Architect and Builder February/March 2019 | Page 80

activities based working environment
emerged as the solution, resulting in areas
specifically designed to accommodate
the various activities that staff encounter
daily. Some of the interesting spaces that
resulted and defined this project include:
• quick 5-minute meeting rooms
• boardroom sessions
• private phone call booths
• quiet areas to complete focus work
• cafes and coffee break spots
The concept behind the approach
to space planning was to promote and
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engage connectivity, collaboration and
flexibility. Business units were grouped
in various zones and adjacencies allowed
for optimum synergy between the various
stakeholders. Collaboration is generated
through the inclusion of various booths and
connectivity stations, where employees
are able to plug into nearby collab stations
and chat through projects with team
players, instead of occupying dedicated
meeting rooms. This strategy encourages
employees to move away from their
open plan desks avoiding disrupting their
colleagues. Call booths and focus rooms
function similarly and provide more private
working spaces if necessary, while public
meeting rooms and gathering spaces
are located on the ground floor where
employees meet visitors.
The quadruple volume atrium serves
as the building’s heart, linking the various
meeting, collaboration and work zones
and creating a fully connected work
environment. The space planning solution
thus intentionally allows all staff, whether
at their desks or in a meeting room, to
RCL Foods