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19-01-2017
Squaredot guest speakers at BCO / IPF Discussion event

Squaredot directors Kris Krokosz and David Kramer had the honour of being guest speakers at the BCO / IPF discussion event last week in Birmingham, focusing on the changing office landscape.

Carl Potter, Senior Director at GVA summarised our presentation like this

“It is clear that there is no “normal” and that one size no longer fits all…developers and investors will need to keep apace of the changing styles of occupation.

The difference between our work and personal lives is becoming increasingly blurred and this is affecting the way we interact with our office environments.

We have moved from cellular to open plan and now onto collaborative space that fuels changes in our working practices and seeks to increase our productivity.  Shared space (rather than maximisation of net lettable areas) will become increasingly required by occupiers and whilst this may not, at present, deliver higher rents, it will improve lettability.”

So what did they say? It went something like this;

The office landscape is changing. How are owners and investors responding?

Work has changed. What we do, where and how. Liberated from our desks by technology and a gradual revolution in management attitudes – trust over presence – we are evolving into a nation of collaborative knowledge workers.

Our research shows the workplace landscape is not keeping up.

Through our 2016 Workplace Analysis we found all workspaces just 50% or less, occupied.  Across the board, with no distinction between business sectors, even extending into Higher Education. The people were absent, because the workspace didn’t do what they needed it to do.

This data leaves one thing abundantly clear. Something has got to change; one size no longer fits all.

Take Whitbread PLC for example. Their campus headquarters had to accommodate 12 distinct brand identities into one working environment. Our Analysis Process revealed that although these identities had unique characters, their activity was similar. The design challenge was in creating an environment that could comfortably cope with almost 100% occupancy on a Monday decreasing through the week to a tiny 15% on Fridays.

Interestingly this model is at odds with Whitbread’s growing Digital team, who operate differently and felt it necessary to have a London base to attract and retain staff. So it has become a distinct identity, Whitbread Digital. Their space is based on hubs for teamwork and display, and spokes supporting various levels of concentration or relaxation. Their occupancy is a steady 90%; these people need to be in the office, and they want to be there.

The first steps in responding to change? It’s vital to understand the market has already moved on. No more rows of desks. The new workplace is fast paced and flexible.

In 2007 offices were focused on Space Efficiency. A standard formula was commonly used to establish the area required to accommodate a business. It was all about maximising square footage and creating efficient density.

Whilst the metric still exists it’s become less meaningful. Spatial efficiency does not equate into productivity. It’s changed from the utilisation of an environment to the productivity of the people in the environment.

In 2017 the model has very slowly evolved through Agile Working into intelligent, evidence based models focussing on Activity. Environments designed to give users choice in how and where they work. Integrating a sense of identity, reminding employees who they’re working for and why. Brand allegiance has become important at the workplace.

One thing’s for certain, in 2027 working environments will be different again. We anticipate there will be a shift towards People, working environments will focus on the People using the space. What they need and what they want.

The spaces will be flexible, easily adapted, they will encourage physical interaction over digital and they will work hard to keep people within their four walls.

How should owners and investors respond? It’s straightforward. Help occupiers define what they need, by understanding what they do and how they do it.   

15 years ago we worked closely with E Office to develop a ground breaking new working model. A new way of looking at ‘serviced office’, now called Co-Working. It was the result of investigating need and designing a platform for tho­se needs. It’s taken 15 years to be adopted by the mainstream - why is the model proving so successful now? It’s not just for start-ups; established brands also occupy space. So what is it that works for them?

It could be the ‘shared’ nature of the facilities. It’s far more welcoming to enter a large, informal lounge with refreshments and a variety of places to sit, work and chat; than to stride into the traditional shiny reception, which has grown into a nondescript airlock, displaying visitors in a shop window on fancy chairs.  

Maybe it’s to do with the rate of change in the technology we use and the speed at which we now work. Immediacy and adaptability are vital, making it impossible to predict the next 5 years and lightyears away from the popular ‘Future Proof’ often listed on the workplace brief.  The Future is not something to be proofed against.  How is it possible to create something invulnerable to the inevitable change and opportunity brought about through the passage of Time?  Better to see Change as opportunity and create spaces and cultures that are adaptable enough to embrace new potential. That is what the Co-Working phenomenon is catering for.

Why should owners and investors adapt?

Early collaboration with specialists like squaredot always reveals opportunities that can release the potential held within a space. By asking the right questions, understanding the future needs and overlaying our knowledge of the market we quickly build a detailed picture of what’s required.

As occupiers and their business processes are all individual, translating the unique requirements will be vital in taking decisions with confidence and make the untapped resource of space, deliver strategic results. Getting the product right for the people, their processes and within the right place, will lead to better solutions for everyone.

It’s not about less space. It’s about more relevant products. And that’s where the real value is, for all of us.

Why not get in touch and see for yourself? 

Squaredot guest speakers at BCO / IPF Discussion event

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