Living Proof, written by Richard Byatt for FM World, considers the art and science of user briefings with a look at the WWF-UK’s award-winning Living Planet Centre. By any measure, the Woking headquarters of international conservation charity WWF is a successful building, having won multiple awards, including the BCO’s 2015 National Innovation Award. The entrenched passion for nature that WWF holds can now be practiced as well as preached through their sustainable building, brought to life by Hopkins Architects and AMA Alexi Marmot Associates.
AMA’s Alexi Marmot, explains that one of the key aspects as to just how the Living Planet Centre has been such a successful building and workplace lies in understanding how an organisation ticks; using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research and immersive staff engagement.
Having the right people in place is also vitally important, as is space planning; and so armed with appropriate research, Hopkins Architects were able to deliver three different scenarios for WWF-UK to choose from: BAU, Mild Green and Deep Green. WWF of course opted for the Deep Green scenario, which came with high sustainability and a large space for the visitor centre and educational suite.
Wholly, the fundamental component to a successful workplace transition seems to be communication, communication and more communication. That there were minimal changes from the early designs during the project phase and that very few people have left WWF because of either the new location or the changes work environment, demonstrates the positive effect of all the planning, briefing and communication.
Click here to read Richard’s full article. To see this inspiring project for yourself, why not join us at the BCO talk and tour of the Living Planet Centre on 12th April. Click here to book your place.
Watch this artists impression of the construction of RAI Amtrium.
With recent flooding throughout much of the UK, designing and constructing office space to withstand the weather is higher on the agenda than ever.
Buildings such as BCO Award winner, Bonding Warehouse, York, are meeting the needs of occupiers for businesses to function as normal in adverse conditions. The Bonding Warehouse is a fine example of a recycled workspace, where flood defence measures have been sensitively integrated.
But where do you start when designing and building from scratch?
Much can be learnt from the approach of the developer BAM, in the design and construction of their projects in Amsterdam. Most buildings foundations are below the water table and built on soil too soft to support itself, which poses a unique challenge to those responsible for many aspects of the infrastructure of the city.
This is your opportunity to hear presentations directly from BAM about how they ensure structural stability in this environment, and to ask your questions about the sustainable methods used to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating for RAI Amtrium.
Developers, architects and anyone with an interest in building below the waterline will want to make attending this tour top of their conference agenda.
Tours to RAI Amtrium will take place on Thursday 12 May, 13:45 – 17:30 and Friday 13 May 09:00 – 12:00.
Wellbeing in the workplace is the current hot topic in office design and often feels like it is a difficult concept to define and complex to put into practice.
Joe Huddleston, senior project designer at Overbury and a member of the BCO NextGen Midlands and East Anglia committee, has published a helpful guide to wellbeing and how it can be easily incorporated within the office.
The 10 key areas that can most easily be influenced by employers include; artwork and colour to stimulate creative thinking, innovation and concentration depending on the wavelength of colours; giving staff a choice of work settings with differing lighting levels, noise levels and textures; promoting the physical and mental health of employees through exercise by providing changing rooms, showers and for those on two wheels, bike storage.
Joe’s ideas give a basic outline and platform for organisations to start from and tailor the implementation of wellbeing in the workplace to their individual needs.
NEW CPD OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FROM THE BCO
BCO Annual Conference 2016
We are delighted to announce that for the first time, the BCO Annual Conference will be CPD accredited in 2016. Earn up to 11 CPD hours while hearing from top speakers, touring some of the world’s best office space and networking with your colleagues and peers from across the UK, all in one amazing city.
Online Learning
Based on the BCO Guide to Specification, this new online learning course provides participants with learning materials on the office development and occupation processes.
It provides information on sustainability, engineering, building form, acoustics, fit out and finishes in the office sector.
What you will gain from studying with the BCO:
Register today and start earning CPD hours.
December 09, 2025 
By BCO Media 