Lessons from London – the future of offices

Ken Shuttleworth

The British Council for Offices (BCO) Annual Conference is an opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on cities we already know and love. This year’s conference was a chance to see London anew – to re-examine the way its many villages and hubs come together to create a vibrant metropolis and explore the opportunities the UK’s capital has to shape its own destiny in the midst of political and economic uncertainty.

Below are some of the major themes to arise over the course of the conference. Naturally, these are specific to London’s unique economy and office market, but they speak to broader global trends emerging as the world’s urban population grows and the need for smart, sustainable design increases with it.

• Technology

  The workplace is increasingly influenced by technology. A rising number of designers are using virtual reality in the design process and creating buildings ever more capable of recognising and responding to users’ needs. Technology is becoming more integrated on an individual level too, affecting how people interact with the built environment.

   

• Flexibility

  With remote and freelance working on the rise, traditional office design and long leases are losing some of their iron grip on the market. In particular, we’re seeing the popularity of co-working rise alongside the co-living trend. To keep up, new office buildings need to be designed with long-term future change in mind and be let on a more flexible, shorter-term basis.

   

• Placemaking

  There’s a growing call for increased engagement between planners and the public so developments truly embrace the people they’re designed for. Placemaking and the creation of vital destinations that serve the wider community and economy are more important than ever.

   

• Wellbeing

  The notion of prioritising office workers’ social and emotional needs is rapidly gaining traction. Offices are now expected to provide spaces for workers to relax, social, eat and recharge, and to bring the outdoors in through biophilic elements and facades that maximise natural light and filter natural air.

• Sustainability

          Sustainability is also gaining precedence as concerns grow over rising carbon emissions. Many designers are exploring how to achieve zero-carbon in the workplace and even generate positive energy back to the environment. Reuse is paramount, as is maximising the use of historic fabric.

 

 

 

               

 

Ken Shuttleworth is the founder of Make and the president of the British Council for Offices for 2017/18. 

 LSQ, London:

Make retained the historic facade of this classical building on London’s Leicester Square and created new flexible office floorplates within. 

 

 

 Big Data Institute, Oxford:

A research building for the University of Oxford which has achieved BREEAM Outstanding – the highest level of sustainable credentials in the UK.

 

 

               

5 Broadgate:

5 Broadgate was a bespoke design for UBS on behalf of British Land. It is a highly flexible 700,000 sq ft working environment which allowed UBS to consolidate their London workforce for the first time – to the tune of 6,000 staff in one building. It is estimated that the design allows for over per cent of the workforce to be technologically ‘agile’ which will represent an enormous saving for UBS.