Scottish Gas Headquarters, the first building completed by Foster + Partners in Edinburgh, reinvented the customer contact centre for the 21st century when it opened in 2003. The project also realised the first part of Foster + Partners Granton masterplan for the former gasworks site. Now renamed the ForthQuarter, it has been transformed into an area that features new public parks and transport infrastructure, including a planned tram link to the city centre.
Built around a concrete frame, the glazed façade is bordered by an aluminium brise soleil that draws a rectangular veil over the building’s U-shaped footprint. A deep recess, clad in blue glass, welcomes employees into the atrium from a newly created plaza. Inside, the high roof is covered with a lantern of white glass, filling the space with diffused daylight. The building is four storeys high, with meeting rooms, administration, IT, occupational health and a staff restaurant on the ground floor. Lifts and cantilevered staircases take staff up to the three call centre floors. These are open plan and the workspaces are arranged on either side of the atrium, with views through the building. From the upper levels, break-out spaces open into the atrium and onto the staggered bridges that link each side of the building.
The 10,500 square metre building has the quality of a corporate headquarters, but is a functional high-density workplace, accommodating 1,800 staff in two shifts. Internally, the fit-out is flexible to accommodate these changing shifts, providing personal storage for each employee and making optimum use of the space. Unusually for a customer contact centre, large shared desks take the place of enclosed booths – this system has been found to be more productive yet no noisier, thanks to acoustic insulation. Leaving behind an environment with very little natural light, the new light-filled building gives staff panoramic views over the Firth of Forth, taking in the Forth Bridge. After only a brief period, employees commented that they felt more focused and worked more effectively, with management also reporting marked rises in productivity. Foster + Partners also worked closely with engineers Battle McCarthy throughout to develop the building’s environmental strategy, resulting in an ‘excellent’ BREEAM rating.
Client:
National Grid Property Ltd (former SecondSite Property) - Base build
Consultants:
White Young Green , DL&E, Mott Green Wall (ME Cost Consultant), Battle McCarthy, Hyland Edgar Driver, Engle Associates