Take a glance at BT Singapore's work-smart office at Changi Business Park

See how its design prioritises "tasks over desks" with a twist.

BT Singapore, one of the leading IT service providers across South East Asia, has recently unveiled its new office at Changi Business Park. Taking a detour from the typical office concepts, BT Singapore highlights a "work-smart" design where employees are given the flexibility to customise their working space to encourage more productivity.

BT Singapore's new facilities include an innovation showcase room, 31 meeting rooms, nine video conferencing rooms, a telepresence room, customer meeting rooms, collaboration zones and ‘The Hub’ – an informal cafeteria area for ad-hoc meetings, town halls meetings and ‘lunch & learn’ sessions.

Singapore Business Review interviewed Tim Harris, Managing Director of BT South East Asia to learn more about the concept and inspiration behind the office's design. 

SBR: What were the needs/requirements for the office space outlined in the brief to the design firm?

The mandate to the design firm was to create an office that enables employees to operate in a space that best suits their mode of working for particular tasks.

For example, collaborative tasks require a space that enables an energetic environment fostering teamwork and communication, allowing for employees to tap into the synergy and bounce ideas off each other.

The office has designated spaces for employees to meditate, have free wheeling conversations or find a silent room to contemplate before making a crucial business decision. These different modes of working require different kinds of
spaces within the office.

SBR: What is significant/unique about this project/design?

The move to this BT Singapore’s new location at Changi Business Park was driven by the need to consolidate three previous locations to foster collaboration across BT. BT employees in Singapore work across all lines of business and being co-located is a great way to enhance pan-BT working.

Facilities at the new location reflect BT’s aim to create the first ‘work-smart’ office globally, incorporating new technologies to stay at the forefront of revolutionising workplaces and improving working environments.

The new office facilities mark the beginning of a positive change BT is taking towards operating business in South-East Asia.

The bringing together of all the teams in one place enables us to create a single BT identity to our customers, and for us to bring together the right resources and people to serve the requirements of our customers in SEA.

SBR: Please give us a brief description of the office space.

The BT office design concept prioritises “tasks over desks”, enabling fluid working practices that are less inhibited by location limitations. Taking into account the fact that work does not take place purely at one’s desk during working hours, the new office has no fixed desks.

Instead, employees are assigned to groupings such as sales and business development, business partners and delivery. They are able to move around and sit in appropriate areas that support their work and current projects.

Befitting of a ‘work-smart’ office, this concept gives employees the flexibility to customise their workspaces to suit their individual needs, increasing their level of working comfort.

New facilities include an innovation showcase room, 31 meeting rooms, nine video conferencing rooms, a telepresence room, customer meeting rooms, collaboration zones and ‘The Hub’ – an informal cafeteria area for ad-hoc meetings, town halls meetings and ‘lunch & learn’ sessions.

These facilities are designed to foster greater networking and collaboration amongst employees.

Another new technological feature is the blanket wireless data coverage that helps keep employees constantly connected.

SBR: Where is the office located?

8 Changi Business Park Ave 1 (South Tower), #08-51
UE Bizhub East,
Singapore 486018