An acoustic temple for Poly

Briefed to create an ‘acoustic temple’ where staff could ‘breathe happiness’, this global leader in audio technology needed a balance of space, performance and feel. We put biophilic design at the heart of our approach, letting nature do everything it can to create a space to enjoy and to shape the acoustics of a busy, open office and call centre.
Living walls dampen noise and geometric wall layouts gently move and dilute sound. Comfortable couches invite informal meetings and the space creates its own gentle hum of softened voices and movement. A replica of Neal Armstrong’s headset hangs on the wall – it was this creation by Plantronics (Poly’s original name) that transmitted his timeless ‘one small step’ speech from the moon in 1969.

We embedded Poly’s ‘smarter working’ principles – concentration, collaboration, communication and consideration – into the building, giving them spaces with distinct function. In a first of its kind worldwide, we pooled knowledge with Poly to develop a system of optimised passive acoustics, installing active soundscaping such as gentle bubbling water features to mask the many voices in the open-plan call centre, creating a sort of ‘blank canvas’ and helping concentration. Working outside in the park is encouraged and every opportunity to connect people and nature is used, because ‘breathing happiness’ relies on it. Happy staff are more creative and productive too – research suggests that a biophilic approach can reduce absenteeism by up to 15%. 

Immersive quiet spaces offer breaks: a soft, dark space for one with a screen shows gentle snowfall in the trees. A music room with perfect acoustic protection is a space to play, experiment, relax. A visit to the gym starts, ends or breaks the day and in between, diverse break-out spaces, from standing tables for quick meets to informal communal space for longer sessions, bring pace and variety into the working day.
The whole project was delivered according to our Future Forever principles, using Cradle to Cradle certified materials and modular elements with minimal or no environmental impact. The result is not just the acoustic temple required, where staff could breathe happiness – every corner of the building is comfortable, beautiful, usable and vitally, re-usable. That only adds to the happiness.