Search Results for: opportunities

A sense of control over workplace technology may be linked to wellbeing and productivity

A sense of control over workplace technology may be linked to wellbeing and productivity

by • News, Technology

A sense of control over workplace technology may have a significant impact on people’s wellbeing, productivity and attitudes towards technological change, according to new global research from Logitech. The technology company’s inaugural Ctrl Tomorrow Study suggests a growing divide between people who feel confident and in control of the technology they use and those who feel overwhelmed or frustrated by it. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of respondents agreed that people who feel more in control of their technology get more out of life, while around three in five said problems with technology can affect their mood after work and their sense of control over their personal lives. (more…)

BCO Awards winners focus on regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience

BCO Awards winners focus on regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience

by • News, Property, Workplace design

The UK’s leading office developments have been recognised for their contribution to urban regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience at the 2026 BCO AwardsThe UK’s leading office developments have been recognised for their contribution to urban regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience at the 2026 British Council for Offices National Awards. Swansea development 71/72 Kingsway took the top prize at this year’s awards, winning both the Best of the Best and Commercial Workplace categories. Judges described the scheme as a catalyst for the regeneration of Swansea city centre and an example of how people-centred architecture can stimulate investment and attract high-value employment. The annual BCO Awards were presented to an audience of around 1,000 property and workplace professionals at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel in London on 6 October. (more…)

International experience gives business leaders an edge, University of Bath study finds

International experience gives business leaders an edge, University of Bath study finds

by • Business, News

Business leaders with international experience play a significant role in shaping the success of their organisations and are often associated with stronger organisational performanceBusiness leaders with international experience play a significant role in shaping the success of their organisations and are often associated with stronger organisational performance, including higher growth, profitability and stock market performance, according to a new study published in the Journal of Management. The study, by Dr Fei Qin of the University of Bath School of Management and her co-researchers Professor Klaus Meyer of the Ivey Business School and Professor Sabina Tasheva Nielsen of University of Sydney, examined how the international experience of chief executives, founders, senior management teams and boards influences business strategy and performance. (more…)

The next workplace tech upgrade isn’t software. It’s lunch

The next workplace tech upgrade isn’t software. It’s lunch

by • Company news

With more people choosing to split their time between home and the office, the experience of being at work has changed. If people are only in the office twice a week, opportunities to connect with colleagues face-to-face become more important. Even something as simple as sharing a meal gives people a reason to get together. An informal lunch can create conversations that wouldn’t have happened over a Teams call. For new colleagues, more casual conversation can help them settle in and get to know their colleagues better. Moving away from the desk also means a proper break from a screen, which helps everyone to return for the afternoon feeling refreshed and motivated. (more…)

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

by • AI, News

A widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use acceleratesA widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use accelerates, according to a global study by PwC. The consultancy’s 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey found that 64 percent of workers had used AI at work during the previous 12 months, up 10 percentage points from last year. Daily use of generative AI increased from 14 percent to 22 percent, while 59 percent expect their use of AI tools to increase over the coming year. (more…)

The right workplace culture can enhance trust, creativity and performance, report claims

The right workplace culture can enhance trust, creativity and performance, report claims

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

Workplace culture can have a significant impact on employees’ capacity to adapt to change and innovate, according to new pollingWorkplace culture can have a significant impact on employees’ capacity to adapt to change and innovate, according to new polling from O.C. Tanner, which argues that organisations should pay greater attention to compassion, employee development and trust. The firm’s 2027 Global Culture Report, based on data gathered from more than 25,000 workers in 23 countries, claims that organisational culture can act as an “amplifier”, either exacerbating uncertainty and burnout or strengthening employees’ sense of trust, connection and purpose. (more…)

Workplace design can improve focus for people with ADHD, research suggests

Workplace design can improve focus for people with ADHD, research suggests

by • News, Workplace design

Workplace lighting, visual distractions and opportunities for movement can have a measurable impact on attention among people with inattentive-type ADHD, according to new researchWorkplace lighting, visual distractions and opportunities for movement can have a measurable impact on attention among people with inattentive-type ADHD, according to new research from architecture and design firm Corgan and the University of Arkansas. The study examined how environmental factors including light, sound, movement and visual activity affect people with inattentive-type ADHD, with researchers using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to monitor participants’ brain activity in open workstations and private offices. (more…)

The new issue of Works magazine continues to explore the latest thinking on people, places and technology

The new issue of Works magazine continues to explore the latest thinking on people, places and technology

by • News, Premium Content, Works Magazine

the new issue of Works magazine takes a wide-ranging look at the forces reshaping workplace design, from the growing convergence of home and office to adaptive reuse, sustainability, artificial intelligence and the continuing evolution of the furniture industry

The new issue of Works magazine is now available in its free, digital edition. As always, this new issue takes a wide-ranging look at the ideas, people, products and projects reshaping workplace design, from the growing convergence of home and office to adaptive reuse, sustainability, artificial intelligence and the continuing evolution of the furniture industry. Issue 21 arrives at a particularly interesting moment for both the workplace and the magazine itself. Rapid technological change, the proliferation of AI-generated content and the continuing repercussions of the pandemic are creating opportunities for publications and workplaces that emphasise the human, physical and connected. (more…)

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

by • AI, Comment

The launch of the UK Government’s AI Skills Compact reflects an important shift in how policymakers and businesses are thinking about artificial intelligence. Rather than viewing AI simply as a route to greater efficiency or reduced headcount, leaders are starting to recognise that long-term competitiveness will depend just as much on equipping people with the skills to work alongside AI as investing in the technology itself. (more…)

Hubflow acquires 37 Lombard Street as it expands London office portfolio

Hubflow acquires 37 Lombard Street as it expands London office portfolio

by • Company news, Flexible working, Property

Flexible workspace provider Hubflow has acquired the freehold of its 37 Lombard Street site in the City of London as part of a strategy to combine workspace operations with ownership of the properties it occupies. The company has also confirmed plans to open more than 25,000 sq ft of additional flexible workspace across two central London locations, at 60 New Broad Street and 71 Queen Victoria Street, next month. Hubflow said the acquisition of 37 Lombard Street represents the next stage of its London office expansion strategy and a move towards an owner-operator model that differs from the lease-based approach adopted by many flexible workspace providers. (more…)

AI firms and flexible office operators drive global demand for prime office space

AI firms and flexible office operators drive global demand for prime office space

by • News, Property

Global demand for prime office space is showing further signs of growth, with almost six in ten of the largest leasing deals in the first half of 2026 involving organisations expanding their footprintsGlobal demand for prime office space is showing further signs of growth, with almost six in ten of the largest leasing deals in the first half of 2026 involving organisations expanding their footprints, according to new research from Savills. The property consultancy says expansionary deals accounted for 58 percent of activity among the largest prime office transactions it analysed. Just 5 percent involved organisations reducing their space, while the proportion of occupiers relocating or renewing with broadly the same footprint fell from 44 percent in the second half of 2025 to 37 percent in the first six months of this year. (more…)

Barbican Centre launches search for furniture designer as part of £231m renewal

Barbican Centre launches search for furniture designer as part of £231m renewal

by • News, Workplace design

The Barbican Centre has launched an international search for a designer or design team to develop a new furniture strategy for its public spacesThe Barbican Centre has launched an international search for a designer or design team to develop a new furniture strategy for its public spaces as part of its £231 million renewal programme. The commission will involve creating a bespoke range of up to 500 pieces for the Grade II-listed arts centre, alongside identifying opportunities to reuse existing furniture and introduce suitable off-the-shelf products. The appointment is expected to run from 2026 to 2029.

The competition is open to designers and teams based anywhere in the world, with proposals due by 28 August. A shortlist is expected to proceed to a full tender process in September, with an appointment planned for November. The new furniture will be used throughout the Barbican’s public spaces and could include armchairs, sofas, coffee tables, bar stools, communal benches with parasols and stackable chairs for larger events. Accessibility, flexibility and sustainability will be central to the brief.

The work will cover areas including the Lakeside, Sculpture Court and Learning Spaces, as well as redesigned foyers being developed by Allies and Morrison and Asif Khan Studio.

The Barbican said recent audience feedback, inclusive design work and co-design with visitors had highlighted a need for furniture that was more welcoming, cohesive, accessible and adaptable to the range of activities taking place across the centre.

Furniture has played a significant role in the Barbican’s identity since it opened in 1982. Designer Robin Day produced bespoke seating, sofas, chairs and tables specifically for the building, although much of the original furniture has since been replaced.

Philippa Simpson, chief operating officer at the Barbican Centre, said furniture had always helped shape how people experienced the building. “We’re looking for a designer or design team to create objects of quality and comfort, that respond to the Barbican’s extraordinary architecture and artistic purpose,” she said. “We want these new designs to accommodate the remarkable range of activities that take place in our spaces, ensuring every single visitor knows they are welcome.”

Alex Watt, architect at Asif Khan Studio, said the commission offered an opportunity to extend the design thinking being applied to the centre’s foyers, while retaining the character of the original architecture.

The furniture project forms part of the wider Barbican Renewal programme, which is intended to conserve and upgrade the building ahead of its 50th anniversary while improving its accessibility, sustainability and suitability for future use. The centre receives more than 30,000 visitors on an average day.

Image: The Barbican Archive

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