Design Tonic had the pleasure of partnering with Kinrise Estate who are transforming historic buildings into flexible, modern office spaces in several cities in the UK, and Mute who have created exceptional pods from their specialism in acoustics. This event took place at 34 Boar Lane where workspace leaders from across the city could learn fascinating insights on Adaptable Design and share their experiences of leading workplaces in the city.
Robert Schmidtt III gave an insightful talk about adaptable futures and his interpretation of how we can create offices for tomorrow. We've mapped out our key takeaways and insights below:
How to create the offices for tomorrow
The offices that we create today, ultimately lends themselves to the future of tomorrow. There are various stakeholders of an office space - the staff who use the office, business owners, and investors. It seems obvious that the employees that usethe space daily should have a large voice when it comes to the features of the office as the primary users, but this is not always the case. The drivers of these conversations are often business owners or executives that have broader organisational goals – notably cost efficiency. When investors are trying to align with the company’s financial strategy, they can sometimes overlook the bigger picture of adaptable offices – especially how they can benefit through increased efficiency, staff retention, and the reduced need to relocate offices.
The importance of flexible workspaces
Wellness and breakout spaces within an office are not seen as a luxury anymore, they are becoming the expectation. But how can companies implement these effectively?
Create adaptable offices.
By offering diverse and flexible areas, companies allow teams to move fluidly between different workspaces, and retreat to quieter spaces when overstimulated. Dr. Robert Schmidt highlighted the concept of ‘de-ownership’ of office spaces, allowing employees unlimited access to all areas of the office, and encouraging this flexibility.
Having the scope to create reconfigurable spaces, such as those featuring flexible walls and moveable furniture, allows businesses to upscale, downscale, and adapt to the changing needs of their employees rather than needing to relocate. Reconfigurable spaces improve the longevity of buildings and prevent vacancies and potential demolition of buildings. This trend is crucial and was highlighted by Dr Robert, who shared that the average lifespan of a building on a London high street is around 40 years.
Mute’s room-in-room systems and acoustic pods are a great example of this adaptability. These pods provide private, quiet meeting rooms or breakout spaces without the need for extensive renovations, expanding the flexibility and adaptability of offices.
How to allow for natural daylight and ventilation
High ceilings, daylight, and natural ventilation were other features that we covered, which are greatly desired for the future of office designs. Choosing spaces with these things can help the mental well-being of staff, but also allows for adaptation. For example, high ceilings allow the installation of innovative solutions like Mute pods. Obviously, we can't always help the structure of the building our office is in, so sometimes we must take extra measures to increase daylight and ventilation. Having layered systems can help add depth and visual effect to the room.
Another key feature that was touched on were elements which can be incorporated to add social components to the environment, making it a multi-functional space. We always want a productive office but it’s also important for employees to enjoy their time in the office. We can incorporate features such as spiral staircases, lightweight and moveable furniture, and one of our favourites at Design Tonic, breakout spaces.
An insightful comparison
Dr Robert Schmidt III's interesting comparison was on the use span of a plastic water bottle compared to its lifespan. While we may use a plastic bottle for only two hours, its lifespan is around 700 years. This was a simple yet smart way of highlighting how we assign value of what is a resource vs what we view as a waste. Think about a banana peel. Humans eat the inside of a banana and deem the banana peel as waste, but for nature, there’s value. Construction currently accounts for 40% of the overall waste worldwide – a staggering fact revealed by Dr Robert. To prevent this waste and expand the lifespan of buildings, it is essential that we are building with tomorrow in mind. Adaptable buildings increase the use span of structures by allowing for repurposing, rather than demolition.
There’s a desirability vs. feasibility factor when making changes. It’s not always possible to cater to every single need of our employees. However, there are certainly elements we can incorporate into spaces to ensure we are getting the most out of our workspace.
Ready to design an Adaptable Workspace?
By embracing adaptable office design, businesses can future-proof their workspaces, enhancing productivity and operational efficiency while minimising the need for costly relocations or renovations.
At Design Tonic, we help you create a space that aligns with your brand and adapts to your future needs. Ready to design an office for tomorrow? Contact our talented team to start a conversation today.
