November 2, 2023

NeoCon calls for thought leaders to take part in its programme

NeoCon, North America’s largest platform and event for the commercial interiors industry, which takes place from June 10-12, 2024 at THE MART in Chicago, is inviting thought-leaders to submit proposals for its onsite and virtual programming, as well as its year-round educational offerings. Now in its 55th edition, NeoCon’s annual conference boasts an impressive attendance of architects, designers, manufacturers, dealers, end-users, design organizations, and media––all eager to learn about the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of design. More →

November 1, 2023

It’s hard to keep dead tech down

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology

In 2022, Cormac McCarthy published two novels at the age of 89. An impressive feat, doubly so because he wrote them on the same old dead tech typewriter he’d bought from a pawn shop in 1963. Prior to his death, he no longer had the original, a light blue Olivetti Lettera 32, because that was sold at a charity auction for a quarter of million dollars in 2009. A friend replaced it with an identical model for just $11. But one that lacked the cultural imprint, clearly. More →

October 25, 2023

Five reasons why (Framery) office pods help to solve the great workplace debate

by Freddie Steele • Company news

It’s a fact – pods are taking over the office. In 2010, Framery introduced the first pod to the market and now there are over 200 suppliers globally. Framery, the market leader in this space, was a major pioneer of their development and subsequently has supplied 70 percent of Forbes 100 companies with office pods. More →

October 19, 2023

Real estate tech strategies advance AI, workplace and sustainability

by Jayne Smith • AI, News, Property, Technology

Commercial real estate occupiers are willing to put their money where the tech is, according to new polling from JLL’s 2023 Global Real Estate Technology Survey. Ninety-one percent of occupier respondents are willing to pay a premium for tech-enabled space as they look to technology for strategic value and increased revenue. In fact, real estate tech budgets are set to grow faster than investments in?headcount, footprint and operating budgets, the report suggests. More →

October 16, 2023

Humanscale launches global partnership with Kvadrat

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Humanscale the leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance ergonomic products introduces its global partnership through the offering of nine Kvadrat textiles– the renowned textile designer and manufacturer. The collaboration begins with Humanscale’s award winning Freedom family seating solutions, available now with the partnership then expanding further across Humanscale’s planet positive seating solutions, including Smart Ocean, Liberty Ocean and the Trea Chair launching in November, and further to Summa, Smart Conference and Path available early 2024. More →

October 11, 2023

Connection addresses needs of neurodivergent workers with new system

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Approximately 20 percent of the population is what is known as neurodivergent, totalling around 13.5 million people in the UK, 150 million in Europe, and 1.6 billion globally. Catering to this large proportion of neurodivergent workers in the population is critical for interior designers and product designers alike, who carry a weight of responsibility when it comes to creating workplaces that not only support and facilitate those living with neurodiverse conditions but empower them to optimise their wellbeing and productivity. More →

October 4, 2023

BCO Awards dominated by South East offices yet again but Glasgow office takes top spot

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Workplace design

Barclays’ Glasgow campus (pictured) was celebrated as the Best of the Best at the British Council for Offices (BCO) National Awards last night, also taking home the prize for Corporate Workplace. Seven further winners of BCO Awards were recognised as leading examples of excellence in workplace design in the UK. There were no winners in any category in the Midlands or North of England, Northern Ireland or Wales, although two offices in Manchester and Widnes were commended and the President’s Award went to HMRC for its ongoing national estate management programme. More →

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 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 11, 2023

Is the workplace experience shaped more by maintenance or by design?

by Andrew Brown • Facilities management, Features, Workplace design

What has resilience got to do with the workplace experience? It is a word that has been used a lot recently as the great British public has demonstrated massive amounts of resilience in coping with Covid-19, fuel shortages, worries about food availability and a massive shift in how we work. So what is it? The dictionary gives two meanings: firstly the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, i.e. toughness. And then secondly, the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity – like nylon for example. More →

September 7, 2023

Exploring the gender pay gap in Germany: a closer look at salary inequality

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace

In Germany, just like in numerous other nations, the gender pay gap remains a subject of significant worry and discussion. The persistent issue of unequal pay between men and women, where women frequently earn less than their male colleagues for the same job, persists. This article seeks to explore the gender pay gap in Germany in more detail, investigating the underlying factors that contribute to this gap and considering possible remedies to tackle this problem. More →