When it comes to workplace environment, cultural shifts are driving design strategy
AS THE AGE of single-purpose workplaces vanishes and employee punch cards are replaced by flexible hours and instant messages, workplace environments continue to evolve in order to meet the needs of both modern employees and employers.
And with the continued growth and influence of tech industries, the work environments they’ve fostered continues to have a big sway on office design. Employers from all sectors are realizing that old, rigid style office designs that didn’t necessarily encourage creativity and didn’t allow employees to be comfortable no longer meet new-age challenges.
So, what does work look like now? In order to assess new trends, Rodney Lover, principal at Lovers atWork Office Furniture, begins by taking a close look at emerging workplace culture. Noting a measurable move to inclusion, he says one driving trend is “more recent schooling styles that promote group work and a changing culture that stresses value for all individuals, no matter their position or age or experience.”
“Technology companies avoid big differences between leaders and soldiers. No longer are executives the ones with the majority of the office furniture budget. Every position matters in lean organizations” —Rodney Lover
Lover observes that incorporating “places to gather” in office design is prevalent today as a way in which to change the way people meet and interact—a decided shift away from gatherings in formal conference rooms.
