Sky Central named the UK's best new office

Sky Central has been crowned ‘the best workplace in the country' by the British Council for Offices (BCO).

The centrepiece at Sky's group headquarters in west London, designed by PLP Architecture, AL_A and Hassell - enlisted the expertise of offsite solutions specialist contractor - B&K Structures.

Sky Central was the second phase of the development at the Sky Campus, Osterley, London. The mixed-use scheme totalling 41,000m² - combines office space, studios and production facilities together with research and development zones. B&K Structures supplied and installed over 7,500 linear metres of glulam beams and just under 16,000m2 of large timber roof cassettes.

The Sky Central building, which brings together 3,500 of the broadcaster's workforce under one roof - picked up both the Best Corporate Workplace in the UK and the overall Best of the Best workplace at the BCO's national awards.

The judges were particularly impressed by the 18 separate 200-person workspace neighbourhoods, built around six cores which they said ‘resurrected the Bürolandschaft-inspired planning rules'.

The health and wellbeing of occupants is becoming an increasingly important factor when it comes to building design and specification. The commercial impact of building in structural timber has been much discussed, from the sustainability benefits to the speed of installation. Whilst much has been written about the impact construction has on the environment, what has not often been highlighted is the positive impact that building in timber can have on its occupants.

While there are still many details that need more research, studies conducted so far indicate that structural timber creates pleasant surroundings in terms of humidity and acoustics, as well as contributing to reduced stress levels, amid other benefits. Timber interiors create a pleasant acoustic environment - the sounds can be described as ‘softer' than the ones in interiors designed with other materials.

The impact of buildings on their occupants is high on the construction agenda in the USA. The International WELL Building Institute claims that ‘wellness' is the next trillion-dollar industry which can help businesses play an integral role in improving the health and wellbeing of employees and reap the benefits from a greater return on investment from a healthier and happier workforce.

This concept has yet to gain traction in the UK, however ‘the wellbeing of occupants' is now a significant consideration at the early stages in the design and build process. The usage of timber in construction has been rising in many markets recently. As a renewable and sustainable material, it brings interesting opportunities for the construction industry. Add health and wellbeing into the equation and this is yet another compelling reason for the specification of timber.