SHALE Magazine was recently granted the privilege of touring Deloitte Consulting’s Greenhouse, located in Houston, Texas. This 14,000-square-foot Greenhouse is a powerhouse of individualized innovative business strategy, and is able to create a bespoke experience for the client, from the Immersion Dome all the way to the guardrails on the ceiling.
The Greenhouse was established in order to create an immersive experience that allows Deloitte’s clients to visualize the growth of their business. They create this experience by focusing on five key topic areas: the future of energy, smart operations and asset ecosystems, cyber and everything that entails, the future of work, and the experience of the connected customer.
When first entering the Greenhouse, you step into the Antichamber. The Antichamber is used to help eliminate all prior stresses, such as Houston traffic and prepare your mind to be explorative about the potential of your business. From there, you will enter the Emersion Dome, which is a 270-degree theater. With the use of their projectors, you can enter whatever world you wish, whether that is the Singapore airport or a wind farm in West Texas. This room is the first example of the Greenhouse’s ability to craft a unique experience for the client and allow their visions to come to life.
The beginning stage of planning your business’ future begins in the Breakthrough Lab. According to Amy Chronis, Deloitte’s Managing Partner, “everything within the Breakthrough Lab is designed with human-centered design principles’’. Everything in the room is on wheels because Deloitte understands that flexibility is key. The room is structured to encourage collaborative thinking through an emphasis on group breakout sessions and teamwork.
From there, we were taken into The Gallery. Chronis stated that the “gallery is curated for the client to highlight the assets and solutions that are most beneficial for them”. This room brings the concept to life with the use of their advanced technologies. Within the gallery, you will five separate areas specially designed for the client: Industry Search, Risk Connect, Sustainability Solutions,
The Art of the Possible, and a Virtual Reality Room.
The Cafe Space is where the team not only gathers for their meals, but also where they end their day with a glass of champagne to celebrate their accomplishments and the growth of their clients. The walls feature a photo of the Houston skyline and a growing collection of skateboards. Believe it or not, they aren’t for riding. The skateboards serve as an homage to the Buffalo Bayou SkatePark. Each board contains a design that celebrates a product successfully created with their clients, and their collection is steadily increasing.
While the majority of this facility is organized and cohesive, the Make A Mess Space is where you begin to bring your imagination to life. They have a collection of 3D Printers that are able to use both plastic and metal to create potential prototypes for additive properties. They also have a snack bar within this room that does more than provide a quick bite to eat. Rather, it serves as another example of the advanced technology provided at the Greenhouse. The snack bar is located beneath a camera attached to the guardrails on the ceiling. This camera is able to take pictures of missing snacks, and send notifications to the respective departments to alert them of a necessary restock, or trigger an automatic ordering process.
Lastly, there is the Executive Transition Room Lab. This is the only room in the entire facility that focuses on the individual experience, rather than that of your business. Here you don’t work with teams or in a collaborative environment. This is the room that emphasizes crunch time and enables you to evaluate the different facets of your business. How long will your business plan take? Who is on your team, and how will you utilize those relationships to establish a strong foundation? What third parties will you bring in to work with you, and how will they elevate your business to another level of effectiveness in terms of ESG levels and cost efficiency?
Deloitte understands that every business, while all within the field of energy, has a different mission they want to accomplish. With their advanced technology, along with their five key principles, they are able to bring those missions and visions to fruition.
photos courtesy of deloitte
