Hybrid working starting to impact on office design

2022-07-19

A recent survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that most people who took up homeworking during the pandemic plan to hybrid work in the future.

The proportion of workers wishing to combine home working with visits to the office has risen from 13% in early February 2022 to 24% in May 2022. The percentage working exclusively from home has fallen from 22% to 14% in the same period.

It means there is a rise in the number of workers who recognise that the workplace, and being with colleagues in person, plays an important part in their working week, however the proportion who plan to return to their place of work permanently fell from 11% in April 2021 to 8% in February 2022.

For businesses, this raises the question of what to do with their office space and according to David Louden, Style’s director for Scotland, many companies are now re-organising their workspace to accommodate a more flexible approach, with moveable walls playing a key part in that.

“We’re seeing some big improvements to companies’ meeting, training and conferencing space,” said David, “as businesses recognise the important role these will play when bringing employees together for days on site.

“Workshops, discussions, brainstorms, training, collaborative events and social gatherings will often be the stimulus for staff to come into the office for a day, and creating stylish, welcoming and highly adaptable communal areas is becoming key.

“Flexible meeting rooms, stylish breakout areas and collaboration areas are all being created through combinations of moveable walls, with high end acoustics, stylish design, simplicity of use and the speed by which the room can be altered being high on the agenda.

“If you look at many of Style’s recent moveable wall installations within the corporate sector, we’re seeing stunning combinations of glass and solid moveable walls, intricate combinations that create highly dynamic space and operable walls that fit perfectly with the interior design of the room.

“Adaptable, flexible and collaborative working is clearly here to stay and its being increasingly recognised that the better the office environment, the more likely staff are to commute in for important meetings and events.”

For more information, please contact your nearest regional Style office.