April 1, 2026
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.
March 3, 2026
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…)
October 23, 2025
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
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
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, 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
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…)
May 2, 2025
Seven office developments across the South of England and South Wales have been recognised as the region’s most outstanding workplaces at the annual British Council for Offices (BCO) Awards. Among the winners were three Bristol-based projects, highlighting the city’s growing reputation for innovative, inclusive and sustainable office design. The awards ceremony, held at We The Curious in Bristol, celebrated excellence in office design, fit-out, and environmental performance. With a strong emphasis this year on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), wellbeing, and inclusivity, the judges praised the winning projects for their forward-thinking, occupier-focused approaches. (more…)
April 30, 2025
The latest Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum forecasts profound but entirely unsurprising changes across global labour markets over the next five years, as technological breakthroughs, demographic shifts, and the green transition redefine the physical and digital workplace. Drawing on insights from over 1,000 employers, representing more than 14 million workers across 55 economies, the report on the future of work claims that technological change—particularly the rise of generative AI (GenAI)—will be the most powerful driver of workplace transformation by 2030. Broadening digital access is expected to reshape six in ten businesses, followed closely by AI and robotics, which are both forecast to simultaneously create and displace jobs on a massive scale. (more…)
December 17, 2024
Originally published in 2019. There are writers whose language pervades our discourse so extensively that even those who have never heard of them will echo not only their sentiments but also their means of expression. One of these people is Charles Handy, who has just published his latest book 21 Letters on Life and its Challenges at the age of 87. His work resonates to this day and not least because he was so far ahead of the curve in detailing many of the characteristics of modern organisations and the challenges created for everybody by the changing nature of work and business. (more…)
October 31, 2024
I’ve been going to Orgatec in Cologne since 1992. It has always been one of the twin global behemoths of office design shows. The other being NeoCon in Chicago. Over that time, I’ve seen it dwindle significantly in size, if not relevance. It is held every two years, which means it can offer a better snapshot of current thinking about offices than an annual show might. The last show, two years ago, was still hungover from the pandemic (2020 was cancelled) so this year’s event was, in a way, the first chance to see how things stand in whatever era we might now be in. (more…)
December 31, 2025
Networking skills should play a key role in workplace development
by Henry Strickland • Comment, Workplace