A word or two on what people tell you about work and workplaces

A word or two on what people tell you about work and workplaces

by • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

All of those surveys about work and workplaces must be telling us something about people and what they do, mustn't they? One of the many criticisms you could make of us as a business is a reliance on company sponsored surveys to generate news stories about workplaces. We don’t publish all of them, you’ll be relieved to hear. The ones we reject are usually too nakedly self-serving. Even the ones that have some degree of statistical cred must be viewed in the right context, distorted as they might be by loaded questions, self-reporting, deliberate lying and other response biases.  Our attitude towards these polls is that they often contain some element of truth, especially if results are repeated over a period of time. When surveys over many years tell you that noise is the biggest gripe about office life, you should believe them.    (more…)

How the 21st Century office was born in post war Europe

How the 21st Century office was born in post war Europe

by • Features, Workplace design

Central Beheer Building There was a curious addition to a 2016 report on the Top 10 Technologies Driving the Digital Workplace from tech researchers Gartner. It wasn’t a technology at all but rather a slightly obscure office design concept that originated in Hamburg in the late 1950s, but which tells us a lot about how we work in the 21st Century office, according to Gartner. Its history lies with the German consulting firm Quickborner. Led by the brothers Eberhard and Wolfgang Schnelle, the firm applied the egalitarian principles of the post war world and rejection of the scientific management theories that had created the familiar factory-like rows of desks that had come to dominate open plan offices to create something more in tune with the new age.

(more…)

RIBA CEO to deliver opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026

RIBA CEO to deliver opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) has announced that Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will deliver the opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) has announced that Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will deliver the opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026. Dr Vaughan-Dick, appointed CEO in January 2023, brings extensive experience in leadership, regeneration and organisational transformation. She is the first woman to hold the role, and among the first from a more diverse leadership background, reflecting a broader shift towards greater inclusivity within the profession. (more…)

Applying a bit of know-how to the issue of sustainable office design

Applying a bit of know-how to the issue of sustainable office design

by • Comment, Environment, Workplace design

Sustainable office design is a constantly evolving, complex, and, at times, contested subject and the perfect subject for a get togetherSustainable office design is a constantly evolving, complex, and, at times, contested subject. It has shifted from a narrow focus to a broader, holistic framework embracing environmental, social, and economic issues – and now further to include governance. Collaboration is critically important – combining knowledge can ensure that environmental goals align with social metrics leading to more comprehensive, high-performance, and adaptable, human-centric spaces. Now in its fourth year, the Sustainable Design Forum returns on 23 April at Crypt on the Green in Clerkenwell, London. Hosted by the SDC – the Sustainable Design Collective, the day is not a trade show or conference. It is specifically focussed on collaboration and knowledge sharing to provide an opportunity for all members of the workplace and hospitality design community to build connections and understanding. (more…)

Traditional open plan offices linked to higher risk of workplace bullying, study claims

Traditional open plan offices linked to higher risk of workplace bullying, study claims

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Employees working in traditional open plan offices are significantly more likely to experience workplace bullying than those in private or smaller shared spaces, according to new research published in the journal Occupational Health Science.Employees working in traditional open plan offices are significantly more likely to experience workplace bullying than those in private or smaller shared spaces, according to new research published in the journal Occupational Health Science. The study, based on a nationally representative sample of 3,307 workers in Sweden, examined whether office design influences the likelihood of negative interpersonal behaviour at work. Researchers found that employees in open plan environments faced a higher risk of bullying even after accounting for factors such as personality, demographics and working patterns. (more…)

Zoning Inzio’s new office with intelligent flooring choices

Zoning Inzio’s new office with intelligent flooring choices

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

Leading the office design, Blueprint Interiors collaborated with experts from flooring manufacturer and global leader in sustainability, Interface.  When Inizio, the healthcare services provider, relocated to its 18,000 sq. ft premises in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, it needed a workspace that would reflect its growth ambitions while promoting employee wellbeing. Offering a full range of services, from strategy to medical communications, Inizio helps healthcare brands connect with customers and patients through tailored solutions. To extend that same commitment to its employees, the company has now created a workspace that not only supports its people’s working patterns but protects the planet too. (more…)

Reality or perception – which do you prefer for managing your workplace?

Reality or perception – which do you prefer for managing your workplace?

by • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Workplace design

In 2026, workplace strategy is sophisticated. We talk about hybrid maturity, behavioural analytics, ESG metrics, portfolio optimisation and experience design. The language has evolved. The dashboards are more advanced. The conversations are happening at board level. And yet, many organisations are still making fundamental property decisions based on instinct. They believe the amount of space is not suitable for their requirements or the wrong type of space. They listen to their teams’ demands for changes to their space without the facts to say no. They feel occupancy is higher or lower than it really is. (more…)

Greater use of AI linked to more collaborative work patterns, survey claims

Greater use of AI linked to more collaborative work patterns, survey claims

by • AI, News, Workplace design

Employees who make frequent use of AI tools are spending less time working alone and more time collaborating and learning with colleaguesEmployees who make frequent use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools are spending less time working alone and more time collaborating and learning with colleagues, according to a new global workplace survey from the Gensler Research Institute. The Global Workplace Survey 2026, based on responses from more than 16,000 office workers across 16 countries, suggests that as routine tasks become automated, work is shifting towards more human-centred activities, including mentoring, problem solving and teamwork. (more…)

Refined, height and future-proof flexibility in office lighting

Refined, height and future-proof flexibility in office lighting

by • Company news, Workplace design

On Wimbledon’s high street, a new multi-level installation needed office lighting that looked refined on day one and could adapt gracefully for years to come. The client asked for high visual comfort, minimal visible containment to keep ceilings feeling taller, and an infrastructure that would let floors be subdivided later without tearing into the fabric. At 247 Wimbledon The Broadway, a new multi-level office required lighting that is elegant today and adaptable tomorrow. Zumtobel’s scheme combines TECTON track with suspended LIGHT FIELDS III and ONDARIA pendants to preserve clean ceiling lines and high visual comfort, while VIVO II provides precise vertical illumination. LITECOM integrates daylight and presence control, enabling easy future reconfiguration and energy-efficient operation. (more…)

New digital issue of Works magazine is available for you to read online. If you don’t get the print edition, you’re missing out

New digital issue of Works magazine is available for you to read online. If you don’t get the print edition, you’re missing out

by • News, Premium Content, Workplace design, Works Magazine

The new issue of Works magazine is now available for you to read online free. 2026 promises to be yet another revolutionary year for work and workplaces and we'll be with you at every step along the waThe new issue of Works magazine is now available for you to read online free. 2026 promises to be yet another revolutionary year for work and workplaces and we’ll be with you at every step along the way. In this issue: you’ll find three case studies and a round up of projects highlighting new thinking and best practice in workplace design; we consider how Canary Wharf and other business districts are in rude health in spite of the obituaries we may have read about them in recent years; there’s commentary from Adam Scott, Su Lim and Stephanie Fitzgerald; we have reports from two round tables in London as well as a look back on Design Mumbai; the latest news on products, materials and events. Plus there are loads more features, including our podcast series with Shaw Contract exploring the different facets of comfort. (more…)

Designing for new work: lighting and acoustics shape Atelier drü’s new studio

Designing for new work: lighting and acoustics shape Atelier drü’s new studio

by • Company news, Workplace design

TRILUX has delivered a lighting solution for the new offices of Swiss architecture practice Atelier drü in Flums, in the canton of St. Gallen. Designed as a collaborative “New Work” environmentTRILUX has delivered a lighting solution for the new offices of Swiss architecture practice Atelier drü in Flums, in the canton of St. Gallen. Designed as a collaborative “New Work” environment, the project combines exposed concrete architecture with minimalist interior design, placing lighting and acoustics at the centre of the workplace concept. The office design features large concrete surfaces, modern furnishings, and integrated ceiling elements to create a balanced working environment where interior design, lighting and spatial planning work together to support comfort and collaboration. (more…)

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

A new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settledA new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settled, with average occupancy remaining well below pre-pandemic norms and peak attendance continuing to cluster midweek. The Hybrid Occupancy Index 2025–2026 [registration] published by workplace analytics firm HubStar, draws on data from more than 300 million square feet of office space across 173 buildings in 13 countries, covering more than 27,000 workspaces between January 2023 and December 2025. (more…)

1 2 3 4 5 >»