New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 33/04C | Page 60

MARKET SECTOR REPORT
WORKPLACE TRENDS
THE OFFICE FIGHTS BACK
With some of the world’s largest tech companies investing in bricks and mortar,
is the physical office still alive and kicking asks Damien Sheehan,
Regus Country Head for Australia and New Zealand
When the digital revolution allowed us to work
anytime, anywhere, experts lined up to predict the
death of the office. But their warnings were prema-
ture. In recent years, some of the fiercest exponents
of working from home have backtracked, changing
flexible working policies and luring employees back
to the bricks-and-mortar office.
The advantages of remote working are clear for
some employees in some industries. But a shared
physical space still holds enduring relevance and a
symbolic significance for 21st-century workers.
Our current working environment is the result of
more than 100 years of technological change. In the
20th century, the telephone allowed businesses to
build offices away from their factories. Later, rising
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land prices and steel-frame construction tech-
niques inspired the development of skyscrapers.
Offices evolved into spacious, open-plan environ-
ments housing hundreds of employees, reinforcing
a clear distinction between home and work.
The next iteration of communication technology
has enabled us to work virtually, carrying a fully
functioning office wherever we go. The result has
been to cut office overhead costs and increase
flexibility for employees, particularly working
parents. According to a recent Gallup poll, 43% of
Americans said they spent at least some time work-
ing remotely last year, up from 9% in 1995. This
rapid transformation fuelled predictions that the
office would become a thing of the past.
These pages:While remote
working has advantages for some
employees in some industries,
a shared physical workplace
encourages collaboration and
innovation. Shown here are
Fonterra’s Auckland head office
by Jasmax, and Regus, Nijmegen
City Centre, Netherlands.