Effectiveness as a workplace
Riverside House was designed to support the Councils WorkSmart programme whose aim is to enable employees to work flexibly to increase their effectiveness and work life balance by making better use of technology.
The building houses 2,400 employees at only 1,308 desks. This equals 58 workstations to every 100 staff and has proved to work well with staff despite some initial concerns.
The office layout is designed to support this flexible approach with each wing having:-
- Around 14 No workstations each with VDU, phone, data, keyboard and mouse
- Breakout area and kitchen. The breakout area is regularly used for socializing, informal meetings as well as for breaks and lunch.
- 4 person quiet booth/pods, with VDU, (49 in the building) for confidential or impromptu meetings.
- Print hub with 2 MFD’s used for print, fax and scanning.
- Full WiFi for corporate devices and for private use.
Only the Chief Executive and Strategic Directors have there own private offices and there are 29 bookable meeting rooms.
The open office space has a desk every 8.5m2, but when taken across all upperfloors, it equates to 1 per 9.93m2 NIA which given an occupancy of 100 employees to every 58 desks gives an occupancy of 1 employee every 5.76m2 NlA. Despite these figures the space is light and airy, no desk is more than 7m from a window and it does not feel crowded.
Other amenities include prayer rooms, parenthood rooms and a medical room, 144 cycle spaces,12 showers and 160 clothes lockers for staff, as well as public facilities (café, library & gallery) which can also be enjoyed by staff making the building a pleasant and well catered for site that has become a popular place to work.
Lifting the Spirits
Building
Riverside House is the first major part of the Rotherham Renaissance progromme and delivers key public services in a new welcoming and dramatic building. The building forms an important gateway into the town and the bold use of sandstone and brass with an apparently random pattern, gives a modern feel to the building whilst rooting the materiols in the local historical context.
Mix of Functions
The building is a workplace for 2,400 employees and provides a range of public services. This mixing of functions benefits both staff and public a like. Rotherham’s residents benefit from being able to access many key services and also have the use of library, gallery and café, making the experience more pleasant and varied. For staff, as well as having a modern and innovative work place, they also benefit from having the public facilities on site and feel part of this important civic hub in the town centre.
Interior
The interior of the building is designed to maximize naturel light and uses bold colours to create a vibrant and lively space for working. Breakout and social areas also help staff interact informally as a counterpoint to the more formal work-station areas and these use modern and informal furniture to help promote the use of these spaces. The public spaces at ground floor also share a strong design identity, blurring the distinction between work and social and civic activities, helping staff feel connected to their role within the town.
Summary
The overall result is that this vibrant and exciting building is a place where members of the public have a better connection with their authority and where staff feel valued – a great achievement during such economic uncertainty and the ongoing pressures of job security. The building provides a varied and vibrant civic experience that is proving to be very popular.