HNW Architects at Workspace Design Show, London
Following the Workplace Design Show last week it has been worth pausing to take stock and glimpse into the future.
Like many leading workplace designers, we see a future shaped by three key emerging themes: people, sustainability and technology (Ai)…
Some time has passed since working from home was universal and whilst employees are naturally gravitating back to the workplace, companies will need to continue investing in their workplaces… or rather, workspaces!
People, have become and will remain front and centre of workplace design, redefining traditional employer and employee relationships. Greater emphasis is going to be placed on fostering positive interactions with colleagues and creating a sense of place shaped by sustainability and AI. With broad ranging demographic working modes, expectations and behaviours, workplace designs will need to do more: they will need to reflect company ethos, its ethos running through every aspect of its business; enrich day to day lives; encourage social interaction, wellness, creativity; and enable productivity.
Enlightened businesses continue to embrace the cultural shift towards people-centric workplaces where mental health, wellbeing and personal enrichment and success and workplace experiences are of equal importance to efficiency and task. Together, they are transforming the workplace and the accepted norm of modern-day incarnations of post war secretarial workplaces, characterised by row upon row of bench desking.
Workplaces that do not focus on people will become ‘just another workplace’ with better alternatives that chime with personal beliefs and expectations elsewhere!
Like many leading workplace designers, we see a future shaped by three key emerging themes: people, sustainability and technology (Ai)…
Some time has passed since working from home was universal and whilst employees are naturally gravitating back to the workplace, companies will need to continue investing in their workplaces… or rather, workspaces!
People, have become and will remain front and centre of workplace design, redefining traditional employer and employee relationships. Greater emphasis is going to be placed on fostering positive interactions with colleagues and creating a sense of place shaped by sustainability and AI. With broad ranging demographic working modes, expectations and behaviours, workplace designs will need to do more: they will need to reflect company ethos, its ethos running through every aspect of its business; enrich day to day lives; encourage social interaction, wellness, creativity; and enable productivity.
Enlightened businesses continue to embrace the cultural shift towards people-centric workplaces where mental health, wellbeing and personal enrichment and success and workplace experiences are of equal importance to efficiency and task. Together, they are transforming the workplace and the accepted norm of modern-day incarnations of post war secretarial workplaces, characterised by row upon row of bench desking.
Workplaces that do not focus on people will become ‘just another workplace’ with better alternatives that chime with personal beliefs and expectations elsewhere!
Sustainability remains high on the agenda, with more and more companies seeking to decarbonise and provide sustainable, environmentally conscious workplaces and workspaces. Whilst we are seeing some shift from ‘box’ new workplaces to reuse and retrofit, the shift is gathering momentum and will become prominent in leading workplace designs. Designers are having to get creative, retaining existing finishes wherever possible, reusing existing and sourcing reused and reupholstered fixtures and fittings. New finishes, material and product specifications are going to have to consider whole life sustainability and material sourcing, reuse and disposal…. the sector isn’t yet there, we see significant variation in how manufacturers and product providers demonstrate their sustainability credentials and conscience…. will we see material and product passports? … will we see workplace shabby chic?
Technology (Ai), will personalise our workplace experience. Organising our day-to-day will be a given! What follows might sound farfetched, but is it? Picture this… we’re acknowledged upon arrival, our morning drink is auto-prepared, we collect our morning drink on route to our desired auto-pre-booked workspace. Our workplace is made up of enriching physical and immersive virtual workspaces, which we move around throughout the day based on our needs and how we are feeling and the task in hand, whether we need to focused or are feeling social or need to meet with colleagues. Workspaces can be limitless… ‘smart’ furniture will monitor biometrics, health and wellbeing can be managed, people will be more self-aware and working environments, both physical and virtual can respond to suit real time personal needs. Biophilic design will creep into our dynamic immersive virtual workspaces. Sci-fi stuff?
Technology (Ai), will personalise our workplace experience. Organising our day-to-day will be a given! What follows might sound farfetched, but is it? Picture this… we’re acknowledged upon arrival, our morning drink is auto-prepared, we collect our morning drink on route to our desired auto-pre-booked workspace. Our workplace is made up of enriching physical and immersive virtual workspaces, which we move around throughout the day based on our needs and how we are feeling and the task in hand, whether we need to focused or are feeling social or need to meet with colleagues. Workspaces can be limitless… ‘smart’ furniture will monitor biometrics, health and wellbeing can be managed, people will be more self-aware and working environments, both physical and virtual can respond to suit real time personal needs. Biophilic design will creep into our dynamic immersive virtual workspaces. Sci-fi stuff?
Investing in people is key to securing and retaining the best talent and securing a sustainable future. Enlightened business see their employees as ‘customers’ and workplaces are ‘front of house’. A complete shift in thinking, where workplaces and work spaces promote cultural and moral values of businesses that chime with its people and offer a variety of dynamic and personalised experiences whilst creating togetherness, and supporting health and wellbeing, blurring the line between our personal and work lives.
The answer to encouraging people back to the workplace lays with opportunities surrounding people, sustainability, and technology (Ai) and how companies of all sizes and types and us as designers respond to these key themes, shaping our future workplace and workspace designs.
Reflection by HNW Architects at Workspace Design Show
The answer to encouraging people back to the workplace lays with opportunities surrounding people, sustainability, and technology (Ai) and how companies of all sizes and types and us as designers respond to these key themes, shaping our future workplace and workspace designs.
Reflection by HNW Architects at Workspace Design Show
February 2024