About Richard Kauntze

Richard Kauntze is Chief Executive Officer at the British Council for Offices

Posts by Richard Kauntze:

An office reset was what we all needed, and wanted

An office reset was what we all needed, and wanted

The UK's best officePressing the ‘reset’ button is never easy. But I’m a firm believer that, once we do, we become much less averse than we perhaps expected to the change it inevitably brings. This is particularly true of the past eighteen months. From all of the sadness and hardship endured, we are beginning to emerge into a new, changed way of living. One that is both familiar and altogether different. The dichotomy is particularly evident in our workplaces. For many sections of the economy, the office was the ecosystem of our daily working lives. Initial questions of whether the office would survive quickly fell by the wayside, and a more interesting, nuanced, debate of what we want the office to be began. More →

Workplaces around the UK are something to treasure

Workplaces around the UK are something to treasure

A worker checks her phone at KPMG Edinburgh, illustrating how important the design of workplace isThe world is changing. Often without sense, often at startling speed. I need not mention the ‘B word’. However, there is a risk that this volatility leads to us being too negative. Today, too many people are speaking with too much pessimism. Don’t believe me? Try logging onto Twitter. In these challenging times, we need to also look at our strengths and celebrate areas where things are going well. The UK’s workplaces sector is one example of this, as shown by the BCO’s recent regional awards. More →