Beyond bricks and mortar
Reports of the death of the office are greatly exaggerated, say industry experts ahead of a TEDxSydney exploring the evolution of the office at the Sydney Opera House next week.
Global real estate services firm JLL has teamed up with TEDxSydney to gain insights from the audience attending the mindfest next week, and aims to develop a new model for the future office.
In the lead up to TEDxSydney, JLL surveyed the 40,000 strong TEDx community and held a workshop with 40 participants to explore how changing technology, mobility and consumer preferences are changing our workplaces, built environment and cities.
JLL’s Australian head of Property and Asset Management, Richard Fennell (pictured), says buildings are becoming significantly smarter and are “less about bricks-and-mortar, and more about technology, data, and interaction with their environment”.
“Buildings are becoming one big sensor – soon they’ll know your profile and they’ll respond accordingly,” Fennel says, adding that this is something he can see happening within the next decade.
The single-use office tower has had its day, Fennell says, and multiple-use, adaptable buildings with a mix of retail, residential office spaces, with a hotel thrown in for good measure, is the way of the future.
“People want multi-functional, mixed use buildings that encourage co-working with diverse industries,” he says. Workshop participants thought this might translate into smaller CBDs – such as Parramatta and North Sydney – growing in demand and importance.
“How we use buildings is changing, and how operators use them is changing too. We are applying technology to understand where people are and what they are doing. Soon, buildings will talk back to occupants, and will be helping people to improve their productivity.”
Robotics is another game-changer – but forget the humanoid robots depicted in the Jetsons and Star Wars.
“These machines will move around the building undertaking many tasks currently carried out by people – such as reception and concierge functions, cleaning and administration – but they won’t look like human beings,” he adds.
But for all the high-tech wizardry, both the survey and the workshop confirmed the human desire for connection will endure. While technology promised the end of the office, instead, people are prioritising face-to-face time to share ideas and information, and to innovate, Fennell says.
“Expect offices to become more community-based. As we step away from our computer screens and become more mobile, we’ll need more meeting and collaboration spaces, and office environments that are far more flexible than what we have today.”
“Regardless of how much our buildings, technology or cities change, people will always crave connection with other human beings.”
TEDxSydney is being held on Wednesday 25 May at the Sydney Opera House.