The GPA rated best UK public sector workplace experience
The Government Property Agency (GPA) has achieved Leesman+ certification with a score that places its Birmingham office as the best employee workplace experience in the UK’s public sector.
Leesman+ is a globally recognised certification that is awarded to top-tier workplaces following rigorous surveying, analysis and testing. It provides a precedent to organisations across the world for employee-focused workplace experiences. Leesman+ certified buildings create an elevated benchmark, and provide valuable insights into the quality of features, services and infrastructure that matter the most to the people who use the building.
Both building-based civil servants, and those who visit more flexibly from other offices, were independently surveyed using Leesman standardised questions. The results were analysed and weighted against the number of responses to ensure data confidence. This allowed an assessment to ensure the building met strict Leesman+ criteria. The outcome provided the Hub with an impressive score of 76 (out of 100). This places it in the top spot in the UK’s public sector for workplace experience - and the second public sector building globally in history to achieve this.
Leesman has surveyed more than 7,300 buildings to date for Leesman+ certification, with over 1 million employee survey responses from 109 countries. Only 202 buildings have successfully achieved the certification, placing the GPA’s Birmingham building on Stephenson Street in the top 2% of global workplaces.
Dominic Brankin, Workplace Services Director at the GPA, said:
The GPA is incredibly proud to learn we are providing a truly top-rated workplace experience for civil servants. We are all navigating our way through new ways of working that have evolved at alarming speeds. But we always work hard to maintain focus on our clients and customers to ensure we create great places to work. Our Leesman+ certification is proof we are delivering on what we promise.
Tim Oldman, Founder and CEO of Leesman, said:
Stephenson Street’s fantastic Leesman Index workplace experience rating score is testament to the GPA’s tireless effort to put public sector employees at the heart of their workplace design strategy. And shows that functionally outstanding, contemporary workplaces are certainly not the preserve of the private sector, demonstrating that user-centric, evidence-based approaches deliver an outstanding return on investment.
The GPA’s Birmingham Hub, was refurbished from disused retail space to create modern, digitally-connected and inclusive workspaces to support 1,700 people from across 20 government bodies. It welcomed its first occupants through a phased induction from July 2021, and was officially opened in July 2022. And is saving more than £2 million per year through estate rationalisation.
This article was issued via press release as 'The GPA rated best UK public sector workplace experience' dated March 5, 2023.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Appointing consultants.
- Building performance evaluation.
- Building performance metrics.
- Building Use Studies.
- CIBSE Case Study Elizabeth Fry Building.
- Closing the gap between design and as-built performance.
- Energy audit.
- Government hub named one of the world’s leading workplaces.
- Leesman index.
- Maintenance.
- Performance of exemplar buildings in use: Bridging the performance gap FB 78.
- Performance in use.
- Post occupancy evaluation.
- Post occupancy evaluation process.
- Post-occupancy Review Of Buildings and their Engineering PROBE.
- Sick building syndrome.
- Thermal comfort.
- Wellbeing.
- What we know about wellbeing.
Featured articles and news
Combating burnout.
The 5 elements of seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Shading for housing, a design guide
A look back at embedding a new culture of shading.
The Architectural Technology Awards
The AT Awards 2025 are open for entries!
ECA Blueprint for Electrification
The 'mosaic of interconnected challenges' and how to deliver the UK’s Transition to Clean Power.
Grenfell Tower Principal Contractor Award notice
Tower repair and maintenance contractor announced as demolition contractor.
Passivhaus social homes benefit from heat pump service
Sixteen new homes designed and built to achieve Passivhaus constructed in Dumfries & Galloway.
CABE Publishes Results of 2025 Building Control Survey
Concern over lack of understanding of how roles have changed since the introduction of the BSA 2022.
British Architectural Sculpture 1851-1951
A rich heritage of decorative and figurative sculpture. Book review.
A programme to tackle the lack of diversity.
Independent Building Control review panel
Five members of the newly established, Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommended, panel appointed.
Welsh Recharging Electrical Skills Charter progresses
ECA progressing on the ‘asks’ of the Recharging Electrical Skills Charter at the Senedd in Wales.
A brief history from 1890s to 2020s.
CIOB and CORBON combine forces
To elevate professional standards in Nigeria’s construction industry.
Amendment to the GB Energy Bill welcomed by ECA
Move prevents nationally-owned energy company from investing in solar panels produced by modern slavery.
Gregor Harvie argues that AI is state-sanctioned theft of IP.
Experimental AI housing target help for councils
Experimental AI could help councils meet housing targets by digitising records.