Columnists
May 28, 2015
It’s perfectly logical why we should apply emotion in workplace design
by Dan Callegari • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design
Most of the arguments put forward for enlightened workplace design are fact based. That’s useful but such arguments can also ignore the fact that we respond to our surroundings on an emotional level as well as a functional one. Once you accept that office design is as much about how it makes people feel as how […]
May 27, 2015
Smart buildings, smart cities and the promise of infinite data
by Paul Doherty • Cities, Comment, Facilities management, Technology
The rapid urbanization of our world and the weaving of existing and new buildings into the urban fabric of Smart City initiatives are some of the great challenges facing our global industry today. Along with the vast amount of definitions and marketing campaigns surrounding the phrase “Smart Cities” comes the challenge of understanding why the movement […]
May 25, 2015
Clerkenwell Design Week explores the links between design and the individual
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Events, Flooring, Furniture, Workplace design
For a show with such an international perspective there are many aspects of Clerkenwell Design Week that mark it out as a typically British event. There’s the weather, of course, which can vary from day to day between drizzle and bright sunshine, marking the difference between visitors dodging showers and huddling in showrooms or spilling out onto […]
May 20, 2015
Collaborative work is the driving force behind the desk rental boom
by Peter Ames • Comment, Flexible working, Property
In the wake of the Smarter Working West Midlands project, which encouraged SMEs to try co-working for free, it is increasingly apparent the nation’s small businesses are prepared to embrace alternative office space options. Both serviced offices and desk-rental can offer the flexibility a long-term office lease often cannot because they involve rental agreements that may […]
May 19, 2015
Shared office space is redefining commercial property and the workplace
by Charles Marks • Comment, Property, Workplace design
The changing way we work presents particular challenges for the development of commercial property as well as those who specify, design and occupy workplaces. As has been highlighted many times before, the days are gone when designing an office was largely determined by the number of people who occupy it and the main determinant of the […]
May 18, 2015
Management is needed to ensure people actually use sit stand workstations
by Kati Barklund • Comment, Furniture, Wellbeing, Workplace design
Lately I’ve seen many articles about sit stand workstations and references to Scandinavia where almost all of us employees have access to sit stand workstations. It is true that most of the Scandinavian employees have access to sit stand workstations and in for example in Denmark employers are required by law to provide sit stand […]
May 11, 2015
Does declining productivity spell the end for IT and property directors?
by John Blackwell • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Technology, Work&Place
When it comes to increasing organisational output, which in turn directly relates to real wage growth and higher living standards, the only determinant is productivity, measured in terms of output per hour worked. This is at the heart of all businesses and is essential for growth. The basic facts on productivity are clear. For over […]
May 8, 2015
The world’s enduring addiction to the joy and misery of commuting
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Work&Place, Workplace
Commuting is one of the most complained about yet least explored facets of our working lives. This is in spite of the fact that it consumes so much of people’s time, energy and money, is presented as one of the main arguments for more flexible working practices and is so closely linked to our wellbeing. Yet […]
May 7, 2015
Understanding and overcoming the objections to sit stand workstations
by Marc Bird • Comment, Furniture, Wellbeing, Workplace design
In Sweden, sit-stand working is so commonplace that our Nordic colleagues are perplexed by how slow the UK has been to catch up. The expectation of varying working positions throughout the day is so widespread across Scandinavia that over 80 percent of Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian office workers already use sit stand workstations, and […]
May 5, 2015
A responsible approach needed for the design and build of London’s towers 0
by Paul Chilton • Architecture, Comment, Property
There are currently over 260 new towers either proposed, approved or under construction in Greater London, a 12 per cent increase on last year. There has been much debate and concern about the impact of the design and build of so many new towers on the capital and in particular the visual impact. The Skyline Campaign […]
May 29, 2015
Everything you wanted to know about open plan but were too distracted to ask
by Maciej Markowski • Comment, Facilities management, Work&Place, Workplace design
There is a lively and ongoing debate on whether open plan offices are a good or bad thing. Many articles would suggest that they routinely diminish productivity. Yes, the open plan office is not ideal for privacy and probably bad for conceptual focused work, but it’s a bit like saying a hammer is useless when you need […]