Kastle Systems' Back to Work Barometer has emerged as the nation's official office occupancy indicator, but real estate players in New York say it doesn't paint an accurate picture of the city's office activity.

 

Kastle tracks security card swipes at buildings in the 10 biggest cities across the country, but it doesn't track buildings owned or managed by SL Green, Vornado, Tishman Speyer, Rudin Management, Silverstein Properties, Brookfield, Boston Properties, Related or Rockefeller Group, the New York Post reports.

JLL’s Workforce Preferences Barometer found that non-managers, Baby Boomers have a weaker appetite than Gen Y and Z for hybrid work.

General Electric plans to move out of its headquarters in Boston's Fort Point neighborhood just three years after opening the space.

The company told employees Tuesday it plans to vacate the 100K SF office and seek a smaller space in the city, part of a broader initiative to downsize its office footprint that also includes putting its corporate campus in Ossining, New York, up for sale, the Boston Globe first reported.

Even as pandemic fears finally begin to wind down, return-to-office movements in North America are varying wildly depending on the market. Ottawa, for one, is looking pretty sluggish. San Francisco, once the hottest office market in the U.S. until 2019, now has an office vacancy rate of 25 percent.

Harley-Davidson's Milwaukee headquarters While some major employers are struggling to figure out their return-to-office plans, Harley-Davidson isn't. Its workers aren't going back. The company’s CEO, Jochen Zeitz, said that the pandemic and fatherhood highlighted just how much more inclusive a digital office can be, Bloomberg reported. 

 

The company’s 500K SF HQ has been largely closed since March 2020.

The news of Meta, Facebook’s parent company, terminating a lease at 225 Park Avenue South in Manhattan spread quickly. The tech giant announced earlier this month that it will leave behind 200,000 square feet of office space at the building, and it was the type of office-apocalypse headline that makes for great real estate clickbait. It’s also office real estate news that’s ripe for confirmation bias.

Steelcase announced the launch of its Better Futures Community, the company's social innovation program designed to explore new approaches to reducing inequalities, accessing quality education and protecting the planet. The Steelcase Better Futures Community explores, invests and accelerates bold new ideas and practices in collaboration with organizations throughout the world.

As we try to reestablish the daily rhythms that have been disrupted over the past two plus years, many of us are challenged with transitioning back to the office and adding new routines within our days. For some of us, the transition back to the office, along with the commute and new behaviors that go with it, may be more exhausting than restorative. How can we get these rhythms back, encourage moments of wellness, elevate our service models to craft memorable experiences, and position the office as a restorative and creative place for inspiration and gathering? Further, how can we craft experiences and spaces that heal, introduce next-level service, and integrate helpful technologies that don’t overwhelm us? The role of workplace hospitality will be integral to reshaping our future work experiences and helping ease our transition to and from the office.

Design never stands still. Workspace designers in particular are constantly seeking ways to create spaces that engage their users, to enable a better experience and ultimately, to enhance performance and productivity.

Anna Grayhek of Hendy breaks down the hybrid work approach and how to make it work for your space. As we head back to the office, a growing number of organizations have accepted the addition of remote work as a permanent part of their workplace strategy.

Knoll has introduced the Newson Task chair designed by industrial designer Marc Newson. Newson Task is an ergonomic task chair whose silhouette creates one continuous line. The cantilevered shape is made possible by a brand-new tilt innovation — one that flips the mechanism vertically, so it’s concealed cleverly beneath the seat.

In binary code, only two numbers are needed to unlock the bounds of possibility - zero ("naught") and one. The foundation of the digital world hinges on the concept that the right pattern of zeros and ones can accomplish anything.

Our understanding of the workplace has been transformed entirely within the past few years. From the need for modular furniture to highly personalized workstations and collaborative social spaces, even traditional spaces face new challenges. To confront these concerns head on, workplace designer and manufacturer Studio TK has launched Pico Lounge, created for social settings in the modern workplace.

As of October 2022, Workplace pod manufacturer Framery has harmonized the brand's product offering to more effectively suit the needs of modern offices around the world.

HAT Collective Healthcare is introducing the Tango Cart. Tango is designed to optimize the point-of-care (POC) experience and support the essential technology and mobility needs of today's healthcare provider.

A good thing about visiting a dentist is that recliner with a lumbar curve you lay back on while a random dude fiddles with your tooth. What if there was a similar option to work out of? Wish granted; enter the LEVUS!

Loftwall, the manufacturer of fully customizable space-defining products announced this week two new product introductions from their headquarters in Dallas, Texas. By utilizing CNC knife machines and high end hardware, Loftwall is introducing Gravity and Sky. Gravity is a full-size hanging acoustic partition, designed to designate zones in the modern office that is starved for focus spaces. With 12 unique colors and 12 original patterns, Gravity can elevate a space instantly.

Flos announces the launch of the Oblique Floor, designed by Vincent Van Duysen. "We've developed a reading lamp that, thanks to its versatility, can be placed almost everywhere. The floor lamp is dimmable offering the option to create an intimate reading or work atmosphere."

Kirei announces the launch of the Wood Collection for Kirei Ink, custom-printed acoustic recycled PET panels and products that speak volumes without making a sound. Kirei Ink's Wood Collection brings the warmth of natural wood inside and combines it with the acoustic performance of PET.

For over 30 years, Turkish manufacturer Polkima has been producing molded composite parts for the automotive industry. If you’re unfamiliar with molded composites, picture the interior of London’s iconic red bus: The arched wall wrapped around the driver’s booth, the curved staircase, and even the base for the seats were all made in Polkima’s factory in Izmir, Turkey. 

Give your office a warehouse look-without actually working in one-with the Urban 9-5 Urban-Industrial Executive Desk. It comes in 3 gorgeous styles: Brushed Steel, Aviator, and Industrial Concrete. 

Most contemporary workplaces are designed to accommodate a mixture of private and more collaborative spaces - but few have such specific and demanding requirements as a visual effects studio. To work effectively, Black Kite, an independent visual effects and design studio based in East London, needed to have production suites isolated from all external light and sound alongside an open workspace with breakouts to encourage collaboration.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has unveiled visuals of the tech giant's offices within Battersea Power Station, which it is designing with UK studio Foster + Partners. According to Apple, the offices will encompass 46,000 square metres, split over six floors inside the former industrial building. The workspaces are being developed to maximize opportunities for collaboration as well as employee wellness.

When designing the open plan layout of visual effects studio Black Kite’s London office, Bureau de Change Architects created a space which is simultaneously conducive to socializing and focussed individual work.

How might the metaverse allow us to make hybrid work better? How might it provide new value in our retail relationships? How might the metaverse allow us to reconnect, in real life, to our cities and fellow citizens? Our Digital Experience Design leaders explore several possibilities.

The second instalment of Dezeen's three-part Stolab Stories video series explores Stolab's heritage and expertise in creating solid-wood furniture. Stolab, a Swedish manufacturer of solid-wood furniture, was founded in 1907.

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