The Future of The Office Is Here
Opportunity In Accelerated Change
There is no denying that the traditional workplace landscape has shifted quickly and radically through a work-from-home (WFH) experiment that the COVID-19 pandemic ignited practically overnight. However, the ways our work have changed, and will likely continue to do so, are rooted in ideas and values that are many years in the making. The changes we’re seeing are the result of existing trends that were waiting for the right platform to launch.
How can we embrace opportunity in accelerated change?
Before we can understand what the future of the office is, we have to consider the “people factor” – how people will want to work moving forward. While remote work has become the accepted way of working to keep talent safe for the time being, WFH conditions aren’t ideal for everyone, all the time. It’s likely that when we’re able to return to offices, we’ll find ourselves dividing our time between traditional workspaces and other remote locations. We need to start looking at how we can design our workplaces to respond to how people want to work in our “New Normal”.
Our Toronto Studio’s Corporate Workplace team hosted a presentation about the future of the office to start a conversation with local leaders. In it, they discussed:
- A review of trends that are influencing how we design our workplaces moving forward
- A comparison of our long-term assumptions about commercial real estate and our new realities
- The purpose of the office
- Key drivers of future office design and relevant design ideas including:
- Health & Wellness
- Resiliency
- Sustainability
- Culture
- Technology
- Vignettes of customized space typologies we’ve recently developed for major international clients to address their unique corporate culture and needs
- A summary of qualities that will influence the “New Normal” of our offices