Forget water: mobile and broadband are the life support of our time. But planning authorities and developers must come to the table, writes Rebecca Kent. Portraits by Will Bremridge
Imagine hundreds of people start working in a new building and the sewerage system fails. It is highly unpleasant, but they carry on. The next week, the air-conditioning malfunctions. Uncomfortable, but bearable. But in week four, a workman cuts through an internet cable and everyone goes offline. Cue a near-biblical exodus.
According to William Newton, UK director of Wiredscore, this actually happened in a building in the US. It might seem far-fetched that human beings would sooner withstand the stench of excrement than a connection crisis, but it did become reality. And it highlights how, to an army of workers, access to the virtual is critical.
Wiredscore, a standard for building connectivity developed in partnership with the mayor of London, along with mobile operator O2 and the City of London, are championing the movement to stay connected.
But in trying to banish mobile blackspots, boost broadband coverage and expedite wayleave periods, they come up against developers and a planning system too rigid to handle this modern problem.
To promote better understanding, EG held a masterclass in the marketing suite of Derwent London’s White Collar Factory, EC1. In the same week, that building, due to complete in Q4, was awarded the UK’s first platinum Wiredscore rating. At the round table, connectivity and workplace gurus debated the commercial merits of being permanently plugged in.
For tenants and occupier agents, connectivity will become a deal breaker, said Cushman & Wakefield’s head of emerging London, Richard Howard, who was involved in Capital One taking 29,500 sq ft at the White Collar Factory.
“The building’s connectivity was number three on their agenda, but we had a strong answer on it and they engaged with us a lot more because of it, so it is a factor at the start of a conversation.
“From an investment point of view, the income stream and quality of tenants are key, but people will reject buildings that are not as connected and those buildings will fail to fill. Market forces are an amazing thing.”
Dependence on the cloud is largely responsible for this conversation. The speed at which we can access files is integral to a satisfying workplace. And with our working and personal lives converging, effortless mobile and broadband access is also linked to employee wellbeing.
Workplace transformation expert Despina Katsikakis said: “The workplace is social, a mixture of virtual reality and face-to-face interaction, and without connectivity you might as well be saying ‘we’ll develop a building with no power’.”
The City of London’s strategic infrastructure adviser, Steven Bage, is leading a government-backed taskforce to standardise wayleave, which is fundamental to the timely delivery of connectivity.
But the challenge is bigger than enabling buildings. “It is about walking into the office with continuous coverage from street level,” he said.
Part of the solution is to adapt street furniture to boost coverage. But in an old city with tall buildings and narrow streets, redevelopment and occupiers draining capacity, it is a constant challenge to achieve blanket coverage.
A mast on top of every London building can address blackspots, but space is at a premium. Karl Liriano, head of mobile access at O2-owner Telefónica UK, knows this, though he said there was a misperception about the aesthetics of rooftop antennas, which can be hidden.
Planning is also a challenge, with concessions coming up but “tight restrictions around what you can do in that location”, he said.
Liriano added: “We want to work with people who own buildings and provide the kind of connectivity that means everyone’s experience of mobile connection is the same. But there are no partnerships in place and the challenge for us is trying to create them.”
Developers such as Derwent London are leading the way with connectivity developed into White Collar Factory well before occupiers were due to move in. It is a “no excuses” approach, said the company’s leasing surveyor Philippa Davies. And while they continue to set the standard, competition will dictate that others follow suit.
a
• To send feedback, email rebecca.kent@estatesgazette.com or tweet @Writer_RKent or @estatesgazette
