In what some have described as the most important development in the contract furniture industry since the introduction of the Action office system, Steelcase announced that it will markedly expand its position in the development of workplace environments by bringing its knowledge and products to the real estate development area. To do this, Steelcase has formed a partnership with Gale & Wentworth, a leading private commercial real estate developers backed by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds, an affiliate of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.
The working arrangement is in the form of a new company, Workstage, LLC (www.workstage.com). The purpose of Workstage is to change the way companies buy, lease and negotiate commercial real estate. Workstage will develop user-centered work environments at competitive lease rates in new and renovated office buildings. The company, which will be headed by Steelcase’s Jack Cottrell, said that it will be able to develop space twice as fast and approximately 10% less expensive than conventional construction methods. Initially, said Mr. Cottrell, the company will focus on new building construction.
Unlike most buildings that are designed and built in accordance with an architectural concept, Workspace will develop buildings from the inside out, following Steelcase’s prescriptions for the ideal workplace, and using Pathways and other Steelcase products. “The work environment’s sole reason for being is to support the people who work in it,” said Mr. Cottrell. “Workstage develops flexible, affordable and available workspace that is designed to help companies attract and inspire employees by offering reconfigurable interior space, mobile furniture, universal access to computing and communications technologies and abundant bandwidth. By focusing on both the building’s interior architecture and its external shell, we are able to develop office buildings that are designed specifically for the user.”
The first Workspace building has already been constructed for the company itself. The building, in Grand Rapids, MI, was designed by Thomas Phifer of Thomas Phifer Associates, New York City; that he is a student of building ecologies conforms to an essential ingredient in the Steelcase vision of the workplace of the future. Accordingly, the building has tons (literally) of glass, arched roofs, high ceilings, and an open 40,000-sq.-ft. floor plate, all providing a light and airy space where, presumably, spirits (and productivity) soar. Lee Stout and Gensler (Jim Follett, Chicago, and Kris Banks, Washington, D.C.) collaborated on the interiors.
Workers stay connected to the outside environment during the workday because of abundant natural light, air, expanses of glass, operable windows and other features. Raised floors hide much of the building’s infrastructure, including power grids, wiring and cable, and air supply/distribution. Thus employees can easily access the technology and environment controls, adjusting their work areas’ lighting, acoustics, temperature and air flow. In addition, Workstage buildings will be designed to consume substantially less energy than the industry norm.
Traditionally, it takes at least 12 to 16 months to construct a building, with emphasis on the exterior architecture as the driving force—with less emphasis on the building’s interior and no emphasis on the user. Steelcase feels that by coupling Gale & Wentworth’s financial capabilities and commercial development expertise with Steelcase’s proprietary Community Based Planning methodology, Workstage can cut costs dramatically, accelerate time to market and deliver a completely furnished office space to respond to constant, rapid-fire change within the work environment.
“Partnering with leading architects and the world’s largest designer of office environments,” stated Stan Gale, CEO of Gale & Wentworth,” will enable Workstage to set a new standard in commercial real estate development.”
Based on a report from officeinsightTM
