Search Results for: environments

October 21, 2021

Urban environments and buildings needs a transformation, report claims

by Neil Franklin • Cities, Environment, News

Ahead of COP26, green business leaders around the world have called for government and industry action on buildings and infrastructure. The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has published a new report, which it claims helps to identify opportunities for how a transformative, integrated approach to urban environments and buildings is essential to deliver change in line with the commitments of the Paris Agreement. (more…)

August 4, 2020

People struggle with home working environments and solitude

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

People are productive at home and want to retain flexible working after lockdown, but struggle with sub-optimal working environments and a lack of interaction with colleagues. That is the main finding from a survey by property technology company, Equiem. The firm has published the results of its most comprehensive global office occupier survey to date, providing landlords and tenants alike with valuable insights into occupier sentiment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)

July 30, 2019

Toxic workplace environments plague accountancy profession

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Toxic workplace environments plague the accountancy profession, according to new research from CABA, a wellbeing charity for chartered accountants. The survey of over 250 accountants suggests that over half of chartered accountants think their workplace is toxic. Communication issues, working unrealistic hours and cliquey colleagues are also cited in the study. The survey found that 55 percent of respondents believe their workplace to be toxic.

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February 24, 2017

White paper: a new world of learning environments ⁰

by Oliver Ronald • Briefing, Insight Briefings, Premium Content, Workplace design

The traditional structures of work and education were forged in the fires of the Industrial Revolution. They shared many characteristics. They were rigid, hierarchical and based on a patriarchal approach to achieving their aims. In education, this manifested itself in the traditional didactic form that was, until recently, seen as the ideal model, based on teachers, tutors and lecturers imparting knowledge and learning to their pupils and students as part of an agreed curriculum and to an approved timetable. How well this process turned out was checked with periodic testing. For some time now, people have been questioning this structure and, with it, the design of learning environments. Over the past few decades, we have not only developed the technologies to allow us to learn in new ways, we have also developed a far better understanding of the processes involved.

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July 10, 2015

Local authority staff frustrated by poor quality working environments

by Mark Eltringham • Public Sector, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Employees at UK local authorities are frustrated at their poor quality working environments and councils are suffering as a result, claims a new study from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Over two thirds (68 percent) of employees polled for the report claim their workplaces need to be upgraded and nearly all (92 percent) said they take the standard of workplace into account when deciding where to work. Furthermore, 80 percent of current employees claim they take the standard of working environment into account when making decisions about whether to remain in the current role. In an interview with LocalGov magazine, Paul Bagust, director of UK commercial property at RICS, also warned that short term cost cutting in the workplace is likely to be counterproductive in the long term.

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January 30, 2015

British workers suffer in silence in noisy office environments

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace design

New research from Avanta Serviced Office Group claims that noise in the office environment is severely damaging the productivity of British businesses. The study of more than 1,000 UK office workers found that although over 80 percent of employees claim to being regularly distracted by noise in the workplace, fewer than half complain about it. Instead around a third admit they simply take themselves somewhere quieter such as their homes or a cafe or library. The study also identifies the distractions that bother people the most, most deriving directly from their colleagues including overheard conversations, ringtones, loud eating habits, whistling, music and even people talking to themselves. Compared to these human sources, the racket generated by inanimate objects features low down the list of irritants.

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March 12, 2026

The British seem more worried about robots than anybody else

by Neil Franklin • AI, News

British adults are more anxious about robots than people in any other major economy, according to a new global study which suggests the unease may stem from a lack of exposure to the technology in everyday life. The research, published by technology firm Hexagon, is based on a survey 18,000 people across nine countries for its Robot Generation report. It found that 52 percent of adults in the UK say they worry something might go wrong when they think about interacting with robots. The global average is 42 percent, while in South Korea the figure is just 29 percent. (more…)

March 12, 2026

AI users report stronger workplace connections, according to Gensler survey

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

New research from Gensler suggests that employees who make the greatest use of artificial intelligence tools are also among the most connected to their colleagues, challenging assumptions that increased use of technology leads to more isolated ways of working. The firm’s 2026 Global Workplace Survey gathered responses from more than 16,400 office workers across 16 countries. Around 30 percent of respondents were identified as “AI power users”, defined as people who regularly use AI tools in both their work and personal lives. (more…)

March 11, 2026

Reimagining inclusive washrooms for the modern workplace

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Wellbeing

As businesses continue to encourage employees back to the office, Fitzroy of London is urging organisations to rethink one of the most overlooked yet impactful areas of workplace design: the commercial washroom. Long treated as purely functional and often clinical in appearance, washrooms present a powerful opportunity to create inclusive, uplifting spaces that support everyone who uses them. In many commercial environments, inclsuive washrooms have historically prioritised compliance over experience, resulting in spaces that feel cold, uninspiring and disconnected from the rest of the interior design. Fitzroy of London believes this approach no longer reflects the values of modern workplaces, where inclusivity, wellbeing and design quality are key to attracting and retaining talent. (more…)

February 23, 2026

The ROI of predictive property management with IoT sensors

by David Rowan • Company news, Facilities management, Property

It’s all well and good eulogising about the technological benefits of incorporating the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) within property management but do the numbers stack up? What is the likely return on investment (ROI) of shifting from the existing reactive model to something distinctly more proactive and predictive? A recent six-month project at a retirement complex in the Scottish Borders might just shed some light on the viability, or otherwise, of the IoT revolution that’s well underway. (more…)

February 20, 2026

Designing for new work: lighting and acoustics shape Atelier drü’s new studio

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

TRILUX has delivered a lighting solution for the new offices of Swiss architecture practice Atelier drü in Flums, in the canton of St. Gallen. Designed as a collaborative “New Work” environment, the project combines exposed concrete architecture with minimalist interior design, placing lighting and acoustics at the centre of the workplace concept. The office design features large concrete surfaces, modern furnishings, and integrated ceiling elements to create a balanced working environment where interior design, lighting and spatial planning work together to support comfort and collaboration. (more…)

February 6, 2026

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

A new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settled, with average occupancy remaining well below pre-pandemic norms and peak attendance continuing to cluster midweek. The Hybrid Occupancy Index 2025–2026 [registration] published by workplace analytics firm HubStar, draws on data from more than 300 million square feet of office space across 173 buildings in 13 countries, covering more than 27,000 workspaces between January 2023 and December 2025. (more…)