Turning up for work should be a pleasure
Our design team has spent decades creating corporate workspaces across the UK and in locations such as Hong Kong, Paris, Milan and New York. During that time we’ve seen many trends come and go. Now though, more than ever before, design is being seen as an integral part of business strategy and this presents an exciting opportunity.
Increasingly we are seeing old, often historic, buildings in our city centres being repurposed into offices which acknowledge and expose traditional features while making provision for contemporary ways of working.
There is also a desire to make working environments feel more domestic and relaxed while offering functions that home can’t provide, like collaboration and business social spaces. As we all know, many valuable exchanges and creative ideas happen just because you happen to be in the same place.
When it comes to creating spaces for people to work together, employers are keen to ensure there are a range of engaging settings for all kinds of interactions. there is no substitute for problemsolving in person. Small groups of people can benefit from brainstorming in soundproofed booths while bigger spaces with sofas and refreshment points can work well for larger gatherings.
Training and mentoring are other crucial elements of working life best achieved in a shared space where learning happens on the job. If you’re struggling with a task, you can easily approach someone and ask for help.
As we’re all aware, our working environment has an impact on our well-being. Connecting with others is a key part of being human and most of us missed the social aspect when we were not allowed to go to the office.
Attracting and retaining staff is a preoccupation across many sectors, hence investment in aesthetically pleasing, as well as practical, space. This could take the form of graphics being used on the glass of meeting rooms, known in the industry as “manifestations”; hanging baskets of plants above individual desks; colourful tables and chairs made out of recycled material; chill-out zones with games tables.
While hybrid working is undoubtably here to stay, working from an office has clear benefits. The challenge is to create workspaces that people really want to be part of and to return to and that’s why people engage us. Designing comfortable and inspiring surroundings is a passion reflected in our own office. Happily, this makes it pleasure to turn up for work!