Repost from www.kimballoffice.com
by Pedro Ayala Kimball Office Director of Architecture and Design Strategies
We have all come across articles wanting to define the future of the “office”. Is the office dead?
Some declare that the office environment is in decline. Especially with the emergence of the “mobile worker” and the downsizing of the work environment.
Companies like LIQUIDSPACE allow people to lease a finished workspace: a desk or a meeting room, an office, or a training room on an hourly basis. Spaces can be leased from 30 minutes to a full day in 30 minute increments. A pull down menu provides options for room capacity and desired amenities. This is an excellent option for a startup or for a company wanting to hold an offsite meeting away from their office.
On a recent trip to New York, I ran into a former colleague and Design Principal Ronette King. As we shared an Uber ride into Manhattan, the topic of conversation was today’s workplace. She described today’s workplace like a “playground”, there is a variety of places for people to meet and “play”. What a great way to describe the office of today. Ronette is now retired, but she still remains one of my most influential mentors.
I once read, “You cannot have innovation in isolation.” Very profound, yet true.
Yes, the workplace is changing at a fast pace. Workplace design is no longer about housing employees, instead it is about creating a dynamic environment that draws people in and becomes a catalyist for innovation. Activity Based Design follows this concept and acknowledges that people work in other settings than their workstation. Actually, research has documented that people are at their desk forty percent of the time. The remainder of the time they are working in other settings: conference room, team areas, cafés, etc.
Today’s workplace occupies fifteen percent less square footage than pre-recession (2008). However, the office environment is definitely a lot more diversified. The office is no longer defined by: Open Office, Office, and Conference Rooms; rather, today we experience additional amenities such as cafés, hub space, Town Hall, among others.
We are at a point in time where all eyes are currently on Silicon Valley to see what will be next. In February 2013 the New York Times reported that Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer issued an email abolishing Yahoo’s work at home policy. Apple is currently building a 2.8 million square foot campus to open in 2016 Q4. And Samsung is building a new headquarters in San Jose.
Therefore, if these major strategic moves from technology giants is any indication, my conclusion is “no” the office is not dead. Nor will the office become obsolete any time soon. Instead, the office as we know it will continue to morph and redefine itself.
It will be very interesting to see where we will be five years from now.