Future Proofing Your Office

While the concept of future-proofing is nothing new, it’s becoming increasingly important given the growing pace of change in technology and employee priorities. New ways of working have placed office design front-and-centre when it comes to promoting employee wellbeing and productivity. The rise of flexible and agile working means that more thought needs to go into office design than ever before. There are many facets to designing a future-proof office, but the four below are arguably the most important. Consulting us, a firm with depth of experience in innovative office design, is a sure step to ensuring that you survive the challenges of the future.

Facilitating Seamless Hybrid Working

Employees are eager to maintain the advantages of flexible working that they experienced during the pandemic. Hybrid working has become increasingly popular with employees and a strong factor in attracting and retaining the best talent. It also offers numerous benefits for enhancing engagement and productivity.

Having fewer employees in the office at any given time doesn’t diminish the importance of an office. In fact, it makes it even more essential. While there are advantages to working at home, having an office space remains crucial for fostering a social and collaborative working environment which is key to idea generation and personal development.

A future-proof workplace needs to support both in office and remote work, which requires technology that enables seamless communication. Video conferencing facilities, equipped with a robust digital infrastructure, provides effective and secure platforms for digital collaboration. Managing the changing number of employees inside the office at any given time doesn’t just need clear policies on remote working; creating an agile workspace that can adapt day-by-day is key to mastering the switch to hybrid working.

An office designed with no hybrid working strategies in place will struggle to cope with the fluctuating demands of dynamic working and won’t be equipped with the necessary technology. Re-evaluating your workspace will ensure that your workspace is fit for purpose. 

Fostering Inclusivity

Your office serves as a physical representation of your company’s values, and as such it needs to create an environment that caters to the needs of a diverse number of employees. While agile and hybrid working approaches already make the office more accommodating to different needs, future-proofing requires a more comprehensive focus on inclusivity.

To foster inclusivity, it’s crucial to offer a range of spaces, including facilities like prayer rooms or areas for new mothers. Gender neutral toilets are also a key consideration in inclusive design. Neurodiversity is also a key consideration, specifically the ways in which workspace design can support those who process sensory information in different ways. Ensuring that your office can fully accommodate the needs of all employees is essential to attracting the best talent.

Fostering inclusivity in the workplace not only aligns with ethical values but also provides tangible benefits that enhance an office’s resilience and readiness for the future. It creates a positive, adaptable, and competitive work environment that can thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is quickly becoming an essential component for maintaining a competitive advantage in both employee and client retention.

Whether you're enhancing your existing office space or relocating to new premises, there's always room for improvement. If you're in the process of choosing a location for your office, opting for a building accredited with BREEAM or LEED standards can lay the foundation for achieving your sustainability goals before commencing the fit out.

Many businesses are now incorporating their fit out and property strategies into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. As a result, certain processes and products should be considered from the project's outset. The SKA rating is one of several accreditation schemes designed to assist businesses in quantifiably prioritising sustainability.

Future-proofing requires keeping ahead of trends in public opinion and government regulations; decreasing the environmental impact of your office better prepares your office for future expectations. Sustainable design comes with numerous advantages including making your office more resilient in the face of energy disruptions, improving employee wellbeing by creating a more natural space, and helping you attract the best talent.

Energy efficiency is the most important and the most otherwise advantageous piece of sustainable design. Implementing energy-efficient lighting, cooling, and heating systems reduce energy consumption, which benefits not only your environmental footprint but also your budget. Optimising the use of natural light goes even further, eliminating some of the need for artificial lighting, further boosting energy efficiency and the overall mood of the office.

Sustainability doesn’t stop there. Using recycled materials in your furniture, water-efficient features and a comprehensive recycling and waste-reduction programme are essential steps towards improved sustainability. It’s important to have a holistic sustainability plan, incorporating all the elements of your office, and it’s often best implemented at the start of an office fit out.

Adaptability and Agile Working - The Core of Future-Proofing

Leasing an office can come at a high cost, which is why it is essential to have a variety of workspaces that enhance the productive use of floorspace, making it a truly worthwhile investment. Incorporating spaces for collaborative work, focused work, as well as confidential work is important when developing an optimal agile working environment. Shared workstations and hotdesking reduce excess floorspace by facilitating its dynamic use.

It's not possible to completely predict the working demands of the future, so modular furniture and layouts can enable your office to adapt and create new spaces with relative ease. This flexibility is essential for adapting to technological advancements and unforeseen events. The COVID pandemic showed the significance of reacting quickly to news events, and investing in a fit out that prioritises agile working now can save you from playing catch up in the future.

A workspace where employees can choose where to work according to their task at hand can boost productivity, health, and wellbeing. Incorporating agile working principles into office design helps create a workspace that can thrive in the face of evolving business dynamics and workplace trends. This adaptability and forward-thinking approach contribute to the long-term sustainability and success of a workspace.

Future-proofing an office transcends short-term fixes and requires a holistic approach to your workspace’s long term evolution.

The elements outlined above serve as a solid foundation for your futureproofing strategy. However, the process of preparing your office for the future often involves rethinking your entire workspace resulting in a redesign of your current space or a relocation to a new space.

As an experienced and award-winning workspace design company with a long history of futureproofing offices, we invite you to speak to our experts on the next steps for your office.