March 17, 2022

Co-living ideas explored in Davidson Prize longlist

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Flexible working

The judges of the 2022 Davidson Prize have selected a longlist of 14 teams. Responding to this year’s theme of Co-Living – A New Future, the longlisted teams represent diverse and exciting collaborative approaches to transforming the architecture of the home. The Davidson Prize is a design ideas and communication prize established in 2021 in memory of architectural visualisation pioneer Alan Davidson. Following the success of the inaugural Prize last year, in 2022 teams made up of architects working collaboratively with other disciplines were asked to consider whether current notions of home in the UK are keeping step with the 21st century. More →

March 17, 2022

Technology and talent should be main focus for business leaders now

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

Businesses are investing in technology to expand online operations and facilitate remote work during the pandemic. But many of those same businesses are also eager to see their employees return to the workplace in greater numbers over the long term. Those are among the findings of a new survey of small and midsized business leaders conducted by The Harris Poll and sponsored by CIT, a division of First Citizens Bank. More →

March 16, 2022

Employees don’t have survey fatigue – they are tired of being ignored

by Stephanie Fitzgerald • Comment, SF, Workplace

An employee survey can offer fantastic insight into the highs and lows of working for your company, and how employees perceive and understand your business culture. These survey responses can allow mangers and leaders to make proactive and positive changes to the business, improve employee engagement and ultimately increase business success. However, research tells us response rates can be as low as five percent. More →

March 16, 2022

IVC Commercial offer brand identity and practicality at new offices of Plastribution

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Plastribution, a UK based distributor of plastics and raw materials, recently moved into new offices and called upon Blueprint Interiors to design a practical space that reflected its brand through colours. Across 1,000m sq.m. of space, a range of flooring solutions from IVC Commercial have been used. In the main desking areas, Art Style and Art Fields carpet planks have been installed in a range of colours that reflect Plastribution’s colourful and vibrant brand identity. Bright tones of yellow, cyan and magenta have been contrasted with circles of charcoal grey for a look that is energetic yet professional. More →

March 15, 2022

Retrofit offers the greatest opportunity for a commercial property market beset by uncertainty

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property

In the context of a second major economic shock from war in Ukraine and continuing inflationary concerns, the PWC / ULI report Emerging Trends in Real Estate Global Outlook 2022 focuses on the global outlook for the real estate industry increasing pressure for finance to support the decarbonisation of real estate. The industry challenges lenders and their regulators to provide debt for the retrofit of existing buildings and the scale-up of the ‘climate tech’ needed. More →

March 15, 2022

New ways of working and what we’ve learned about them over the past two years

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A report published by Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA): Change For Good: 10 Lessons From The Pandemic identifies what it says is the transformative effect of the new ways of working and why there is ‘no going back’ for employers or employees. More →

March 15, 2022

Inclusive office design guide published by Business Disability Forum

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace design

The Business Disability Forum (BDF) has published a new global guide which sets out to showing how all businesses can make their built environments accessible to the one billion people in world who have a disability. Having a disability can affect how a person accesses, navigates, and uses the spaces and structures around them. Built environments include everything from entrances, exits, stairs, lifts, signage, to parking, green spaces, roads, and transport systems so inclusive office design should address a wide range of issues. More →

March 14, 2022

Out of hours work ban would find support among majority of employees

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology, Wellbeing

A new poll from researchers Ipsos reveals the majority of UK adults aged 16-75 are in favour of introducing a law giving employees the right to ignore work-related communications, such as emails, texts and instant messages, outside of their official working/on-call hours. Around 60 percent would support the Government introducing an out of hours law, including 34 percent who would strongly support it. Only 1 in 10 (11 percent) indicated they would be against introduction of such a law. More →

March 11, 2022

Four day week now more attractive thanks to pandemic

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

The COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns and shift to remote working has had a significant impact on organisations’ attitudes towards a shorter working week, new research from Henley Business School has revealed. The longitudinal study found that 65 percent of UK businesses surveyed are now implementing a four-day working week for some, or all, of their staff, compared with 50 percent who answered a similar survey carried out by Henley in 2019. More →

March 10, 2022

Nearly three quarters of people have ignored mental health to continue working

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

More than 7 in 10 UK employees have pushed through a mental health struggle to avoid taking time off work in the past three months, according to a new report by BetterUp Labs. Over half (59 percent) also reported that they’d had to push through a physical health struggle, suggesting there is widespread hesitation about stepping away from work to take time to recover. The report also claims that over a quarter (26 percent) of respondents have or have had a mental wellbeing condition, with 30 percent of women and 21 percent of men reporting this. More →

March 9, 2022

Workplace Geeks podcast: Space for thought, with Jeremy Myerson

by Neil Franklin • Features, Flexible working, Workplace design

In this new episode of Workplace Geeks, Chris and Ian talk to WORKTECH Academy director, author and activist, professor emeritus Jeremy Myerson, about his award-winning research, ‘Space for thought: designing for knowledge workers’. The paper was co-authored with lead-researcher Catherine Greene back in 2011, and the findings are arguably even more relevant now in the aftermath of the pandemic, as many organisations grapple to unlock suitable alternative working arrangements for their diverse knowledge workers’ needs. More →

March 9, 2022

Workspace Design Show reveals new theme and announces new Amsterdam event

by Freddie Steele • News, Workplace design

With 12 months to go, ‘Destination Workplace’ has been unveiled as the theme for the second edition of the Workspace Design Show. Taking place at London’s Business Design Centre on 27-28 February 2023, the Workspace Design Show will once again be bringing together the entire commercial interiors community to discover and discuss tomorrow’s workspaces. The Workspace Design Show has announced the members of an advisory board and is also launching an Amsterdam counterpart. The Amsterdam show will have a special focus on bringing UK exporters an opportunity to sell to the Benelux market. More →