Contract - May 2013 - (Page 109)

photography: will pryce (opposite); gareth gardner (this page) with colors inspired by television test patterns, the round pods lined with stainless steel help define the Quay house interior. Quay house First Floor plan Bridge house First Floor plan From complex studios, meeting rooms, and edit suites, to a place to have a good conversation and be mobile, the offices are like a vibrant, creative city embracing a digital future.” The design brief set forth by the BBC’s portfolio director Alan Bainbridge was simply to “provoke smiles.” While that is a basic tenet of most any interior project, the ID:SR task was complex. In what the firm calls activity-driven design, ID:SR began by strategically analyzing how BBC departments and staff operate and how they engage each other. Each floor at BBC North was considered individually, and spaces for less formal conversation were incorporated throughout. Settings such as kitchen tables and living rooms on each floor break down barriers to casual chats. Workspaces are unassigned and designed to enable staff to work more creatively and effectively on more efficient floor plates. A significant interior highlight of BBC North is located in Quay House, where each of four floors contains 10 to 12 meeting pods lining a central atrium. Custom designed by ID:SR, the pods reference digital pixels, both in their round forms and bright colors. Constructed with stainless steel and fabric covering, they allow two people to have semi-private conversations. The pods, when viewed together, have become an iconic image for BBC North. a television-inspired material palette Making the business case for including the pods and other major design features posed a challenge for ID:SR, considering the project had a tight budget and any large BBC project, funded by the government, would be highly scrutinized by the British public. “We had to, on one hand, make a thorough, empirical business case to reflect the rigor of this major public sector organization, accountable to government and audience alike, and on the other hand, satisfy the ambition of one of the most creative organizations in the UK in crafting its new home,” Berresford explains. Television test pattern colors—magenta, lime green, purple, black and white—inspired the color palette for the interiors, including the aforementioned pods. Designed as a kit of parts, the flexible interiors can be easily reconfigured as needed. The offices will accommodate an additional 1,000 employees by 2017. The pods, informal kitchen-like meeting areas, and other such features do indeed provoke smiles. “Winning the BBC’s hearts and minds was fundamental,” Berresford says. “And creating a place that helped the BBC produce content that wins hearts and minds of its audience was essential.” c dock house First Floor plan contract

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - May 2013

Contract - May 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Attending NeoCon® to Enhance the Knowledge Base of You and Your Client
Exhibition: GlobalShop 2013
Exhibition: Coverings 2013
Exhibition: Salone Internazionale de Mobile
Product Focus: Midcentury Made Modern
Product Focus: Uninterrupted Workflow
NeoCon® preview
BBC North
Paul Hastings Atlanta
3M Headquarters
Federal Center South Building 1202
Adobe
Atlassian II
An interview with Vijay Kumar, author of 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization
Designers Select: Office
Sources
Ad Index
Commentary: On MoMA’s Plans for its Modern Neighbor

Contract - May 2013