Search Results for: environments

Urban environments and buildings needs a transformation, report claims

Urban environments and buildings needs a transformation, report claims

by • Cities, Environment, News

urban environments smart cityAhead of COP26, green business leaders around the world have called for government and industry action on buildings and infrastructure. The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has published a new report, which it claims helps to identify opportunities for how a transformative, integrated approach to urban environments and buildings is essential to deliver change in line with the commitments of the Paris Agreement. (more…)

People struggle with home working environments and solitude

People struggle with home working environments and solitude

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

People are productive at home and want to retain flexible working after lockdown, but struggle with sub-optimal working environments and a lack of interaction with colleagues. That is the main finding from a survey by property technology company, Equiem. The firm has published the results of its most comprehensive global office occupier survey to date, providing landlords and tenants alike with valuable insights into occupier sentiment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)

Toxic workplace environments plague accountancy profession

Toxic workplace environments plague accountancy profession

by • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

The toxic workplace illustrated by a bottle of poisonToxic workplace environments plague the accountancy profession, according to new research from CABA, a wellbeing charity for chartered accountants. The survey of over 250 accountants suggests that over half of chartered accountants think their workplace is toxic. Communication issues, working unrealistic hours and cliquey colleagues are also cited in the study.  The survey found that 55 percent of respondents believe their workplace to be toxic.

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White paper: a new world of learning environments

White paper: a new world of learning environments 0

by • Briefing, Insight Briefings, Premium Content, Workplace design

The traditional structures of work and education were forged in the fires of the Industrial Revolution. They shared many characteristics. They were rigid, hierarchical and based on a patriarchal approach to achieving their aims. In education, this manifested itself in the traditional didactic form that was, until recently, seen as the ideal model, based on teachers, tutors and lecturers imparting knowledge and learning to their pupils and students as part of an agreed curriculum and to an approved timetable. How well this process turned out was checked with periodic testing. For some time now, people have been questioning this structure and, with it, the design of learning environments. Over the past few decades, we have not only developed the technologies to allow us to learn in new ways, we have also developed a far better understanding of the processes involved.

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Local authority staff frustrated by poor quality working environments

by • Public Sector, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Employees at UK local authorities are frustrated at their poor quality working environments and councils are suffering as a result, claims a new study from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Over two thirds (68 percent) of employees polled for the report claim their workplaces need to be upgraded and nearly all (92 percent) said they take the standard of workplace into account when deciding where to work. Furthermore, 80 percent of current employees claim they take the standard of working environment into account when making decisions about whether to remain in the current role. In an interview with LocalGov magazine, Paul Bagust, director of UK commercial property at RICS, also warned that short term cost cutting in the workplace is likely to be counterproductive in the long term.

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British workers suffer in silence in noisy office environments

by • News, Workplace design

Hanging onNew research from Avanta Serviced Office Group claims that noise in the office environment is severely damaging the productivity of British businesses. The study of more than 1,000 UK office workers found that although over 80 percent of employees claim to being regularly distracted by noise in the workplace, fewer than half complain about it. Instead around a third admit they simply take themselves somewhere quieter such as their homes or a cafe or library. The study also identifies the distractions that bother people the most, most deriving directly from their colleagues including overheard conversations, ringtones, loud eating habits, whistling, music and even people talking to themselves. Compared to these human sources, the racket generated by inanimate objects features low down the list of irritants.

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CEOs say they are struggling to profit from their company’s use of AI

CEOs say they are struggling to profit from their company’s use of AI

by • AI, Business, News

CEO confidence in their revenue prospects has fallen to its lowest level in five years, as business leaders struggle to turn investment in AI into consistent financial returns, according to PwCCEO confidence in their revenue prospects has fallen to its lowest level in five years, as business leaders struggle to turn investment in artificial intelligence (AI) into consistent financial returns, according to PwC. Findings from the consultancy’s 29th Global CEO Survey show that only 30 percent of CEOs are confident about revenue growth over the next 12 months. That compares with 38 percent in 2025 and 56 percent in 2022, suggesting a sharp cooling in optimism as organisations face a mix of economic uncertainty, geopolitical pressure and rapid technological change. The survey is based on responses from 4,454 CEOs across 95 countries and territories. (more…)

Surface Design Show 2026 champions the next generation of material innovators

Surface Design Show 2026 champions the next generation of material innovators

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

Surface Design Show 2026 reaffirms its commitment to nurturing emerging design talent, placing material innovation, sustainability and future-focused thinking firmly at the heart of the show. Through its ongoing partnerships with the Royal College of Art, the Green Grads initiative and for the first time the Emerging Talent category within the Surface Design Show Awards, the 2026 edition highlights a new generation of designers redefining what surface design can be. Across the exhibition, visitors will encounter projects that challenge extractive systems, transform waste streams and place human and environmental wellbeing at the centre of material design. (more…)

The coming year will see a recalibration of the workplace, report suggests

The coming year will see a recalibration of the workplace, report suggests

by • News, Workplace

WORKTECH Academy has published a new trends report setting out what it describes as the key forces reshaping work, workplace and workforce strategy in 2026.WORKTECH Academy has published a new trends report setting out what it describes as the key forces reshaping work, workplace and workforce strategy in 2026. The report, The World of Work in 2026, claims to identify twenty trends grouped into four “megatrends”: Human Performance Reset, Workplaces Without Walls, Sustainable Growth and Back to Basics. Together, they suggest organisations are moving away from short-term fixes and “spectacle”, and towards building long-term resilience through adaptability and human capability. (more…)

Fashion has an unexpected influence on commercial interior design

Fashion has an unexpected influence on commercial interior design

by • Comment, Workplace design

Fashion and interior design have always moved in parallel, reflecting both personal identity and the emerging needs of societyFashion and interior design have always moved in parallel, reflecting both personal identity and the emerging needs of society. For example, corporate dress codes shifted to be more relaxed during the Covid-19 pandemic, coinciding with the increase in remote and hybrid working patterns. This relationship is more visible than ever, as the aesthetics of today’s fashion week runways, and the re-emergence of mid-century design come full circle to influence the look and feel of our commercial office spaces. (more…)

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

by • News, Wellbeing

Widespread sleepless nights are undermining workplace performance across the UK according to findings of a survey released by the Mental Health FoundationWidespread sleepless nights are undermining workplace performance across the UK according to findings of a survey released by the Mental Health Foundation. The poll of 2000 UK adults aged 18+ found that the average person only gets three nights of good quality sleep per week.  This lack of meaningful rest has resulted in one in three UK workers (33 percent) admitting that poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate at work while more than one in five (22 percent) shared that tiredness has led them to make more mistakes than usual. One in eight respondents (13 percent) reported having fallen asleep at work. (more…)

How leadership can drive positive changes in workplaces

How leadership can drive positive changes in workplaces

by • Company news, Workplace

Leadership has the power to reconnect people to their workplaces, rebuild trust, and create environments where employees feel motivated to contribute.The contemporary American professional landscape is at a turning point. While people are sticking with their employers, they feel more disconnected than ever. Gallup calls this the ‘Great Detachment’. (more…)

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