A Spotlight into our work in Higher Education

Tailored Solutions through WPC

Tailoring our approach to meet the unique needs of each client, we utilise a diverse range of Workplace Consultancy modules which focus on Feasibility, Smarter Working implementation, Estate Strategy, Post-Occupancy, Change Support, and more.

Here’s just some of the Workplace Consultancy modules that we have used to help our Higher Education clients engage with their people and get the most from their space:

FWQ surveys, Pulse Surveys, Furniture Audits, Space Budgets, Space Utilisation Surveys, High Level Observational Studies, Workshops, Model Offices, Scenario Planning, Concept Look & Feel, Change Support, Post Occupancy Surveys, Existing Data Review and Analysis, Interviews, User Journey, Foundation & Validation documents.

Implementing Smarter Working Principles

By implementing Smarter Working principles, we’ve empowered our clients to release space within their buildings, introducing a more activity-based way of working, offering a diverse provision of work settings and providing them with a social heart, with spaces for academics and students to meet and break out.

Our Business School Case Study demonstrates this approach, showing a successful implementation of Smarter Working principles where the findings from Workplace Consultancy engagement fed seamlessly into and supported the design and delivery which followed, to create spaces that use the space’s full potential, and cater to both spontaneous interactions and focused work which was so important for this client.

Driving Efficiency

Our Space Utilisation Surveys and High-Level Observation Studies have revealed valuable insights into office utilisation trends within higher education settings. With an average utilisation of 30%, we’ve helped clients in the sector to reconfigure their spaces and introduce agile working practices, using their spaces more efficiently while enhancing productivity and collaboration.

Answering our clients’ needs.

Interaction & Collaboration

Survey responses from our higher education clients have found that ‘Interaction and collaboration with colleagues’ is the most positive aspect of their workplace, an activity which they spend 32% of their time doing. Despite this, 33% say that ad-hoc or unplanned face-to-face meetings with students/colleagues is poorly supported or unsupported in their workplace, and 47% rate the informal meeting/collaboration areas as very poor or poor.

This is something that we wanted to revisit during a post-occupancy review following a full Workplace Consultancy, Design and Delivery project, in which we uncovered that 83% of people are now able to socialise in a spontaneous way with their colleagues, and Interactions, comfort, and fit for purpose ranked as the highest performing categories.

Noise & Distractions

Despite higher education clients who we’ve engaged with spending 44% of their time on focus and process work, the most challenging and lowest performing aspects of their workplace are ‘noise and distractions’ and ‘lack of private spaces’. Being a key area of importance and focus, we assessed this during a post-occupancy review following a full Workplace Consultancy, Design and Delivery project, where we found that 72% are now able to focus on their work, without distraction, in a comfortable and effective way.

These data backed results and successful stories go to show what the engagement, investment, and commitment towards your people and their workplace can bring to the higher education sector. Find out more and download our ‘Higher Education Workplace Consultancy Offerings’ here.