This episode of the Smart Community Podcast is brought to you by Arup, an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists, working across every aspect of today’s built environment.

In this episode, I had a brilliant conversation with Andrew Pettifer, the NSW Region Leader of Arup, and Steve Coster, the Managing Director at international design practice, HASSELL. We have a fascinating discussion about the impact of technology, design and leadership on the way we work, and how this fits in the Smart Community arena.

Arup has just opened three new buildings for their workforce in Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore, and we talk about the guiding principals for these buildings, and why it is so important to have this forward thinking approach rather than just leasing an existing office building. I have visited both the Sydney and Melbourne sites and I must say, the intentional design really does make a difference.

Andrew and Steve explain the process of planning, designing and implementing such a Smart and sustainable building.

As well as talking about the different ways design, space and technology are used, we also discuss the power of workplace culture, the importance of giving people flexible work choices, and the need for leadership to create high-trust environments for staff. We finish our conversation discussing the emerging trends in the ways we work and how work will change into the future.

If you would like to sponsor an episode of the Smart Community Podcast, please send me an email to zoe@mysmart.community and we can discuss the options. As always, I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed making it.

Listen here:

What we cover in this episode:

• Andrew and Steve’s respective backgrounds and how they each became interested in this space
• How the way we work fits into the Smart Community arena, and what Arup is doing do embrace future ways of working
• About the new buildings, and the guiding principles that brought them to life
• The planning and design process through to the implementation of the new buildings 
• The importance of creating high trust, high respect environments and why the physical spaces are so important to representing and enhancing the culture 
• How sustainability was incorporated into the design nd operation of the new buildings 
• The Smarts incorporated into the building
• Emerging trends in the way we work

Links:

• The Arup Website
• Articles about the offices:
  • Arup’s Next Generation Sydney Workplace 
  • New Sydney Office Earns World Leadership Rating for Sustainable Design
  • Benchmark Workplace in Melbourne’s First Sky Park
  • New Melbourne Office Puts Quality and Sustainability on show
  • Next generation offices ready for work

Connect:

Connect with Steve via the HASSELL website hassellstudio.com or email scoster@hassellstudio.com 

Connect with Andrew via LinkedIn and Twitter, or email andrew.pettifer@arup.com

Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community

Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn or Twitter and watch on YouTube

Podcast Production by Perk Digital