Global healthcare company GSK has opened a new sales office in Bentonville, AR. Designed by architecture firm FCA, the 10,560-square-foot facility accommodates various modes of working, while strengthening both staff and client relationships.
The Consumer Innovation Science Center, also known as the Shopper Science Lab, is a key element, because the company develops and markets some of the most sought-after brands and products in the world. The GSK salesforce required a central area where they could involve clientele and provide consumer insight assessments — vital information for major retailers. “The space is a game-changer for collaboration. We have already launched several strategic projects with Walmart, which is resulting in an elevation of our partnership,” said Kevin Macero, vice president of sales, GSK, Walmart team lead.
The lab makes up about 30% of the total interior, and Campbell noted that GSK has the unprecedented ability to capture the voice of the consumer in real-time. “The center has changed their relationship with Walmart,” said John Campbell, president of FCA. “The space was completed last July, and all of the technological enhancements were in place by October. The Walmart team has already visited six times since then.”
The largest individual space in the center is the “Spark” ideation room, which incorporates a 7-by-15 foot interactive touchscreen. Digital consumer product displays are prototyped and tested in this multipurpose room. “In the past, when a company wanted to test something or envision their product displays, they had to create cardboard mockups. Here, it is all done digitally. A client can play a bit and rearrange the items on the shelves and see how they will look when they are actually in the store,” Campbell noted.
Adjacent to the ideation room, the E-commerce and Digital Innovation Room has multiple screens for improved visibility and teamwork. In this room, experts analyze and compare data inputs to better understand consumer behavior, while creating digital strategies to meet changing needs and habits.
Casual furniture and smaller meeting spaces with interactive technology allow employees to work on solution development in a comfortable environment. For Campbell, this particular room is an indication of what’s to come. “It’s a much more egalitarian approach to a conference room. There’s more informal seating and people are facing the screens, instead of looking across the table at colleagues. I think this is what the new conference rooms will look like.”
There was an emphasis on acoustic performance in the innovation room, specifying sound-absorbing products like carpeting and wall panels, which Campbell explained, is a great concern in the post-pandemic workplace now that Zoom meetings and hybrid schedules are the norm rather than the exception. “We wanted to ensure that somebody working remotely has just as good acoustic quality as someone physically in the room. That’s a big area, as designers, we are going to have to address. Off-site workers and those in the office need to have similar sound experiences, even though they are in different locations,” Campbell added.
A town center facilitates connections, which are especially important in a sales-centric workplace. Campbell said the center can be utilized for formal conferences or casual, one-on-one time with a co-worker, and that it is a hub that captures the energy of the collective. “All types of activities take place there, but the staff has really been using it for product launches and celebrations, so it has evolved into more than a typical meeting area.”
The state-of-the-art workplace boosts staff productivity, and reflects GSK’s commitment to employee wellness. The office includes numerous accessible areas for team members to step away and recharge during the day. FCA also incorporated abundant access to natural light throughout the space, and implemented ergonomic product solutions to support employee comfort.
“We provided desks for 80% of the people assigned to the space, and ergonomics are a huge part of what GSK is about. When you embrace the concept of smart work like this company has, and the majority of seats are unassigned, there has to be that flexibility. Employees don’t want to make minimal adjustments to their desk or chair,” Campbell explained.
Blue and yellow hues abound, rather than GSK’s brand orange. Campbell noted that the palette is a nod to GSK’s alliance with Walmart, and adds a vibrancy that’s too often missing from the corporate sector. “In a number of places we used an oak wood, which the brights and the neutrals play off of nicely. It’s probably contrary to the aesthetic right now, but it has a little bit of an organic feel that ties it all together.”
For Campbell, design and technology are effectively combined in a modern office, where staff can not only generate new leads, but also solidify existing relationships. “This is a place where GSK can engage with their clients, and more importantly, it is a space that customers and workers want to return to. That’s everything.”
