Book review: Workspace Made Easy

Book review: Workspace Made Easy

by • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Workplace design

Workspace Made Easy by Kursty Groves and Neil Usher offers a step-by- step-guide through the complexities of creating and implement a workplace strategy from first principles through to occupying a space and changing it over timeThere’s a dog-eared, yellowing paperback on my bookshelf called Understanding Offices. Written by Joanna Eley and Alexi Marmot, it dates from 1995. It is a handbook for everybody who needed to know how to develop a workplace strategy during the infant phase of the digital and cultural revolution of the late 20th Century. I used to refer to it all the time, but now it serves mainly as a reminder of how much has changed over the past thirty years, and also how little. More →

Connection through design: The role of office designers in fostering workplace ties

Connection through design: The role of office designers in fostering workplace ties

by • Comment, Workplace design

For office designers creating spaces that foster rich, interpersonal connections between colleagues both in-person and remote is essential.For office designers creating spaces that foster rich, interpersonal connections between colleagues both in-person and remote is essential. Design with Impact is a philosophy that can help workplaces prepare to host these meaningful interactions, cultivating a shared sense of purpose among employees. There are many ways that people connect with spaces and within spaces. Physical connection is the most fundamental, and perhaps most obvious type of workplace connection. In-person interaction allows for immediate communication, the ability to read body language, and some would argue, a more meaningful connection than any relationship that can be built over video call. More →

The city and the office have much to teach each other

The city and the office have much to teach each other

by • Cities, Features, Workplace design

It’s common to hear people say that the boundaries between the traditional workplace and the outside world have become blurred but it might be closer to the truth to say that in a growing number of cases they have been eradicated and that the evolution of cities and offices is informed by a two way exchange of DNA. Whatever you might hear, these times are far from unprecedented. History has lessons for us both in terms of how we view the events of 2020 and how we might respond to them, including how we progress as a species and make our lives and the world a better place. In 1832, there was an epidemic of cholera in the UK’s towns and cities. In those with a population of 100,000 or more life expectancy was just 26 years. The reasons for this were picked up on by a government official called Edwin Chadwick as a member of the Poor Law Commission.   More →

Mediocre offices won’t encourage people to spend more time in them

Mediocre offices won’t encourage people to spend more time in them

by • News, Workplace design

Dry, uninspiring offices and long, costly commutes are principal causes for a lack of office-based working, according to a new poll.Dry, uninspiring offices and long, costly commutes are principal causes for a lack of office-based working, according to a new poll. The survey, commissioned by design and fit-out firm Peldon Rose claims that 1 in 3 (34 percent) office-based workers in London have a ‘nightmare journey’ into work each day, which ultimately deters almost half (46 percent) from travelling into the office. For those that do come into the office, more than a third (38 percent) believe their working environment is uninspiring and unfit for purpose. More →

How AI will transform the way we design and manage the places we work

How AI will transform the way we design and manage the places we work

by • AI, Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

The future of work is here. It's AI-powered, human-centered, and brimming with possibility. Are you ready to shape it?The integration of Artificial Intelligence into the workplace is not just a technological shift; it’s a fundamental reimagining of how we work, interact, and manage our professional environments. As AI capabilities rapidly evolve, they promise to transform every aspect of workplace design and management, from physical layouts to organizational structures and employee experiences. More →

We still display status in office design, but in new and subtle ways

We still display status in office design, but in new and subtle ways

by • Comment, Workplace design

There was a time, not so long ago, that one of the most important factors to consider when designing an office was the corporate hierarchy. The office was once the  embodiment of the corporate structure. In Joanna Eley and Alexi Marmot’s 1995 book Understanding Offices, quite a lot of space is dedicated to the idea of the ‘space pyramid’, which means simply that the higher up the organisation you were, the more space you were allocated. Even then, the idea of office design as a signifier of dominance was starting to wear thin, as the authors acknowledge. Ostentatious displays of status were already seen as somewhat gauche, but they were to be fatally undermined by the technological advances to come.

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Book review – Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm

Book review – Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm

by • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Workplace design

This is almost certainly the most important book about work and workplaces to appear in the first half of this year. Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm will be one of the two most important published this year, as we shall soon discover. It is also one packed with wisdom, knowledge and a central premise that is undoubtedly true. Namely that the events of the past four years have given us the opportunity to rethink how we work and so how we spend our days and our lives more generally. More →

3 Days of Design proves we don’t know what we’re doing

3 Days of Design proves we don’t know what we’re doing

by • Comment, Environment, Workplace design

We don't know what we're doing. That was what we all learnt about sustainability at last week's 3 Days of Design in CopenhagenWe don’t know what we’re doing. That was what we all learnt about sustainability at last week’s 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen as Denmark’s capital city played host once more to this increasingly influential European Design event. Timed, as it is, in the same week as Chicago’s Neocon, and following on from Milan’s enormous and well-renowned Salone, not even intermittently inclement weather could disguise the noticeably larger audience drawn to Copenhagen this year. More →

Workspace Design Show triumphs again: get ready for two spectacular shows in London and Amsterdam

Workspace Design Show triumphs again: get ready for two spectacular shows in London and Amsterdam

by • Company news, Workplace design

Workspace Design Show continues to innovate, expanding its diverse portfolio of exhibitors for the London and Amsterdam 2025 showsWorkspace Design Show continues to innovate, expanding its diverse portfolio of exhibitors for the London and Amsterdam 2025 shows, and will feature Umbrella Furniture (pictured) as the lead partner for the talks areas at the 2025 London edition, designed by Gensler and Ryder Architecture. Launched in 2021, Workspace Design Show is a firmly established highlight of the global workplace event calendar. Bringing together world-class design and manufacturing industry excellence, the 2025 editions, which take place in London (26 – 27 Feb) and Amsterdam (5 – 6 Nov), feature a stunning line-up of brands, including König + Neurath, Ahrend, Interface, Tarkett, Kettal, Bisley, and Interstuhl. More →

Introducing Planters by Bisley

Introducing Planters by Bisley

by • Company news, Workplace design

The Bisley range of complementary planters are the perfect addition for bringing the outside inWe know that biophilic elements are key to boosting mental and physical wellness. The Bisley range of complementary planters are the perfect addition for bringing the outside in. The benefits of biophilia are endless, including reduced employee absenteeism, improved health, reduced stress levels, an increase in mood and mental restoration. And it’s something that many businesses have embraced with open arms. Some spaces are even taking it to the next level by planting full sized trees in the lobby or reception, while greenery is appearing in lights, fixtures, and furniture throughout the office. More →

Herman Miller Fuld Nesting Chair receives “Red Dot: Best of the Best” award for product design

Herman Miller Fuld Nesting Chair receives “Red Dot: Best of the Best” award for product design

by • Company news, Workplace design

Herman Miller has announced that its Fuld Nesting Chair designed by Stefan Diez received the prestigious "Red Dot: Best of the Best" award for Product Design—the international design competition’s top distinction within the office chairs categoryHerman Miller has announced that its Fuld Nesting Chair designed by Stefan Diez received the prestigious “Red Dot: Best of the Best” award for Product Design—the international design competition’s top distinction within the office chairs category. The Red Dot jury is made up of 40 international experts who test, discuss, and evaluate each entry individually. Designs are scored based on four qualities of good design: function, seduction, ease of use, and responsibility. This award adds to Fuld’s first successful year of being available to commercial customers More →

Camira original closed loop recycled polyester now contains 25 percent textile-to-textile waste

Camira original closed loop recycled polyester now contains 25 percent textile-to-textile waste

by • Company news, Environment, Workplace design

Global textile manufacturer and designer of commercial, hospitality and residential fabrics, Camira has redefined its original closed loop recycled polyester, X2 for 2024Global textile manufacturer and designer of commercial, hospitality and residential fabrics, Camira has redefined its original closed loop recycled polyester, X2 for 2024. To mark its 50th year in business and enduring commitment to tackling the global textile waste problem, Camira has significantly increased the percentage of textile-to-textile waste in its popular recycled polyester fabric, X2. Originally launched in 2012, X2 now contains 25 percent textile-to-textile recycled polyester, along with 75 percent post-consumer recycled polyester from plastic bottles. More →

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