Re-Thinking the Office: Lessons Learned in Office Design
One thing we can all agree on is that the workplace—and work for that matter—continue to evolve at a very rapid pace. As workplace designers, we have watched the pace of technology change shrink over the years and impact the way space is designed. While technology changes about every 18 months (or faster!), leases for office spaces typically range from 8-10 years and longer. We now live in a social economy, or a collaborative economy, or an experiential economy depending on the preferred wording. The inspiring design theme we see is all it’s all about connections. While many of these changes inside the office have been driven by technological advancements, we see a renewed interest in how people come together to become more productive and share great ideas. This leads us to ask the question: How do our workspaces support this evolution? How do you anticipate an ideal future, and how do we help our clients lead their companies towards it?
In his piece "Rethinking the Office" David Varner breaks down four lessons learned originally published in Building Operating Management. These simple lessons can help facility managers make the best choices for their organizations. And while we've seen the workplace morph from an open environment to private offices based on hierarchy and then back to collaborative open spaces, we've found that one solution does not typically fit all organizations. Read the full article linked below to learn about "lessons learned".