Page 11 - Telecom Reseller April-May 2017

April/May 2017
Plantronics Opens New Oce in the Netherlands Purpose-Built to Showcase the Benets and Best Practices Associated With ‘Smarter Working’
Telecom Reseller 11
Advanced audio technologies and biophilic design elements complement the open, collaborative space; Sound Chamber and Sound Table featured in learning zone of Visitor Expo area
HOOFDDORP, Netherlands - Plantronics (NYSE:PLT), a global leader in audio communications, has unveiled its new o ce in Hoofddorp, Netherlands that is designed to show how the right mix of acoustic expertise, state- of-the-art technology, and biophilic design, or design in uenced by the natural world, can result in better employee collaboration, concentration and productivity.
e new Plantronics o ce, which is located
in Hoofddorp’s innovative Park 20|20 o ce site,
is designed to function as an acoustic showcase that accommodates various employee work styles, without the distractions typically found in an open o ce. Active acoustic management features use both sights and sounds from nature to help manage noise. e result is a symphony of sound layers that make it possible for diverse activities
to take place simultaneously with minimal disruption, including impromptu hallway meetings, pop-up brainstorms, video conferences, quiet concentration, even product testing.
Plantronics employees will now enjoy the exibility and comfort of working anywhere
in the new space with minimal distraction and optimal privacy. e site also functions as a
living lab of a modern work environment where Plantronics can test and re ne its solutions for the communications challenges that many of today’s workforce face, and better support its customers’ and partners’ needs.
Designing the Open O ce of the Future: Smarter Working
As a pioneer in audio innovation, Plantronics has devoted more than 50 years to developing solutions that help people communicate
easier and addressing challenges such as
workplace noise and distraction in the o ce.
e Netherlands location is the latest and most advanced example of the Plantronics vision of Smarter Working. is approach encourages people to make any place they’re comfortable working their workspace and embraces innovation to boost e ciency for both the business and the individual. Smarter Working is a holistic strategy based on three core elements:
People – Recent research from Oxford Economicsi shows that 64 percent of employees believe that blocking out distractions increases their productivity. A surveyii of employees by architecture rm Gensler reveals that innovative companies are ve times more likely to have workplaces that prioritize both individual
and group workspace. By understanding the importance of physical space and its in uence on how people work, Plantronics made conscious decisions around materials, layout, and design
to help employees stay focused and engaged while giving them the freedom to choose their workstyle.
Plantronics also drew upon its own extensive research on workers’ evolving needs and pain points with communication technologies. rough this work, Plantronics identi ed prevalent working styles or “personae” that it uses to understand and take into consideration user behavior, device preference, and work style.
Places – Plantronics selected Park 20 | 20 and worked closely with architecture rms William McDonough + Partners, N30, and Gensler to help design the space in a way that would foster greater productivity and privacy while inspiring and engaging its employees, partners, and customers.
e o ce layout contains both private
and collaborative workspaces to support contemplation, concentration, collaboration, and communication. Acoustic technology and carefully selected surfaces that absorb and de ect
sound help keep noise distractions to a minimum so employees can work most e ectively from anywhere in the building. Design elements that draw upon experiences from the natural world include indoor waterfalls as well as oor-to- ceiling windows to provide natural sound and light.
Plantronics worked hand-in-hand with Gensler to create an expo space that demonstrates the company’s innovation in action. is includes
an interactive sound table that shows the impact sound has on people’s daily lives, and a sound chamber where visitors can learn how Plantronics analyzes the impact of sound levels to help create its headsets.
e building and the entire Park 20 | 20 site utilize a “Cradle-to-Cradle” design approach. is means the building can be dissembled. Also, it is made with many materials that are 100 percent recyclable and have been processed and produced in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner.
roughout the building, every e ort is made to conserve natural resources, from solar panels to carpets fabricated from recycled shing nets. e facility includes solar cells that are designed to harvest at least a quarter of the building’s required energy from the sun, and its water systems include greywater harvesting, ltration, cleansing, and reuse. ese e orts have put the building on track to receive a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating at the ‘Excellent’ level.
Technology – e building makes the most of Plantronics technology, from active acoustic management to headsets that help employees easily and comfortably work anywhere. ree waterfalls within the o ce work in concert with Plantronics intelligent sound management solution to help actively manage acoustics. In addition to their beauty, these waterfalls act as a complementary visual aid to the audio overlay of a babbling brook that can be heard from the
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speakers above.
is natural, calming sound has been
researched and tested in detail at Plantronics
for the past several years and has been found to drastically reduce the intelligibility of background noise – and the distractions – of open plan workspace. is biophilic design not only supports associates’ need for privacy, but also plays to humans’ innate connection to nature.
“Plantronics has applied years of research
and expertise towards solving some of people’s most challenging communications and acoustic problems. Since 2012, we’ve dedicated even
more time to exploring this approach to Smarter Working and coming up with a holistic strategy that helps people be more engaged, productive, and happier at work,” said Joe Burton, president and chief executive o cer, Plantronics. “ is journey of designing this o ce has been about creating a great environment that our employees will thrive in, and it’s been an opportunity to bring to life our vision for the modern workplace.”
“Placing this state-of-the-art facility in e Netherlands creates a competitive advantage for our employees in the region and allows us to more e ectively demonstrate the entire range of expertise and solutions that Plantronics can o er to customers and partners throughout Europe and Africa,” said Paul Clark, managing director, Europe and Africa, Plantronics. “ e unique full- service environment of Park 20 | 20 is the perfect setting for such a showcase space.”
“In designing the Expo space, our aim was
to integrate the Plantronics story with their technology innovations, to create a narrative
and provide an informative journey through
the space,” said Milena Jovovic, design director
at Gensler. “ is project embodies Gensler’s approach to designing human-centered and experientially rich spaces. By leveraging our thought leadership across multiple design disciplines, we were able to create a holistic and immersive experience, consistent with the overall design of the building.”
For more information, please visit www. plantronics.com.
i Oxford Economics, “When the walls come down: How smart companies are rewriting the rules of the open workplace,” 2016.
ii Gensler, “U.S. Workplace Survey 2016.” ■
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