090 DESIGN SEMINAR
in the offi ce where perhaps they can leave a picture or personal items, which hot-desking doesn’t really allow.’
Chairing the discussion, FX editor T eresa Dowling pointed out: ‘T ere are some tasks in most of our jobs that are best done in isolation, but this does not work indefi nitely because eventually inspiration dries up. It’s not sustainable to be in isolation permanently.’ Berresford said: ‘Working from home the whole of the time is not necessarily nirvana, but it is about creating a well-balanced system. We all have introvert [and] extrovert parts to us, and so maybe going back to the workplace doesn’t have to be in the same kind of way as we left. It would be an intelligent approach to not necessarily be overly radical, because it can sometimes be about the more subtle tweaks. T ese are things we can aff ect as designers.’
Designing for individuals
Hofton suggested that a change in mindset on the part of those designing our workspaces could be the answer: ‘Generally speaking, we often seem to like to design in a standard cookie-cutter way. If you’re designing a building for thousands of people, it can all become formulaic and similar, when perhaps these spaces need to be designed more for the individuals. For example, over the last 10 years, we’ve all been moving towards the more agile desk, open-plan approach, but actually homeworking has shown us that perhaps we want our own design and our own space. ‘T ere’s always a danger that we try to design a one-system-fi ts-all building but it can be the wrong way to go, and we should instead look at ways to make it as bespoke as possible for the individuals who will be working within it.’
However, Berresford pointed out: ‘You can have overload of choice too. When it comes to deciding where to sit for example, it could mean people have to [plan their space] every single day. I think it needs a combination of patterns and loosening up, but still making sure that people know where things are.’
‘A lot of work we have done has been about experiences, exploring in detail the diff erent steps of the visitor or staff experience at a building, looking at ways to make the place engaging in every space. ’ Matt Jackson
As another example of a change brought about over the past two years, an enhanced understanding of our colleagues’ and business contacts’ home lives has added a new dimension to our work relationships, says Hofton: ‘It’s a little humanising in a way. In the process of doing this, we have been more open about the work-life balance, working from home, and that we have a family. I think in many ways it is a benefi t to understand that we are all in similar situations.’
Burry added: ‘Tech companies were already pretty good at that. T ey were using Slack, giving people fl exibility to work from home, or even call in to meetings from the beach. For them, it seems to be more about what you as an individual are able to contribute, not what you are wearing or what you look like. So there has been an interesting societal shift during the pandemic and hopefully this stuff does collectively advance some of the things these tech companies have been doing for a while, because it’s refreshing.’
BDG Architecture + Design’s Jackson said: ‘A lot of work we have done has been about experiences, exploring in detail the diff erent
Top left Theresa Dowling, chair of seminar and FX editor
Above Mark Jackson of Forbo
Above right right to left: Tom Hofton, Tajal Rutherford-Bhat and Helen Berresford
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