RICS Webinar: The evolution of the office from a place of work to a service
Last month (June 2021), our director and head of design, Sonia Brown, joined the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as a panellist for their webinar on ‘The evolution of the office from a place of work to a service’. Sonia was joined by industry experts, Colin Stuart, CEO at Baker Stuart, and Rachel Houghton, managing director of Business Moves Group. Cathy Hayward, founder and chairman at Magenta Associates moderated the discussion while the experts discussed the role the office has in the post-Covid era.
The group began by discussing what this evolution from place of work to a service looks like.
Sonia Brown: “We know that remote working can be done but staying at home can be hard. Employees need to see the office as a safe place to retreat. It needs to be more agile and free from gimmicks. The workplace also helps us feel part of the brand which we lose while working from home.”
Rachel Houghton: “Businesses have been providing services for many years - cafes and dry cleaners on site - but that may not be enough now. People can do that at home and want the office to offer something else.”
Colin Stuart: “If we allow flexibility, we must consider what will motivate people to come into the office. We might need to look to how the IT industry designs for user experience and think about workplaces in the same way.”
Cathy Hayward: “How can businesses prepare for the return to work?”
Rachel Houghton: “Businesses need to be planning for the next three, six and 12 months. People have been at home for so long that a return to the office will be unfamiliar. They need to know what to expect when they return. This includes new technology like wayfinding and desk booking apps.”
Sonia Brown: “At Quadrant, we’ve been doing a lot of research from the design perspective. One of most important things to understand is that there’s no such thing as ‘one size fits all’. Employees want cultural and social hubs that motivate and inspire. There is a concern as people may be lonely in the office if occupancy levels remain low. We can address this by using furniture to manipulate spaces to offer the atmosphere that people are looking for. Sometimes a restaurant is a great experience not because of the food, but the space and the company. We must think about the workplace in the same way. If occupancy is low, how can we bring those people that are present together more effectively?”
Colin Stuart: “September seems to be a milestone for many companies in returning. We’ve done a lot of surveys and they show that people are fed up with working from home full-time. Most people want to be in the office for two or three days a week. The top concern is safety, of course. But employers can provide reassurance by explaining their cleaning regimes and utilising tech like desk booking systems. A lot of people don’t want to return to the office as it was pre-pandemic, so businesses need to work with their employees to shape a solution that works for them both.”
Cathy Hayward: “Many businesses are moving to agile, open plan designs. How will people hold confidential video calls in open plan offices?”
Rachel Houghton: “Lots of our clients are looking to create dedicated private spaces - “Zoom rooms” - that guarantee privacy and have moveable screens and furniture. Open plan spaces should always be agile to allow for different needs and working styles.”
Sonia Brown: “It’s all about being creative when using space and furniture. Lower occupancy allows us to remove desks to open up the more space. Meeting rooms become adjustable according to demand.”
Cathy Hayward: “Will residential design change as a result of increased home working?”
Sonia Brown: “The housing market will definitely be impacted, there’s no doubt about that. A home office will be an attractive selling point. When you work from home the set up shouldn’t impact your home life. We might well see people investing more into pods or garden cabins to keep their work separate from their home.
Rachel Houghton: “We will see community-level change as commutes and space-use alter. That’s going to be reflected in town planning. Some companies might intend to return to the office full-time just because it’s what they’re used to but they’ll miss the opportunity to grow and evolve.”
Colin Stuart: “If hybrid working isn’t an option, employees will be voting with their feet. Many people have struggled through the pandemic and if they feel they aren’t being rewarded, their loyalty will wane. There’s a huge and changing job market following the pandemic, too, so businesses have to listen to their employees. Lots of businesses look to remote work by default as the new thing but we suggest flipping that thinking, asking employees where they feel best working.”
Cathy Hayward: “What trends do you imagine seeing in the next few years?”
Sonia Brown: “People have changed their lifestyles and their priorities. They still need to figure out how they will work best. We are certainly going to see long-term change. The level of wellbeing support has grown and it would be a shame to lose that as things settle. We’ll find ways to work together both in-person and remotely but that’s going to look different across companies for some time.”
Rachel Houghton: “I’ve been in the workplace relocations sector for 25 years so I’ve seen a lot of changes and trends. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some changes stick and some old trends return.”
Colin Stuart: “I think that we’ll see a move back to the office both for social interaction, easier collaboration, and training. But people have had a taste of home working and most have enjoyed it, even if they wouldn’t opt for it full-time. The younger generations can connect in other ways and will be less inclined to return. The pandemic has really brought people together and made wellbeing a huge factor. I’d like to see a rise in community work as a result of that.”