Creating a "Destination" Premise to Lure Staff Back
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Creating a "Destination" Premise to Lure Staff Back.
Companies are transforming their premises into “destinations” using technology and human-centric design in a bid to attract people back into the workplace, according to a Midlands property refit expert.
Published
Thursday, 14th September 2023
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News & Insights
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Penny Mitchell, from UK fit-out and refurbishment specialists Overbury, says high-tech devices such as movement sensors, human-centric LED lighting and flat screen displays are increasingly in demand from clients as they look to bring staff back into the office following COVID.
Penny is one of a number of industry experts who have been lined up to take part in a Workplace Technology Conference, which will be hosted by Derby smart building firm Scenariio and held at the Chocolate Factory, in Siddals Road, on September 21. She will be taking part in a round table event looking at how technology can help reverse the working-from-home trend at the conference, which is free and aimed at property owners, architects, landlords and developers.
Overbury is one of the country’s foremost fit-out and refurbishment companies and its previous projects include a refurbishment project for the European Bank for Reconstruction in London’s Canary Wharf and the Victorian Citadel building in Corporation Street, Birmingham. It also recently won the contract to complete Nottingham City Council’s new Central Library, which is part of the new Broad Marsh car park and bus station complex.
Scenariio’s conference, which will explore a wide range of technology including sensors, LED lighting and AV equipment, comes in the wake of news that US video conferencing giant Zoom – whose technology made remote working possible during lockdown – was struggling to get its staff to return to the workplace.
They are far from the only ones, says Penny, who is a business development manager at Overbury’s Central office, based at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham.
She said:
“Technology matters to our clients because, post-COVID, they’re trying to make their offices a destination in order to get everybody working back in the office.
“Smart building technology can help them achieve that because it can give staff the experience they have at home. If premises don’t have the ability to set up their laptop anywhere, for example, or the air quality isn’t good enough, they won’t return.
“Technology can also help companies monitor their energy usage to ensure they meet their sustainability targets but it can’t just be retro-fitted.
“Companies need to put workplace technology at the heart of their thinking at the design creation stage, which is why an event such as this conference, which raises awareness of what’s out there, is so useful to our industry.”
Among the other experts who have agreed to take part in the event are Adrian Hayes, sales director of UKI Commscope, Alex Klein, managing director of smartengine wtec, Daniel Floyd, principal engineer at engineering consultants Cundall, and Dee Panchall, IOT specialist at Cisco Meraki.
Rob Pritchard, managing director of Scenariio, said:
“Penny is just one of a long list of extremely well-regarded professionals we’ve invited to take part in what’s shaping up to be a fascinating and well-attended event.
“It will showcase the very latest thinking and equipment to enable anybody who is involved in upgrading premises or relocations to understand what is available to help them achieve their plans.”
Established in 2013, Scenariio has installed smart building technology, including intelligent lighting, integrated and supplementary sensor networks and audio-visual systems, at premises across the UK.
Its clients include Gymshark, Severn Trent Water and Tarmac, as well as, closer to home, Derby College and the popular Bustler Market street food venues in Derby and Nottingham.
The event starts at 10am and will be followed at 5pm by an evening at Bustler Market, including karaoke, arcade games and a silent disco. For more information and to book your place visit https://www.workplacetechnology.io/
Lighting the Way to a Sustainable Future
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Lighting the Way to a Sustainable Future.
A Derby IT and building technology firm has helped one of the most exciting office developments in the South-East meets its sustainability targets by transforming existing lighting to make it high-tech and low energy.
Published
Tuesday, 4th April 2023
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A Derby IT infrastructure and building technology firm has helped one of the most exciting office developments in the South-East meets its sustainability targets by transforming existing lighting to make it high-tech and low energy.
Scenariio, based in Siddals Road, has just completed its third smart lighting system projects at the Here + Now development, a major refurbishment of two office buildings at Thames Valley Park in Reading. The buildings – known as Here and Now – were acquired from original owners Microsoft by BauMont Real Estate Capital, which has teamed up with London-based management company V7 to create a highly sustainable campus focused on environmental, social and governance investing and wellness.
This includes making the buildings, which offer 145,000 sq ft of workspace, net zero carbon – earning them the BREEAM Outstanding rating for their environmental performance – while establishing a design-led space with a range of amenities including two cafes, a large indoor and an outdoor gym and an outdoor working area.
As part of the buildings’ general refit, Scenariio, working on behalf of office fit-out and design company Overbury, recommissioned the existing intelligent lighting system and upgraded the system’s software, replacing emergency lighting and repositioning the existing light fittings. It also continues to provide ongoing maintenance and support with mechanical and electrical contractor, MEP Labs.
When the first tenant, software firm Coeo, moved into one of the floors of the Now building, Scenariio returned to install remote gateways to allow the integration of feature lighting and intelligent lighting incorporating daylight dimming, with everything monitored through a state-of-the-art dashboard. Then when the second tenant, corporate service provider Vistra, moved in last month, Scenariio went back again to carry out minor works and install more gateways, enabling staff to control feature lighting in different parts of the office via the dashboard.
The whole scheme comprised around 1,000 lights, each one powered via low voltage ethernet wiring and each with a sensor attached, and 23 smart engines, with the total area covered by the installation measuring 45,000 sq ft.
With staff demanding flexible working and energy prices affecting companies’ profits, intelligent low energy lighting systems are increasingly in demand by landlords and facilities managers, while the BREEAM rating incentivises property owners to install the kind of high-tech equipment that Scenariio offers.
George Pritchard, technical director at Scenariio, said: “The Here + Now development is one of the most high-profile projects in the Thames Valley and we are very pleased to have got involved.
“V7 has huge plans for the development and at the heart of its campaign is promoting sustainability, combined with a focus on optimising employee health and wellbeing in order to attract and retain talent.
“We minimised waste by not ripping out and replacing the original lighting and the system was quick and easy to recommission, so everything was operational ahead of schedule.
“We’ve helped create a smart building which achieves both of V7’s objectives, but the lighting is just the start. Although everything is running on some of the original hardware, there are no power limitations, so we can add indoor air quality sensors and Bluetooth beacons with just small additions of kit.”
Established in 2013, Scenariio has previously carried out work on behalf of Gymshark, Severn Trent Water and Tarmac, as well as, closer to home, Derby College and the Chocolate Factory, home to the popular Bustler Market street food event.