The existing floor was underutilised (around 20%) and no longer aligned with how staff worked. Employees were used to private or shared offices, and there was limited experience with shared, activity-based environments.
The challenge was therefore twofold:
Spatial – transforming a traditional office floor into a modern, activity-based workplace.
Cultural – building trust that shared spaces can improve effectiveness, comfort, and collaboration.
This pilot needed to demonstrate what a new way of working could look like — without pretending to represent the entire campus.

The approach included:

• Co-creation sessions with staff from the relevant services teams.
• Behavioural mapping to understand work patterns specific to this floor.
• Design sprints to translate insights into concrete spatial functions.
• Change leadership sessions to help managers guide their teams.
• A strong symbolic gesture was that senior leadership also embraced shared workspaces—showing commitment to openness, equality, and a new way of working.

Key outcomes include:

• Much higher utilisation and better alignment between space and work.
• Stronger connection within the involved service teams.
• More variety, flexibility, and autonomy in choosing the right space.
• A clear, well-functioning pilot example that informs future campus development.