Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5
Title: BBC Media City Workplace Strategy
Client: BBC
Location: Salford
Services: Client development
management, workplace consultancy, project management, structural
engineering, CDMC
Sector: Offices
Contract Type: Framework
Project Value: £210m
Start /
Completion: 2005-2011
The Project
The Media City in Salford Quays will
be the UK's first purpose built media hub. Featuring leading edge
technology and innovative workspaces, the BBC’s three buildings
will comprise over 30,000 square metres of office accommodation in
addition to studio, post production, retail space and residential
apartments.
The BBC will relocate 1,600 jobs from London
and 800 jobs from Manchester, as well as several major departments
including Children's, Sport, New Media, Five Live and Research and
Development and Breakfast, to the new site by the end of 2011. It
is believed that the move will also create up to 10,000 jobs and
add £170m to the regional economy.
Capita Symonds was commissioned to develop the
BBC’s strategic property brief for the project to ensure that the
accommodation would meet the future needs of the organisation while
providing a cost effective, flexible and efficient solution that
would also encourage new ways of working through innovative
workplace design.
Capita Symonds initially provided client
side development management services with the main activities being
that of establishing the client’s property requirement. This
was carried out by establishing a high level strategy for
space and utilisation, building form, flexibility in use and a
defined long term exit strategy.
The next stage was to develop the
infrastructure and servicing strategy complying with the BBC’s
Broadcast Critical requirements and innovative approach to
technology solutions. Throughout this two year process Capita
Symonds co-ordinated all activities of the client’s professional
services team and lead the internal property & workplace
project team.
The two greatest challenges at the early
consultancy stage of the project were the level of stakeholder
engagement with creative television, radio and online production
heads, as well as the BBC’s desire to challenge traditional high
level of specifications for its buildings.
Capita Symonds approached the stakeholder
challenge by arranging individual workshops with section heads –
agreeing with them their requirements before attempting larger
group meetings. One of the key issues for individuals involved was
their own personal, family circumstances related to a relocation
and it was important to recognise this and detach the issues by
focusing on a strategic corporate view, rather than a personal one
at this stage.
The second challenge was associated with
reducing the traditional highly specified BBC property requirements
in order to deliver a much more cost effective solution aligned to
the BCO Guidelines for Offices. This was done by using the BCO
Guideline as a basis for the building performance specification and
then challenging each of the building and engineering upgrades that
were requested by linking to the BBC’s broadcast and business
continuity needs via a risk assessed approach.
For example, the BBC’s original business case
identified a need for 80,000 sq m. However, by evaluating their
business process and work styles, deriving and applying best
practice work settings, occupation densities and including
outsourcing of studio facilities, Capita Symonds’ project team were
instrumental in being able to reduce the accommodation to 30,000 sq
m, resulting in massive capital and operating cost savings.
As the project has developed the Capita
Symonds team has grown to include project management and CDMC
services. The BBC accommodation is currently being fitted out and
Capita Symonds has been retained to monitor the development on
behalf of the BBC and to manage the Category C design, procurement
and fit out.