This TV station project was designed to bring out the best in its staff through appealing to and stimulating their sense of creativity in numerous ways. {jcomments off}

Staff working in television stations work long hours and are called upon to create, and continue to create, new interesting and exciting ideas on a consistent basis. As in most modern companies the ability for these staff to do just that makes or breaks the station. And a working environment that inspires rather than hinders creativity makes an enormous difference not just to quality of out put of existing staff but to the attraction and retention of new talent. This TV station project focused on the world of music and games to create a high-trend environment, combining work and entertainment in the same area.

Marcap, a Brazilian company specialising in the management and implementation of work areas, was responsible for the design. Their response to the brief was to deliver a dynamic and innovative television studio for the music and games world, based on four pillars: cooperation, sociability, learning and focus. These pillars are types of activities that people working in any knowledge or service industry generally participate in order to complete their work. People require space that reflects their need to do all these activities. In the past companies generally provided space that fostered one type of activity, the ‘focus’ pillar. Desks within cubicles are great if you need to spend a lot of time doing concentrated work. Unfortunately creativity and innovation is better fostered when spaces encourage the other activities of
learning, cooperating and socialising.

In order to integrate the whole team, Marcap divided the area into three sectors:

• The warehouse area
• The area of decompression
• The outdoor garden

At first, the focus is to work with micro-glass cells, which facilitate communication and an overview of the teams from different areas. On the floor a combination of materials was used to separate the areas with a wood deck in some parts and complemented by the Copacabana-style mosaic in another area. These were said to highlight the “Brazilianness” of the company.

The decompression area, as the name implies, was created as a space to relax where people could stimulate creativity. For this, the team created an arcade feel and decorated the space with posters and traditional Portuguese hydraulic tiles. These mix fun and modernity in the same environment.

The third environment is an outdoor Zen-inspired garden, an oasis of peace and tranquillity amid the hectic environment of the TV studio. Water and a landscape design enhance the green surroundings and brings certain moments of relaxation and concentration. Sofas with printed cushions are arranged on a cement deck share space. Focus can take place in the floating plastic bubble, which gives the impression of being able to walk on water but can also simply be used to relax within.

While the Shanghai Expo is on, providers of temporary and flexible office space for new business is the order of the day. Two serviced office providers tell us how it has affected their business.

1. What effect has the shanghai expo had on business in your centres?
Candi Yeung, Regional Marketing Manager – East Asia for Regus one of the bigger chains of business centres with several shanghai locations says “We have had various specific requests linked directly to the Expo. These related to office leases, meeting room bookings and video conferences. We also see that the general market in Shanghai is strengthening. It is very well possible that the Expo, as a ‘marketing tool’ for the city, has woken up a lot of interest and emphasised the great business potential and commercial infrastructure of Shanghai.” Read more on Shanghai Serviced Office…

Paul Oswald tells us what’s Possible – And Profitable – About Intelligent Building Systems

Rapid evolution of building automation systems (BAS) is significantly impacting facilities and those responsible for IT. For a long time, IT and BAS were developed separately, each focusing on individual technology developments and moving down the path of least resistance to market. But as buildings become “smarter,” and there continues to be a growing need to interconnect building facilities spread over different geographical locations for remote monitoring, analysis and control, the convergence of the two is inevitable. IT is the basic infrastructure – cabling, networks, data gathering, database management and display – of all the systems used in a building. So BAS, and for that matter any building system, can fully capitalise on IT technology and trends. The convergence of IT and BAS is producing measureable benefits by merging business and building systems data across an enterprise. Read more on Convergence of IT and Building Automation Systems…

Commercial real estate investment is not just about the ‘deal’ and whether the numbers stack up, always make sure you are working with the right people before you get the cheque book out.

In reality people, from governments to lawyers, make the biggest difference in the success or failure of a commercial real estate deal. And during tough times of the last few years it was personal qualities that got people through the rough financial times with ‘patience’ cited as the most common virtue for survivors. So how do you know who’s good and what’s not? Confidence, market knowledge, experience? Below we asked investors and others working in the industry to share their views on how to pick the best partners for the job. Read more on Counting People…

Manit Rastogi encourages architects, designers and urban planners to put the environment at the fore front when planning cities for the Global Indian.

The urban scape of the modern day city is little understood and a largely neglected space today. Shifting economic paradigms over the last few decades have left it a result of financial dynamics and not a response to human habitat needs. Today in many so-called boom towns, the surreal visual of inanimate cranes loom large over the city skyline and halfcomplete, abandoned building sites are an increasingly common sight. Whilst Dubai may be dismissed as an extreme event, in modern day India too, urban development does not seem insulated from the economic dynamics of the last decade. Read more on Indian Architecture: A Paradigm shift…

In one of Asia’s greenest developments sits Solaris; less of a building, more like a walk in the park.

SOLARIS is located in the research and business park in central Singapore’s onenorth community, the groundbreaking green work, live community . The building is a flagship project in the second phase of this locality. Fusionopolis is an R&D hub for Infocomm Technology, Media, Physical Sciences & Engineering industries which is intended to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship in these fields. This masterplan for the visionary mixed-use development was prepared by Zaha Hadid Architects. Read more on The Living Office…

How the Vancouver Winter Olympics site proved that consultants are not at the mercy of their clients. {jcomments off}

Roger Bayley, Founder, Merrick Architecture was lucky enough to be involved in a project that made a difference. The project was Vancouver’s Olympic Village at Southeast False Creek: Millennium Water. Working on government initiated or public projects can be characterised by unproductive debate, controversy, bureaucracy and stifling financial and traditionalist constraints. Not this one. This one, with Bayley’s and many other inspired consultants’ advice, pushed boundaries of what can be possible in terms of innovation and sustainability in a large scale development. This project is proof that all architects, engineers, contractors and everyone else with expertise in making urban spaces need to make difference is an open mind. Read more on Architect as Educator…

Victim of tremendous industry expansion, LEDs still have a way to go before being embraced as the promised alternative. But the future is still looking bright.

Global regulations for long life energy saving technology, low heat emissions, low maintenance, low fire risk, instant on and off, absence of heavy metals and new levels of programmability are advantages making LEDs what Adam Cameron, COO looking after, Etrilum, a China based OEM manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting, calls a “gold rush” industry. Despite already widespread application in offices, shops, hospitals, carparks and street lighting, LED is still waiting for wholesale adoption. This is partly due to inability to cross the upfront vs operational cost chasm and end user reactions to quality and usability as a useful, economic and rational interior and exterior light source,. However, existing markets continue to grow and Optiled, a LED manufacturer, predicts within the next two years focus will shift to high-end and mid-market shopping environments as the measurable results of real operations will show the attractiveness of LED in general lighting applications. Read more on Lighting Up To Expectations…

As we move into the months where mould climbs anew up the walls in Asian cities, speckled smudges blossoming over night across walls and ceilings. Unhealthy spores fill the air but are equally noxious chemicals the only alternative?

In this new section we look at home and lifestyle choices that go beyond the decisions that you make at work through to the decisions that affect you, your friends and family.

We start by looking at interior paint. The wall covering of choice for most across the region can be not only environmentally detrimental but extremely unhealthy. Paint companies tell us how bad it can be, what to watch out for and available alternatives. Read more on A Slap of Paint…

“Recent studies have shown that costs of poor indoor environment for the employer, building owner and society as a whole are often considerably higher than the cost of the energy used in the same building”
– BSI Standard EN15251:2007

Since making Hong Kong my home more than 25 years ago, I have cherished the fact that our city has vibrancy and beauty like no other – an exciting urban landscape co-existing with a unique harbour, green hills and gorgeous tropical scenery. I enjoy running and Hong Kong’s outdoors and because of mounting concerns about the deteriorating environment I have become involved in the environment sector. Read more on Airing Concerns…