g-VISION
It is important for us as architects to understand your business culture, vision and goals in order to effectively design an office space that is not just a place to work, but a strategic component of your business mission. At GGA, we leveraged thirty years of workplace expertise to develop a comprehensive discovery, research, planning and analysis tool known as g-VISION.
g-VISION is the strategic foundation for delivering high-quality projects. With its proven research, discovery, and analysis methodology, provides more in-depth, comprehensive, and business-oriented information than typical architectural programming. As a result, GGA is better placed to design office space that can attract and retain talented personnel, define your business culture, and enhance your brand. In other words, we turn your office space into a strategic tool to help you achieve your business goals.
The Strategic Workplace
In this knowledge-based economy, people are your most important asset. The key to gaining an edge over your competition involves attracting, retaining, and enabling skilled talent and your office space plays an important part in differentiating you from your competition.
The office space is more than just “a necessary cost of doing business”; it is a dynamic and strategic business tool that helps define your business culture and brand, attract and retain skilled employees, and give those employees the support structure necessary to help them work efficiently and grow your business.
An Evolving Business World
In terms of who is working and how they are working, the American workforce has changed significantly over the last three decades and will continue to evolve as time passes.
Not only are Americans living longer and staying in the workforce for a longer amount of time but the number of women in the workforce has grown significantly, and there have been major changes in the cultural makeup of the workforce. Additionally, although there has been a massive increase in the overall amount of people in the working world, there is a shortage of available skilled professional talent. Most research suggests that businesses are going to continue working harder to attract and retain talented and skilled employees.
There have also been major developments in how professionals work. IT solutions enabled a shift from clerical work patterns to problem solving, analysis and knowledge capital. The new economy has also seen a reduction in the skills and responsibilities gap between managers and their staff, resulting in flatter organizational structures.
As the size and quality of the labor pool changes, keeping skilled workers satisfied and interested in their work becomes more important. Companies are changing human resources policies and re-examining the role their facilities play in attracting and retaining strong employees.
Changing Workplace
The way businesses and individuals are working is changing, and the workplace is changing with them. One of the biggest areas of change has been technology, which has given businesses tremendous power in terms of data processing, production solutions and communications capabilities. Because of the improvements and advancements, businesses no longer need large numbers of staff to perform clerical tasks. What businesses do need, however, are well-educated and trained staff who can collaborate to quickly develop business solutions that provide an edge over the competition.
Information and communication technologies enable workers to fully connect to the office, without physically being in the office. When at work, the increase in collaborative environments emphasizes the need for informal meeting spaces to encourage planned interaction and knowledge sharing. Corporate training centers are becoming increasingly valuable avenues for more formalized knowledge-sharing while private offices and workstations are adapting to the new collaborative mantra by breaking down barriers to communication.
The Basis for Design
The key to creating the appropriate space for any client involves a substantial amount of research and observation. Through five key steps (Research and Discovery, Qualitative Discovery, Quantitative Discovery, Sustainability Assessment, and Adjacencies) we are able to determine the best design for your needs. These steps analyze the minute details of your office functions, studying factors ranging from growth projections to the functional relationships of your firm’s different departments.
Adjacencies
Once the necessary information is gathered, the results are issued in the g-VISION Basis for Design Report. This report uses the Lean Six Sigma principles of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control to formulate a design plan, creating a space that enhances your business operations and success.
The Basis for Building Selection
Having developed the Basis for Design, we have already learned about your organization’s size and growth strategies. Now we have a good idea of the overall space that you will need in terms of size and amenities. We are well placed to develop the Basis for Building Selection. Working with your broker, we can apply the findings of the Basis for Design Report to analyze the various building options to determine which space is best for you.
Egress distances
We start with a review of applicable codes and regulations that may affect the selection, and then we offer a building analysis and review, blocking and stacking, and test-fit plans. We pull all the information together in the Basis for Building Selection Report. This report gives you important information and analysis that helps you justify your ultimate building selection.