未来办公空间设计 | 灵活多元，关注身心健康

During an interactive panel discussion, Wilkhahn posed questions on how to future-proof workspaces for the unforeseen. We dissected five points of action for employers and office designers that arose from the virtual talk.

Following a large-scale – and largely successful – experiment in working from home, offices are opening back up. But that doesn't mean work will go back to pre-pandemic normal. Attitudes and expectations towards work life have changed permanently and employers will need to adapt their strategies and spaces to answer to the workforce's newfound needs. But how? How can businesses and organizations best attract and retain talent and experts? How can employers improve interaction, learning and collaboration through workspace design? How can the purpose of a business or organization be conveyed both on- and offline? And: How can people maintain health and productivity for a long time to come, wherever they work?

These were the questions on the table during a recent virtual panel discussion moderated by Frame editorial director Robert Thiemann and initiated by German office furniture manufacturer Wilkhahn. Kati Barklund, senior manager of workplace strategy at Swedish consultancy Tenant & Partner; joined Ramon Beijen, creative director at real estate and investment company CBRE; and Frederik Bellermann, architect, interior designer and strategic marketing manager at Wilkhahn, to explore the opportunities for employers and office designers to create future-proof and human-centred workspaces. Here are our key takeaways.

Above: CBRE's Amsterdam headquarters, a.k.a. The Core, features a range of working zones for various styles of working. The greenery-filled Workshop is described by the company as 'a hotbed of teamwork'.

Embed moments of mindfulness

To keep employees healthy and productive for a long time to come, workspaces should be designed for more than just work. As Beijen addressed, quiet niches should be integrated in their design and biophilic principles should be adopted. That goes beyond simply adding greenery. 'We should create spaces for all the senses. Light plays an important role, and sound and smell are too often underestimated,' he said. Bellermann highlighted the importance of active promotion of exercise as a preventative measure that contributes to individual stress tolerance and resilience, but also believes improving wellbeing involves more than physical movement.

'There is a great study from Google that said the most important factor of wellbeing is feeling heard and feeling safe within your workspace. Employers can show that they care through design, which could be as simple as offering ergonomic chairs. Psychosocial factors such as self-determination and appreciation, the reduction of disruptive factors and the promotion of physical activity are decisive elements that contribute to the wellbeing of office workers.'

Barklund suggested the integration of moments of mindfulness across a working day. Think about starting every meeting with a little ritual, planning walking meetings or organizing digital runs for remote workers, for example.

Offering dynamic sitting thanks to Wilkhahn's patented 3D kinematics called Trimension®, the AT Mesh ergonomic office chair allows its user to move freely

Foster company culture to create a sense of belonging

'Culture eats strategy for breakfast,' said Beijen. 'You might think it's all about strategy, but it isn't. It's about culture. If you look at office environments, you want to create culture, meaningful experiences and memorable spaces. It's important to have an identity, to give people a sense of belonging. Employees should be able to recognize themselves within the company that they are working for.'

Bellermann agreed, adding that 'the office space as a visible expression of identity has a significant impact on employer attractiveness and customer loyalty. You can strengthen identity through a design quality that is characterized by continuity, clarity and consistency.' Barklund addressed the challenges of conveying culture across hybrid, distributed workspaces. 'How can you live your culture when you don't live in your culture? We know that the physical office is really a platform for culture – a culture carrier. But it's important to express that same identity through online portals and third spaces as well.'

Powerhouse Company and CBRE developed a dynamic and healthy European headquarters for Asics in Hoofddorp. The speed and dynamism of the sports brand is reflected in the layout, where the open mezzanines create movement and varied interplay between the office floors.

Flex for both the near and far future

The panel agreed that the workforce needs to be empowered to exert control over their working day and work environment. This requires a flexible approach towards office design, which should provide various opportunities for employees to adapt spaces to their personal – or group's – needs. Modular furniture and systems can help create these opportunities, and people shouldn't need too much guidance. 'An office design needs to be empathic enough so that you can use it naturally,' said Beijen. Bellermann agreed, saying that the appropriate facilities can support various working styles in a purposeful manner. The 'manual' of these facilities should be integrated into the design. If you equip your spaces with furniture that explains itself and makes it fun to be changed, then there is a much greater chance to spark and inspire employees to think out of the box,' he said.

Beijen continued by saying that instead of making a one-size-fits-all, activity-based work environment, it's important to provide a variety of zones for different workstyles. These zones should align with different work 'tribes' – groups with shared missions and rituals. 'Think of designers versus analysts,' he said. 'Their needs are different and so should their tribe spaces be. Data can help measure how people are using the office and then you can readjust.'

'Increasing the flexibility and agility of the office space will ultimately make it easier for employees to navigate unexpected circumstances that might occur in the future,' Thiemann summarized. 'It's all about getting ready for the next phase of uncertainty.'

Bellermann believes dynamic environments and flexible furniture options can support various working styles in a more purposeful manner.

Practise what you preach, preach what you practise

Establishing a collective sense of purpose is ever more important with the rise of hybrid work. 'At the end of the day purpose is not conveyed through a fancy mission statement, but by simply making sense to your people,' said Bellermann. 'Especially in younger generations, loyalty, commitment and motivation depend largely on the answers a company is able to give to the question of why. Why do we do what we do? That purpose could be conveyed through environments, too. Durable, environmentally friendly and useful equipment make the values and purpose of companies incredibly tangible.'

To create performing workspaces, Barklund said, 'human, economic and planetary needs should align'. And to be truly effective, she added, 'purpose should permeate the physical, digital and psychosocial work environment'.

Cover image: Wilkhahn collaborated with architectural studio 1zu33 to visualize its new human-centred workplace planning concept, which shows how to make working in offices more attractive and sustainable. Pictured are, amongst other Wilkhahn products, Thorsten Franck's Stand-up stools, the Sitzbock pommel horse seats by RSW and the Andreas Störiko-designed mobile meeting table Timetable-Lift which can be flipped to function as a whiteboard.