Landscaped offices
Impressions
of a user
by Colin McGregor
The author is an architect with some four years' office experience and has worked with Williamson, Faulkner Brown & Partners when the firm was in its former premises, a three-storey Edwardian villa. He has therefore experienced the consequent change in working con- ditions. The following notes, he says, are an attempt to create an impression of what it is like to work in this particular office. 'I have always felt that landscaping is a potential solution for the architects' office, and this has been a welcome opportunity to experience it at first hand.'
Socially, there is a greater sense of unity amongst the staff because of in- variable, everyday contact with others and the avoidance of the formation of 'cliques' through physical separation. (Another advantage of the open-plan is that there is no chance of being con- fined in a small room with the one per- son in the office you don't happen to like!)
General contact is maintained through the casual use of the lunch space. It has required a small measure of discipline to have coffee in this area and not take it back to the drawing board (office policy to avoid damage to drawings) but this does mean that people take a positive break from work.
Work patterns
The arrangement of architects and technicians in an annular formation around the secretaries means much shorter walking distances between the different parts of the office and conse- quently improves personal communi- cations. An architect is involved in a wide range of activities other than drawing. He has to communicate with other members of staff, engineers, quantity surveyors, clients, contrac- tors, etc., by telephone, letter and through personal contact.
In this firm projects are undertaken by design teams of architects and tech- nicians who carry and develop the scheme through the design and work- ing drawing processes (RIBA stages B-G). This is done in close collabora-
Far East BUILDER, December 1970
tion with a member of a Servicing Department who advises practically on materials, seeks quotations and then takes over the job and acts as the Con- tract Supervisor, so releasing the de- sign team for other work.
This means that close communica- tion at a personal level is essential. An internal telephone system makes im- mediate contact possible (as in other offices) but more important is the ability to be able to discuss work on the drawing board quickly and easily.
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The arrangement of workstations in groups of four allows architects and technicians to collaborate without having to leave the board. Minor queries can be answered immediately without loss of time on either person's part.
Meetings
Meetings with consultants, repre- sentatives, etc., can be held at several places in the room. Where only two or three people are involved this may be
View down a major circulation route. On the near left is a meeting area and beyond, flanking the secretaries, is a bank of filing cabinets. Planting displays in white fibreglass trays on painted metal tripods, punctuate the space. The vermillion drawing board dust sheet hangs behind the board and masks the tilting machinery.
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