Does your office look like it did in 2019? Same cubicles, same sterile meeting rooms? Odds are that you may expect people to spend more time at headquarters, but is your physical space maximizing the opportunity to get great work done?
Even with RTO (Return to Office) mandates, people at all sorts of companies are spending fewer days in the office and often communicate virtually with their teammates to get work done. But if the way we work has changed in the last 6 years, has the workspace?
With changes to the way things get done, we are hearing a lot of complaints from workers that it’s not easy to do the best possible work. Noisy cube farms make focused work difficult, while a shortage of meeting rooms means things can get crowded and messy on days when everyone is in the office.
Here are four trends in office design that may help alleviate these challenges:
- Moving from Cubicles to “Collaborative Hubs.” If people can do their quiet, heads-down work at home or anywhere else, many teams are focusing on making the most of the chance to collaborate with each other. The new office is a "hub" for interaction. You'll find informal meeting areas, comfortable lounges, and large communal tables. These spaces are intentionally designed to foster spontaneous conversations and teamwork. They are equipped with advanced technology for seamless video conferencing and screen sharing, ensuring that remote colleagues can participate as if they were in the room. The reason behind this is to maximize the in-person experience by making it about connection and problem-solving, activities that are often more effective when done face-to-face. It will also mean that quiet-zones are just that. Talk somewhere else.
- A new buzzword you’re likely to hear is “agile” design. Instead of static, single-purpose rooms, companies are opting for flexible, modular, and multi-functional spaces. This trend is a direct response to the unpredictability of hybrid schedules and the need for versatility. Flexible furniture, such as movable partitions, height-adjustable desks, and reconfigurable seating allows a single room to serve multiple functions. A large meeting space can be quickly divided into smaller breakout rooms, or a lounge area can be transformed into a presentation space. This agility allows companies to make the most of their real estate, which is often being downsized as a result of lower daily occupancy. The underlying reason is financial and strategic: by making spaces adaptable, businesses can optimize their real estate costs while still providing the necessary infrastructure for a dynamic workforce.
- Some organizations are trying to compete with the comforts of home. The fancy-schmantzy word for it is “biophilic design.” Think more natural light, plants, quiet rooms and fancier break rooms with more options. The crazy notion is that people should LIKE leaving their homes and coming to work.
- New technology will drive a lot of these changes. This is more than just better Wi-Fi throughout the building. This includes advanced video conferencing systems with features like speaker tracking, seamless wireless display sharing, and smart building management systems that automate lighting and temperature based on occupancy. After all, a lot of the driver for RTO was wasting money on spaces that weren’t being used.
Many companies are also implementing "hot-desking" or desk-booking platforms that allow employees to reserve a workspace for the day. This data-driven approach allows companies to understand how their space is being used, informing future design decisions and ensuring a high-performance work environment. The reason for this is to create a truly seamless and equitable experience for all employees, regardless of their location, and to use data to make their physical space as efficient and effective as possible.
If your company is changing the way you work, but not the physical environment, you may be limiting the potential of remote and hybrid work for short-term gains in attendance.
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