Search Results for: sustainability

MIT survey shows link between sustainability and profitability

by • Environment, Knowledge

money-grows-on-treesA report published today by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group has found that more than half of companies see a rise in profits when they embrace a more sustainable business model. In addition to the link between sustainability and profitability, the number of companies reporting a profit from their sustainability efforts rose 23 percent last year, to 37 percent of the total, according to the report entitled The Innovation Bottom Line. The survey of 2,600 managers and executives around the world, also found that nearly half of respondents said their companies had changed their business model as a result of sustainability opportunities.  (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…)

University of Bath launches new Centre for Earth System Governance

University of Bath launches new Centre for Earth System Governance

by • Environment, News

The University of Bath has launched a new research centre focused on tackling some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges, after welcoming hundreds of international researchers and practitioners to the city for the 2026 Conference on Earth System Governance. The new Bath Centre for Earth System Governance (BCESG) was announced during the conference, which brought together 456 delegates from 51 countries and featured 96 sessions exploring how governments, institutions, businesses, civil society, and communities can respond to climate change, biodiversity loss and other interconnected environmental challenges. The event reaffirmed the Earth System Governance Project‘s position as the world’s largest international research community of its kind and provided a fitting backdrop for the launch of the new centre. (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…)

Europe’s large firms want better offices, but are less keen on paying extra for them

Europe’s large firms want better offices, but are less keen on paying extra for them

by • News, Property, Workplace design

Nearly two-thirds of large European office occupiers expect to relocate some of their operations over the next three years, as organisations seek better quality workplaces while becoming increasingly reluctant to pay a premium for them. According to CBRE’s 2026 European Office Occupier Sentiment Survey, 65 percent of respondents are planning relocations. Nine in ten say they would reject offices that do not provide the amenities they require, yet the proportion willing to pay extra for those amenities has fallen from 54 percent last year to 48 percent. (more…)

What people from successful workplace events think it takes to launch something new

What people from successful workplace events think it takes to launch something new

by • Facilities management, News, Property, Workplace design

The challenge for workplace events isn’t just about the numbers involved. It's about engaging the audience by having something to sayHerb Kim has been running the Thinking Digital conference at the Glasshouse in Gateshead since 2008. Ask Terry McStea, who knows about most events in the North East, which ones are genuinely unmissable and Thinking Digital is one of the two he immediately names. “If for whatever reason Thinking Digital was cancelled, it would leave a huge hole.” But ask Kim about year one and his account is rather different. “The first year was probably on the knife edge between disaster and success,” he chuckles. “Year one… it was badly undersold.” His account of what the first year of their event was really aiming for gave episode two of Work in Motion its title. “Even if your event is free and you have catering and you have, I don’t know, some big name coming, they’ll often still struggle to not even get the place full, but to get the place not embarrassingly empty.” (more…)

The Workspace Design Show London to emphasise the design of human-centered workplaces

The Workspace Design Show London to emphasise the design of human-centered workplaces

by • Company news, Facilities management, Workplace design

The Workspace Design Show returns to the Business Design Centre, London on 24–25 February 2027, unveiling its new theme: “The Human Experience of Work”The Workspace Design Show returns to the Business Design Centre, London on 24–25 February 2027, unveiling its new theme: “The Human Experience of Work”, a direction placing wellbeing, inclusion, sensory comfort, belonging, neurodiversity and emotional experience at the centre of workplace design. As organisations continue to rethink what makes people want to come together in person, the 2027 edition will explore how workplaces can move beyond functionality to become environments that genuinely support people. Spaces designed around human connection, comfort, mood, acoustics, hospitality, inclusivity and how work environments make us feel. (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

A beacon of hope in an uncertain world. Works magazine 20 digital edition is here for you

A beacon of hope in an uncertain world. Works magazine 20 digital edition is here for you

by • News, Premium Content, Technology, Workplace design, Works Magazine

The digital edition of issue 20 of Works magazine is now available for you to read here.  The new issue explores a workplace sector that is becoming increasingly confident about its future, even as it navigates rapid technological, social and economic change. The latest edition brings together major workplace projects, design debates and industry commentary that point to a common theme: the enduring value of connection, community and shared experience in an age of uncertainty. (more…)

Stirling Prize shortlist shines spotlight on mixed-use regeneration and workplace design

Stirling Prize shortlist shines spotlight on mixed-use regeneration and workplace design

by • Architecture, News, Workplace design

The transformation of one of London's busiest transport hubs and a major mixed-use commercial development has secured a place on the shortlist for the 2026 RIBA Stirling PrizeThe transformation of one of London’s busiest transport hubs and a major mixed-use commercial development has secured a place on the shortlist for the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize, highlighting the growing prominence of workplace-led regeneration among the UK’s most celebrated new buildings. Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s Paddington Square is one of six projects shortlisted for British architecture’s most prestigious award. The development combines offices, retail, public space and improved connections to Paddington Station, reflecting the continued importance of mixed-use schemes in reshaping city centres. (more…)

Government updates office design standards with new workplace guidance

Government updates office design standards with new workplace guidance

by • News, Workplace design

The Government Property Agency (GPA) has published a revised version of its Government Workplace Design Guide, introducing a new office design framework intended to standardise the layout of government offices while reflecting changes in the way civil servants work.The Government Property Agency (GPA) has published a revised version of its Government Workplace Design Guide, introducing a new office design framework intended to standardise the layout of government offices while reflecting changes in the way civil servants work. Launched on 2 July, the updated guidance introduces a Core Design Requirements (CDR) framework, which the GPA says will provide a consistent approach to creating inclusive, accessible, sustainable and digitally enabled workplaces across the government estate. (more…)

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