Monumental

It’s currently the Channel Islands’ largest single occupancy office, and also the most environmentally friendly. It’s seems like a paradox, but it’s just one of the ways Ogier House is bucking the trend of corporate construction.
From the dizzying heights of the three atria, to the sweeping curves of the bespoke staircase, and a chai latte at Ogier’s very own rooftop Terrace Café – take a look behind the façade of the landmark building that’s being celebrated as leading the wave of green development in the island.

Form and function had to go hand in hand when it came to designing a new home for Ogier – one of the world’s top legal and fiduciary firms, acting for two-thirds of the world’s top 50 global banks. You get the feel of the scale of the project as soon as you walk through the huge reception towards the double helix staircase that forms the base of the first of the building’s three atria, and look up. Blue sky. It’s impressive. On-brand too, with the curves of the staircase mimicking the O of Ogier. And when the sun’s at the right angle, it casts an O-shaped shadow onto the dark stone of the reception floor. Now that’s clever design.

“The first challenge was to find a site big enough” explains Ogier project manager Tim Daniels. “Ogier hadn’t been under the same roof since 1999 so we wanted a building big enough for us all, but also with room to grow. We soon realised we’d need and additional storey on top of the originally conceived five-storey development”. That meant the site had to conform with a national BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standard – the first project in the Channel Islands ever to comply with the new certification which sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and environmental impact. Innovative construction techniques and ground breaking “green” design have led to Ogier House receiving a “very good” BREEAM rating. “Green is good for the environment, but also from a business point of view it makes sense. There’s an initial outlay, but the benefits are reduced running costs, and a more pleasant space for people to work in.”

The site’s massive, and stretches from one glass-fronted façade at the Esplanade right through to another, overlooking Seaton Place. To break up the footprint, the building design features three stunning atria running from ground floor to glass roof. It’s an architect’s favourite, but these atria are more than just a pretty space – they also channel natural light from the glass roof through each of the five floors and act as ventilation. “We find natural light helps our staff work more efficiently as well as reducing the need to switch n the lights.” The glass internal offices and the floor to ceiling glass facades also maximise the natural light. Vents in the ceiling above each desk deliver fresh air from the roof – which has been microbiologically screened, depollinated and filtered.
Does the Ogier staff feel better for their clean, green environment? “People say they feel more energetic, but that might have more to do with the quality of the caffeine served up in the café…” Ah, yes – no canteen for Ogier staff, instead the company’s gone for an in-house café, run by Delish, where the 500 employees can pick up breakfast, snacks and lunch, and sit out on the roof top terrace with views across St Helier.
“It’s a key space for informal networking, and just as importantly can turn out 450 bacon rolls on a Friday morning!” laughs Tim. Also essential in promoting the inner cohesion of the company are the three atria, which open up the building. The visual angles through each atrium link different teams on different floors and help people to feel connected while still within their own private workspace.

To contract with the clean, architectural lines of Ogier House, artist Graham Bannister has created many bespoke pieces of nature-based art with organic shapes that appear to “grow” through the building and bring it to life. A tree winds its way up one wall, while “Cascade”, a series of waterfall photographic images give the impression of water falling through the stairwell. And the ones we’ve all seen – the figure standing on the top floor of Ogier House looking out to Elizabeth Castle and the two figures that stood outside on the Esplanade are sculptures by Mariele Neudecker funded by the building developer JCN under the States of Jersey “Percentage for Public Art” scheme.

“We wanted to find a site that would be big enough for us all, but that also would reflect the aspiration of Ogier to be a landmark organization both on the island and abroad” explains Tim. “And it’s certainly a landmark – people have said to me that they feel proud to walk through the front door of such a fantastic building that says Ogier on the outside.”

Places (Jersey's specialist property magazine) - Tuesday 26th October 2010

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