In the handful of years since working from home suddenly became the ‘new normal’, the Flight to Quality has defined the ongoing battle to entice employees back to the office – increasing the demand for, and build of, premium buildings. Occupying the most in-demand parts of our CBDs, these buildings were expected to lure reluctant WFH employees back through the office doors with the promise of accessibility, aesthetics, and amenity.
The flight to quality approach has been successful in most major global cities, with premium vacancy in inner city CBD’s registering sub 10% while the remaining market languishes. However, the prospects for future development remain slim – owing to the reduced availability of capital, increased building cost, and an aversion to risk and exposure stemming from development opportunities.
As a result, a movement – or flight – towards character has become evident. This movement isn’t just about saving money or finding purpose in places outside of CBDs – though it can do both – it’s about a yearning to find meaning and purpose. The flight to character is about the need for spaces that are engaging and authentic instead of perfect and premium, addressing the ever-present need to sustainably re-life existing building stock in the process.
The Case for Character
In architecture, character is shaped through design, materials, history, and culture – it is a combination of elements that reflects the values and heritage of a buildings’ creators, as well as contributing to its aesthetic appeal and significance.
Globalization has led to a shortage of character via the homogenization of design – spreading standardized practices worldwide and dulling cultural nuance and storytelling. Since the 20th century, the popularity of slick, monolithic corporate architecture has seen modern metropolises across the world become more homogenized in scale, function, and potential – a decline that British designer Thomas Heatherwick has dubbed the ‘blandemic’.
As we move toward the mid-2020s with new challenges around economics, occupation, and utilization of space, the attractiveness of the corporate workplace finds itself under immense scrutiny. This focus means that, for architecture and place to break free from their homogenous rut and reconnect with unique identity, organizations have to align character with purpose – bringing storytelling to life and spatially connecting past and future.
Ultimately, designing spaces that reflect the values and stories of their inhabitants can create more engaging and authentic environments and enrich the built landscape with diversity and meaning.
On purpose: Character in the Office
Premium and A grade office space has long been driven by programmatic and performance-based criteria like ceiling height, access to natural light, and services performance – making the result, or the base building, homogeneous and lacking in diversity.
In contrast, buildings with character tend to misalign with traditional performance requirements and provide unique spaces that do not neatly fit into a scoring matrix instead. A shift in priorities from performance-based space to space with a trinity of attractive location, amenity and meaning has moved the dial to provide opportunity for non-traditional spaces to retransform into next generation workplaces.
Currently, there is an effort to create workplaces that express the personality of a business in the context of its place (building, street, or suburb) and city. In total juxtaposition with workplace’s previous trend of taking unbranded space as a part of a co-working collective, we are leaving the behind ‘blank slate’ office behind – in its place is a connection to space, experience and company that is critical to the future of work and placemaking.
Character Studies
Key to the Flight to Character is finding meaning and true differentiation and joy in the character of the space. Crafting a rich, layered space with varying attributes – whether that be different volumes, historical reference points, or different spatial arrangements – is vital.
#1 M&C Saatchi.
Great success can be found in transforming B grade assets into exemplary workplaces. For example, M & C Saatchi reinvented a 100-year heritage listed space into a diverse, character filled home for their diverse set of advertising companies.
The character, connectiveness and volume of the space provides an “engine room” – or cathedral for work – whilst some of the smaller more unique original spaces, provide opportunities for retreat and more meetings. Although the buildings characteristics, with at times smaller volumes and spaces, provides design challenges, the diversity of space, and changing parameters make for a more diverse and interesting workplace.
The base building, which years ago, designers, might have covered over or concealed in a drive for minimalism, provides a rich reminder of the opulent past and the stories of past organizations success and innovation. The rich and layered existing finishes provide the ideal base for a simple and elegant interior.
#2 Goodman Hayesbery.
A dilapidated hat factory, created for a very different type of work, has been transformed into a compelling, light filled, green and industrial chic workplace that provides Goodman’s employees with a unique and relaxed post pandemic workplace.
By linking the building heritage and typology: industrial to the major market position that Goodman has, they have created a new and unique business opportunity that ‘leads the way’ illustrating to their clients, how ‘industrial’ space can create an interior that supports, positive employ engagement and increased utilization and occupation.
#3 Younghusband Woolstore Redevelopment.
The Younghusband Woolstore Redevelopment in Melbourne’s inner-west suburb of Kensington is home to a 122-year-old redbrick wool store and adjoining network of industrial early-20th-century buildings. A significant adaptive reuse project, Younghusband’s rich history can be traced back to 1901 – when the first wool store building was commissioned by wool seller R Goldsberg Row and Co.
In recent years, the former store has been adapted for a range of uses including a home to small creative companies and a costume store for the Australian Ballet. For decades, the wool store provided affordable studio spaces that gave grassroots artistic enterprises a toehold in a characterful inner-city location. Currently, it is in the process of being transformed into an office and retail space that celebrates the building’s texture and patina, commemorating its 120-year history.
In order to retain character, various trades have learnt lost techniques of traditional construction methodologies in order to reinstate the heritage details in their most authentic form, like the herringbone timber floor structure that existed before.
These case studies demonstrate an organization’s willingness to create workspaces with character authentically linked to their place, history and purpose, rather than being a tenant within an anonymous corporate tower.
The response to these spaces by users is outstanding, seeing the unique qualities of workspaces as ‘attractive’ and authentic. They have chosen ‘character over perfect’ and in creating space with personality they have created a place that people can connect to.
Editor’s Note: Based in Sydney, Australia, Amanda Stanaway is an ERA-co principal and global leader of user strategy. She sits at the forefront of workplace design; currently working with a broad portfolio of corporate clients worldwide. Her role encompasses strategy and interior design across the commercial, lifestyle and public sectors. Her mix of skills and diversity of knowledge provides a unique, comprehensive and innovative approach to projects for her clients. Amanda has been instrumental in creating some of the most cutting-edge workplaces – which have delivered real business advantage and positive change for the organization.