Search Results for: office design

January 17, 2013

Great product designs reflect the changing workplace

by Mark Eltringham • Furniture, Workplace design

If art holds a mirror up to nature, shouldn’t good workplace design hold a mirror up to the way we work? Well yes, of course. No points for answering no. By definition, the things with which we surround ourselves in the workplace should tell us something that is essentially true about the way we see ourselves and what we do. If it doesn’t, it’s not good design. So when we see award winning products, it should be possible to infer from them what is happening and what is changing in the workplace. (more…)

January 10, 2013

Record global temperatures still a threat say Met Office

by Sara Bean • Environment, News

Global warming

Following media reports that “global warming has stalled” – despite the fact that Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology is predicting temperatures there could reach a record 52C – the Met Office has warned we will continue to see near-record levels of global warming over the next few years. The publication this week of an experimental decadal global temperature prediction showing global temperatures over the next five years are likely to be a little lower than those forecasted in December 2011 was widely reported as “reopening the climate change debate”. (more…)

January 9, 2013

Why standing up in the office can help you lose weight

by Sara Bean • Furniture, News, Workplace design

Office workers can burn an extra 144 calories per day by standing rather than sitting at their desk, says a leading expert on exercise and health. Applying his knowledge of human physiology, Dr John Buckley, from Chester University’s Department of Clinical Sciences and Nutrition, has calculated that working at a standing desk for three hours a day will burn eight pounds of human fat in the course of a year, with no change to your job or leisure time activities. (more…)

May 6, 2026

The workplace continues to be a source of relationships, study claims

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

A new study commissioned by the organisers of the ORGATEC office design trade fair suggests that the physical workplace continues to play a significant social role, with around one in three employees in Germany saying they have dated a colleague. The research, carried out by YouGov and based on a representative sample of more than 2,000 people, suggests that offices remain important settings for forming friendships, relationships and informal social connections despite the continued growth of hybrid and remote working. (more…)

April 1, 2026

British workers now entirely unproductive, claims report

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The overwhelming majority of UK workers don’t do anything productive at all, according to a new report published today. The study of available research into the illnesses, injuries, distractions, wastes of time, procrastinations, productivity drains and paralyses that afflict British workers found that the annual cost to the British economy is around £1.8 trillion, equivalent to 98.9 percent of GDP.

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March 3, 2026

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 Mark Eltringham • 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 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…)

December 31, 2025

Networking skills should play a key role in workplace development

by Henry Strickland • Comment, Workplace

It 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…)

October 23, 2025

New (biggest and best ever) digital edition of Works magazine is now available to read free

by Mark Eltringham • News, Premium Content, Workplace design

The new issue of Works magazine sets out as always to highlight the ideas, projects, products and thinking that are shaping the way we live, think and work. Provocative, lively and wide-ranging, it’s our biggest issue yet, and we think the best. There’s plenty of new products to get your teeth into and while we are on that particular subject, we explore a new generation of showrooms in which big ideas matter as much as products. Our case studies span Munich, Portland, Harrogate and London, showing how occupiers are rethinking the office in very different ways, saunas and nap pods included. (more…)

August 26, 2025

Redefining the modern workplace: flexibility, zoning, and employee wellbeing

by William Knight • News

The modern workplace is evolving faster than ever. Traditional layouts of rows of desks and enclosed cubicles are giving way to offices designed around flexibility, collaboration, and employee wellbeing. For organisations seeking to stay ahead, the key lies in thoughtful workspace zoning—creating adaptable environments that respond to how people actually work today. One of the most significant trends shaping office design is flexibility. Work patterns have changed: teams collaborate in bursts, focus deeply in concentrated periods, and switch between in-person and digital modes throughout the day. Workspaces that can transform to meet these changing needs without major disruption are becoming essential. Mobile partitions and modular systems allow offices to create temporary or permanent zones that can adapt in real time, supporting a mix of focused work, collaboration, and social interaction. (more…)

July 9, 2025

The new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read here

by Mark Eltringham • Premium Content, Workplace design

Bigger and better than ever, the digital edition of the new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read for free. Print copies will be in the post soon. In this issue: we speak with Jonathan Hindle and Craig Jones, two stalwarts of the UK office design scene who continue to pioneer new ideas; our round table considers the challenges that arise when projects seem to cross the lines of professional demarcation and what happens when high profile examples such as The Elizabeth Line win awards outside of their supposed domain; we profile two projects that prove there is life in business districts yet; we showcase the latest winners of the Design Guild Mark; look at office trends in the thriving Polish economy; Rob Kirkbride reports from Chicago Design Week, as its two competing centres threaten to tear it apart; look back on Clerkenwell Design Week now the dust has settled; and there are all the regular features, news and commentary you need.

June 24, 2025

ROOM Launches The Room Collection: flexible architecture for today’s hybrid workplace

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Flexible working, Workplace design

ROOM, the leading modular architecture company behind the award-winning Phone Booth and pioneer in flexible workplace design, has introduced The Room Collection: a new series of scalable and adaptable rooms, designed to provide privacy in open floorplans and meet the dynamic needs of today’s businesses and office workers. A major pain point for employees is working in an office that hasn’t yet been optimized for the hybrid workplace. Simultaneously, businesses may find it difficult to swiftly adapt to changing workplace needs. While insufficient meeting spaces, poor acoustics and back-to-back virtual meetings plague workers, inflexible leases and hefty construction costs prevent business leaders from adapting accordingly. The Room Collection helps solve this through its easy-to-assemble, soundproof modular office system that can evolve to meet the needs of businesses at any stage. (more…)

June 6, 2025

Milan proves to be the perfect setting for an optimistic BCO conference

by Anna King • Comment, Property

If anyone was asked to think of where to find the best examples of an office, I doubt very many people would reply ‘Milan’ but that may just be the reason that this year’s BCO conference was a resounding success. With Milan and its layers of history, culture, design and the vital ‘caffè’, we are reminded that workspaces are about so much more than function. A view certainly held by Amber Luscombe, Head of ESG at Oxygen, “This is my third BCO conference I was expecting more of the same, but the discussions have moved on with engaging speakers, stimulating conversations and a more positive – yet realistic – outlook from the attendees. So many factors influence, surrounds and support good office design, from fostering a sense of belonging and community to wellbeing and nature and they were all on the table at Milan.” (more…)