flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

What rugby can teach us about designing the workspace of the future

Architects

What rugby can teach us about designing the workspace of the future

Two designers offer a sports-based method for designing agile spaces to meet the needs of an evolving workforce.


By KATHERINE AHRENS, LEED AP, AND KATE HALLINAN, NCIDQ, BALLINGER | November 2, 2021
Kate Ahrens of Ballinger in rugby match
Ballinger workplace designer Kate Hallinan (with the ball) in action with her club, the Philadelphia Rugby Football Club. Photo: Philadelphia Rugby Football Club.

In a 1986 Harvard Business Review article, The New New Product Development Game,” Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka observed that in order to excel in a fast-paced market, companies should emphasize speed and flexibility in product development. They advocated shifting from a linear relay race” approach to an agile “rugby” approach in which multidisciplinary teams work together on a project from start to finish.

Agile work is an umbrella term used to describe a broad project management philosophy. It is one among many methodologies that contribute to an organizational approach. Although IT developers and start-ups popularized the concept of agile work in recent years, companies have been utilizing methods we now classify as agile for almost as long as the modern office has existed. This is not a new concept, but rather one that is being recycled and reinterpreted for today’s modern, technology-focused future.

Takeuchi and Nonaka adopted one specific component of the game of rugby, the scrum, to further define their method of agile work. In a rugby scrum, players pack closely together with their heads down and bodies interlocked in an attempt to gain possession of the ball. Each player contributes a unique set of skills towards a common goal.

This analogy has been further refined over time by those who have adopted the agile method of work. In the 2017 edition ofThe Scrum Guide,” by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, the agile team (or scrum) is a highly adaptive, purposefully small team that operates under defined rules, roles, events, and artifacts in order to develop, deliver, and sustain complex and innovative solutions. Teams are built on the three pillars of 1) transparency, 2) inspection (which we are labeling introspection), and 3) adaption, requiring members to embrace the values of commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage.

As observed by Takeuchi and Nonaka, successful agile teams are intentionally built to include diverse points of view and purposefully eliminate a sense of hierarchy. In a follow-up publication, Embracing Agile,” Rigby, Sutherland and Takeuchi acknowledge the scrum/agile method is an investment that requires training, behavioral change, and new tools.

HOW THE SCRUM APPLIES TO TODAY'S WORKPLACE

In 2021 we are returning to a workplace that was designed to support an obsolete way of working. As companies move toward a hybrid model of virtual and in person work, they are investing in workspace designs that support a more resilient, technology-dependent workforce comfortable working in pods and scrum-like networks.

Accelerated by the pandemic, the rise of collaboration, and a rapidly increasing reliance on technology, more organizations are moving toward agile methods. As everyone now has an individual work seat at home, the physical office environments primary value comes in supporting the team, ideally through Schwaber and Sutherlands three pillars: transparency, inspection and adaptation.

The challenge comes in providing space that can uphold the three pillars, create equity, encourage conversation, and reinforce team values while still providing the flexibility to accommodate individual skill sets and ways of work. In a post-pandemic world, these spaces should also focus on technologies that allow remote team members to interface with their in-office counterparts in a way that ensures them a seat at the table.

TRANSPARENCY – SETTING THE COMMUNAL TABLE

Transparency across the agile team manifests through space when individual work areas are centrally located, often at a communal table, thus allowing for fluid exchange of ideas. The community that forms from working together also leads naturally to leveling the playing field in terms of hierarchy, which helps to foster a sense of team territoriality and belonging.

1 Ballinger - man at board.jpg
The scrum framework prioritizes visibility. Transparent and translucent glass can balance collaboration, privacy, and access to natural light. Photo: © Halkin Mason Photography

Creating this team area as a safe place to experiment, make mistakes, and adapt outside of the watchful eye of management is a key component of agile work.

A space that can be physically closed off and made private empowers the group to manage their own environment as appropriate for each phase of development.

Anticipating and building in effective plug-and-play technology increases transparency across the in-person and remote team.

Providing literal transparency through glass walls and other architectural solutions can help the team better control their environment, sharing or closing down when needed.

INTROSPECTION – CREATING SPACE FOR HEADS-DOWN WORK

Providing settings for introspection – or in the language of the scrum framework, inspection – enables moments of solitude to support neurodiversity, which is essential to innovation.

Spaces that support “heads down” work are often at odds with a team room setting. Providing focus rooms and small break-out spaces, either within the team space or adjacent, allows members room to review progress and concentrate on their specific contribution to the team. It allows for smaller groups to break off to develop ideas independently before introducing them to the team at large.

2 Ballinger - isolation areas.jpg
Collaboration booths with access to AV technology enable introspection and contribute to a neurodiverse environment. Photo: © Halkin Mason Photography

Giving people autonomy to change their work setting, even for short periods of time, allows them to recharge and refocus. Providing quiet spaces accommodates team members who are sensitive to the stimuli of a typical open office environment.

ADAPTATION

One of the most significant benefits of working in an agile team is that it builds resiliency in members. The cyclical nature of the scrum process – the frequent check-ins and realigning of values and goals – compel teams to adapt quickly to change. If this was not a valued attribute in a pre-pandemic world, it certainly is now.

Agile workspace designs accommodate growth and enable adaptation. Supportive technologies and spatial features such as movable furniture and wall surfaces allow innovation to literally be seen.

As we move into a new paradigm of work, we need to evaluate what wont change – core values, basic human needs, and common infrastructure – and assume everything else will.

3 Ballinger - glass-in conf room.jpg
Continuous improvement relies on the ability to adapt to change. Adjustable height tables, movable furniture, writable surfaces and pin-up space maximize adaptability. Photo: © Halkin Mason Photography

In a recent Steelcase poll, employees in the U.S. ranked isolation, decreased engagement, and the speed of decision-making as the top three challenges of remote work.

Agile team spaces are essential components of the future office landscape and have the ability to ensure that teams feel supported by their work environment.

About the authors
Katherine Ahrens, LEED AP, is an Associate Principal and Interiors Studio Lead at Ballinger. Kate Hallinan, NCIDQ, is an Associate at Ballinger.

Sources
Takeuchi, Hirotaka and Ikujiro Nonaka,The New New Product Development Game,” Harvard Business Review January 1986.
Schwaber, Ken and Jeff Sutherland. The Scrum Guide – The Definitive Guide to Scrum: The Rules of the Game. Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, 2017 at: https://scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2017/2017-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf.
Rigby, Darrell K., Jeff Sutherland, and Hirotaka Takeuchi, "Embracing Agile: How to master the process thats transforming management," Harvard Business Review, May 2016.

Related Stories

| May 8, 2013

NBBJ appoints Tim Leberecht Chief Marketing Officer

NBBJ, a global architecture and design firm, today announced that it has appointed Tim Leberecht as its Chief Marketing Officer. Leberecht joins NBBJ from Frog Design where he led the marketing organization from 2006 to 2013 and helped transform the company into one of the world’s foremost design and innovation consultancies.

| May 7, 2013

First look: Golden State Warriors stadium by Snøhetta, AECOM

Architects Snøhetta and AECOM have revealed their latest renderings of a new stadium for NBA basketball team the Golden State Warriors on the waterfront in San Francisco. 

| May 7, 2013

Renovated bridge building will anchor Nashville riverfront master plan

Renovations to the former Nashville Bridge Company building were recently completed, including a newly-built modern wing. The facility has been re-dubbed The Bridge Building and now offers spaces for meetings, parties, weddings, and other events.

| May 7, 2013

First look: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill skyscraper designed to 'confuse the wind'

The 400-meter-high, 116-story Imperial Tower in Mumbai will feature a slender, rounded form optimized to withstand the area's strong wind currents.

| May 6, 2013

SAFTI FIRST announces 3D Autodesk Revit models for fire rated wall, window, and door systems

SAFTI FIRST, leading USA-manufacturer of fire rated glass and faming systems, is proud to announce that Autodesk Revit models are now available for its fire rated walls, window and door systems via www.safti.com and Autodesk Seek.

| May 6, 2013

7 major multifamily residential projects in the works

A $140 million redevelopment of a landmark, 45-building apartment complex in Los Angeles is among the nation's significant multifamily developments under way.

| May 3, 2013

5 common failures in paints and coatings

As experienced designers, contractors, and owners know, most paint and coating problems are correctable, but some are especially stubborn to address. Here is a partial compendium of typical failure modes and methods for addressing the problem.

| May 3, 2013

'LEED for all GSA buildings,' says GSA Green Building Advisory Committee

The Green Building Advisory Committee established by the General Services Administration, officially recommended to GSA that the LEED green building certification system be used for all GSA buildings as the best measure of building efficiency.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021