What are you waiting for? How the office of the future will look is already clear today. We show you 5 of tomorrow’s trends and how to turn them into reality.
What challenges await the office of the future?
The way we work is changing. As are the demands placed on your employees and the digital possibilities available.
The office of future and its equipment are derived from these mega-trends—recorded, for example, in a study by the Fraunhofer Institute:
- According to Microsoft, 52% of employees would like work to be more hybrid—and less in the traditional office environment.
- Thanks to artificial intelligence, individual work is decreasing, and group work is increasing.
- Mental and physical health is becoming more relevant.
- Sustainability is playing a bigger role.
- Digitalization facilitates more efficient collaboration.
A bonus: as the shortage of skilled workers increases, sought-after candidates place more emphasis on a pleasant working environment. The office is becoming a recruitment factor in these changing times!
5 trends: What does the office of the future look like?
Let’s take a look at the office of the future – for example in 2030. How will the design of the interior look? Who will use it, when and how?
The Office Workplace Is Getting Smaller
More and more employees are preferring to stay at home, even after the end of corona virus. Either completely or at least a few days a week.
As a result, New Work needs less office space per building. The trend is towards several small, local offices in the towns and cities where employees live.
If you plan too big, you will have to carry the costs. Despite this, of course, the local office still needs to have enough space for everyone who drops by. Booking systems help: Employees register in advance for specific hours to be spent at the workplace and reserve rooms, spaces or even individual desks.
But which rooms can you do away with and still have a clear conscience?
The Office Environment Is Becoming More Diverse
The traditional office workplace is disappearing. Because individual work—making phone calls, doing paperwork – is mainly done in the home office. Or, to save space, in shared locations: the telephone room that can be booked, the desk that can be occupied by the hour.
With your own desk giving way to a modular system: instead of performing all your tasks in one place, many places exist for performing one task at a time. Employees take turns and use the space efficiently.
That leaves room for a new focus. Modern work environments are collaborative, creative and a hub of exchange. This means that in the future there will be more room for:
- Teamwork: conference rooms, project rooms, modern open-plan offices.
- Joint rest breaks: cafés, lounges, table football and co.
- Leisure time: rest rooms, green spaces and sports facilities help you relax.
Digitalization in Office 4.0 Spawns the Smart Office
The keyword for innovative office concepts: Internet of Things (IOT). In a smart office, the team and facility are networked:
- Workplaces, conference rooms and relaxation areas can be booked online.
- The digital office measures the occupancy of the premises and redirects employees accordingly.
- The building regulates the temperature, light and air quality automatically.
- Tables, windows, and walls can serve as screens or projection surfaces.
- Software can be used without a hitch on smartphones, tablets and PCs—both locally and in the home office.
We Work More Healthily in Modern Working Environments
Back pain from sitting for long periods of time and then visits to the gym after work? Won’t exist anymore. Because the new office concept reminds us of a fitness center:
- The high desk and ergonomic chairs reduce the strain on your muscles.
- Digital helpers make sure there is always plenty of fresh air, a pleasant temperature and adequate light.
- Recreational opportunities take the stress out of work and safeguard our mental health.
The interior design can help reduce absenteeism and increase the productivity of the entire team in this way.
The Architecture of the Office Building Is Also Changing
As the interior design changes, so does the architecture of the whole. The office building itself will also become smaller—or, as in modern hubs, encompass several companies’ working environments.
Sustainability is an integral part of every concept. The buildings are green in the truest sense of the word: through vegetation that reduces emissions, improves air quality, and supplies shady spots for lunch breaks.
The focus of the building is increasingly placed on the areas of encounter: Cafés and restaurants, green areas, sports fields. The offices per se move into the background.
