Building Dialogue

/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / JUNE 2015

There is No Office of the Future: There is Only Change

he rate of change is accelerating. Overnight,

businesses seem to start, and products and

services are rendered obsolete. Organiza-

tions know that they must keep pace with the

speed of change, and change management be-

comes critical as workplace transformation has be-

come ominous. Technology, business plan and even

personnel changes happen more frequently than

lease expirations and physical property changes.

Leading organizations use workplace design as a

strategy for growth. Change can cost organizations

their best people, and lost productivity and revenue.

The design of the workplace has a direct influence on

each of these factors. By designing a workplace that

supports change, organizations achieve greater flexi-

bility and longevity from their physical environment.

The workplace must adapt to support a business mod-

el change, new work styles, various generations and

increased impromptu collaboration.

Evolving planning methodologies, and progressive

furniture and architectural products with designed

intelligence, can create customized environments.

Suggestions on how to “future-proof” a workplace fol-

low:

Workstations.

Workstations are designed to support

organizations’ changing needs. This change can be

expensive, time-consuming, and create downstream

purchases of new components and inventory costs for

those components rendered temporarily obsolete. Re-

search the ideal system and right kit of parts to sup-

port future design options at the initial time of pur-

chase. To support user adjustability, consideration also

should be given to adjustable-height work surfaces

and ergonomic tools to enhance wellness.

Collaborative Spaces.

Collaboration leads to innova-

tion. Collaborative spaces should be designed for im-

promptu meetings, meetings for small groups of two

to four people, and even larger teammeetings. Product

solutions need to be flexible for these different types

of interaction as interface with technology is a stan-

dard requirement in group work.

In addition, with so many meetings occurring in the

open plan, sound masking should be considered and

applied as part of the workplace environment.

Private Office.

Historically, private offices have been

viewed as part of an organization’s hierarchy. With the

square footage per employee declining and real estate

costs increasing, organizations are moving executives

into the open plan. Some organizations are imple-

menting free addressing to better utilize this space for

traveling executives. At aminimum, private offices can

be designed with dual functionality; an office and also

a meeting room.

Traci

Lounsbury

Principal

and Owner,

Elements

TRENDS

in Workplace Design

Complements of Knoll.

Technology and work are changing faster than the

workplace.

Multifunctional floor plan

Knoll products for activity spaces.

Florence Knoll’s and Eero Saarinen’s timeless fur-

niture designs support the dual function of private

office and meeting room.