Using Strategic Insights To Enhance Culture And Collaboration

It’s no secret that property and people are the two greatest costs – and biggest assets – of any organisation. But, how do you realise the full potential and unlock the possibility of both?

Some of the very best design decisions are informed by data-driven discoveries, and at Peldon Rose, that’s exactly where the Strategy team comes in. We’re a team of architects and behavioural science experts whose limitless curiosities, about people and space, uncover transformative insights. It’s these insights that enable business leaders to make strategic, long-term workplace real estate decisions.

When ECI Partners came to Peldon Rose to embark on a workplace relocation, the private equity firm set out to create a more modern and dynamic workplace, and in doing so, transform the value proposition of the company’s workplace offering, creating an exceptional employee experience along the way.

Together, we conducted detailed analysis to establish the broader business context and project vision that would ultimately inform the workplace design. By deploying investigatory measures such as all- staff surveys, team workshops and occupancy analyses of meeting rooms, we gained the qualitative and quantitative insights to develop a compelling design brief. So, what did we discover and how did this shape the design?

1. Dedicated offices vs the open-plan environment

Insight: In ECI’s previous workspace, over 55% of employees sat within cellularised spaces, and there was a clear appetite to transition to a more open, collaborative environment.

Considerations: The decision to work within a cellular format versus open-plan workstations influences not only the office space configuration, but the culture and behaviours within the office environment itself. Both layout options enjoy benefits and drawbacks. Closed offices provide areas for focus but also encourage siloes and perceived secrecy, while open-plan working can lack some privacy but supports collaboration and connection.

Outcome: We proposed a considered open-plan solution that would both support productivity and connection. Desks are arranged in clusters of four to retain a semblance of identity and belonging, grouping teams in logical neighbourhoods, with connected departments adjacent to one another. Glass partitions and acoustic treatments help to reduce noise disruption while shelving units characterfully filled with books create permeable separation where necessary.

2. Choice in work settings

Insight: Engagement with employees revealed a disconnect between the activities that employees perceive they do at work versus how they actually spend their time. Anecdotally, employees reported that they predominantly spend time on video calls and therefore require private spaces. Yet, analysis revealed employees carry out a plethora of work activities and would require spaces that support all of these tasks. ECI’s previous workspace catered only for work that either required a desk or formal meeting room, which highlighted the need to adopt a new approach further.

Consideration: Was the team ready for the cultural and behavioural shift needed to successfully adopt an agile working environment? Exercises in the employee workshops revealed that there was a desire to dial up the energy when it came to ECI’s workplace culture. Coupled with information from the all-staff survey which revealed that 61% of employees said that the ability to choose different spaces for different work tasks would improve their perception of wellbeing in the office, we had sufficient evidence to design a dynamic workplace.

Outcome: We designed a truly multi-functional space that unlocks new ways of working, tailored to support the work of the individual and the collective. Workstations complement social spaces that are designed to support informal meetings and connection. For instance, we installed VC-enabled meeting pods for one or two people, collaboration areas with digital whiteboards as well as a company-wide town hall space, for groups of every size to come together. For more informal interactions, social spaces provide the perfect spot for informal catch ups.

3. Hybrid working and technology

Insights: While 89% of ECI Partners employees reported that they were satisfied with office technology, insights from Peldon Rose’s research suggested that meeting rooms could cater for a more equitable hybrid experience between those in person, and those dialing in remotely.

Consideration: How can a future IT strategy best support an agile design solution and hybrid ways of working?

Outcome: Working closely alongside the ECI Partners IT team, we integrated meeting room booking systems into the design. Room booking is now easier, and there’s greater visibility of when meeting rooms are available.

A consistent ‘plug and play’ solution at desks, where laptops are plugged in, and immediately connected to screens maximises workspace efficiency and user convenience.

4. Culture and brand

Insight: Findings from Peldon Rose’s design workshops repeatedly indicated that ECI Partners are a people-centric organisation, who place a high value on their employees, yet there was clearly an opportunity to exhibit this trait more deeply within the workplace design.

Consideration: How can office interior design positively influence and enhance workplace culture while staying true to the brand identity and ethos?

Outcome: Behind the reception in ECI’s workplace is a panelled unit painted sage green that complements the brand palette. The unit is home to awards, portfolio company iconography, and books relevant to ECI Partners. Filling the shelves with the accomplishments and quirks of the business is a talking point for clients and visitors and reminds employees of the community they’re part of and successfully contribute to.

5. The desire to create a social hub

Insight: Almost unanimously, employees reported that a community space for lunch, internal celebrations and informal catch ups would improve ECI’s workplace offering. In fact, nearly 70% of employees selected ‘a kitchen space with informal seating’ as their most desired future space type, after many employees recognised anecdotally that office socialisation had fallen in recent years.

Consideration: What additional elements could this space provide, and how can a social space be activated throughout the working day (and beyond)?

Outcome: While the open plan is designed to support work tasks, the new tea point concentrates employees’ collaborative and social energy into one space. The spacious kitchen contains premium facilities and a simple, playful aesthetic. A large table sits atop the pale oak vinyl flooring, adjacent to an island unit for employees to prep their breakfast and lunch. High stools are available for informal eating and/or a quick coffee catch-up. Nestled in the far end of the eatery is a row of multi-purpose booth seating and tables, perfect for smaller meetings over lunch, resulting in a vibrant and dynamic social space at the epicentre of ECI’s workplace.

6. Investor Experience and Events

Insights: Hosting clients and investors is a key function of ECI’s workplace. This visitor journey had to be meaningful, and seamless. Internally, it was paramount that the workplace was designed in a way that should support guest visits. This could include meetings, events, networking and entertainment.

Outside the workplace walls, too, there was a desire to relocate to a building located in an area of the capital that would allow these events to spill outside the walls of the workplace. Not only did Peldon Rose uncover what employees wanted within the workplace, but we explored what the location needed to offer too.

Consideration: We explored how the space could be configured, and whether creating a clear delineation between internally and externally facing meetings was appropriate. Alternatively, should investors and the wider guest network have a visitor experience that offers a snapshot into the inner workings of the organisation?

Outcome: ECI Partners chose Covent Garden’s 80 Strand as its new home. Looking out onto the River Thames, 80 Strand is positioned within walking distance of multiple transport links to journey across the capital and beyond. Nestled within some of London’s most vibrant districts for food, drink and entertainment, it offers employees opportunities beyond the working day. The building itself benefits from comprehensive end-of-trip facilities, with 38 showers, 530 lockers and state-of-the-art changing rooms to support an active commute. Internally, we designed a more welcome arrival experience. The delineation between internal and external was retained, but the experience has been softened and visitors can now more comfortably use the space in and around meetings if required.

7. Wellbeing and Sustainability

Insight: The final insight gathered from the strategic discovery indicated a desire for the workplace to be a destination that inspired betterment, from both a wellbeing and sustainability perspective.

Employees indicated a desire to understand how the environment and sustainability would be actively considered moving forwards – this included the removal and disposal of old furniture.

Consideration: How could wellbeing and sustainability be embedded throughout design, and how could we nudge behaviours to embrace this further in use?

Outcome: Workplace transformation offers a unique opportunity to trigger behavioural change. Agile work promotes a clear desk policy to prevent the accumulation of waste while small changes like removing bins from people’s desks and setting up recycling hubs help to make impactful progress.

The strategic insights informed specification decisions that would prioritise sustainability. Carbon neutral acoustic panels were sourced from a zero-waste manufacturing initiative in addition to carpets made from 100% recycled nylon is cradle to gate carbon neutral with offsetting. Furniture from the old office has been used where possible, saving on costs and waste. Greenery in the office is known to enhance employee wellbeing, and brings the serenity and steadfastness of nature indoors. Biophilia planted behind banquette seating and beneath large windows breathes life into the space.

The data-led insights derived from Peldon Rose’s Strategy team helped to inform the design, and eventual delivery of ECI Partners’ new workplace. Undertaking a thorough, discovery phase led to an unparalleled understanding of ECI and its team’s needs. This resulted in a multi-functional space that unlocks new ways of working, authentically spotlights ECI Partners’ culture, and aligns with the client’s vision to create a sustainable workplace that culminates in an exceptional working experience for employees and investors alike.