The revolution in work means an office is now a service
The world of office working has undergone unprecedented change in the past three years.
The flexible work revolution, which was already underway pre-pandemic, was massively accelerated with the onset of Covid and the need to work from home. Employees who had never made a video call quickly became experts in Zoom or Teams and those grown used to five-day commutes suddenly found greater time and freedom to work to a more flexible schedule from home.
Many predicted this revolution in remote working would spell the end of the office. But, on the contrary, it has led to its reinvigoration, crystallising its purpose as the crucible for the culture of a company. In many ways the office has become more important than ever.
So how are these new ways of working changing what businesses want from a workspace? And what does that mean for the design of new offices?
Reimagining the office
Most companies now have some form of hybrid working in place, with a variation of three days in the office and two days at home or in a third space (eg: a co-working space), or vice versa.
The most progressive businesses have embraced this new way of working, understanding that greater flexibility has a myriad of benefits, including better health and wellbeing and improved productivity.
It has also led to a reimagining of the workspace. Rather than merely the place employees go to for work, the office now functions as a hub. Less about heads-down work, it’s about bringing people together to do the kind of work that is best done in person. Whether that’s creative work, strategy, innovation or group meetings.
Floors are designed to foster different modes of work and cater for different sensibilities, with quiet space, collaborative space, break out space and different types of meeting rooms for different types of activity.
Creating a better work experience
Importantly, office design is now focused on optimising the experience of work. That means providing a range of amenities, facilities and services in the building to make the workspace a place that people can enjoy. At The Clarendon Works, for example, we will provide around 13,750 sq ft of amenity space, with a fully staffed reception, a café, gym and yoga studio, as well as a landscaped rooftop terrace with a bar and café.
The building will also include secure cycle storage and repair facilities, and state-of-the-art changing facilities, along with a treatment room. The aim is to ensure the end-users have everything they need to make the workspace comfortable, inspiring and enjoyable – as well as healthy.
The focus is on improving the experience of the end user and thinking about the workspace as a service, rather than merely a building.
Get yourself connected
The ‘hardware’ of the building also needs to be designed with the experience of the user in mind. So The Clarendon Works will have state-of-the-art digital connectivity. It has already been awarded a WiredScore Platinum certification, the highest rating under the global standard for building connectivity. This makes it Watford’s best-connected building.
It is also being designed to be highly sustainable and healthy for its occupants. The project will be 100% electric – with no fossil fuels powering the building – and is targeting BREEAM Excellent and EPC A sustainability ratings, the key markers of a building’s green credentials.
It is also one of only a handful of office developments in the UK pursuing WELL Platinum – the highest rating under the global WELL Building Standard, which rates a building by its health and wellbeing features – which will make it one of the UK’s healthiest workspaces. It has further already achieved Active Score Platinum, a measure of a building’s active travel provision.
These features, along with the building’s amenities and focus on customer service, are not merely ‘nice-to-haves’. Rather they are a response to the changing nature of work and are essential to meeting contemporary businesses’ expectations of what a good workspace should now provide.
It’s about ensuring that the workspace provides the very best experience for those in the building and in doing so ensuring not only are they delighted to be in the office but do better work in it – which at the end of the day means everyone wins.
At The Clarendon Works, for example, we will provide around 13,750 sq ft of amenity space, with a fully staffed reception, a café, gym and yoga studio, as well as a landscaped rooftop terrace with a bar and café.
