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Most of our 5,500 staff works at headquarters building at
Benhall in Cheltenham. The multi million pound building, provided under PFI
arrangements, provides state of the art facilities to deliver our essential
work. The building is impressive both in terms of design and appearance and in
the way it enables GCHQ to work.
The 'Street' is the hub of the building, the primary
navigation route around the building and providing a range of facilities
including a shop, restaurant, deli bar and coffee shops and gymnasium.
The open plan design fosters close teamworking and knowledge
sharing and encourages more face-to-face communication. All staff, including
our top management, operate in the same open plan environment. The circular
design of the building means that you are no more than 5 minutes walk from any
colleague working in the building. Soft seating areas are available and popular
for short and focussed meetings. It is undoubtedly a fact that GCHQ can respond
more effectively and efficiently to business pressures as a result of the new
building. Communication is the key of our business and the 'Doughnut' enables
effective communication.
A range of quite amazing facts and figures can be associated
with the building, for example:
- The central courtyard area of the building could
accommodate the Albert Hall.
- The building is in fact three separate structures; joined
together and collectively they are the same size as the old Wembley stadium.
- The roof comprises over 11,000 sq metres of aluminium and
is based on the design of the Centre Court, Wimbledon. When the building's
lifespan comes to an end, the roof can be 'unzipped' and reused or recycled at
a low cost.
- The building has 13,000 sq metres of glass - equivalent
to double-glazing for 10% of the houses in Cheltenham.
- The shell of each office chair is made from 36 recycled
plastic 2 litre pop bottles. Desks and table surfaces are made from 90%
recycled wood and all steel products are made from 30% recycled metal.
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