Employers need to make workplace a "destination"

The office still has a vital role to play and forward-thinking firms are overhauling their workspaces to reflect a new way of working that is both dynamic and exciting.

That is the view of Adrian Norman, Head of Design at Morgan Lovell, who is speaking at The Business Magazine's Reading 2030 conference. Bracknell-based Morgan Lovell specialise in office design and fit out and are on the front line of the changing office landscape.

Adrian says that the office is being increasingly viewed as a hub for collaboration and employers must now see their offices as a destination.

"The role of the office is changing. It is at its best when people come together to collaborate, brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other. If you want to concentrate, of course this can be done from home, however organisations are now providing spaces for quiet work in the office as well.

"Companies need to offer a flexible menu of spaces where people can book a meeting space from 10am to noon; work at a hot desk from 3pm to 4pm; use a phone booth for a Teams call and head to a study booth if they need to focus.

"If your team needs to get together, you might use an open collaboration area with relaxed sofas around a white board which links effortlessly to any colleagues working from home.”

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Before the pandemic, the traditional office model was already beginning to feel the brunt of changing working patterns, with average desk occupancy under 50%.

Adrian says: "In the traditional office people had their own designated desk. There  were meeting rooms, tea-making areas - and if they were lucky, there might be a sofa in a break-out area.

"The problem with this model was that often those desks were empty with people on holiday, at meetings or off sick.

"The design teams at Morgan Lovell have long been advocates of agile working and we’re now finding that management and leadership teams are much more open to it."

Adrian often sees companies offering incentives to entice their staff back into the office and particularly for landlords, the health and wellness of their tenant's employees is a priority when it comes to refitting workplaces.

He says: "Companies are laying on rewards from juice mornings to food Fridays and changing the look and feel of their offices which encourage teams to get together.

"Landlords are  competing for tenants and additional extras which focus on wellness and wellbeing are now high up the agenda." 

Morgan Lovell recently designed the new HQ for the phone giant Three UK at Green Park in Reading. This project is a prime example of an office becoming a destination for its people.

The new offices offer a variety of design quarters: Visitor; Discovery; Living; Playing; and Meeting with something for everyone. Within these neighbourhoods are zones which blend into one another, encouraging people to socialise, relax and collaborate. A key feature of the lakeside offices are the social and relaxation quarters complete with Foosball, Xbox and pool table, a Sanctuary for personal use, yoga studio, gender neutral facilities and a chill room.

Adrian neatly sums up the role of today’s office: “The future of work is exciting. It is about people being able to collaborate and share ideas. The employers that deliver a destination will get the best people - and the best results.”

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