INTERIORS 55 New ways of working
Workplace fi t-outs are no longer just about pure function; the focus has shifted to enhancing human experience and staff wellbeing. Ruth Evans of CPMG Architects explores the growing link between design and behaviour.
H
istoric trends have showcased a ‘job for life’ mentality in the UK’s workforce, but as the employment landscape continually adapts and changes, it’s more common to see younger generations job-hopping, with a focus on fulfi lment over pure practicality. This feeling of being valued can be the deciding factor for many in the working world on whether to stick or twist with a company, with the past few years alone showcasing how the workforce isn’t focused on ‘living to work’ but ‘working to live.’ Space can infl uence culture. It may seem surprising that four walls can command such collaboration, but it is what is created within the four walls that really drives the environment. Through human-centric design elements, the space can foster an environment that is both personal but also personifi ed for the best of the business and its staff.
Where has the shift come from? We all know that hybrid working has unveiled a new working world, with businesses understanding the need to adapt and offer the comfortability, freedom and productivity staff have found in the comfort of their own homes. Across the UK, fl exible working requests have increased, with offi ce occupation at 35-40% compared to pre- 2020 levels of 60-80%. Coupled with the rise of businesses reviewing offi ce locations and leases, the offi ce landscape is at a benefi cial point for reviewing how it is best to work in this new age. Workplace analysis is vital to creating longevity through an offi ce environment and supporting the ‘solidifi cation of presence.’ Success comes from understanding employees and what they would like to see, this incorporates all manner of focuses, relating to how they operate through to their own personal growth objectives, which can be supported with a change to the environment.
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Flexibility comes to fruition in both what employees and employers can achieve through an optimal working environment – and the idea that not one size fi ts all is prevalent in both aspects. Workplace analysis lays the foundations to create a business and its culture that is completely achievable and gives scope to venture further than the simplistic offi ce designs of the past.
Human-centric design elements Utilising an open plan layout can encourage cross-team interaction, further enhanced by hotdesking and removing barriers like cellular offi ces. This works to make the act of speaking and working with others very easy, thereby fostering a team dynamic with the ethos of one for all, as opposed to all for one.
Multiple offi ce levels are almost standard, especially in growing city centres and towns where multi-storey buildings are the norm. The question that is created when an offi ce
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Biophilic design has come into its stride, with businesses pushing for this relationship with the external, living world
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