What is the role of a company's workplace? Is it just a place to accommodate workers? Certainly not. It should be a place that can attract, retain and inspire the right talent for the company. This is the theme of Work Life, the third book of the Public series launched this October by the architectural firm Woods Bagot. James Calder, the book's editor and also the director of Woods Bagot, flew to Beijing to attend the book launch. He stated that the launch was important not only to his company, but also to Chinese architecture and commercial design.

This bilingual Chinese-English book focuses on futuristic workplace design and explores a medley of ways to optimize a workplace's function. It is Woods Bagot's first book translated into Chinese so that it may introduce the latest workplace design concepts to the Chinese people. Some of these concepts have already been adopted by famous global organizations, such as the United Nations and Ernst & Young Global Limited. Mr. Calder believes that far-sighted Chinese companies will earnestly embrace these concepts.

Mr. Calder, also a veteran research with University of Melbourne, has noticed and responded to the great changes China is currently undergoing. He says that Chinese workers are no longer committed to one position in one single enterprise for life. If a company cannot offer workers satisfactory pay, a chance for advancement or a comfortable working environment, talented employees will leave to seek better employment. Mr. Calder has also noticed that the number of Chinese people who have received higher education has increased more than 100 percent in recent years. This means that there has been a great surge in the number of knowledgeable workers. If a company wants to stay ahead of their competitors, it is crucial to attract and retain these well-educated and talented employees. Significantly, the workplace is the most powerful tool and greatest asset an employer has to inspire and retain employees. To understand what makes an efficient work environment and then create it is vital to the success of any enterprise.

Mr. Calder believes that his firm, by studying young educated workers, has found some new approaches toward designing workplaces that can improve workers' health, enhance their loyalty and increase their job satisfaction. He claims that his book contains these valuable research achievements.

Established in Australia, Woods Bagot is a global studio specializing in architecture, consulting, interiors and urban design. It concentrates on three design sectors: workplace, lifestyle and education & science. Designs across these sectors are researched and conceived with an eye towards their social and cultural impact as well as integrity, function and resonance. With a history of 138 years, the studio has grown to become Australia's second largest architectural practice. Now it is seeking to be a formidable presence in China.

(China.org.cn by Pang Li, November 8, 2007)