Traditional ways of planning and using workplaces were challenged by the nations leading workplace thinkers at the Fifth Annual National Summit on Building Performance sponsored by Johnson Controls, the American Institute of Architects, the International Facility Management Association and NACORE International.
This years March conference at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, was built around the theme, “Corporate Agility.” The conference included a keynote address by Ted Leonsis, vice chairman and new products officer at America Online (AOL) and panel discussions on the physical and technological impact of agility, organizational performance and sustaining the environment and social communities.
Knowledge work—activities that are instantly transported from place to place via the Internet—allows for flexible workplaces. Panelists, including representatives of Sun Microsystems and Cisco Systems, cited office buildings designed with “touch down space” shared by workers performing short-term tasks and “collision space” like conference rooms and cafeterias where worker teams collaborate and socialize.
Organizational structures are also changing with technology. Panelists from Procter & Gamble and Hewlett Packard said that by sharing services used by the entire company—such as human resources, finance, logistics and marketing—their global organizations have improved workplace performance and overall agility.
Todays information-driven workplaces and organizations are well situated for workplaces designed to effectively use energy and natural resources. But, panelists from Brunel University, Natural Logic, and Interface Inc. noted that organizations have to want to develop environmentally friendly workplaces.
“The leap is to understand that its not about efficiency. Its about reaching way beyond that to the point where were actually beginning to co-create with nature, to be a partner with nature and understand its effectiveness,” said Bill Reed, vice president of integrative design at Natural Logic, a planning firm.
For additional information about speakers and presentations at the Fifth Annual National Summit on Building Performance, contact Mari Randa at (414) 227-3514. More information on the National Summit is also available on the Johnson Controls web site.
