Where Will You Go To Work Tomorrow?

As businesses, professionals and even the talent of tomorrow have adopted flexible hybrid work models due to the global pandemic, the way we view work, study, and collaborate has fundamentally shifted. Moreover, thanks to modern technology, much of our daily work is no longer confined to four walls and a desk. Instead, work can now occur wherever there is internet connectivity – “if home is where the heart is, work is where the Wi-Fi is”.

With increased capacity for professionals to work from anywhere and the cost of real estate leases and maintenance inflating over time, the motivation for organisations to upkeep traditional office spaces in their corporate real estate portfolios have changed too.

Businesses and savvy decision-makers are looking to utilise resources and spaces more efficiently and sustainably in a post-pandemic world– while simultaneously creating a better workplace experience for their employees.

Organisations are now rethinking workplace design by surveying and relooking at employee experiences and sentiments to understand what resources are required to ensure no detriment to quality and productivity. Additionally, doing so allows a better understanding of how best to bring employees back to the office safely and effectively.

At the heart of all these workspace design conversations is the concept of Activity-Based Working (ABW). ABW is about embracing the power of choice and working from where one works best. As there is no one-size-fits-all solution for all employees under one roof, employees are empowered with greater flexibility to choose where they function according to the nature of their tasks. Compare the needs of an events manager to those of an accountant or IT technician, and you’ll quickly see how different their workspace needs may be throughout the day.

So, what do activity-based workspaces look like?

Individual workspaces and focus rooms

While ABW workspaces are about facilitating more choices and options to carry out tasks, traditional workspaces are not entirely removed. Private workspaces , dedicated desks , and focused quiet rooms are still needed for professionals working on complex and confidential tasks. These spaces may be found within headquarters in a traditional office, or to save on capital and operational expenditures, decentralised companies may obtain private workspaces in the form of serviced offices, day offices or dedicated coworking desks leased from a flexible workspace provider.

Collaborative spaces and meeting spaces

In contrast to working in isolation in a private office or working from home, collaborative spaces come in many shapes, sizes, and designs to promote in-person communication and connection. A classic example of this is a shared workspace with several workstations or desks facing inwards. Another set-up is for rows of desks side by side, allowing users to hot desks freely and work independently in a communal space.

Open lounges may be set up to prioritise comfort and conversation, with sofas and tea tables being the focus. Huddle booths can balance private and communal workspaces where one table is set up with benches within an enclave to create a sense of closeness – not unlike a dining experience. Collaborative spaces can also come as project rooms, rented-out meeting rooms , and venue spaces to facilitate group work or team-building.

Freedom to work from anywhere

In a future of work where the space we need to perform a task varies as widely as the work we do throughout the day, flexibility and agility have never been a more critical asset.

Coworking spaces and flexible shared workspaces are no longer a millennial fad catered to start-ups and SMEs; they have evolved into a robust working model that can bolster productivity, resilience and agility of businesses, individuals and even multinational corporations.

With over 28 years of experience and an impressive multinational corporate clientele portfolio, The Executive Centre continues to prove that excellence built with a demand-driven approach is a formula for sustainable profitability and customer satisfaction. Located within the heart of central business districts in over 14 Markets and 165+ Centres across the Asia Pacific and the Middle East, The Executive Centre provides flexible lease terms for workspaces in prime Grade A and Green certified buildings.

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