Landgate Midland Services Hall

Background
Evoke have enjoyed a long standing relationship with this client. A sizeable organisation with a 26,000Sqm headquarters office located in Midland which accommodates a staff cohort of around 1000 personnel. Initially our work comprised assisting the client to develop a space and facility management protocol. Although the design of the premises 15 years earlier had been highly appropriate for the needs of the workforce then, it was falling well short of today's requirements. In our studies with the client it became evident that their premises had become a disincentive to attracting post-graduate land specialists. With a then average age for Landgate staff of >45 years old, it was acknowledged that an increasing tendency toward retirement age made attracting and employing younger staff a critical factor in all future strategies.

When the organisation changed names from DOLA to Landgate, the ensuing re-branding of the organisation presented the client with an opportunity to uplift the built environment; improving both the contemporaneousness of the accommodation and its relevance to the new brand

Our Approach
A new Landgate branded customer services centre and a facility-rich back of house environment was to be created with elegant curves contrasted with mechanical fittings and vivid colour finishes. Shape, texture, pattern and colour were influenced by the natural environment.

By incorporating...Background
Evoke have enjoyed a long standing relationship with this client. A sizeable organisation with a 26,000Sqm headquarters office located in Midland which accommodates a staff cohort of around 1000 personnel. Initially our work comprised assisting the client to develop a space and facility management protocol. Although the design of the premises 15 years earlier had been highly appropriate for the needs of the workforce then, it was falling well short of today's requirements. In our studies with the client it became evident that their premises had become a disincentive to attracting post-graduate land specialists. With a then average age for Landgate staff of >45 years old, it was acknowledged that an increasing tendency toward retirement age made attracting and employing younger staff a critical factor in all future strategies.

When the organisation changed names from DOLA to Landgate, the ensuing re-branding of the organisation presented the client with an opportunity to uplift the built environment; improving both the contemporaneousness of the accommodation and its relevance to the new brand

Our Approach
A new Landgate branded customer services centre and a facility-rich back of house environment was to be created with elegant curves contrasted with mechanical fittings and vivid colour finishes. Shape, texture, pattern and colour were influenced by the natural environment.

By incorporating the latest point of sale technology and adopting new work practices, the service counter and customer lounge would be able to be significantly reduced in size and the released space could appropriately be given to the back-of-house area. An important focus was to deliver the highest expert technology to create a sophisticated queue management and reporting system ensuring that waiting times are kept to a minimum. Digital signage, video and television are projected over large format flat screens in the customer waiting area to entertain and inform. The customer service centre aimed to be easy to navigate, with directional cues built in directing customers to the information desk and excitingly designed self service booths.

The staff club lounge was designed with features commonly found in an up-market café. A breezier zest was given to the working environment with an emphasis on bright finishes, deeply saturated colours and the reinforcement of Landgate's new brand imagery. This project provided an opportunity to continue along the path the client had already commenced for energy conservation. By updating the air conditioning and the artificial lighting, using infra-red and sonic switching, matched together with a day-lighting automated switch program, the client is afforded correct lighting levels throughout the day without unnecessary energy consumption.

In a similar vein, the mechanical ventilation and air conditioning systems were redesigned to introduce a greater quantity of fresh air into the interior environment. With out any additional cost in energy, the client now has a far greater percentage of fresh air diffusion within the working and public environment.

Challenges
Directing traffic flow through the multi-faceted space and maximising the efficiency of the customer/interface staff interface point whilst creating stylish environment proved a challenge. Incorporating the client's desire to use advanced technological features (particularly interactive plasma displays and queuing systems) was achievable, but required original thinking from our team. Difficulties had arisen from the double height ceiling void which meant a solution needed to be sourced to bring lighting and privacy to counter staff and the back of house operations. The result was a glass and steel canopy which created a design feature from a functional solution.
Read More