Search Results for: generation z

Memories of the Office Age 

Memories of the Office Age 

by • Cities, Features, Working lives

memories of the office ageOriginally published in November 2021. No author uses the built environment like J G Ballard. In his 1975 novel High-Rise, the eponymous structure is both a way of isolating the group of people who live and compete inside it and a metaphor for their personal isolation and inner struggles. Over the course of three months, the building’s services begin to fail. The 2,000 people within, detached from external realities in the 40-storey building, confronted with their true selves and those of their neighbours, descend into selfishness and – ultimately – savagery.  (more…)

How the 21st Century office was born in post war Europe

How the 21st Century office was born in post war Europe

by • Features, Workplace design

Central Beheer Building There was a curious addition to a 2016 report on the Top 10 Technologies Driving the Digital Workplace from tech researchers Gartner. It wasn’t a technology at all but rather a slightly obscure office design concept that originated in Hamburg in the late 1950s, but which tells us a lot about how we work in the 21st Century office, according to Gartner. Its history lies with the German consulting firm Quickborner. Led by the brothers Eberhard and Wolfgang Schnelle, the firm applied the egalitarian principles of the post war world and rejection of the scientific management theories that had created the familiar factory-like rows of desks that had come to dominate open plan offices to create something more in tune with the new age.

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RIBA CEO to deliver opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026

RIBA CEO to deliver opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) has announced that Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will deliver the opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) has announced that Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will deliver the opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026. Dr Vaughan-Dick, appointed CEO in January 2023, brings extensive experience in leadership, regeneration and organisational transformation. She is the first woman to hold the role, and among the first from a more diverse leadership background, reflecting a broader shift towards greater inclusivity within the profession. (more…)

Government confirms Manchester digital campus as part of civil service relocation strategy

Government confirms Manchester digital campus as part of civil service relocation strategy

by • News, Property

The government has confirmed plans for a major new digital campus in Manchester, marking a significant step in efforts to relocate civil service roles and strengthen regional technology capabilityThe government has confirmed plans for a major new digital campus in Manchester, marking a significant step in efforts to relocate civil service roles and strengthen regional technology capability. The Manchester Digital Campus received Treasury approval for its outline business case on 19 March, allowing the project to move forward as a central element of the government’s digital and data strategy. (more…)

The British seem more worried about robots than anybody else

The British seem more worried about robots than anybody else

by • AI, News

British adults are more anxious about robots than people in any other major economy, according to a new global studyBritish 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…)

New digital issue of Works magazine is available for you to read online. If you don’t get the print edition, you’re missing out

New digital issue of Works magazine is available for you to read online. If you don’t get the print edition, you’re missing out

by • News, Premium Content, Workplace design, Works Magazine

The new issue of Works magazine is now available for you to read online free. 2026 promises to be yet another revolutionary year for work and workplaces and we'll be with you at every step along the waThe new issue of Works magazine is now available for you to read online free. 2026 promises to be yet another revolutionary year for work and workplaces and we’ll be with you at every step along the way. In this issue: you’ll find three case studies and a round up of projects highlighting new thinking and best practice in workplace design; we consider how Canary Wharf and other business districts are in rude health in spite of the obituaries we may have read about them in recent years; there’s commentary from Adam Scott, Su Lim and Stephanie Fitzgerald; we have reports from two round tables in London as well as a look back on Design Mumbai; the latest news on products, materials and events. Plus there are loads more features, including our podcast series with Shaw Contract exploring the different facets of comfort. (more…)

Rapid growth in number of proposed data centres raises huge concerns for UK climate targets

Rapid growth in number of proposed data centres raises huge concerns for UK climate targets

by • Environment, News

A sharp increase in the number of data centres needed to meet the demands of AI is prompting concerns about energy demandA sharp increase in the number of data centres needed to meet the demands of AI is prompting concerns about energy demand and the potential impact on UK climate commitments, according to a report by The Times [paywall]. According to the newspaper, Ofgem, the energy regulator, has received connection enquiries for around 140 new data centre projects. Together, they are seeking approximately 50 gigawatts of electricity capacity, a figure that exceeds Britain’s entire recent peak electricity demand of about 45 gigawatts. The scale of the requests has raised questions about whether existing infrastructure planning and carbon reduction pathways are aligned with the speed of digital expansion. (more…)

Surface Design Show announces details of speaker’s programme

Surface Design Show announces details of speaker’s programme

by • News, Workplace design

The Surface Design Show has announced the final details of its speaker’s programme for the 2026 edition of the show.The Surface Design Show has announced the final details of its speaker’s programme for the 2026 edition of the show. Featuring a range of topics with some of the most innovative voices in industry, the schedule includes an impressive list of industry names including Michelle Ogundehin, Katie Treggiden, Liz Bell, Tim Gledstone, Giles Miller and Justine Fox.  The main stage is designed by Design Command using acoustic surfaces, soft textures and gentle light, with furniture supplied by Table Place Chairs. The design treats silence not as absence but as an active design language, exploring how materials can shape space while creating a pause for visitors to reflect and feel inspired amid the show. The programme will consist of 21 presentations from over 50 speakers spanning the full breadth of the design industry. (more…)

CEOs say they are struggling to profit from their company’s use of AI

CEOs say they are struggling to profit from their company’s use of AI

by • AI, Business, News

CEO confidence in their revenue prospects has fallen to its lowest level in five years, as business leaders struggle to turn investment in AI into consistent financial returns, according to PwCCEO confidence in their revenue prospects has fallen to its lowest level in five years, as business leaders struggle to turn investment in artificial intelligence (AI) into consistent financial returns, according to PwC. Findings from the consultancy’s 29th Global CEO Survey show that only 30 percent of CEOs are confident about revenue growth over the next 12 months. That compares with 38 percent in 2025 and 56 percent in 2022, suggesting a sharp cooling in optimism as organisations face a mix of economic uncertainty, geopolitical pressure and rapid technological change. The survey is based on responses from 4,454 CEOs across 95 countries and territories. (more…)

Major surge in people working past retirement age … matched by rise in age discrimination claims

Major surge in people working past retirement age … matched by rise in age discrimination claims

by • News, Workplace

with the number of older people in the workplace growing, employers need to be more proactive to avoid age discrimination and prevent conflicts from developing between workers of very different generationsNew research by specialist employment law firm Littler, based on 2024-25 data from HM Revenue & Customs, suggests there has been a 12 percent rise in the number of people working past retirement age over the past five years up from 1.39 million in the year to March 31 2020-21 to 1.56 million in the year to March 31 2024-25. The firm claims that, with the number of older people in the workplace growing, employers need to be more proactive to avoid age discrimination and prevent conflicts from developing between workers of very different generations. Although these conflicts are often seen as just workplace ‘banter’ they can cross the line to the point an employee feels they have been unlawfully discriminated against. For instance, where workplace ‘jokes’ have a repeated ageist element or stereotypes about young or old people stray into being seen as unlawful harassment. (more…)

Surface Design Show announces the finalists in its awards programme

Surface Design Show announces the finalists in its awards programme

by • Company news, Workplace design

The Surface Design Awards have announced the shortlist for the 2026 edition. The winners will be announced during the Surface Design Show in early FebruaryThe Surface Design Awards have announced the shortlist for the 2026 edition. The winners will be announced during the Surface Design Show in early February. The awards are intended to champion material excellence and design innovation from the UK and around the globe. The announcement follows a judging day with some of the design industry’s most respected experts deliberating and debating the entries. The organisers of the Surface Design Awards 2026 promise to “uncover and celebrate the very best in design excellence, offering a global platform for ground-breaking projects and product design”. (more…)

Networking skills should play a key role in workplace development

Networking skills should play a key role in workplace development

by • Comment, Workplace

Networking is a core skill for everyone, writes Henry Strickland. Embracing it in the workplace can have compelling, far-reaching benefitsIt was recently reported that the art of networking is disappearing from modern workplaces. The skill is particularly lacking among young professionals, with around 60 percent of whom avoiding in-person networking events to the detriment of their careers. I read of this with interest and concern, being a strong believer that both internal and external networking remains one of the single most powerful accelerators for career progression, and that more opportunities come through relationships than any other channel. (more…)

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