Dominion
Funds Ltd. wanted to create a leading-edge office facility to meet human
needs by way of accommodation, recreation, and leisure activities; foster
interdepartmental communication; break down corporate hierarchical structures;
and provide casual meeting and gathering areas to stimulate innovative
thinking.
Architect
JASMAX Limited worked closely with the management team to bring new ideas
to a traditional environment, and says that a key to the project's success
was the partnering approach adopted by all parties. The approach was even
formalized through a project charter under which design concepts were
researched, developed, and tested. The new long and lean, one-story multiuse
facility accommodates a 24/7 call center, software development operation,
and information technology infrastructure. The flexible work space accommodates
a staff that varies between 350 and 515 people.
The
project team conducted a post-occupancy evaluation of the facility. The
increase of informal communication within and across departmentsachieved
through provision of informal meeting spaces where people run into each
other and exchange ideasshows up as a 30-percent decrease in interoffice
email. Open offices, transparent walls, and open walkways and staircases
also reduce the need to pass on ideas or messages electronically. The
evaluation also shows that staff turnover in the company has been reduced
by 50 percent.
The jury described the center as a "low-profile structure that flattens
the hierarchy of the organization and creates an atmosphere of respect
among the workers. They caught the spirit of the place, people enjoying
where they work."
Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects.
All rights reserved.
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