Corporate occupiers strengthen place making initiative in London’s White City : The BBC’s and Imperial College’s role in adding value

Abstract

This paper tells the story of how a major corporate took a more proactive and innovative approach to strategic portfolio planning in order to overcome some significant challenges. Based on extensive experience of place making while at the Walt Disney Company and fine-tuned while transforming the BBC estate, this story considers how this type of disruptive thinking could be added to the CRE team toolkit. It looks at how innovation can be harnessed to deliver significant value enhancement, occupational benefits and social value. Using unconventional and creative thinking, the BBC Workplace team developed a ‘Smart Value’ place making strategy that enabled them to partner with Imperial College London. This alliance has delivered significant benefits for both organisations in terms of portfolio optimisation, value creation and operational flexibility.