The Reshaping of Office Designs.
Workplaces that look like your living room. Flexible, outdoor terraces, and agile, multiuse spaces are on the rise.
2023’s new hybrid work style is reshaping office designs and the buildings of tomorrow. However, what exactly does this look like and why is our industry responding?
A changing landscape
There is no denying that COVID significantly impacted people’s work life, as the vast majority adapted to a work-from-home approach borne of necessity, with platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom taking on a whole new importance.
However, according to Ray A. Smith's writing in the, ‘The Wall Street Journal’ many have grown accustomed to working in the comfort of their own homes on independent tasks, enjoying the autonomy, balance, and freedom that this grants. Whilst a few have made the transition back into the office, over 50% of UK workers prefer to work from home (The Home Office Life).
Home sweet home?
However, hybrid working hasn’t only become popular due to the environment that employees would rather work in. I’m sure I am not alone in saying that COVID inspired reflection on certain priorities.
In particular, the importance of a work/ life balance and the fact that many roles were more than capable of being completed at home.
What this has heralded, is a change in purpose for the office. Far from being an outdated and potentially unnecessary concept, the office still has a crucial role to play. Viewed now as a powerful place for collaboration, a space with minimal distractions where there can be random encounters, impromptu meetings, and inspiration at every turn.
Simply put, offices are more centered around making their employees happy, with not only their needs catered to but their wants as well.
So what does this look like?
The new “home-from -home” vibe consists of fewer desks and more communal spaces, with banquette seating, armchairs, stools, and bistro tables just a few examples, some have even introduced fireplaces!
These features will be spread across a mix of areas including private meeting rooms, open collaboration areas, and secluded spaces for individual work – now within steps of each other rather than on different floors, as in the past. However, these zones have a physical transition between them, with clearly defined zones to subtly indicate what each area’s intended purpose is.
In a recent study, Dr. Hedge, a professor at Cornell University, found that the optimisation of natural light in an office significantly improved health and wellness among workers, and in fact, this research revealed that workers in daylight office environments reported a 51% drop in the incidence of eyestrain, a 63% drop in the incidence of headaches and a 56% reduction in drowsiness – so natural light is prioritised.
A connection to nature is also considered, far beyond simply a room with a view. The colours, shapes and visual complexities of nature are present, with biophilic design playing an important role in boosting moods and even lowering stress levels.
Aesthetically speaking, sharp edges are gone in favour of curvy architecture, something we can attest to with our joinery - and the psychological importance of colour is considered throughout too.
Overall, the goal is to make offices less corporate-looking and more welcoming to existing and future employees. In the long term, if employees feel as though they possess a positive work/life balance with the support of their company that business will see a happier, more satisfied workforce which can in turn increase productivity.
Leading the way?
Many companies have already adapted to these new trends and the needs of employees. LinkedIn’s headquarters, for example, considered a range of physical and mental disabilities in its design, such as furniture, which accommodated 60 different postures and work modes.
6 Babmaes Street in St James’s, London, as featured here, has designed and created a space primarily for collaboration, connection, and well-being. Across their 650 sqm HQ, there are only eight desks! They have represented a living and breathing culture that underlines the organisation’s values- from how they collaborate, nurture staff, and operate as a responsible business.
Our recent project for Ninety-One featured seamless open plan spaces with seating areas for optimal collaboration along with multiple outdoor terraces and private booths for independent tasks.
Office spaces are subject to near-constant change and it is crucial that the construction industry keeps one step ahead of the latest trends.
For now, however, the creation of an environment where people not only can but want to spend their time, is the priority.
