SOURCE : NEW18 NEWS
Last Updated:January 15, 2025, 19:31 IST
There is an increased appetite for work environments that blend hospitality and comfort and create an exalted in-person experience to enhance work productivity.
With the criteria for the modern workplace continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, a continuously and constantly evolving office is almost a mandatory requirement for companies. (Representative/Shutterstock)
Authored by Manas Mehrotra:
The traditional concept of “the office” has fundamentally and irrevocably changed in recent times, driven by a shift in what employees want and expect from their workplace, with 70% of companies following the hybrid work model. Business leaders are prioritising office spaces that are constantly evolving, new and in tune with the changing needs and preferences of the workforce, which is why the market size of flexible office real estate across the country is expected to aggressively grow, reaching between 100 million sq ft to 140 million sq ft by 2030 as companies of all sizes prefer the flexible work model. There is an increased appetite for work environments that blend hospitality and comfort and create an exalted in-person experience to enhance work productivity.
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The vision is to institutionalise a cyclical model of life – work, rejuvenate, work, thereby supporting positive financial health and profit. The goal should be to attain a balance between financial gains and social good. This alone will ensure the longevity of coworking spaces and will be a win-win situation for the sector, client, and overall social and economic stability.
We believe that coworking spaces recognise these sentiments of the workforce and hence it is crucial to design and model workspaces that guarantee this security. This will ultimately quicken work and intensify productivity.
Why workforce performance is crucial for offices
Business performance is ultimately about workforce performance. The office must be effective for the workforce to deliver results, foster talent and collaborate to enhance return on investment for individuals, teams, and businesses significantly. Hence, while success and efficiency are certainly not only assessed by density, occupancy, and seats, rather results that arise out of work. This will ensure that society is well-placed to care for its citizens. After all, what is the motive for good results? A happy social order without doubt.
Recurrent evolution in workspaces is mandatory
With the criteria for the modern workplace continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, a continuously and constantly evolving office is almost a mandatory requirement for companies to offer the best ambience in this new world of work. Replacing the traditional, impersonal, and dense office designs that have become common for corporates over the years, the emerging framework of coworking relates to reconfigurable and purpose-driven spaces, with room for diverse spatial groupings that enable companies to operate with minimal cost implications.
In today’s world, having this flexibility is particularly valuable, not only to accommodate a wide variety of work-related needs, but to provide leaders with the ability to meet transforming business priorities and employee expectations of what contemporary offices should look like today and in the future. Coworking spaces accounted for 72% of all flex space transactions during H1 2024, registering an increase from 58% in H1 2023. This significant uptick validates the fact that coworking spaces are a dynamic solution increasingly preferred for workspace options.
Greater emphasis on non-linear design
The modern trends that are defining today’s workplaces make it clear that there cannot be a linear approach to design and layout. Employees constantly look for collaboration and social interactions that are not possible working from home entirely, and hence business leaders increasingly look at multi-modal designs to bolster productivity. As expectations continue to evolve, the ‘newness’ in office spaces is a sure shot means for business heads to future-proof their workplace strategies and transform their environments to meet employee preferences.
Aesthetics have renewed significance
While aesthetics and design have been part of offices, traditional models are out, and new, modern frameworks are in. Large and open spaces and greenery have become integral to offices, reflecting the need for freedom in work practices and ambience. Globally, this has become a norm and increasingly, office spaces here too are adopting this model as companies here are now part of the global order. Professionals from abroad frequently visit offices here and would like to be in settings similar to their work spheres there, and hence uniformity in work environments is crucial while maintaining the presence of local cultural comforts.
The very vital alignment of workforce and company values
People want to work for companies that align with their personal values and care deeply about them and this has to be part of the office ethic. Employee well-being goes beyond financial security or just the provision of a fitness room. Hence, there is a shift to a more holistic approach to health by making provision for spaces to connect, reflect, and recharge for mental and social balance – that will make a positive impact on the individual, the local community, and ultimately, the planet.
How the future of coworking is poised
The future will also see greater push for customised board rooms and focus rooms to enhance sharper brainstorming and business impact. Moreover, the average density of offices will see a greater drop and the push towards coworking spaces will be more universal. This can be explained by the rise of flexible policies, where most companies no longer plan for 100% of their workforce to be in the office at the same time. This has prompted companies to rethink their spaces to foster collaboration that can also be reconfigured to create workstations on busier days in the office.
In conclusion, it can be said that it is important for office spaces to empower employees to deliver their best work. Through a flexible approach that should constantly evolve, the workforce must have the freedom to work on their own terms, harnessing the advantages of design, aesthetics, comfort and productivity all in the interest of happy and healthy living.
The workplace of the future is a place where people want to be, where they feel part of a larger purpose and community, and where they feel cared for as a person. It’s time to put people first, foster the joy of work, and create a feeling of abundance in the workplace. The new office model has to be one that does not compromise productivity and welfare.
(The author is the founder of 315Work Avenue)
