinding, with include information on construction have a different field of view from Like VR, AR can be viewed through building site, I’m worried about what it work and collaborate with no monitors customized graphics overlaid on the programmes and cost, maintenance that perspective. It will require huge headsets such as Magic Leap Lightwear will look like, how noisy the construction required. That would immensely change physical space for each user instead. needs and energy usage. bandwidth, but with an intelligent way or Microsoft’s HoloLens, but also using will be, whether I’ll have any sun left. the way spaces are perceived, used and Perhaps in the future, we could be asked 4D BIM, for example, shows how the of compressing information and sending a smartphone. In 2017, both Apple and Now we try to answer those questions designed. What might a future desk or a to design both the physical space and the construction will take shape over time: it over the web, you’ll be able to run it Google released improved software through brochures and city meetings, meeting room look like? Would these be digital augmented interactive layer that on the Twentytwo development in on your phone.” development kits, respectively known as but it’s still difficult for people to required at all in an office environment?” occupies that space. This will change London, contractor Multiplex uses the All of this will also require much greater ARKit and ARCore. “That’s a good way to understand how it will affect them. It Foster + Partners’ Gheorghiu suggests our relationship with the clients, making software to scrub backwards or forwards processing power. In the past, the only get started with AR,” says Svensson. “It’s could be easily done using AR technology that AR imagery could remain a our services like those of web masters, in time through planned sequences options were to own banks of computers not going to be as accurate as hardware and a phone.” feature of the finished building: “The designing the back-end of the project of work to check for clashes between once, and continuously redesigning the different packages and trades. Some front-end to new design paradigms and sequences are then exported into VR so client needs.” site managers can understand potential issues. 4D modelling consultancy The real value of BIM Freeform has developed a tool that Immerse UK, Immerse Matterport P40 makes it possible to “laser etch” onto But even the most sophisticated objects and surfaces in VR. “So you Images Images visualization technology stands or falls can stand in the environment and mark on the quality of the data underpinning where an opening needs to be cut industry have come to pass — or how from the point of view of a better world,” it. This is where building information into a wall, or where a hoist must be easily they will be to quantify. But there says Pontus Bengtson, head of project modelling (BIM) comes in. installed,” explains managing director can be little doubt about BIM’s potential technology at WSP in Malmö. Take a BIM is not so much a tool for design, as James Bowles. It is also exploring how to improve the finished product, by house: “If you have data about how the for creating and managing information. to link this to cost data, so as users making it much easier to compare windows let the sun in and the level The model is a 3D representation backed change the build sequence, they receive different options and the impact of of insulation, you can make an energy “Potentially people will be able to work and collaborate with no by a database, a digital description of immediate feedback on the implications design changes on a myriad of outcomes. calculation. Then you change the monitors required. That would immensely change the way offices every element of a built asset, and they for their budget. “Schedule and cost are important from architecture, with more windows here are expanding in detail and complexity. It is not yet clear whether the savings a financial point of view, but energy and and less windows there, and you want to are perceived, used and designed” Retha Swanepoel, Gensler As well as data on the physical properties promised by BIM for the construction materials are much more interesting know how the cost is affected and you

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can see the energy consumption. the design we have to be able to see the throughout the building’s life, by enabling temperature and acoustic data to identify records and uploads accurate scans of milestones when subcontractors hand So you can start to have an iterative impact on cost, energy, materials, how to the creation of a “digital twin” to compare problems or improve conditions — real-world buildings or spaces to the over to the following trade. So for “We can observe how process to balance these things where build it and the operational side. That’s to real-time operation. This might perhaps pre-cooling a space to anticipate cloud. The technology uses a rotating example, electricians will scan the space you end up with a very cost-effective what takes the time.” be used to understand performance a heat load or flashing the lights when it scanner that fires infrared grids over before and after the first fix, adding tags people use a space and house that is environmentally friendly.” WSP’s lighting design team is piloting anomalies (why is the office so warm?), gets too loud.” surfaces, recording dimensional depth. to the 3D model that can be viewed Bengtson cites a Swedish study into a project to embed and use data about present information to occupants (what The next step will be to combine this While not as dimensionally accurate as on any device. These link back to a overlay temperature how many iterations were tested on lighting control systems and the power conference rooms are available?), or with artificial intelligence: “A client I more conventional laser scanning — the document control system to highlight any and acoustic data to construction projects. “The average consumption of light fittings. This means track maintenance procedures (how spoke to who owns an AI platform is density of points is 4-6mm compared outstanding RFIs, with everything time- was three. But if you’re building a road that when layout designs are altered, soon will the carpet wear out?). “We’re very interested in harvesting the data to 1mm for laser scanning — it has and date-stamped. Post-construction identify problems or between point A and point B, there are the impact on energy consumption and moving towards a world where we don’t we get out of the building in real-time the advantage of accessibility and it could be possible to compare BIM infinite solutions. Are we really going to efficiency will be updated automatically. just hand the owners the keys and the and comparing that to either causal speed: within 1-4 hours of the scanning models with completed buildings improve conditions” find the best one by testing only three “Delete a hub of six lights and O&M manual,” says Wratten, “we hand relationships we have observed in the process, non-specialist users can have a and automatically identify where of them? Probably not. So why do we immediately the schedule will update them the digital model of architecture, past, to predict problems, or to our photomapped 3D model. changes have occurred — replacing the Jay Wratten, WSP only test so few? Because it takes too in sync with the lighting manufacturer structure and how it is supposed energy model, to automatically alert them In the US, Matterport has become time-consuming task of creating as- much time to do the iterations. If we and contractor,” explains Wratten. “Or if to operate.” if the building is performing out of spec.” famous for enabling Google Streetview- built drawings. can make that easier, so we could test we add lights, a red flag will appear to This could also be fed with real-time Meanwhile, it is getting easier and style click-throughs of properties for sale, 200, we can do more and better with the indicate the energy code allowance has data from sensors integrated throughout cheaper to produce BIM models of but it is also being used on construction Design by algorithm same investment.” been exceeded, in which case we can a space — the internet of things — as real-world buildings, using 3D scanners sites as a communication tool. The BIM’s great potential lies in the “I” — rethink the design instead of finding all well as user feedback gathered from and tools to convert point clouds into BAM-Ferrovial-Kier joint venture building Advances in 3D modelling have already the information in the model. “It’s easy this out in the week before our deadline.” smartphone apps. “We can observe BIM. For example, Matterport is a the Farringdon Crossrail station project had a profound effect on the form of to change the geometry, but to prove It could also make a difference how people use a space and overlay 3D data-capture system that rapidly in London is deploying it at critical buildings, and they are now beginning to

ENDANGERED BUILDINGS PRESERVED IN VR 3D archive brings threatened heritage to a wider audience

California-based CyArk Gear VR headset can also Advances in data capture uses advanced scanning immerse themselves in the technology make it possible technologies, including worlds CyArk painstakingly to record sites faster and terrestrial laser scanning and recreates. It has partnered in greater detail than ever photo capture from drones, with Oculus to turn four of its before, she adds. Lidar to accurately and rapidly 3D datasets into interactive, data can be accurate to document cultural heritage explorable models, viewable one datapoint every 2mm, sites that are under threat with a free-to-download photographic texture from dangers such as human app, MasterWorks: Journey resolution can be sub-1mm aggression or climate change. Through History. for even finer detail. “When It has made detailed photo- “The vision of our founder, it comes to processing the realistic models of more almost 15 years ago, was data, advanced software than 200 sites worldwide, to create an archive but we allows us to combine including Tikal, the ruin of an were never quite sure what scanning, terrestrial and ancient city in Guatemala, the data might be used for aerial photogrammetry to Chavín de Huántar, a in future,” explains Elizabeth create highly accurate photo- 3,000-year-old pre-Incan site Lee, vice president for realistic 3D models.” Left and far left in the Andes, and the leaning programs and development CyArk has teamed up Chavín de Huántar, tower of Pisa in Italy. They at CyArk. “Now, with recent with other firms to help with a 3,000-year-old are used by conservators to advances in VR we are data processing and storage. pre-Incan site in Peru help restore damaged sites, starting to really connect In partnership with record or as a “point in time” record people to these places management company Right Bagan in to feed into planning and and share the wonder Iron Mountain it has built Mandalay, Myanmar management. and experience of cultural an underground bunker in — the capital of the As of February, anyone with heritage, which is a pretty Pennsylvania to provide a Pagan Kingdom CyArk an Oculus Rift or Samsung powerful thing.” super-secure offline backup. between the ninth

and 13th centuries Photos 65 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE TOOLS

reshape the user experience. Computer- effects on human behaviour of a range Cities including London, Hamburg, aided parametric design is the creation of of conditions — such as temperature, “The trend now is to understand social aspects, using data Singapore and Helsinki are all developing a digital model following a series of pre- noise, oxygen levels and opportunities intelligent 3D models of the urban realm programmed rules that generate certain for physical interaction. from building sensors, social media streams and other to help streamline planning and design. elements automatically, so it is based Autodesk, for example, used its In Chicago, WSP is developing a model P57 on internal logic rather than human generative design tool Project Discovery tech to predict how the average person might behave in an that interlinks with existing engineering manipulation. Typically, parametric rules to produce thousands of possible design software, to display not just create relationships between different layouts for its new office in Toronto. office or apartment” Shajay Bhooshan, Zaha Hadid Architects buildings but transportation and other elements, so a rule might be created to The software combined parameters infrastructure projects. ensure that a wall starts at floor level and for windows, stairs, elevators and the One day soon these models could reaches the underside of a ceiling. Then physical floor space with the preferences be expanded to include live data feeds if the floor-to-ceiling height is changed, of individuals on aspects such as on anything from vehicle traffic to the wall automatically adjusts to fit. distance to neighbours and amenities, Whereas for traditional printing any unprecedented access to metrics building performance to air pollution, Parametric design also makes it possible daylight, visual distractions and views of model can be sliced into 2D layers and related to building use, performance offering an unprecedented opportunity to design very complex geometries and the outside. printed automatically, now there is an and user behaviour. At the same time, for city authorities to monitor and structures, which architects such as Zaha Shajay Bhooshan, leader of the opportunity to explicitly design and archived data on projects, including 3D tweak systems, and for developers and Hadid, Frank Gehry and Daniel Libeskind ZH CODE computation and design optimize the structure.” models, 2D drawings, images and text, architects to test out the impact of have exploited to create distinctive research group at Zaha Hadid Architects, Many construction components are can be interrogated and those insights schemes on their surroundings. “It is not expressionistic forms. says that parameters around occupant a certain shape and size because of transferred to new projects. an unrealistic expectation,” says Edwards, These parameters are continually behaviour are increasingly influencing manufacturing and logistics constraints, Gaming company Ubisoft has trained “but it needs more lead from the public widening, taking in not just building the form that a building takes: “Where points out Bengtson. If they could be an AI program to spot when its coders sector because, by default, the private form, structure and manufacture, but previously we would run simulations 3D-printed on site using the minimum are about to make a mistake and alert sector is in competition, so many of the less tangible factors such as lighting, to predict a building’s structural or amount of material to meet strength them. Its R&D division fed the program projects we work on involve signing acoustics and energy efficiency. The environmental performance, the trend and other requirements, the potential with ten years of code from its software non-disclosure agreements. There’s a lot latest “generative” design software now is to understand social aspects, savings on materials and transport library, so that it could learn from historic of protection about data, yet if you can enables the designer to function more using data from building sensors, social are huge. “That’s why this technique mistakes and predict when a coder is unlock some of that in a collective way, like a curator. Effectively, generative media streams and other tech to predict is so interesting and why it will be so about to repeat them. Why couldn’t this there is benefit for everyone — not just design uses software algorithms to how the average person might behave disruptive: that’s when we can really start work for building design too? Post- teams trying to progress projects, but produce optimum forms for products in an office or apartment. The fields of to save the world.” occupancy evaluation data could be society as a whole.” and buildings, similar to the way in data forensics and data acquisition and mined along with archived project data to In an increasingly digital world, which organisms evolve in the natural analysis are beginning to creep into the Mining for data create a repository of solutions and flag computers will complement rather than world, without the need for human early parts of design.” up potential issues early in the process. replace human intelligence. Designers intervention. The design enters a set If one thing unites all of these digital In time, building models could be linked will be marshalling ever more powerful P52 of interdependent parameters, and 3D printing unleashed modelling tools, it is their insatiable thirst together to provide ever more complex tools and interpreting and refining the the computer uses these to generate for data. Matterport, for example, hosts simulations of the built environment. “On results they produce. “There still needs numerous designs that can either be We are still in the foothills of generative a vast amount of geospatial data on large schemes, we build up BIM models to be judgement because ‘computer put to use or become a springboard for design’s capabilities. Some of the most Amazon web servers — over 650,000 over multiple buildings until we have says’ doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right,” new creations. intriguing developments are being 3D models, primarily of real estate. The coverage over a quite considerable area,” points out Edwards. “Sometimes things Architect Herzog & de Meuron made in conjunction with another owners of Matterport are exploring the says Nick Edwards, principal at architect can run counter to each other: in a city used this process to develop some digital technology — 3D printing — use of AI to automatically categorize BDP. “In other areas we might work with people might want more public space, 10,000 unique shell-shaped acoustic which offers the compelling prospect and interpret the spaces and objects in landowners who own an estate — as but that can push them further apart and panels for the dramatic curved main of fully integrating digital design this database. “In real estate it might each individual building is mapped and reduce the efficiency of local services. auditorium of the Elbphilharmonie and construction. Foster + Partners, recognize when a lounge is a lounge or data coordinated, a picture is built up.” Sometimes a smaller amount of space concert hall in Hamburg. Parameters for for example, has developed analysis a kitchen is a kitchen by recognizing the As these models become broader that’s better maintained can produce a acoustic performance were combined and control tools that link design Right The New York standard objects in a room type,” explains in scope, they become increasingly better outcome. The more tools we have with the architect’s preferences for with Fused Deposition Modelling, a by Gehry tower in Karl Pallas, co-director at Immerse UK, powerful tools, averting the need to to make those judgements, the better.” a consistent, beautiful skin, and the robotic technique for 3D printing not Manhattan. Advanced which sells Matterport in the UK. “They duplicate survey information and When computers can take on the heavy need for a smoother surface in areas in layers but in 3D space. Although digital modelling are mining the data, and the more they providing a more comprehensive lifting, design time will be freed up to where audience members could touch the method compromises slightly on ensured that the have, the more they can do with it.” understanding of how buildings and focus on areas where human insight the panels. accuracy, it opens up the possibility detailing worked Likewise, BIM models will become their users interrelate. “We could overlay can genuinely bring value. “We need to Generative design can also help to of giving shape to far more complex, coherently and the more intelligent as wider trends pedestrian and cycle routes with air- think about what’s unique to us,” says solve issues related to comfort conditions digitally designed forms. According to installation of the such as big data and the internet of pollution mapping and sunlight and noise Bengtson. “Computers will struggle and programme. In this, it is aided by Foster’s Jan Dierckx, another member complex, draped- things filter through to the design to see how well public spaces work,” says for many years to understand feelings,

advances in crowd modelling software, of the Specialist Modelling Group, “This fabric cladding would process. Data extracted from internet- Edwards. “The more you can feed in, the empathy, fantasy — that’s what we Evans Nicola Lyn

which make it possible to simulate the changes the design method considerably. be problem-free connected sensors will give designers more you can extract.” should add.” Photo

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THE CHALLENGE HOW CAN WE DERIVE THE GREATEST POSSIBLE VALUE FROM DEVELOPMENT AROUND TRANSPORT HUBS?

BLANK CANVAS “Transport hubs play a key role in their communities as places to gather, pass through, arrive and depart. I’d like One problem, three engineers, no constraints to know how they can best be used for development. Historically, in the UK, we don’t like stacking different uses on top of each other. I’d like to know how we can do this efficiently — both in the short term to create an efficient building, and in the long term, with different refurbishment cycles and ownership strata.” Joanna Axon / development director / U+I 69 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE TOOLS

1 2 3 Get the public sector to set the stage Build high — there’s nothing you can’t put over a railway Make it safe and stress-free — get rid of the cars Mark Briggs / director of development finance / WSP / US Bill Price / director of strategic growth / WSP / UK Andrea Utas / regional development strategist / WSP / Sweden

California High Speed Rail is a perfect radius of the stations, the city and county ready for when high-speed rail arrives in Transport certainly presents a big Developing a public transport hub has make the area less attractive. So with a example of how we can use development property taxes, the local and state sales “There are a zillion plans sitting 2027, and a 5.4 acre park on top. Next opportunity. We analyzed the potential “In the history of the world, a great impact on the surrounding real blank piece of paper, I’d say get rid of the as an economic catalyst. It’s the largest taxes and the hotel tax are committed to to it will be three huge buildings with for building homes in London over estate values, especially for housing. cars and put them somewhere else. public infrastructure project ever to go implementing the plan. Add up those five on shelves because there was ramps to feed into the transit centre. The publicly owned train tracks and came up only four buildings taller than From one point of view that’s good, but The utopian ideal would be a place ahead in the US, and it’s a socioeconomic funding sources and all of a sudden you recently opened Salesforce Tower has with the figure of 250,000. That’s quite from a social perspective, there’s a risk that’s safe and inspiring for children, as well as a transport programme that is have a significant and sustainable annual never a finance plan” 61 storeys of offices; its future neighbour conservative — just 10% of the whole 150m have been demolished that some groups can be pushed out. because if it’s good for them, it’s good for going to change California forever. revenue that could be used for anything will have 170 housing units, a 220-room land area developed up to 12 storeys, with on purpose” You might expect greater public everyone. Their experience of interacting The line will eventually run all the way from building the stations to gap Without money, nothing happens. hotel, 251,000ft2 of offices and 9,000ft2 100m2 as the unit of a home. transport capacity to have a positive with the environment is very different from San Diego through Los Angeles to financing for private projects, or to issue Very often what the private sector of retail. That’s 6 million ft2 of new Densifying the city gives people the impact for lower income groups, and to ours because they can’t select their San Francisco and Sacramento. There tax-exempt bonds that can be used to can afford to pay for the land or air development, all happening in advance. opportunity to live near their work, and infrastructure. If you have an old library development around transport hubs inputs. They are more sensitive. are 25 stations and the high-speed rail accelerate development. Of those funds, rights is less than what it costs for In places like San Francisco, the private to cycle or walk or use public transport. or police station that’s not fit for purpose, to create jobs. But high prices create a Children need larger areas and bigger authority has allocated US$7 million 20% will be set aside for affordable land acquisition, relocation, demolition, sector didn’t need any encouragement. But obtaining a piece of land close to why not do a deal where you demolish potential conflict. You would have to look safety buffers. You need to create a for several jurisdictions to make a housing for the local workforce. remediation, off-site improvements — It’s very different in the Central Valley, an a railway station is extremely difficult, and put a new, taller building on the site, at the total benefit from a much wider distance from the traffic. They need quiet, station area plan, taking the area within It’s one thing to develop a plan, but all of those things that have to happen area that has always been depressed. In so why not use land that is in public with a replacement facility at ground perspective — you have to zoom out and greater variation and interactiveness roughly half a mile and looking at how you need the resources to put it into before the private sector can come in. So, our projections, we’ve assumed that not ownership and build over the transport level and homes or offices on top? In compare the benefits generated close to because children play, they look around they can best capitalize. The plans will action. To get the most value out of a the public sector needs to be in a position a lot is going to happen in advance. But hub itself? There’s nothing you can’t put New York, you’ll often find a university, the hub with the wider region. and touch, they want to explore, whereas vary tremendously from city to city, as transport investment, certainly you’ve to be able to write down the land to make we know from experience that as soon as over a railway. There are technical issues school or courthouse on the lower floors To get the greatest social benefit from adults go from A to B as fast as possible. California has very different economic got to start significant planning around it economically viable. everything is locked down and the rails to do with noise and vibration, but they of a high-rise building. a transport development, stacking uses So ideally you would have a softer, more areas. You’ve got LA, a city of 4 million in the stations, understanding the benefits The private sector can’t be expected are built and the testing has begun, and can be overcome through engineering. Mixed-use does make maintenance is exactly what you want to do. The most undulating surface, varied in height a region of 11 million. And then you’ve got and drawbacks for each one. But people to do everything, but it is stepping up they know it’s a reality, the development Overbuild schemes are more viable more difficult, but if you have one socially sustainable place is the most and shape, rather than straight lines. Hanford in the Central Valley area, which will be encouraged to pursue those plans in a huge way. In San Francisco, the community will want to start doing their in larger, prosperous cities. Land values management company, it can work. varied, in function but also in price and There would be places where you could P42 has a population of 55,000. vigorously if they know there’s a funding publicly funded Salesforce Transit projects. When you have something have to be at a certain level because If you plan for different refurbishment types of job. Incorporating ecosystem overlook, and places to hide and feel safe. We’ve been working on a bill that has source to help implement them. There Center, which opens in June, is the that’s as much of an incentive as high- decking over a railway is more expensive cycles at the design stage, a building site services means we can experience We haven’t really planned cities just been introduced to the legislature, are a zillion plans sitting on shelves length of a city block with four levels of speed rail, all the public sector has to do than a regular foundation on a brownfield in one area doesn’t disturb the others. green, clean, quiet places. But there’s from the perspective of just being in which will require that within a half-mile because there was never a finance plan. transport connections, including tunnels is say “we will be your partner”. site and it can often take longer as you’re You might include an extra goods lift, for obviously a goal conflict with shopping, the space and experiencing it. I think dealing with an operational railway. example, or a way of creating a temporary trade and transport. So you try to create if we incorporated these things a bit Housing is a very hot topic in London corridor to an escape stairs. as many functions as possible in order more, we would have more inspiring, right now but there’s no reason you In the history of the world, only four to bring a little bit of value to one spot, visually attractive places where we couldn’t build offices or anything else. buildings taller than 150m have been compensating for something that’s would actually want to stop and sit and It doesn’t even have to be a building. In demolished on purpose. You could say decreasing value elsewhere on the site. chat to other people. Paris, there is a project to create public that buildings taller than that will be The worst-case scenario is a very space with tennis courts, gardens and there forever because it costs so much polluted place that makes people feel trees over the Periphérique motorway. and takes so long to demolish them — stressed and unsafe. Some groups would The idea of stacking different uses especially in urban settings and over a be less able to use the space — women, “Ideally surfaces would be reminds me of a paper we wrote about transport hub — so we will just have to children and older people are more exploiting the air rights above social find ways of refreshing them. exposed because they experience danger softer, more undulating, and in public spaces to a larger extent. If the varied in height and shape, hub includes motorized vehicles, the noise, pollution and traffic hazards could rather than straight lines”

P14 70 (THE ART AND SCIENCE OF) THE POSSIBLE INDEX

IN 10 WORDS OR LESS …

“Maybe a view to sea and not “Equal salary and opportunity to Victorian red bricks” advance regardless of gender!” Noma Bar Andrea Utas 69 1

“A smaller office, “Removing the unnecessary: about 10 people” clutter, distractions, excess” Maja Ljunggren 54 7 Mark Bessoudo

“Effortless adaptability “More attention to and a comfy place for issues of diversity in THE POSSIBLE Bo, my dog” faculty recruitment” Arjun Kaicker 52 15 Andrei Cimpian What would make your workplace better?

“My workplace “Design with nature in changes with the mind to reduce stress” gig. I like that” Bill Browning Tim Dunlop 51 23

“Appreciation for our “Eliminating the need dedication and long hours for wires, power cords (beyond the classroom)” and plugs” Dawn Norris 48 26 Kay Sargent

“My new workplace is “Good coffee” PERFECT: we designed Johan Edstav it for ourselves” 42 33 Sarah Kay WHAT IF WE CAN?

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