Workplace Trends:
The Emerging Office Landscape
Thursday 4 November 2004, The British Library, London NW1
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The 2004 Workplace Trends conference focussed on the Emerging Office Landscape and how it manifests itself in terms of location, architectural and interior design, and building operation.
The conference continued last year's theme of exploring the impact of political, economical, sociological and technological change. Key issues covered included the pros and cons of remote working; socio-demographic and cultural differences in attitudes to workspace and work-style; the sustainable construction agenda; changes in business; and how to distinguish design fads from true trends.
The internationally recognised speakers represented an array of disciplines, including architects, economists, engineers, psychologists and surveyors. They presented their unique perspective of emerging trends in the workplace.
Over 180 occupiers, designers and consultants attended this year's sell-out conference. Some of their comments can be found on the right.
Programme
Morning:
Conference introduction
Nigel Oseland, Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA)
Fit for purpose or fit to bust?
Paul Morrell, BCO and Davis Langdon
Each year the BCO Awards give a snapshot of how the art and science of office design is advancing (or not). We are probably producing the best-looking office stock in the world - but what are the design trends, will they be long-lived or just transient fashion, and are they connected to real business purpose? And how can we even judge that when there is so much volatility in the business environment, and in patterns of working? Indeed, some say that we will not need offices at all in a future "virtual" world, and that they may turn from asset to liability. This session will address these questions against the evidence of recent candidates for the BCO Awards, and consider a framework within which designers and users can engage in a dialogue that leads to space suited to long-term advantage.
How will emerging trends in workstyle & work-Life integration affect workplace design & business performance?
Rebecca Harding, The Work Foundation
Do we work to live, or live to work? What drives the workforce in the post-industrial society? How does workspace affect mood, productivity and performance? How can new trends in workspace design and management be leveraged to get companies working better? And how do we really behave in the office? The Work Foundation's annual survey of 1500 UK employers provides an invaluable snapshot of the emerging trends and changing conditions of working life.
Sustainability & corporate responsibility
This presentation will look at the way in which office building design and use could change to meet the urgent need to address resource efficiency, ecological footprint reduction and greater social responsibility. Drivers for change and the benefits to business that respond will be highlighted. The relationships between good practice and office productivity will be explored.
Thriving in the distributed workplace
Cynthia Froggatt, Froggatt Consulting LLC
Cynthia will describe how companies are using geographic distribution to its greatest advantage. Through examples drawn from IBM, Sun Microsystems, Deloitte & Touche, and other organisations such as Buckman Laboratories, you will learn how to lead your company to excel at distance collaboration and remote management. The results are compelling: higher sales, lower overhead costs, and overall improved performance.
Afternoon:
Introduction to afternoon sessions
Julian Seward, Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA)
Questioning open-plan office design: A cross-cultural critique
Ellen Keable, Jacobs Advance Planning Group &
Sharon Turner, Swanke Hayden Connell Architects
Love it or loathe it, 'open plan' is the predominant office design form in the UK. With corporate America now dipping its toe in the water after a long love affair with the cubicle, what is the future for open plan offices in both countries? Sharon Turner and Ellen Keable offer a cross- cultural critique and insight into what the future may hold.
Setting targets to implement a global strategy
The ABN AMRO Space Programme combines strategic modelling, practical guidelines and mandatory procedures to deliver property solutions that provide efficient workspace with enhanced functionality. Effective modelling and measurement uncovered variations in space utilisation across the portfolio. Rob will show how the targets set through the Space Programme have resulted in significant annual cost savings.
UK Offices 10 years on: An occupier perspective
Christopher Hedley, Property Databank
Christopher will use OPD and IPD data to present an analysis of the future of some aspects of the property market from the occupier's perspective. How have attempts to project forward worked in the past? Will office users demand less - or different types of - space? Will different landlord-tenant relations affect the procurement of space? What implications are there for the development of new office space?
The 21st century office: A story of narrative, nodes, neighbours & nomads
Jeremy Myerson, Royal College of Art
What business trends will drive the emergence of the new workplace? How will these be expressed in architecture and design? Who are the early adopters of new working practices and how will their pioneering ideas filter through to the mainstream? In this presentation, Jeremy Myerson, author and Royal College of Art academic, seeks answers.