Philadelphia building embodies “workplace of the future”

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a research-based leader in healthcare and pharmaceutical solutions, has embraced the “workplace of the future” concept in its new Philadelphia building in the Navy Yard Corporate Center. In contrast to the historic backdrop, GSK’s office space is void of traditional private desks and even cubicles, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. In their place are collaborative work areas that can be occupied by employees when they need them, along with meeting rooms and individual spaces that can be reserved through an application such as an integrated workplace management system (IWMS). 

GSK explains that this new open concept allows its employees to conduct seamless interactions with colleagues for better collaboration and overall patient support. 

However, the greater feat may be in the fact that through this change, GSK has managed to cut back on its real estate needs, the Inquirer adds. Although the company didn’t downsize its staff in the move to the Navy Yard Corporate Center from its previous facility on 15th and Vine, it was able to reduce its square footage by 75 percent. 

Reductions of this scale allow facilities managers (FMs) to cut costs and run their buildings more efficiently. Using applications in their IWMS, FMs can accurately measure their square footage needs and adjust appropriately.