ATEED – Helping Auckland to thrive

In New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) helps to create a future of prosperity and opportunity. As Auckland Council’s economic growth agency, ATEED is tasked with promoting and advocating for Auckland nationally and globally as a place to work, invest, study and visit. Ultimately their objective is to help this dynamic region thrive and succeed.

A smarter, more sustainable building

At the end of 2018, ATEED moved its 200 staff to the Spark Building near Auckland’s waterfront to save on operational costs, and to be closer for collaboration with many of their industry partners and customers. The 5 star energy rated building also matches the Auckland Council’s sustainability priorities.

Greater flexibility = increased efficiency

Not only does the new building save ATEED millions of dollars in lease costs, it also increases their efficiency and effectiveness. Work settings are designed to accommodate differing styles of work in an effort to boost employee productivity. Embracing this more agile way of working has allowed the organisation to reduce the amount of floor space it requires.

ATEED is also better able to meet its business customers’ needs by inviting them to share and utilise the space.

Reconfigure as needs change

Any furniture utilised on the floor plan had to fit the brief for flexibility both now and in the future. ATEED chose to work with workplace strategists ⁴Work, based on their expertise in developing modern employee centric workplaces. ⁴Work’s design team specified the Keystone Modular Furniture System by PLN Group.

As a modular and fully reconfigurable furniture system, Keystone is the perfect option to meet this brief by supporting the modern work practices ATEED requires. An interchangeable kit of parts allows Keystone settings to be reconfigured as needs change. The settings ATEED have assembled today can be rebuilt as smaller or larger settings or in completely different formats according to the work styles required. This flexibility will allow ATEED to maximise their investment by utilising the furniture over a longer period of time.

Spaces for both collaboration and focus

Private Diner is configured to allow a collaborative seating booth for four users with both visual and auditory privacy – a small meeting room without formal walls which takes up the minimum of space on the floor plan and can be moved anywhere.

Petit Four creates a hub for four users which allows personal space yet is compact and perfect for users to drop in for a focus work session away from the main desk areas. Table for Two Flip provides similar benefits for two individual users.

Beating the noise of the open office

In an open office environment like that at ATEED, it is essential that acoustics are considered to avoid noise distraction as teams seek to collaborate whilst others attempt to focus on quiet work.

Keystone has the unique benefit of having superior acoustic properties, using nanofibre to absorb excess noise. The extra level of auditory comfort this provides helps employees to focus and boosts their productivity.

Overall, ATEED’s new home allows the organisation to work in a more productive and agile way – whether collaboratively or individually, whilst still reducing costs.