EBRD London HQ Relocation to best-in-class Smart Building at Canary Wharf
Project Overview
London HQ Relocation co-creates and delivers a best-in-class Smart Building for staff and visitors with an emphasis on wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity.
The Team
Perkins and Will, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Overbury, Chapman BDSP, Turner & Townsend, AECOM, Cundall, proAV
The Project
IT, AV and Smart Building consultancy for London HQ Office Relocation.
The Technologies
AV:
Collaboration and Conferencing Technologies; Broadcast distribution; Podcasting Studio and Editing Suite; Building-wide IPTV/Signage systems; Feature LED Displays; Auditorium, multi-room Simultaneous Interpretation Systems, Background Music System; Dedicated AVNOC; Centralised AV distribution via converged IT network; Unified Communications; Remote Monitoring and Control System.
Smart Building:
Smart Platform, Occupancy Sensing, Room Booking, Desk Booking, CAFM integration, Visitor Management
The Challenge
After a period of due diligence, the EBRD signed a lease for a new London HQ at 5 Bank Street, Canary Wharf and would occupy 370,000 sq. ft., to accommodate approximately 2,800 staff.
The vision of the project was to co-create and deliver a best-in-class working environment for staff and visitors with an emphasis on wellbeing, sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
The new workplace needed to support a community reflecting the Bank’s cultural diversity that fostered an ethos of choice, collaboration and innovation with technology being a key enabler.
The workplace strategy was to provide an environment that was functional and flexible – encouraging full mobility and supporting the business’ needs in a fair and transparent manner.
The Solution
Cordless was appointed to lead the strategy and design of all passive IT, Audio-Visual and Smart Building elements for the new headquarters, working in close collaboration with the client’s IT team and the wider design team.
Cordless oversaw the design, procurement and project management of the technology for over 300+ meeting rooms, collaboration spaces and divisible event spaces from standard meeting spaces through to high specification broadcast-grade facilities.
The EBRD implemented a Microsoft Teams UC environment with full connectivity and functionality linking to the regional offices, providing a highly automated and easy to use experience.
The Boardroom has broadcast grade cameras and provides six simultaneous interpretation booths to support broadcast in multiple languages.
There is a large auditorium, also with simultaneous interpretation, with broadcast routing between spaces for both live streaming and capture of recorded content.
In the Podcast Studio & Editing Suite, content can be professionally recorded with production lighting and supplemented with multiple chromakey backgrounds for offline editing and distribution.
All spaces are provided with full 4K capability, including end-to-end 12G SDI distribution in all high-profile spaces for uncompressed end-to-end 4K video. There is building-wide IPTV and digital signage. The reception delivers a heightened experience on arrival with feature LED displays, and a background music system.
All digital Multimedia is supported by a dedicated AVNOC with centralised AV distribution via converged IT network and remote monitoring & control with the AV over IP distribution system connecting every room for maintenance purposes. Spotter cameras are provided in high profile areas with the ability to provide alerts as required for GDPR purposes to let people know when a space is being monitored.
The workplace has been digitally designed as a Smart Building, using a centralised smart building dashboard for efficient integration and control of room booking, desk booking, visitor management, occupancy sensing and catering.
The Results
The building has been designed to attain BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Building Standard Platinum ratings, guided by a desire to reduce waste and incorporate the Bank’s green and sustainability values.
The outcome is a Smart Building that creates a digital, agile workplace experience for users in the building with the professional broadcast of Audio and Visual content.
The project was recognised for its success at the BCO London Awards, as winner in the Environment, Sustainability & Governance category.
Looking forward, with a futureproof and flexible IT platform supported by dedicated monitoring and reporting, the business will benefit from technology for ongoing efficiencies and sustainability.
Some minor items of the design are still being implemented and tailored to the operational style of the EBRD.
Images courtesy of EBRD