Page 81 - AGC_EN_iBook

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FLEX-OFFICE, a NEW WORLD OF WORkING
a NeW CONCePt FOR tHe ORGaNIZatION OF OFFICe SPaCe
The preliminary studies carried out by AGC and Progema led to a conscious decision to opt for a new and contemporary of ce envi- ronment, the ‘ ex of ce’.The principle is very simple: employees move around the building in accordance with the type of work they are doing.They work where they want and with whom they want.There are no xed workstations.
Several important considerations are at the basis of this concept. Firstly, there is the economic argument. Statistics have shown that 30% of a company’s employees are usually absent from the of ce at any one time: they either work from home, are visiting custom- ers, have exible working hours, or are sick, on holiday, etc.
The of ces of these people are therefore ‘unused’. For this reason, the ex of ce foresees 30% less available oor space for the same number of employees, which represents a considerable saving.
A second argument is that the ex of ce increases work ef - ciency. Because employees can choose where they want to sit
and are free to move around the building as they wish (they no longer have their ‘own’ of ce or desk), they feel more comfortable, more ‘at home’ than ‘at work’, which increases their output and effectiveness.
The third argument is that the ex of ce helps people adjust better to the way of ce work is actually carried out in our modern world. Nowadays, people process data on laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.This requires them to make less and less use of xed computer workstations.They also communicate via these portable media: chat, SMS, mobile phones, etc. As a result, xed telephones are also becoming obsolete. Group consultation remains an impor- tant part of modern of ce work, but this can best be carried out
in special meeting rooms that offer the necessary privacy and are equipped with audiovisual technology.
The ex of ce therefore draws on a number of ways to achieve greater productivity in a smaller space (just 70% of the surface area previously available) which is used collectively.
In concrete terms, this means that this dynamic working environ- ment consists of different zones, each of which has its own char- acter and is designed for a speci c use. In addition to the grouped open-landscape of ces, each wing and each oor also has a num- ber of small enclosed rooms for individual work: ‘bubbles’.They are soundproof and can accommodate two people. Nearby (or sometimes in a cluster with the ‘bubbles’), there are also a number of small meeting rooms, with a capacity for four to six people.The other zones are more ‘lounge’-like: rest areas with relaxing chairs.
This concept was developed for all AGC employees under the name of ‘New World of Working’, or NWOW for short.
The use of paper (and therefore of ling cabinets) is kept to a strict minimum. Personal effects are kept in individual lockers at the entrance to each wing.There are a set of fairly strict house rules: meeting rooms are booked for a speci c time using an electronic reservation system, or by e-mail, or on site.
This concept also had signi cant implications for the design of the building.The requirement for absolute exibility in terms of the working space meant that careful thought needed to be given to the integration of the technical infrastructure: the size and position- ing of the ventilation and heating, the installation of the cabling for electricity and data transfer, and the location of their connection points within the different working areas. All these elements were ‘hidden’ within a raised, modular oor, covered with carpet, which is easily accessible at every point and has the secondary advan- tage of obviating the need for a drop ceiling.
This technical complexity is hardly noticeable in the working areas. The heating units and convectors are positioned every two mod- ules of 1.35 m, but are only visible as stylish wooden grilles.The access hatches to the electricity and data cables are also out of sight, concealed within the raised oor in a regular pattern, which makes them easy to nd, when necessary.This pattern is deter- mined by the position and function of the of ce furniture of the work area in question. For example, cables are run via table legs
to the sockets, which are all above work-surface height. In this way, it is possible to avoid visually distracting cables on the oor.
The use of ‘ nishing’ materials is also kept to a minimum.The basic fabric of the building ( oor plates and columns) remains in plain view and is simply painted white. In fact, white is omnipres- ent in all the working areas: the light partition walls of the ‘bub- bles’ and the meeting rooms are plastered and painted white; the acoustic buffers and the light ttings xed to the ceiling are also white; following consultation with the designers, AXA, the build- ing’s owner, likewise opted for white ergonomic furniture.
The oor covering is in a neutral light grey, which again increases the acoustic comfort of the of ce users.
The internal woodwork (the window frames and doors to the indi- vidual rooms) and the spandrels of the facades are made from oak. This warm material contrasts well with the white and light-grey of the furniture and carpet, and gives greater visual comfort by creat- ing a pleasant and homely working environment.
AGC has also installed interactive ‘communication walls’ in each of ce wing.These are large magnetic glass panels which can also be written on.They resemble large canvases xed to the wall.Their tones re ect the main colour in the frescoes in the central gallery in that part of the building, which assists visitor orientation.