April 24, 2023

Reconnecting older workers with the office: have we retired what matters most?

by Julie Lecoq • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

Older workers now make up a larger percentage of the workforce than they did two decades ago. Data from Legal and General and the Centre for Economic Research (Cebr) suggests that the number of over 50s in employment has increased by 36 percent in the last 20 years, with 47 percent of this age group predicted to be in employment by 2030. A combination of the increase in retirement age and rising costs of living have made it a necessity for individuals to stay in work longer. From a corporate perspective, the growing skills shortages in a range of sectors has also meant that employers are consistently seeking to attract and retain those in the latter stage of their professional career. More →

April 10, 2023

The new issue of Works boldly goes where no other office magazine has gone before

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

The new digital edition of Works is now available to view online for free. Print copies are on their way to subscribers. In this issue, we visit new offices in London, Thessaloniki and elsewhere across Europe, talk to designers from Switzerland, Sweden and the UK, report back on three separate shows in Stockholm and London (x2) and round up the best new products from all of them and then at the end of the day, sit down from a drink and a chat with a few industry pioneers from the Sustainable Design Collective to listen to their thoughts on what is energising them right now. More →

March 28, 2023

Sustainable Design Collective announces new forum and awards

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Environment

The Sustainable Design Collective, a ‘think tank’ group of leading workplace designers and specifiers, has announced a new Forum Day, together with industry awards, focussed on greater sustainability. Originally formed in January 2022, the Sustainable Design Collective hosts regular meetings to collaborate and discuss new opportunities to promote environmental and social responsibility within the office workplace. The group is now inviting conversations with fellow designers as well as suppliers and manufacturers. More →

March 27, 2023

The importance of an office location in business

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Property

With thousands of businesses converting to online commerce, the importance of an office or storefront is often overlooked. While internet commerce is undoubtedly at an all-time high, millions of consumers still shop and do business with brick-and-mortar companies. Your business location can have a significant impact on your price points, accessibility, and your competition. Where you set up your shop should be one of the most carefully considered aspects of opening your business. Office location is truly everything when it comes to business success. More →

March 27, 2023

The five ages of the office and the man who shaped the way we talk about them

by Rob Harris • Features, Flexible working, Workplace design

The office has passed through five ages. The ‘coffee houses’ of the 17th century, yielded to the ‘clerical factories’ of the 19th as machines revolutionised work. After the Second World War, the ‘corporate offices’ of global corporations and William Whyte’s Organization Man dominated the scene. Following the launch of IBM’s PC in the early-1980s, we saw the rise of ‘digital offices’ in the 1990s, complete with internet, email and social media. And for the past few years we have been moving inexorably towards the latest age: ‘network offices’. Each age was shorter than its predecessor: both the digital and network ages began less than a career span ago. More →

March 24, 2023

New guide to office fit-out and refurbishment launched by trade body

by Neil Franklin • Facilities management, News, Workplace design

Trade association FIS has launched a revised Client Guide to Office Fit-Out and Refurbishment with the aim of promoting best practice in the fit-out process and to take account of new working practices post-pandemic, the Building Safety Act and advances in sustainability. First published in 2017, this updated guide is aimed at clients, contractors and architects involved in fit-out projects in a changing world. It is available for free download. More →

March 22, 2023

Workspace Design Show goes from strength to strength this year with visitor numbers up by 76 percent

by Freddie Steele • Company news

The Workspace Design Show returned to the Business Design Centre from 27- 28 February 2023, with exhibitors and visitors alike hailing it as a must-attend addition to the trade show calendar and a place where the workplace community can come together to be inspired and network. The overarching theme for this year’s show was Destination Workplace: Places Where People Want To Be, exploring how to create environments where employees have a desirable experience at their workplaces. More →

March 6, 2023

Less than a third of businesses know how energy efficient their office is

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Facilities management, News

A surprisingly high proportion of UK businesses are unaware of new environmental legislation concerning the energy efficiency of their buildings, or even how energy efficient they are in the first place, according to a new survey commissioned by Irwin Mitchell: Redefining the Office – A report on office occupier trends in 2023. The new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) legislation means that from 1st April 2023, property owners must not continue to let properties that have an EPC rating of F or G (unless they have an exemption) and all let properties will need to have a minimum EPC rating of E. More →

March 6, 2023

Routes to Greater Sustainability event brings office furniture sector together to talk climate change

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Environment, Furniture

An inaugural conference that gave insight into how the UK furnishing industry is mitigating climate change proved an outstanding success. The Routes to Greater Sustainability Industry Day was organised by The Furniture Makers’ Company in association with the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) and took place on Thursday 16 February at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London.

February 17, 2023

BCO specification guide updated to reflect demand for flexible, green, healthier offices

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Workplace design

Responding to what it claims are challenges emerging from the pandemic and the accelerating need for the built environment to respond to climate change, the British Council for Offices (BCO) has released an early update to its Guide to Specification, which provides expert advice on how designers can create healthier offices that support changing working patterns, while reducing carbon emissions.

February 15, 2023

Workspace Design Show returns (and so do we)

by Mick Jordan • Events, Features, Flooring, Furniture, Lighting, Workplace design

A few of you may already know this story. It was some 15 months ago and three old friends met up for the first time in quite a while (well, we had been through lockdowns etc). Having caught up with each other’s news, the subject turned to industry journals, what the three friends felt the market was missing and the possibility of collaborating in the not too distant future. That conversation occurred at the inaugural Workspace Design Show – which the three amigos were all hugely impressed by. The result of that conversation (and a few more chats and meets, of course) is Works. So, here we are, all those months later, pulling together a preview of the 2023 edition of WDS, which – we’re delighted to say – we’re very much a part of. And we don’t just partner with any one, you know. More →

February 8, 2023

Herman Miller launches height-adjustable tables for home and office use

by Freddie Steele • News, Workplace design

Height-adjustable tables have become a staple in the home and office environment, offering users variety and comfort regardless of the tasks at hand. These pieces offer immense flexibility, but what if that flexibility could be pushed even further? What if a table could naturally provide more mobility, agility and range, broadening its multi-use capabilities—creating an instant workspace? Herman Miller’s Passport Work Table, the brand’s newest table offering, is designed to do all of that—all while keeping space prioritization top of mind. More →