Staff working in new hybrid forms, will expect extras to entice them back into the workplace. Expect the consumerization of the office space—where employers build services around individual needs ranging from leisure, entertainment, food and resimercial (residential/commercial) solutions.
Office infrastructure will change. Research suggests we’ll see a shift from traditional meeting/working spaces to a split between community, co-creation and focus areas. Learning and play zones may also emerge since they support developing critical 21st century skills such as creative problem solving and critical reasoning.
Data is likely to serve three purposes: to provide employers with insights on performance, improve the employee experience and augment the onsite work environment. So, home office and office will need to be seamlessly connected by digital technology. Expect a lot more technology to support creativity and mimic subtle human behavior like digital serendipity—chance virtual encounters.
In the Future Work survey 2019, 42% of employees said they’d rather be able to personalize their work environment than receive unlimited holiday. Our research points towards a trend in hackable workspaces—areas of the office that are in a permanent state of beta that encourage staff to provide input on this “not-quite-finished” space.
In the Future Work survey 2019, 42% of employees said they’d rather be able to personalize their work environment than receive unlimited holiday. Our research points towards a trend in hackable workspaces—areas of the office that are in a permanent state of beta that encourage staff to provide input on this “not-quite-finished” space.
Environmental, emotional and physical needs—the future is a holistic approach to all three to create a truly employee-centric workspace. From healthy air, natural light, glare free views, ergonomic workstations to yoga classes, meditation pods and access to nature, parks and greenery. Virtual technologies and wearables can also support personal wellbeing by giving digital guidance and providing mindfulness cues during stressful situations.
To meet climate targets, carbon emissions need to be reduced significantly. Thus, this one is going to hugely impact design, operations and build. From wooden skyscrapers to solar glass roofs, on-site smart grid technology and green facades—which filter dust before it enters the building.
Research shows the next big thing in design is circular. In a future work environment nothing should be wasted. In fact, expect pop-up areas and reversible design—areas/concepts that can easily be deconstructed or used elsewhere.
Describes the inherent human inclination to affiliate with nature be it visually or in shape and form. We think this will involve bringing the outside in and the inside out. Expect hydroponic gardens, vertical gardening and farming. Amazon’s HQ2 in Seattle is a great example of this.
For Millennials and Gen Zs having a positive impact on the local community is as important as their own professional development. Expect new campus environments to be “sustainable by default”—offering collaborative social impact projects, powered by green tech and focusing on collective wellbeing.
Research reveals that safety will span six office dimensions: management, cleaning, HVAC, materials, design and technology. So, from signage & shifts patterns to clean desk codes, air filtering systems, use of non-porous surfaces, workspace partitions, to touchless doors and social distancing trackers, this is huge for HR and third parties.
Controlling the flow of people at work will be important. Research shows we could have donning and doffing rooms—where staff first change into safe slippers before entering a transitional home space to store personal items. Look out for pivot spaces—community areas used to distribute staff and encourage short interactions. And expect outdoors to be the new indoors.