Hertfordshire
DAI
360 Workplace case study
Windsor
Our New Windsor HQ
The Brief
The design of our new Windsor HQ was developed using our evidence-based process, starting with workplace strategy, employee engagement and change management.
Our new regional office serves as a live example of our culture, values, and activity-based working. It showcases the best of our capabilities as workplace specialists and was designed to support our team's needs.
About:
Workplace Strategy, Employee Engagement, Change Management
Where:
Windsor
Size:
7,000 sq ft
What We Did
To create an environment that works for our people and would assist with our long-term goal of retaining the very best talent, we took the time to understand what our people wanted. We approached this project by applying the same methodology we deliver for our clients – facilitating employee engagement initiatives, occupancy evaluation, employee surveys, stakeholder workshops and feasibility studies – to understand the challenges and reveal any pain points with existing ways of working, to inform a data-led concept with wellbeing and sustainability at the core, receiving an enthusiastic response from the team members, with 75% of our people taking part of the survey.
The survey results highlighted the need to create a workplace focused on seamless technology, enabling social and collaborative activities, and a variety of work settings.
With zero desk ownership and designated lockers for belongings and equipment, people are now encouraged to move around and sit somewhere different every day. This prompts our colleagues to build better relationships outside of their immediate teams and improve productivity by working in a space that suits varying needs day to day.
We wanted to emphasise the importance of taking time out from work. The new kitchen and breakout space – dubbed the ‘Eton Mess’ – encourages those ‘bump’ moments and connections between colleagues. It is designed to be used throughout the day for coffee breaks, lunchtime, informal meetings or as a touchdown space.
The Outcome
This space has a warm yet polished feel to make our guests feel welcomed and help them understand who the people are behind the scenes.
Designing an immersive experience for clients and staff alike was vital to the success of this project. With clients forming a lasting first impression within a matter of seconds of walking into our office, it was important to create the best welcoming experience. Our bespoke fragrance acts as an extension of our brand’s identity and enhances the ambiance in our space - positively influencing the arrival experience.
Before moving to our new space, our pre-pandemic occupancy rate was 40%. In our previous workplace, teams were spread across multiple floors, siloed and found it difficult to collaborate within and outside their departments. We wanted to address this to improve wellbeing, teambuilding and productivity, as well as create a space where people felt proud to come to work. Ultimately, doing what we do at 360 Workplace, we needed somewhere that was a real showcase of the way we work and the services we deliver.
We treated our workplace transformation as we would for any client, implementing change management workshops, employee surveys and stakeholder meetings. Our teams worked seamlessly together to build a stunning workplace that really works for our people. It’s all about creating a borderless experience to bring people together and seamlessly blending hospitality in the workplace.
Following the move, we have seen a significant increase in people coming back into the office with an average occupancy of 80%, making the most of the space. Our new space is a destination for our people – a home away from home, where our team feel comfortable, thrive and can have fun.