The office of the future
SMEs must adapt to change while creating forwardthinking workspaces. Peter McCamley, a director of Sydney design firm GroupGSA, outlines the next trends in office design. (Hint: you may not have rock- climbing walls but you can bet you won’t have your own
How can good office design improve communication ?
The aim is to create physical settings that bring different parts of the business together spontaneously. Most people are accustomed to working at the same desk to solve every problem but this is about creating spaces that support diversity of functions, whether brainstorming, doing focused work or teleconferencing. And strengthening the visual connection across an organisation through improved sightlines ensures individuals feel they’re part of the bigger picture.
Many businesses are integrating spaces such as yoga rooms...
There’s deliberate intent to blur workplace and hospitality. It’s driven by increased demand for greater work-life balance and flexibility, the nomadic nature of young employees and the desire to nurture the mental wellbeing of time-poor talent.
What other trends are driving workplace design?
A big issue for organisations is factoring in how they will look in the next five or 10 years. They’re seeking greater flexibility in lease structure and how the physical environment will allow them to evolve their work practice. The need to be able to adapt space without excessive spend is critical.
How can that be achieved in an office environment?
Modularity is important, as well as ensuring that the technology can support change. Increasingly, organisations are looking at work-from-home solutions or working in spaces outside of the central office so technology is fundamental. Cafés or breakout spaces need to be considered in a heightened ergonomic sense so that when the pressure point comes in terms of headcount, they can be used as alternate work points.
Why is the trend of co-working spaces typically attracting SMEs?
Where companies can’t predict their future headcount, access to co-working spaces takes pressure off their commitment to longerterm leases. And some companies are using co-working spaces for the creative functions of their business because the facilities are generally built around a more innovative, entrepreneurial mindset.
What key design trends are you excited about?
Companies are intentionally trying to de-corporatise their work environments. They’re still looking for a professional outcome but they also want to show a deeper insight into how the company ticks rather than just the gloss at the front door. Workplaces are becoming more domesticated.
What do you think the office of the future will look like?
We have a far more nomadic generation of employees coming through so the workplace can’t be overly tailored because it has to have inherent flexibility. The scale of the environment may become smaller because the choice of where you work will be broader. As a result, it will need to be the primary anchor of the company culture and reflect the brand in an amplified way.