New London Architecture

Back to news

WRK/LDN: Office Revolution? Project, Idea and Product Showcase

Friday 18 June 2021

NLA's recent report into the post-pandemic workplace, WRK/LDN: Office Revolution?, found that the office is not dead – but in serious need of a rethink and London – the city where the office was born – is now heralding its rebirth. 

WRK/LDN: Office Revolution? brings together thought leadership from industry experts and views from a comprehensive NLA Members Survey of 180 respondents about their experiences of a year of lockdown, working from home and the potential impact this will have in the longer term. The report also includes over 100 projects, ideas and products to illustrate the changing workplace, as well as recommendations to ensure London can support the way we want to work in the future.

 The report provides an insight into the post-pandemic workplace from an impressive range of viewpoints, and suggests that the office of the future will need to be: welcoming, smart, sustainable, collaborative, flexible and healthy. We have picked out a selection of key case studies from the paper to highlight the diverse response the industry has taken to the needs of the post-COVID office.

Welcoming

“The office will need to be better than home” to attract people back. Businesses will need to concentrate more on employee welfare and wellbeing, with improved amenities, healthy spaces, and greater opportunities for collaboration, training and education. With reduced occupancy levels and more flexible working, opportunities will arise to create more agile spaces, and to reverse a trend towards shrinking office space. A closer focus on individuals’ needs will see office designs that cater for different personality types – from those who long to be collaborating in person with their colleagues again, to those who have thrived on the relative peace and quiet of working from home.

Smart

Just as technology has transformed the office as we know it time and time again, technology will enable better, safer and more intelligent working practices as offices respond to the post-pandemic world. Heightened awareness and a desire for better biosecurity in shared spaces will drive the development of everything from smart lift design, ventilation and touch-free surfaces and screens. Artificial intelligence will allow businesses to monitor and manage space capacities, while technology will continue to enable colleagues and collaborators to come together both digitally and in real time as flexible working becomes the norm.

Sustainable

The post-pandemic future is likely to accelerate existing best practice, such as improved facilities for walking and cycling to work for those who remain wary about using public transport. A re-engagement with ‘local’ will see offices playing a more active role in supporting their neighbourhood’s economy and ecology, while greater awareness and tougher environmental targets will extend sustainable thinking in relation to materials, services, technologies and management. 

Collaborative and interactive

If the office itself must serve intensified functions to optimise collaborative working and social activity, as is expected, then conversely even more fluidity of inter- related spaces will be needed within a building, with new typologies supporting a more holistic approach to living, working and leisure.

Flexible

Flexibility was the number one demand for respondents as they considered their return to the office. 55% of survey respondents expect to spend 2-3 days per week in the future, with only 9% anticipating a return to 9-5. Over 76% prefer a hybrid model of flexibly working from home or the office. Developers, landlords and businesses will have to respond to this fundamental change in how people want to shape their working lives, while offices will also need to adapt their layout and use of space. 

Healthy

We are seeing an acceleration of the ‘flight to quality’, with elevated experience and quality expectations. Adopting a partnership approach, delivering a choice of solutions and great experiences with a focus on healthy and sustainable spaces, will align with customer’s current and future needs.

Work

#NLAWork

Programme Champions

(ARCHIVE) Landsec
City of London Corporation
EPR Architects
W.RE

Related

Prioritising Health in the Workplace

News

Prioritising Health in the Workplace

NLA's expert panel on work tackle the important topic of health and wellbeing in the workplace, and how the built enviro...

Read more
Work expert panel summary

News

Work expert panel summary

Cushman & Wakefield's Richard Goldin and Sitara Bhundia presented their latest research on how workspace and talent need...

Read more
Work Expert Panel

News

Work Expert Panel

Our second Expert Panel met recently to explore the workplace in a post-pandemic context. The drive to have people back...

Read more