_The Urban Campus – at the heart of a vibrant start-up economy 

• The provision of the right kind of workplaces,

• The provision of intelligent infrastructure

• High level of lifestyle amenities to attract and retain workers

• Connections between academic institutions and corporate entities

It is not just about providing workspace. The provision of great amenities, close to premium space and transportation, is also critical.

In the competitive global economy many cities are bringing together synergies between the corporate and the academic through the provision of urban spaces that cater not only for the large international organisations but also for the emerging start-ups.

Part of the reason for the emergence of the Urban Campus is the cluster effect. Clusters are important. They can increase innovation, productivity and competitiveness and boost regional and national economic growth.

Click to enlarge

Clusters emerge spontaneously. Clusters can emerge only if and where there is a competitive advantage to begin with. Cluster development feeds on start-ups and firms moving into the cluster.

Therefore access to capital and a positive attitude to risk is essential. Clusters grow because firms share and create knowledge and specialised labour; and because of the presence of a network of support services and a complex fabric of social relationships.

Fundamental characteristics of the Tech Clusters are:

1. Clustering of businesses

2. Sharing of spaces without the security paranoia

3. Blurring of work and life routine: 14hr City

4. Innovation through collaboration: bump factor

The campus has evolved from the business park to a contemporary notion of a highly connected creative work community.

In her definitive history of the suburban workplace, 'Pastoral Capitalism: A History of Suburban Corporate Landscapes', Louise Mozingo proposes three distinct types of suburban workplaces:

1. The corporate campus, modelled on the university campus, helped lure top-notch researchers from academic settings into the private sector with park-like grounds meant to facilitate collaboration and creativity.

2. The corporate estate provided headquarters for the top management of major companies, set in vast landscapes designed to convey power and prestige.

3. The office park, built by developers to house numerous smaller companies or branch offices. Multiple tenants could lease, buy or build one or more buildings with a desirable suburban character.

Apple, whose culture is famously secretive and insular, has now completed the most expensive office building in history. (Estimates are currently at $5 billion.).

The so-called “spaceship” — 2.8 million square feet, with nearly 11,000 parking spaces — was designed by architect Sir Norman Foster. Both a memorial to founder Steve Jobs, who conceived of it, and a potent symbol of Apple’s devotion to design, it is a return to the corporate estates of the 1950s — and, possibly, to their problems.

It is not just about providing workspace. The provision of great amenities, close to premium space and transportation, is also critical.

The irony is that fixed mega-structures like this one forgo one of the main virtues of the Silicon Valley model: the flexibility and ready exit strategy that come with the standardized suburban product.

Although the trend toward iconic architectural campuses is relatively new in Silicon Valley, it does represent a return to the traditional suburban corporate campus of the mid-20th century. 

The new Urban Campus is different. It has urban appeal, a certain rawness not polished that strikes a chord with our non-corporate ethos:

• Immediate access to green space

• Authentic, lived in, not polished

• Transparent where views are needed but also private to allow focused work

• Not too finished, allowing for individual input and personalities

• A mix of social functions that encourage natural interaction and foster a sense of community,

• Circulation designed to avoid dispersion and to concentrate energy and buzz.

• Flexibility of modular spaces, as in a warehouse

• Excellent broadband and wireless connectivity enabling simple but sophisticated communication within the building and with the public

• Shared facilities encouraging community spirit

• Great access to a variety of spaces and events

The appetite for urban settings echoes the broader cultural shift back toward the city centre. This urban turn is also a step forward from a policy point of view.

These new city workplaces capture the inherent advantages of dense urban environments. They make efficient use of land, provide little or no parking and are readily accessed by foot, bike and transit.

The Urban Campus combines the vibrancy, attraction and innovative streak of urban work life with a modular building design approach with inherent flexibility and adaptability.

Moreover it benefits from the connectivity, social cohesion and interdependency that are the historical legacy and backdrop of inner city locations.

Giuseppe Boscherini is a Partner in Knight Frank's EMA Strategic Consulting team. 

Knight Frank's EMEA Strategic Consulting team works with large and small business helping them to align property to business goals and objectives and, in turn, making them more competitive and fast moving.