At my first job interview, the man interviewing me was sitting behind an antique desk in front of wood panelling," explains Nick Ord, managing director of the construction consultancy Lysander France and a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. "Over time, we've seen offices change. Now, we have more clean lines, transparent partitions and open spaces."
The changes Ord is talking about have been happening faster because of the pandemic. As hybrid work has become popular, it has changed what offices are used for. Office spaces are evolving towards spaces for collaboration and networking. While employees can do focused work that requires peace and quiet at home, the office has become a place for interaction.
Breaking out of the cubicle
Flexibility is far more important in the new world of work. "We see spaces that are more configurable," says Phil Knowles, lead hardware engineer at Simmtronic, which develops lighting control systems for offices and other large buildings. "One room can be split into several areas, including quiet working areas. Personally, I hope we've seen the end of cubicles!"
At its Silicon Valley headquarters, LinkedIn has added open conference spaces between engineers' desks. Whenever there's a need for discussion, employees can enter these spaces and close the sliding doors. Movable partitions come in creative and flexible designs. The Swiss furniture company Vitra has created the Dancing Wall, a partition that can also be a bookshelf, coat rack or rolling coffee station — among other things.
In a more fluid workplace, employees don't need their own desks. Equipment is stored in lockers, and desks can be quickly cleaned down. Open areas are also becoming less sterile, with beanbags and brighter colours to make employees feel as comfortable there as they do at home. LinkedIn, for example, has turned meeting rooms into spaces that look like lounges with comfy-looking sofas, lots of plants and books. In California's warm climate, LinkedIn employees can also make use of an outdoor plaza area at the office. Overhead structures to reduce the glare of sunlight on laptop screens, as well as an abundance of electrical outlets, mean people can work outside comfortably.
The traditonal rectangular meeting rooms are also disappearing, becoming more informal spaces — the long conference table replaced by seating cubes and coffee tables. With no traditional "head of the table", they are seen as more democratic. Meeting-room tech is also being upgraded. In a US survey by the commercial-property company CBRE, nearly half of the companies said they were working on better videoconferencing solutions. "We see meeting rooms with large LCD or OLED screens and high-quality webcams that can track users," adds Knowles. "We're no longer gathered in a dark room to see a projector."
The design revolution doesn't stop at the interior of the building — it's also about how much total space companies need. Ord explains that some firms now have more space than they require, while others don't have enough. Many are still working out what their needs are, thinking about renting out space or sharing facilities. Unworking, a timely book by Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross, presents a manifesto on how to create dynamic working spaces that are integrated into our cities. The Financial Times offers examples: "A corporate auditorium by day could become a cinema for residents by night; a staff canteen could transform into a ‘dark kitchen' for Deliveroo users." At Google's new New York Hudson River campus, a public food hall has been integrated into the space.
Sustainability in design
Greater flexibility in office occupancy has created the need for more intelligent desk and room reservation technology. And that's just one example of how digital technology is changing the office. "Smart tech can make buildings more accessible and environmentally friendly," Knowles says. "Some companies have large screens showing the CO2 level, temperature and humidity, which are indicators of whether it's a healthy place to work."
Sustainability provides motivation for Knowles, however, "I ask myself: ‘Is this the most efficient way?'" Adding more technology can offer features that help reduce a building's energy consumption, he says. At the same time, however, more tech may also consume more energy itself.
For this reason, some architects are turning away from smart technology, attempting to use more traditional (and highly aesthetic) designs to improve sustainability. In India, for example, buildings must adapt to the heat that builds up in urban areas. Lime plaster on inner walls is naturally cooling, for example, while lattice screens, known as jali, create shade while improving air circulation in a phenomenon known as the Venturi effect. They've been used in Microsoft's beautiful office building in Noida, in northern India, which was inspired by the Taj Mahal. The building has won LEED platinum status, the highest level of certification for green buildings.
More attractive workplaces
Will a fancy office alone tempt employees to come back? "Companies really have to consider the social aspect," Ord says. "Fewer people want to work nine to five, they want more flexible arrangements." With yoga or Pilates sessions, or spaces where employees can enjoy nature, employers can create a better work environment. "These are little things that help people feel like a community," Knowles says.
The Covid pandemic forced many people to rearrange their homes into workspaces. If bosses want their employees back in the office, even just part-time, they need to put some serious thought into their own set-up. Out with cramped cubicles, sterile conference rooms and nine to five; in with flexible, collaborative spaces, health-focused tech and sustainable design. The aim must be to make work a place where people want to be.