February 5, 2021
Microsoft has announced Microsoft Viva, which it claims is the first employee experience platform to bring tools for employee engagement, learning, wellbeing and knowledge discovery, directly into people’s workflow. Viva is designed to help employees ‘learn, grow and thrive’ in the new era of working life, and is designed to work alongside existing solutions such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. More →
February 1, 2021
Woven Image brings a renewed sense of connectivity to the workplace with its new collection, Dimensional Connections. By combining three-dimensional textures with the soothing tones of ochre and cinnamon a renewed positive energy is brought into the workplace, whether that be in a home office or in a collaborative corporate environment. Dimensional Connections incorporates Gem the newest addition to the embossed panel series. More →
January 27, 2021
Recently lighting control firm Prolojik assembled an expert panel to talk about learning and working during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. The roundtable (online of course) involved participants from various fields related to the built environment including those involved in developing, designing and tech reflected on their own experiences over the last several months. While industry issues raised during the session included what productivity really means and how to measure it, what infrastructure needs to be in place to enable people to return to their place of work or education and why a joined-up approach to wellness is an indisputably necessary strand of building management. More →
January 19, 2021
Improving air quality in the fight against COVID-19 could give businesses the edge over their competitors and attract more customers, according to a top UK university scientist. Writing in a new report for facilities services provider phs Group, Cambridge University Professor Paul Linden highlights the growing evidence for the airborne transmission of coronavirus and that tackling indoor air quality must be at the forefront of creating COVID-safe environments. More →
January 13, 2021
Workspace Show is an exciting addition to the global design events calendar, launching on 21 January this year, with the inaugural edition taking place from 4-5 November 2021 at London’s Business Design Centre, at the heart of the UK’s commercial interiors community. With a theme of ‘re-designing tomorrow’s commercial interiors together’ the show aims to unite architects, designers, developers, contractors, facilities managers, procurement managers and more in one place to explore and share the latest industry thinking from product launches to a comprehensive talks program to networking opportunities aplenty. More →
January 5, 2021
The idea of a Global Village comes loaded with a number of idyllic connotations. Most of them derive from the use of the word village itself, which triggers the idea of a community in our minds. Yet even the man who coined and popularised the term in the 1950s and 60s to describe a world contracted by new media understood that there are always complications whenever technology rubs up against human beings. More →
December 12, 2020
One of the best tricks Clive James ever pulled was finding acceptance as a public intellectual in the UK. It’s not easy in a country in which it is possible to be too clever by half or even too clever for your own good. Stephen Fry continues to pull it off as does Mary Beard, but it’s a hell of a thing to achieve. In the UK it seems to rely on straddling at least two worlds. More →
December 11, 2020
Research by employee benefits provider Unum, claims 86 percent of UK employers surveyed are changing their approach to employee health and wellbeing in light of the current pandemic. Almost all employers surveyed (95 percent) say it has impacted their need to make people feel more protected, with many focusing their health and wellbeing strategies on preventative measures, like mental health advice and support. More →
December 9, 2020
A new workplace heating solution that delivers targeted, gentle heat to desk-based workers is enabling building managers to reduce ambient temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius. The LAVA DESK 2.0 under-desk heater, manufactured from high-quality components in Austria by Etherma – and available exclusively in the UK from ARC Thermal Products – offers workers perfect warmth and comfort at their desk – whether in the workplace or for those home-based during the Covid-19 period. More →
December 8, 2020
The Commercial Park Group, a partnership between Sir Robert McAlpine and the John Baker Group, has announced it will invest £200 million to kick-start developments of two million sq ft of new offices across locations in the south east of England. More →
November 27, 2020
A new scheme for rating the operational energy efficiency of UK offices, NABERS UK, has been launched.
January 13, 2021
Office design will respond to the events of the past year as it always has – by getting better
by Oliver Ronald • Comment, Workplace design