GSK Asia House’s Biophilic Office Design
Headquarters that are made to symbolize the things their companies stand for are usually created to make a statement. The companies behind them are in business for more than just the money — they really believe in the products they have to offer. At GlaxoSmithKline’s Asian headquarters in Singapore, the building is a symbol of the company’s workplace efficiency, as pushed for by experts who specialize in ergonomics and their preference for biophilic office design.
Employees make up the backbone of every successful company. In this case, the employees wanted a free-flowing space on a campus-like scale, despite all the recent criticism surrounding open-plan offices. The resulting building is essentially made up of one large atrium, with the main entrance topped by a six-story-high glass façade to allow natural light to shine deep into the offices. The ground floor is open to the public to encourage interaction with GSK’s Shopper Science Lab, which gathers insight about consumer preferences within the Asian market.
The project’s architects, HASSELL, wanted the office to feel like it was in a park, which is exactly why they went for a biophilic design, in which plants act as furnishings, decorations, art, and healthy additions. The building is already located in Rochester Park (which itself is located in Singapore’s One North business hub), so the greenery within feels more like a continuation than anything else. Each floor was planned out in a horseshoe shape, with 15 types of workstations, interaction spaces, meeting rooms, a gym, and a café per story. Above all else, GSK Asia House is supposed to encourage cross-functional communication and multi-level collaboration.