New book on the future of work argues that the office is not just surviving, but thriving

A new book from RIBA Publishing, which examines the future office, argues that despite predictions that the office is on the verge of extinction, it is not only surviving, but thriving. Digital technologies have spurred this transformation, and with it, the metamorphosis of our entire working environment. The office of today can vary from a sweeping open expanse of ergonomic, futuristic workstations, to a local coffee shop. Future Office: Next-Generation Workplace Design debates tradition, change, and the future of how we work and where.

The collaborative work of twelve experts in their fields, led by Nicola Gillen of AECOM, Future Office considers everything from graphene to battery powered buildings, to provide a guide for architects, designers, developers and occupiers to create office spaces that promote wellbeing, innovation and growth for the future.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Putting people at the centre of design and decision-making is key to delivering the right environment to optimise creativity, innovation and productivity[/perfectpullquote]

Nicola Gillen, workplace market sector lead for Europe, Middle East and Africa, AECOM, said: “The digital revolution is reshaping how we live and work every day, yet the role of people – specifically the workforce – is becoming ever more important.Putting people at the centre of design and decision-making is key to delivering the right environment to optimise creativity, innovation and productivity. Too often, their needs are overlooked in the design process. Human interaction and engagement must remain the focus as future office design evolves to support new ways of working and new concepts for the workplace.”

Dubbed “essential reading for everybody associated with planning and designing the next generation of workplaces,” Professor Jeremy Myerson of the Royal College of Art calls Future Office “the first comprehensive picture of what the future might look like.”

Bruce Daisley, Vice-President of Twitter through Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and author of The Joy of Work commented: “Throughout the zesty, thought-provoking pages of Future Office, there is a clear message that if we are going to succeed in the future, we need to equip and adapt. As we set about trying to contemplate what the future of work looks like, let this stimulating, substantiated volume be your inspiration.”