Search Results for: people management

Data centres are the most significant building type in the world right now. And we need to talk about that

Data centres are the most significant building type in the world right now. And we need to talk about that

by • Features, Technology, Workplace design

Data centres have always been a slight anomaly in the Built Environment sector, part property and part critical infrastructure (talking in wattage rather than square footage for example), lacking aesthetic appeal and they are not significant employers, they are often considered a necessary evil to support our hyper-communicative lifestylesThe Data Centre Congress which took place from June 1st to 4th in Cannes is to data centres what mipim is to the more traditional markets in property, a place where the good and the great – from investors and operators, to the engineers and power providers, gather to network and contemplate the challenges and the future of the sector. In Q1 last year there was a slight chill through the sector after Microsoft halted data centre plans across the US and Europe to the tune of 2GW, citing caution around the overexpansion of AI and uncertainty around tariffs. What seemed like bombshell news at the time, felt like a mere blip and a distant memory at the 2026 edition and this juggernaut of activity is showing zero signs of slowing, a market that is currently worth over $300 billion is set to rise to $699.13 billion by 2034. (more…)

The role of safety training in healthier and better-managed workplaces

The role of safety training in healthier and better-managed workplaces

by • Company news

OSHA safety training gives organisations a formal way to build that clarity into working life. It helps employees understand the risks linked to their roleA healthy workplace is shaped by more than policies, posters, and annual compliance checks. Employees need clear guidance when they operate equipment, enter unfamiliar work areas, respond to an issue, or see a condition that does not look right. OSHA safety training gives organisations a formal way to build that clarity into working life. It helps employees understand the risks linked to their role and gives managers a stronger basis for setting expectations around safe behaviour, communication, and accountability. (more…)

Announcing a new publication: Sustainability Works

Announcing a new publication: Sustainability Works

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

We are launching a new publication, Sustainability Works. With the first issue scheduled for August 2026, the new title will incorporate thought provoking articles, features and news stories embracing a truly sustainable approach to people and planet.We are launching a new publication, Sustainability Works. With the first issue scheduled for August 2026, the new title will incorporate thought provoking articles, features and news stories embracing a truly sustainable approach to people and planet. Edited by Joanna Knight, Sustainability Works will be published in partnership with the Sustainable Design Collective. As co-founder of SDC and a Fellow of the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals, Joanna has many years’ experience in the workplace interiors and furniture sectors. In 2001, she was a founder director of a company which led the field in environmental responsibility and lifecycle management of Furniture, Fittings and Equipment and since that time has championed the importance of greater sustainability. (more…)

Navel gazing may not be the answer to the challenges facing workplace professions

Navel gazing may not be the answer to the challenges facing workplace professions

by • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace, Workplace design

First published in 2016 and republished because the same conversation is happening yet again at the IWFM conference right now: An adherence to strongly held beliefs can make people think and behave in peculiar ways and get them tangled up in peripheral issues that take on a great deal of significance. Early religious artists, for example, spent centuries wrestling with the seemingly intractable problem of whether to depict Adam and Eve with belly buttons or not. (more…)

Issue 19 of Works magazine is out now and ready for you to explore

Issue 19 of Works magazine is out now and ready for you to explore

by • News, Premium Content, Workplace, Workplace design

The digital edition of the new issue of Works magazine has landed, bringing you another compelling mix of insight and ideas from across the workplace design and management sector. The print edition is on its way and, we think, better than ever. Whichever format you choose, issue 19 offers a comprehensive look at the trends, projects, ideas, products and people shaping the contemporary workplace and the way we think about it. from global perspectives and expert commentary to case studies, interviews and a closer look at the materials and products shaping modern workplaces. (more…)

UK is trapped in reactive cycle of sickness and inactivity, warn wellbeing experts

UK is trapped in reactive cycle of sickness and inactivity, warn wellbeing experts

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Business leaders, policymakers and workplace experts have warned that the UK’s fragmented approach to work, wellbeing and welfare is undermining economic resilienceBusiness leaders, policymakers and workplace experts have warned that the UK’s fragmented approach to work, wellbeing and welfare is undermining economic resilience, with comparisons to Denmark highlighting the pressure placed on the NHS and benefits system in Britain. The warning came during a Westminster roundtable  for the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing chaired by Dame Carol Black on 13 May. The discussion followed shortly after the King’s Speech opened the new parliamentary session with a renewed emphasis on “economic security”. Participants argued that Britain’s rising levels of long-term sickness and economic inactivity will require a more coordinated approach involving employers, government departments, healthcare systems and insurers. (more…)

London is the second most expensive office fit-out market in the world

London is the second most expensive office fit-out market in the world

by • News, Property, Workplace design

A new report from Turner & Townsend claims that a combination of a rise in demand for premium, Grade A office space and a shortfall in supply in many markets has led to double digit percentage increases in office fit-out costs over the past yearA new report from Turner & Townsend claims that a combination of a rise in demand for premium, Grade A office space and a shortfall in supply in many markets has led to double digit percentage increases in office fit-out costs over the past year in major global cities including Miami, Dublin and Bangalore London is now the second most expensive office fit-out market in the world, with Dublin 18th, Edinburgh and Glasgow 21st, Birmingham 22nd, and Manchester 25th. The year-on-year picture is mixed, as while Edinburgh and Glasgow saw costs rise by 12 percent, Manchester and Birmingham saw prices rise in line with inflation at 2 percent and 3 percent respectively, while in London costs fell by -1 percent, albeit they have increased significantly in recent years. (more…)

Aquablu launches the new REFILL+ Series 2 in the UK with AURA system

Aquablu launches the new REFILL+ Series 2 in the UK with AURA system

by • Company news, Wellbeing

Aquablu, the Dutch cleantech company transforming how employees access and enjoy drinking water, has unveiled the REFILL+ Series 2.Aquablu, the Dutch cleantech company transforming how employees access and enjoy drinking water, has unveiled the REFILL+ Series 2. Powered by the new AURA operating system, the Series 2 sets a new benchmark for sustainable, intelligent hydration in the workplace. Founded in 2018 in the Netherlands by Marnix Stokvis and Marc van Zuylen, Aquablu was created with a clear mission: to make healthy, sustainable hydration accessible to a billion people worldwide. Since then, the company has grown rapidly, partnering with major clients including Heineken, Adyen and Microsoft, and now operates in more than sixteen countries, serving over 100,000 workers. (more…)

Re-humanising the workplace: why prevention, support and standards matter more than ever

Re-humanising the workplace: why prevention, support and standards matter more than ever

by • Comment, Wellbeing

There is growing recognition that the workplace needs to become more human again, not less.There is growing recognition that the workplace needs to become more human again, not less. For all the talk of performance, productivity and retention, too many organisations still treat stress, ill health and emotional wellbeing as secondary matters. They are not. They sit at the heart of business success. The figures from the Keep Britain Working report, an independent review commissioned by the UK government and led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former chair of John Lewis, are a wake-up call. The value at stake is enormous. Employers face an estimated £85 billion a year in lost output and costs linked to ill health. For government, the additional burden in welfare payments and NHS demand is around £47 billion annually. On top of this lies the wider cost to the economy through lower participation, and the human and social costs of lost opportunity, stalled careers and reduced life chances. (more…)

Challenge for workplace is balancing culture with the business’s need for speed and innovation

Challenge for workplace is balancing culture with the business’s need for speed and innovation

by • News, Workplace, Workplace design

A new EU-funded study suggests that many European organisations are struggling to balance strong workplace culture with the need for speed and innovation.A new EU-funded study suggests that many European organisations are struggling to balance strong workplace culture with the need for speed and innovation. The Culture Compass 2026 report, developed by Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University and the Meet Your Purpose think tank, draws on responses from more than 540 managers and employees across Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It identifies what researchers describe as a “productivity paradox”, in which employees feel valued and engaged but are constrained by slow decision-making and limited autonomy. (more…)

Recent events highlight a clear shift in how firms approach workplace strategy

Recent events highlight a clear shift in how firms approach workplace strategy

by • Facilities management, News, Property, Workplace design

Two recent events hosted by HubStar in London and Amsterdam suggest there has been a shift in how organisations now approach workplace strategy, with a growing focus on three core prioritiesTwo recent events hosted by HubStar in London and Amsterdam suggest there has been a shift in how organisations now approach workplace strategy, with a growing focus on three core priorities. The regular quarterly gatherings bring together senior leaders from corporate real estate, facilities management, HR, IT and workplace experience to discuss current challenges and emerging trends. Conversations at the two sessions centred on how organisations are responding to changing expectations around hybrid work and the role of the office. Organisations are increasingly focused on creating workplaces that: justify the commute; develop a clearer understanding of how space is used through better data; and adopt more flexible approaches to planning and design. (more…)

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…)

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