Designed to Work

What makes a great place to work?

Where, how and when we work is constantly changing. The assembly line and open plan office of the 20th century have been replaced by an infinite variety of workplaces where communication and interaction through both physical and virtual spaces are key to creating successful businesses. Good design has a huge impact on the success of a working environment. It can influence employees¹ health and wellbeing, how the business is perceived
by clients and customers, and how successfully it relates to the wider environment, physically, socially and economically.

This year Open House is joining forces with the British Council for Offices (BCO) to create 'Designed to Work¹, an exciting new initiative to showcase excellence in workspace design and advocate what makes good design for the workplace. The project is also part funded by Stanhope, Derwent London and Fletcher Priest. A full-colour publication explores how design teams, developers and businesses are responding to the challenge of creating innovative and inspirational spaces that meet the needs of employers and employees of the 21st century. Showcasing a wide range of designs in London for a broad spectrum of enterprises, from international legal practices to freelance artists, it identifies some of the factors for success in making offices that can adapt to the rapidly changing world of work. Most importantly, the book highlights perspectives and evaluations from a variety of users about how these places work in everyday life.

Workplaces featured in the publication will be open during the Open House London Annual Event (1516 September 2007), providing an invaluable opportunity to find out what makes a well-designed place to work. Details of opening days and times are given in the buildings guide and in the search pages of this website.

Below is afull list of featured buildings in the 2007 programme:

10 Queen Street Place
19 Hanover Square (Lend Lease European HQ)
Allies and Morrison Studio
Amnesty International UK HQ
BBC White City Media Village
Chiswick Business Park
City Gate House & 50 Finsbury Square
Gibbs Building, Wellcome Trust
Johnson Building
One Bishops Square
Talkback Thames, Offices & Studios
Village Underground
YRM Offices