Offices are here to stay, but change is guaranteed says Richard Kauntze, CEO of the British Council for Offices
We are, as we are told endlessly, ‘living in unprecedented times’, and COVID-19 ‘changes everything’. These clichés are true, but they may also cause us to become blasé about just how dramatic the change could be. The pandemic, and the three months of lockdown, will have a deep impact on how we organise our lives in the years ahead, and perhaps most fundamentally how – and where – we work.
For proof, look around when you do return to your office (I deliberately avoid ‘return to work’: most of us have seldom worked harder than in recent weeks). The scene will be alien. Receptionists will be hidden by screens, circulation one way, desks separated and occupancy levels dramatically reduced – the list goes on.
Now that we have experienced a global pandemic, businesses are likely to think more seriously about a reoccurrence”
In the longer term, we can expect workplace designs to be permanently altered by Covid-19. While some have called the virus a ‘black swan’ event, others have called it a ‘grey rhino’ – an event that was not a freak occurrence, but obvious and overdue, yet ignored. Now that we have experienced a global pandemic, businesses are likely to think more seriously about a reoccurrence. Workplaces will be designed to mitigate virus transmission, which will mean a decline in systems that recirculate air and a rise in layouts which promote natural airflow. Surfaces will be ‘easy wipe’ and devices touchless.
These and related changes will be very direct responses to threat of pandemics. More interesting, though, are the trends accelerated by the lockdown, and the new habits acquired. For many, working from home has worked surprisingly well. Offices are expensive and many businesses will be looking to reduce costs. So, who needs an office? Forget the knee-jerk reactions. For most businesses, while the office in coming years may be different (what’s new there?), it will remain nothing less than essential.
The office brings numerous benefits to a business. We are social beings, and most of us are happier and more creative when we are with other people. Zoom really does have its limitations.
Offices also make the best bits of city living possible, putting us together in central locations, near nightlife and culture. Most of us find it easier to work in an office, particularly those whose home is a small flat, often shared. It’s notable that those people predicting the death of the office tend to be older, well off, and enjoying the luxury of a large house and a garden.
Whatever the ‘new normal’ looks like, offices should tap into the country’s renewed community spirit, for example by hosting events”
Offices are here to stay, but they will change. For many, working from home is now a realistic option, at least for part of the week. The office has a vigorous new competitor in the shape of video conferencing. To get people to commute to their desks, and to get companies to lease space, offices will need to be stand-out – worth the investment of employee time, and employer money. Workplaces will need to demonstrate much more obviously that they aid productivity, creativity and wellbeing.
To remain relevant, workplaces will also need to adapt to society’s new challenges. Whatever the ‘new normal’ looks like, offices should tap into the country’s renewed community spirit, for example by hosting events and, where possible, providing space to hard-hit independent restaurants and shops. Far more must also be done to mitigate the environmental impact of offices, with existing green solutions implemented, and new ones developed. In short, there is much work to be done, but the office sector is nothing if not innovative. Offices won’t be redundant, but they will change, and for the better.
