The new office era – trends and solutions

All around the world offices are gradually opening up after lockdowns and restrictions. But even if we can go back to the office, we can not go back in time. So, what will our new office look like, and how do we need to prepare for meeting the new office era?

The pandemic has not only meant horrific consequences in loss of human lives and a thorough disturbance of our everyday existence, but it has also accelerated several societal transformation trends. Some of these relate to our view on where and how we work.

Trends driving change
The location of an office has become a subject of discussion as a partial remote working model is assumed to become the new normal. As people are more health conscious and reluctant to return to shared desks, busy commuting and crowded elevators, some argue that smaller offices will open up in the suburbs, closer to the employees. The city office then becomes more of a brand statement, a place to attract and retain talents and customers, to expose products and reflect company values.

Others strongly believe in the survival of the downtown workplace but believe that it will have to change to appeal to employees post pandemic. The business districts are in this conception believed to become more varied, with offices being increasingly mixed with apartments, gym, coffee bars, shopping and more. Entire areas will turn into dynamic neighbourhoods of everyday life, and together with an engaging office become a destination with a purpose worth visiting.

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A workplace could be extended to also include gym, showers, fully equipped kitchen and everything else that enable employees to bring home and leisure activities all the way to work.

There seems to be better agreement to what is creating purpose – collaboration, inspiration, creativity and socialization is on almost every agenda. But implementation differs. The anti-office is one way, a place is then created that offers everything the home office can’t deliver. Another approach is to stay with the existing office and initiate what Ethan Bernstein, associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, calls add-ons. Spaces for relationship building, informal meetings and employee wellness. The latter is in the center of attention when creating a resimercial office. A workplace with the comfortable attributes from a home mixed with all the necessities of an office. This could be extended to also include gym, showers, fully equipped kitchen and everything else that enable employees to bring home and leisure activities all the way to work.

As we can see, there are trends pulling in somewhat different directions, and no one can tell today what the new normal will be. We simply have to re-asses what we thought we knew and try out new concepts. But what we do know for sure, is that things will change. Whether the change is to go from workstations to collaborative spaces, or that one type of tenant is replaced with another, arguably the most important feature of the future office is to be able to adapt to change, short and long term. Here the interest of employees, employers and property owners converge – the office needs to be a place where people actually want to spend their time.

Challenges and solutions
Creating successful new offices in one shape or the other is not just about moving walls and adding new furniture. It will require a new mindset regarding indoor environments as well. Large number of people spending hours together in enclosed spaces, is sensitive from a health perspective, which we’ve recently seen. But we should also remember that there are vital comfort and performance aspects of the indoor environment, putting high requirements on ventilation and climatization as well. Along with minimising the transmission of virus, a good indoor climate means significant improvements in productivity and workplace satisfaction, which is something no employer can afford to disregard. When investing in indoor climate systems to create healthier working environments, we can also create more comfortable and productive offices simultaneously, if we do things right.

So how do we achieve this, given our existing building stock constructed with a pre-pandemic mindset? With less than 1% of the building stock renewed annually, refurbishment will be extremely important to achieve substantial changes. And so, the new indoor climate solutions will not just have to be flexible in terms of adaptability during a long service life, they will also have to be flexible in terms of “installability” to fit into existing spaces. Here our toolbox contains solutions such as space saving air handling units,, smart system controls and easy-to-fit room products.

Change is coming, and to paraphrase a famous thinker – size or intelligence will not decide the outcome, but the key to success will be the ability to adapt and adjust.

References

Florida, Richard. BloombergCityLab (2021). The death and life of the central business district (2021-09-14)

Morgan, Kate. BBC (2021) What’s the purpose of the office – and do we still need it? (2021-09-14)

Morgan Lovell (2021). Workplace 3.0: The office of the future (2021-09-14)

WSP (2021). How will Covid-19 change demand for office space? (2021-09-14)