Friday, September 9, 2022
News
The return to the office battles between workers and executives have become a tiresome back-and-forth, to say the least. White-collar employees lucky enough to work from home have fought tooth-and-nail for permanent remote work arrangements, and it appears many employees are winning.
The Workplace
Companies are changing their office layout to reflect remote-first work.
Employers, at least larger ones, have made it clear that they want employees back in the office. There’s culture to pass on, innovation to happen and, typically unstated, executives who worry that they can’t keep an eye on those wily workers to be sure they’re being productive.
Cushman & Wakefield compiled some of what they’ve learned from surveying employees. The methodology is far from perfect; as the firm says, “these findings are the result of more than 11,000 respondents across major industries from October 1, 2020 to August 15, 2022.” That’s an awfully long stretch of time get coherent answers, as what someone might answer toward the end of the first pandemic year could be separated by half a planet from what they might say in summer of this year.
Design
We have an opportunity to reimagine the ground floor of our cities — reinventing sidewalk-facing storefronts to serve the community, not just the daytime workforce.
Trends
Why tech has an age-bias problem, and what we can do to fix it.
Remote Working
Two plus years after the onset of the pandemic and many employees are continuing to work remotely, either full or part-time. We know that the ability to work remotely increases employee happiness by as much as 20 percent, but employees will tend to work longer hours and are more likely to experience burnout. The debate over whether remote work is “better” than being in an office is reductive and misses critical nuances around hybrid work models.
Coworking
Nearly three years after a very public implosion that resulted in a failed IPO and the ousting of the company’s co-founder and CEO, WeWork is grinding its way toward profitability. The 14-year-old company still has brand name power and is one of the largest co-working companies in the world in terms of square footage and locations. But it has struggled to turn a profit. However, several months after the company went public via a SPAC merger, recent moves by WeWork’s new leadership are showing positive results for the New York-based firm, which is betting on the popularity of more companies taking flex space and members opting to work from anywhere in the world.
Real Estate
While new spokes have emerged, investment is moving back to the hub. Employees are content with working at home or going to flexible workspaces to supplement their days in the corporate office, according to a recent JLL survey. This has companies asking what role their central offices will play, and how to make it worth the commute.
Workplace Tech
Proptech firm VTS raised $125M in a new funding round led by real estate services giant CBRE, which contributed $100M to the round.
The move comes at a time when overall investment in tech firms and other startups is down. CBRE is nevertheless betting on VTS, which allows landlords and tenants to gauge office occupancy trends, a critical task at a time when employers are trying to attract — or mandate — workers back to the office.
Makers
Design Public Group, a division of HNI Corporation, announced the addition of Lauren Hession as its new President leading the strategic growth for Design Public Group contract division - DesignPublicGroup.com, DanishDesignStore.com and DesignPublic.com.
Dealers
Atmosphere Commercial Interiors, a commercial furniture and services provider headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, announced the acquisition of Business Environments, a Steelcase solution and commercial flooring provider based in Albuquerque, NM and El Paso, TX.
Products
Zody II and Zody LX promote healthy movement and user control for every person in whatever posture they choose.
Carl Hansen & Son introduces the CH24 Wishbone Chair in teak and CH327 table in a mix of oiled teak and oak - materials often used by Wegner in the 1950s and 1960s.
This object might seem silly at first, but it’s actually quite smart. Dr. Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg is an architect, an architecture professor and the Director of the Institute for Health in the Built Environment. Like all architects, he knows the importance of designing workspaces to admit natural light.
New to their September Novelties collection, the Roller Max Sideboard designed by Alain Van Havre.
Designed by Vincent Tordjman, Ennéa now features a glass tabletop.
Projects
Meta Open Arts tapped emerging and established artists like Baseera Khan, Liz Collins, and Matthew Kirk to enliven its office in New York.
The 2022 project encompassed 30,000 square feet of office space for their 50 plus in-office employees.
Ice Miller Chicago engaged NELSON Worldwide to expand and renovate its 200 W Madison Avenue location in two phases.
Last Word
Presumably created as a powerful social commentary on how we’re killing ourselves at work, these office chairs were designed to resemble coffins. They do not look comfortable. Still, being uncomfortable is a small price to pay for looking cool when you’re attending the annual vampire conference.
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