The changing trend of the future office environment

       According to ZDNet's analysis, the future office space will be more efficient and compact in terms of space layout, more intelligent and complete in equipment, and the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and monitoring technologies will be more widely used to meet the needs of the remote office era. Notably, a "third office space" close to employees' residences may emerge. Hewitt believes that although fewer people are working in the company than before at any one time, most companies will not completely abandon the office, they will reimagine the layout of the office space and reduce the underutilized space. space to ensure high space utilization

       Forrester pointed out that creating a reassuring office atmosphere is the top priority for the recovery of offline offices in the hardest-hit areas of the new crown epidemic. Despite the start of the Covid-19 vaccination process, the company found that two-thirds of U.S. workers still want reliable protection from the virus when they return to the office. To this end, the layout of the office space will be changed to accommodate the needs of social distancing. In addition to extra sanitation, companies will also invest in new technologies such as temperature scanning to ensure employees can work with peace of mind.

       Businesses will likely adopt digital tools such as visualization programs to ensure efficient use of office space. Take visualization tools, for example. This tool can provide a central view of available space in common areas such as conference rooms, desks, and even parking spaces for company employees to call up and view. Stefanie Woodward, director of interior design at real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield, said: “Office owners can use this tool to more intuitively understand how their property is actually being used. Occupants can customize some software to make it easier for employees to book office space and improve Workplace safety.” In fact, some companies (such as digital identity company Okta) have implemented some tools in the process of telecommuting, and employees can reserve a location through an app before entering the company.

     The last big change in the workplace will actually take place outside the traditional workplace. Emma Swinnerton, head of the department at Cushman and Wakefield, expects a "third office" to emerge, with the former forming a trinity of "flexible office ecosystems" alongside traditional offices and home office areas. Such offices will be located near employees' residences, eliminating the hassle of commuting and allowing employees to concentrate on their work. For example, vacant pedestrian street stores can be retrofitted to accommodate a fragmented workforce distribution. Urban planners have also begun to adjust the design of the "third type of office". Tom Venables, director of urban planning firm Prior + Partners, said that while city centres remained the main focus of office space, suburban, residential areas would also increasingly accommodate office demand.