Architecture from the Inside Out (Developing Successful Environments to Promote Creativity)

It is widely recognised that the physical working environment - the actual place people work - is a major contributor or inhibitor to innovation and optimised business performance. Given that the cost of the scientists and engineers who occupy science buildings is 85 per cent of the total people / facilities expenditure, the need to design buildings which enable them to be effective and efficient with their time is now critical to the design of Science Park buildings. By starting the design process with the people and the way they need to work- even if in some cases the process has to be theoretical- it is true to say that the building layout and its design will be fundamentally different from conventional building design. As the shortage of science skills and the costs of scientists increase, tenant organisations and customers will demand space which not only looks good and is green but space which enables their people to work effectively and be efficient with their time. This Paper explains the process by which this can be undertaken and the results which can be achieved with the right buildings and working environments.