Facility Management 11.2018

The office of the future – Tips for planning new working environments

Numerous statistics on the well-being and motivation of employees and hence on the performance of a company have shown that investing in new working environments pays off. Spatial changes provide a valuable framework for modern and future-oriented working methods. Although there is no general answer for the right working environment, there is still a lot that entrepreneurs and architects can do right.

New working environments: Why?

There are two main reasons that drive a company to consider new working environments – often a combination of both. The first is the need for additional workstations, i.e. space efficiency, sustainability, and cost optimization. The second is the need to upgrade and modernize workstations in order to comply with current working environments and expectations of the employees. After all, the attractiveness of the workplace has become an essential decision-making factor for job applicants. The kitchenette is a good example of such spatial changes. Just a few years ago, informal communication was limited to the canteen. The kitchenette used to be a relatively small and decentralized office that mainly served as a coffee dispenser. Today, it is an important meeting place, situated at the center of the office space, and often expanded to include a lounge in a bid to deliberately increase the time spent there.

The lounge is located in the center of the new working environments for Husqvarna Group in Ulm

Flexibility and sharing show good prospects

Working environments have always taken various office forms. These range from cubicle offices up to (non-territorial) open-plan offices, each with different advantages and disadvantages. In most cases, pure cubicle offices are no longer contemporary. At the same time, the sheer limitation of the open plan concept with the mere adaption of hammocks and playgrounds is also not a universally valid solution. Creating a truly sustainable working environment requires a thorough analysis of current and future requirements – with a perfect balance between space efficiency and the quality of the workstations. For instance, in the case of departments where discretion and confidentiality are crucial, there are two architectural solutions that must be tested based on the needs of the company and its employees: the clear separation with independent offices for personal advice inside an enclosed room or an open group office with a meeting pool and small consulting cells based on the sharing principle. During the planning phase, the architect should weigh both options to enable the user to react to future changes without the need for extensive reconstruction. The future lies in this flexibility and in the combination of versatile zones that allow for both communication and contemplation.

Study: combination of office structure variations with versatile zones and the possibility of flexible restructuring ©DITTEL ARCHITEKTEN GMBH

The best solution: Interaction of project managers

Project management and contact persons
Superordinate project management by one person – ideally as a third instance or on the side of the architect or developer – is very important. In addition, all responsibilities must be defined clearly. For example, the relocation management of employees can be done by the architect or developer. It is also important to ensure that the architect can work with different levels of the company – he/she needs a contact for operational issues (e.g., project manager on the side of the developer) and another contact for strategic issues (e.g., executive, person in charge of change management).

Holistic conception
Planning new working environments requires consideration and integration of a large number of people, who must be coordinated appropriately. Ideally, this corresponds to a cross-section of the company. Specifically, in a classically structured company, this may include senior management for strategic issues, facility management for operational issues, marketing for brand representation issues, and the HR department for personnel issues and room layout. The following two scenarios illustrate the different roles of the architect during the project:

Scenario 1: »The spatial concept based on the desire for structural change«
The strategic impetus for fundamental restructuring comes from the management – corresponding to change management. Here, the early involvement of employees is vital. The architect is integral to the change and contributes to the process by planning the spatial concept.

Scenario 2: »Restructuring due to need for space«
This is based on operational needs e.g., lack of enough workstations. Here, the initial goal is to solve a specific problem, which can, in turn, result in restructuring and thus bring about further change processes depending on the scope. The architect can act as a future-oriented source of inspiration and consultant in the design of a holistic concept.

Briefing and framework conditions

The more precisely the basic framework conditions are clarified at the beginning, the more efficiently and economically the project can be handled. The influenceability of the construction costs is very high at the beginning and decreases in the course of the project. Well-founded consideration and clear definition of goals in terms of time, costs and quality play a huge role in setting the decisive factors for success at the beginning. For the architect, the initial briefing also means understanding the corporate values and culture in order to translate these into the spatial concept.

Cost planning – possibility of influencing the costs vs. cost development ©DITTEL ARCHITEKTEN GMBH

Well-founded analysis

To answer the big question, »Which is the right solution for this company?«, a thorough analysis that serves as the basis for a successful spatial concept is required. The following are some of the key questions that help define the company:

1. What is the current office structure of the company like and what should it look like in the future?
What office form has the company been using so far, what are the resulting problems, and what functions should the available space support in the future?

Visualization of variation and spectrum of office structure possibilities ©DITTEL ARCHITEKTEN GMBH

2. What is the structural substance like?
To be able to stick to the budget throughout the entire project, it is necessary to start with a clear demarcation of the area to be developed as well as thorough consideration of the building substance. This helps avoid hidden costs.

3. What is the construction task at hand?
When it comes to setting framework conditions, new construction and construction in an existing building are two different construction tasks. In the case of the latter, it is important to consider predefined structures such as façade grid, technical building systems, and fire protection classification and combine these with the modern spatial concept. On the other hand, new construction allows for a building structure designed for maximum optimization. This includes a smart layout of workstations and provision for later retrofitting of partitions without the need for major reconstruction or the integration of technical building systems in the concrete ceilings.

4. What are the specific usage requirements?
There are different methods that can be used to define the usage requirements. If necessary, these can be offered additionally by the architect. The basics of occupancy planning, process workflows, and communication channels can be defined in workshops in conjunction with the developer: »Who works and communicates with whom and how?« At the same time, it is also possible to have thematically structured and regular work groups in the planning phase to answer specific questions on issues such as »office«, »safety«, and »IT«. These findings are then used by the architect to develop a plan that optimally maps the functional workflows in the room.

Involvement and internal communication

Two terms that cannot be emphasized enough due to their strong impact on the acceptance of restructuring measures. Making sure that all employees in a company are satisfied is a huge task. Early sensitization and involvement of employees can be a great remedy. This not only ensures the suitability of the proposed concept for everyday use but also provides a positive sense of participation. Be it in the case of the aforementioned workgroups or the testing of individual office furniture up to complete working environments with an open-plan and desk-sharing principle. At the same time, a smart communication strategy is necessary, especially for large projects. This can highlight the numerous benefits and additionally provide a significant sense of being »informed«. For instance, having a permanent booth to provide information (visual or graphical) and answer any questions on the new project can generate a thrill of anticipation. Digital technologies, such as virtual reality, can further help employees to imagine themselves in the new working environment.

Conclusion

A good working environment is defined by the right balance between space efficiency (m²/work station), functionality, and quality. There are five success factors to consider: high functionality and flexibility, pleasant room acoustics, healthy materials, well thought-out corporate design, as well as versatile and high-quality, accommodative facilities.

Author: Frank Dittel, DIA – Dittel Architekten

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