DOES GREAT DESIGN AFFECT PRODUCTIVITY?
Mary Pat Wallace, Chicago Regional Account Executive
Last year I had the privilege of working with Perkins + Will on a new work
environment for one of Chicago’s prominent trading firms. After months
of mock ups and revisions the client chose Innovant’s FORm_office S120
and S4 to serve as a single platform through out their office. The trading
floor utilized the organic nature of S120 to help compliment the nature of
the work being done in the space. S4, FORm office’s linear line was used in the administrative departments where they benefited from a cleaner organized layout. The client’s former space (the Federal Reserve Bank building) was heavy in feeling and dark in its design and atmosphere.
The client was ready to change and change drastically. The design
team at Perkins + Will, headed by Tim Wolfe, was on a mission to give
this firm an out of the box solution. Their challenge was to respond to
the needs of a brilliant and creative IT team, the vision of the owner, the
needs of the employees and to deliver this on time and within budget.
Mission accomplished, Interior Design published the space in July 2011
“Money Talks Quietly” and Contract magazine published it in Jan/Feb
2012 Interiors Awards “Confidential Trading Floor”. The overall design
has been well received and for many has changed the way they see the
trading floor.
But what about the people that go to work there every day, how has it
changed their lives? I had the opportunity to discover at my son’s hockey
game that yes, the work of Perkins + Will did change their employees
attitude and productivity drastically. An unsolicited glowing review came
from an employee who said, “the employees get to work earlier, stay
later and overall the firm is more productive.” I’m really proud to have consulted on this workspace. I feel this project with the clean, intelligent, and tailored aesthetic of FORm office in conjunction with the amazing interior architecture and overall strategy from Perkins + Will can be used as a way to approach all clients to change the way they approach the office environment and design. It is clear the benefits could not be greater. I encourage everyone to ask their clients, “Will your new office space make a difference in your life? ”
Mary Pat Wallace, Regional Account Executive
440 North Wells Street, Suite 310
Chicago, IL 60654 USA
Phone 646 368 6254
Cell 312.560.2469
mp@mpandassociates.com contact