October 2, 2023

Sustainability and skills at heart of RICS’ new manifesto for the built environment

by Jayne Smith • Environment, Facilities management, News

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is launching its manifesto for the built environment in the lead-up to the next UK General Election, titled Empowering a Sustainable Future. The UK’s built and natural environments face large-scale challenges ranging from climate change to a cost-of-living crisis. According to the manifesto, endemic skills shortages undermine development in the industry while the workplace has become more fluid post-pandemic, with the built environment needing to reflect the change in workforce behaviour and its approach to sustainability. More →

September 25, 2023

Report links economic growth with the idea of ‘good work’

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

In advance of the main party conferences, the CIPD is calling for the next UK Government to develop a long-term workforce strategy to underpin a broader, bolder vision for economic growth. This is a central message in its new ‘Manifesto for Good Work’ which outlines the public policy changes needed to address the UK’s multiple challenges, for all the main UK political parties. These challenges include stagnating productivity, rising skills shortages and our ageing working population. More →

September 21, 2023

Workers increasingly concerned that AI will come for their job in the very near future

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working

Two thirds of IT workers and nearly half of office workers think that generative AI may come for their jobs within five years, according to a new report from Ivanti. The poll of nearly 8,000 respondents worldwide also suggests that 57 percent of people report ‘serious friction’ with workplace technology at least weekly and 61 percent say negative experiences with work tech affects their morale. More →

September 18, 2023

Smart technology needs to start with people if it wants to get smarter

by David Sharp • Features, Technology, Wellbeing

“My engineering students had come to class with technology on their minds.” So says artist and design researcher Sara Hendren, author of What a Body Can Do: How we Meet the Built World. It’s a fascinating book in which she consciously pushes back against the prevailing narrative that so-called smart technology has a fix for every problem. As a professor teaching design for disability at Olin College of Engineering, Massachusetts, Hendren draws attention to the assumptions that drive normative behaviours to define what is a ‘problem’ in the first place. More →

September 13, 2023

Half of firms won’t meet 2030 decarbonisation target, report claims

by Jayne Smith • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

A new report from Siemens Infrastructure claims that there is limited agreement amongst businesses on how best to progress towards a decarbonised and resource-efficient world and under half expect to meet their net zero targets based on current thinking. According to the Transition Monitor 2023: The Great Divide on The Path to Net Zero report, whilst more than half of those surveyed believe the infrastructure transition is accelerating in their region, a quarter of senior executives said that progress on decarbonisation is “too slow”, while 29 percent believe progress is “coordinated”, and 31 percent describe it as “on target”. More →

September 8, 2023

The Works Place

by Mark Eltringham •

Can we talk about sustainable design?

“There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs; and you try to get the best trade-off you can get, that’s all you can hope for.”

Does Thomas Sowell’s (in)famous dictum about the harsh reality of economics and existence describe a permanent condition for sustainable design? Are the materials, supply chains and processes we use merely less worse than their alternatives or can we hope to achieve something that is genuinely better?

That is one of the many complex questions we’ll be addressing at a new interactive event we are hosting at the London Design Festival this year. And we’d love you to come talk to us about it as we look for some answers to the most pressing issues of our time. You can book tickets here.

We have created a space and conversation forum that will showcase the latest and most innovative thinking on sustainable design, circularity, new materials and innovation. Known as The Works Place, products and ideas will be presented in a range of working settings. And most importantly it’s a chance to talk and share your views about what is possible and what we might dream to do better.

Partners include Flokk, Area, Mater, Humanscale, The Collective Agency, Material Matters, Woven Image, Crafting Plastics, Obo, Future Designs, Women in Office Design and The Sustainable Design Collective.

The Works Place is at the iconic five-storey Bargehouse building from 20-23 September as part of Material Matters.

September 7, 2023

AI is giving business leaders the heebie-jeebies, new poll suggests

by Jayne Smith • News

An overwhelming majority of business leaders (94 percent) admit to some form of ‘tech anxiety’ when it comes to AI and other technology, according to a new survey from Kin + Carta. This anxiety is on the rise as the pace of digital and technological change accelerates, and is prompting top executives to invest more in digital transformation, according to the survey. The report defines tech anxiety as the feeling senior leaders have as a result of the rapid pace of advancements in technology that are causing concern when it comes to how their business operates. While the top source of that anxiety is cyber security (cited by 24 percent of respondents), close behind, and rounding out the top three, are concerns over AI and machine learning (19 percent), and anxieties about sustainability strategy and tracking (17 percent). More →

August 22, 2023

Advancing accessibility and reaping the rewards of disability inclusion

by Katy Talikowska • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

In business, companies have a responsibility to balance profit-driven strategies with wider social commitments. As well as being the right thing to do, a focus on the latter can invariably drive economic value. Companies that prioritise diversity, for instance, earn 2.5 times higher cash flow, while inclusive teams are 35 percent more productive. As a result, diversity in the workforce is now widely accepted to be both a moral necessity and a commercial opportunity, with more and more corporates incorporating DE&I policies into their operational frameworks. Despite this progress, the disability community is still largely excluded from these discussions around inclusion. More →

August 14, 2023

First look at Sustainable Design China Summit taking place in Beijing this September

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Environment, Events, Workplace design

Following on from its successful launch last year, the Sustainable Design China Summit returns for 2023. The event, an evolution of Design China Beijing, is held at the Beijing Exhibition Center from 21-23 September 2023 and is a must-visit for designers, architects, developers, and decision makers looking to design a sustainable future. More →

August 10, 2023

Zoom opens new London ‘Engagement Hub’

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

Zoom has opened a new London ‘Engagement Hub’ which the firm claims will spearhead the shift from traditional office spaces to ‘experiential working hubs’. With the demand for hybrid working and remote capabilities giving rise to unconventional ways of operating, Zoom says it has designed its new office to support the changing nature of the employee experience, marking a new era of modern work. More →

August 4, 2023

Insight confirms partnership with Material Matters for sustainable design event

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, News, Workplace design

We are part of the London Design Festival for the first time this year, developing an exciting new project that promises to mark a significant shift in the way we think about workplaces and sustainable design. We have partnered with Material Matters to create a space that will showcase the latest and most innovative thinking on sustainable office design, circularity, new materials and innovation. Known as The Works Place, products and ideas will be presented in a range of working settings so that visitors can see how they might be applied in their own offices and other spaces. More →

August 2, 2023

Do political and social opinions belong in the office? People can’t even agree on that

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

The UK workforce is divided on whether political and social opinions belong in the office, according to a new report from HiBob. According to the poll commissioned for the report, half of UK professionals (53 percent) feel that respectful socio-political discourse in the workplace should be encouraged. However, the other half (45 percent) believe socio-political discussion should be kept out of the office, citing concerns over the impact on company culture. More →