New ways of working will give way to renovated offices where the employee is the center of attention. Flexibility, coexistence, interrelationships, leisure and interconnection technologies are not negotiable.

Going to the office is no longer an obligation. One of the most visible direct consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic is the promotion of teleworking. One fact, added to the high cost of housing in large cities, and the desire to avoid long and tedious journeys, will change the design of offices forever.

 

What will the offices of the future be like?

The trends in this regard are unmistakable.

 

The objective of the companies is that the employees, if they must go or even if they prefer to physically go to their job, have an experience that is as fluid, enjoyable and pleasant as possible. Promote comfort and coexistence between workers and departments. Internalize the well-being of employees.

 

To carry out the necessary changes in the office of the future, the design of workspaces will require:

  • Improvements in acoustics at an effective and aesthetic level, as well as in privacy and the visual environment, but always promoting open and diaphanous spaces.
  • Simple and agile access to other workers and departments, promoting a work and social coexistence.
  • Spaces that invite you to stay at the after-work and do part of your free time there.
  • Natural light, greater security and measures for better health of employees.
  • Multifunctionality and omnichannel.

 

In short, different measures that turn workplaces into desirable places, that facilitate a better connection between staff. Something that cannot be achieved by working remotely.

For this reason, from CAAD we want to give you more information about the trends in the design of the offices of the future, as well as some examples that are already real and effective.

 

 

Main trends in office design

 

Multifunctionality

Starting from the furniture itself, the offices of the future must be multifunctional. Multipurpose and versatile spaces for various uses, with elements that adapt and can be moved.

 

 

Open spaces and acoustics to be perfected

Although this proposal has been declining due to the complaints of many employees, the truth is that open spaces and coexistence between the different teams and departments will be a trend in the future. Especially for the exchange of ideas and business and personal relationships.

Thus, informal and social spaces are on the rise. It is intended that the worker is comfortable and feels part of a community, of something.

The offices for linear processes have been left behind. Organizations require more space and resources to offer sites to share, dynamic team structures where collaboration between employees is enhanced, one of the keys to productivity. This is what has been called “Open Space offices” or open space.

Similarly to this, the importance of acoustic booths as a real trend is high. It is about respecting the privacy of calls and video conferences, as well as the necessary silence. For this reason, the redecoration and design of the offices will take acoustics into account, and of course this will mark a new office aesthetics.

 

 

Flexibility and omnichannel

In the new shared spaces, workers do not have to sit in the same chair or in front of the same desk. Hence, flexibility is the most significant benefit after the pandemic.

Innovation in the ways of reconciling family and work always ends up having a positive impact on companies. Without going any further, the report by JLL Reimagine: The Future of Work to Create a Better World states that three out of four employees now consider work-life balance to be more relevant than a high salary.

 

 

The new offices aim to be hybrid

Total integration of teleworkers, those who come when they should, can or want to the workplace, habitats for socialization, leisure and rest, etc. A fact that is driving the demand for flexible work and coworking spaces. In that sense, omnichannel will play a determining role.

The employee will have greater freedom to choose from where and how to work.

 

 

Security

Doors that open without contact, greater ventilation, smart lockers or a design thought by and for optimal light. These are just a few concepts that will have a lot to say in the coming years.

Safety and health should be two mainstays of the gradual return to offices and work centers, improving air quality, cleanliness, safety protocols, etc. Greater corporate wellness as a priority.

 

 

Sustainability

Eco and natural raw materials, the introduction of the concept of the natural in the workplace, is a trend that is here to stay. Especially the application of the concept of biophilic design.

Vertical gardens, wood, natural light, sustainable materials and neutral tones replace serial and prefabricated blocks.

 

 

Technology offices

The technology associated with interior design is literally one of the jobs of the future. The ideal integration of USB ports, plugs, platforms, screens for video conferencing, etc. it is not something trivial.

Offices must have integrated digital tools and use technology to their advantage. In short, the world of work is evolving towards the concept of ‘workspace intelligence’, that is, the symbiosis of work dynamics through technological solutions in offices.

 

 

 

Successful cases

 

Siersema Interieur
Beyond Space. Amsterdam. Netherlands.




© Copyright. Peter Tijhuis.

 

 

ATS Intelligent Transportation Technology
Young H Design. Shenyang. China.




© Copyright. Wu QinShan.

 

 

HET VAKWERKHUIS
Vakwerk Architecten. Delft. Netherlands.




© Copyright. Vakwerk Archiecten

 

 

 

ZIFERGAUZ
VOX Architects. Saint Petersburg. Rusia.





© Copyright. Daniel Annenkov

 

 

 

Follow us in Twitter and Linkedin, sign up to our newsletter and you will keep up to date with trends and issues related to retail.