Search Results for: Gen Z

Office attendance levels continue to rise across Europe

Office attendance levels continue to rise across Europe

Efforts to bring employees back to the office over the past year have generated high degrees of success, according to the 2024 European Office Occupier Survey from CBREEfforts to bring employees back to the office over the past year have generated high degrees of success, according to the 2024 European Office Occupier Survey from CBRE. According to the research, the proportion of companies reporting average building utilisation of 41-80 percent has risen to 61 percent, up from 48 percent in 2023. Conversely, the proportion of companies reporting lower utilisation has fallen, with only a third of companies reporting utilisation of 40 percent or below, compared with nearly half of the companies surveyed last year. More →

Book review: Workspace Made Easy

Book review: Workspace Made Easy

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

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

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 →

CIBSE and IBPSA-England announce their partnership for 2025 Technical Symposium

CIBSE and IBPSA-England announce their partnership for 2025 Technical Symposium

CIBSE and IBPSA-England are pleased to unveil their partnership for the upcoming 2025 Technical Symposium.CIBSE and IBPSA-England are pleased to unveil their partnership for the upcoming 2025 Technical Symposium. This joint effort merges two premier events in building performance and sustainable design: CIBSE’s annual Technical Symposium and IBPSA-England’s biennial Building Simulation and Optimisation event. Themed “Fit for 2050 – Achieving Net-Zero through Intelligent, Resilient and Sustainable Design in the Built Environment,” the CIBSE IBPSA-England Technical Symposium 2025 aims to serve as a platform for the latest research and innovations in sustainable practices. This partnership underscores a shared dedication to advancing knowledge and best practices in building performance. More →

Is it fair that AI defines if you deserve a job?

Is it fair that AI defines if you deserve a job?

As AI continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, impacting not just personal endeavours but also professional pursuits, one important question emerges: is it fair that AI defines if you deserve a job?The rise of AI-driven hiring processes has undoubtedly transformed the recruitment landscape, and we know it. But is it fair that AI defines if you deserve a job? Ultimately, the answer to this question is not just a technical or logistical issue, it is a profoundly ethical one. AI (artificial intelligence) has revolutionised the way we interact with technology, increasingly permeating various aspects of our lives, from virtual assistants to complex algorithms shaping our online experiences. More →

People are cautiously optimistic about the impact of AI and other tech

People are cautiously optimistic about the impact of AI and other tech

both employers and employees are optimistic about the impact new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will have on their workplace – even though decision makers feel more optimistic than staffEmployers and staff are optimistic about impact of new technologies, despite uncertainty about safety according to a new British Safety Council survey. The YouGov survey commissioned by British Safety Council among 4018 UK employers and employees claims that both employers and employees are optimistic about the impact new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will have on their workplace – even though decision makers feel more optimistic than staff. More →

How IT Simplification creates a superior Digital Employee Experience

How IT Simplification creates a superior Digital Employee Experience

Digital Employee Experience refers to the quality of employees' interactions with technology in their work environment, and as remote work becomes the norm, a seamless DEX is crucial. The workplace continues to evolve rapidly, with the shift to hybrid models now featuring heavily in employees’ expectations. Indeed, a recent global study of workers from 11 countries, including the UK, shows 44 percent of employees prefer hybrid work. This new chapter in workplace dynamics could explain Gartner’s recent research, which has shown a growing focus on the Digital Employee Experience (DEX). The findings revealed that by 2025 half of IT organisations will have a DEX strategy, up from just 20 percent in 2023. DEX refers to the quality of employees’ interactions with technology in their work environment, and as remote work becomes the norm, a seamless DEX is crucial. More →

Why a ‘listening culture’ could do more harm than good 

Why a ‘listening culture’ could do more harm than good 

Over the past few months, we have seen large corporates hit the headlines due to some poor business practices. Leaders from all of those companies have made statements where they accept responsibility and state they are looking to do things differently in the future. Whether it’s the statement by CEO Nick Read in light of the Post Office Horizon scandal, or Boeing CEO David Calhoun answering questions in the US Senate, one word that keeps cropping up is ‘listening’. More →

Put on your own mask first: Leadership strategies for stress management and emotional resilience

Put on your own mask first: Leadership strategies for stress management and emotional resilience

It can be easy when we’re in high stress situations to think only about how the stress is affecting us.Put your own oxygen mask on before assisting other passengers. If you’ve been on a plane before, you’ve heard this saying. What would it look like if you put your own proverbial mask on before placing others? Looking after yourself first? As a leader, making sure that your own stress is properly managed translates to helping yourself so that you’re available to help others. When we don’t have a handle on our stress, it can reveal our negative personal tendencies, be it arrogance, melodrama or volatility. While those derailers have an immense effect on our ability to produce work, they also negatively affect those around us. More →

Crown estate announces details of latest London commercial property developments

Crown estate announces details of latest London commercial property developments

The Crown Estate has unveiled details of its pipeline of commercial property developments in London’s West End.The Crown Estate has unveiled details of its pipeline of commercial property developments in London’s West End. According to The Crown Estate, the first three projects, which have a Gross Development Value of over £430 million, will deliver 250,000 sq ft of office, leisure and retail space in the heart of the Capital, which it claims will help to stimulate the renewal of the West End, attract global investment and contribute to the wider success of London. 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

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 →