Must know, the trends of the office market

The world is changing and it is nothing new, but recognizing these changes and responding to them in a timely manner requires us to follow the latest trends from different areas. The development of technology facilitates everyday life, streamlines processes in companies and improves communication. Representatives of the younger generation can no longer imagine their lives without access to the Internet, thanks to which they can quickly settle many matters that had to be sacrificed for many hours. Generational changes require employers to combine the needs and expectations of different age-old employees. In the era of rivalry between companies for the best talents, employers compete in creating new incentives to make their company a friendly place to be chosen by candidates.

What should we do to make our office meet the needs of all employees? How to ensure that the workplace connects people and creates a local community? How to engage a team and implement pro-ecological solutions? We answer these and many other questions in the below 8 trends on the office market, which are the result of cooperation between Knight Frank experts and independent specialists.

1) Strategy of the work environment – over the last years the role of the office has evolved, becoming a strategic resource of the organization. Increasingly, employees are involved, they examine relationships and internal processes in the company to create conditions that meet the needs of this particular work environment. We are not attached to one desk, we work from home from time to time, and at work we look for motivation and inspiration to exchange ideas and ideas. Therefore, common spaces should be arranged in a way that combines the needs of different departments and generations.

2) The human is important – the attractiveness of a given office building is not determined by the location or standard of the building, but its surroundings play an equally important role. In this respect, the “design thining” approach is becoming popular, which puts man in the center of attention. Instead of expecting that a man will adapt to the environment, the surroundings meet the needs of people. Numerous amenities in the form of shops, services, green areas and sports cause that we are in close proximity and a short space of time to settle most of our affairs.

3) Community building – mutual interactions and a sense of belonging to a group is one of the most important human needs. In the age of technology development and the increase in the popularity of coworking space, there is also a growing need to create a community that will motivate and cooperate with each other. This is often the role of people in the positions of “community managers” who work not only as part of coworking, but also within the common spaces in office buildings.

4) Life enters office buildings – more and more owners and tenants are involved in various charitable or cultural initiatives. Employees willingly join in additional activities, and office buildings are opened outside. Summer cinemas organized in many complexes, which are also open to nearby hybrids, gain popularity.

5) Art in office space – office decor and its attractiveness are the showcase of the company not only for clients, but also for potential candidates. Aesthetics of the interior with the use of art elements affect the image of the company or office building.

6) New technologies – modern solutions and innovations that are introduced in office buildings increase work comfort, reduce operating costs and simplify many processes. Mobile building management applications that allow you to navigate the building and inform about services and new notifications on the premises.

7) Closer to nature – the current momentum of life causes that more and more people pay attention to the surroundings. The need to care for health and concentration on the human being caused that the new direction in architecture is the so-called biophilic design. It focuses on the application of elements of nature and its processes that affect the design of products that we use every day at work and at home.

8) Ecology – awareness of the ecological approach in both private and professional life is becoming more and more common. In the era of plastic, which floods the world, it is worth developing solutions that will limit the amount of rubbish generated by us. Modern office buildings decide to obtain green certificates that emphasize the ecological approach of the project, reduce energy consumption and guarantee adequate insolation in the facility. Owners and tenants pay more and more attention to facilities in the form of bicycle and shower stands or charging stations for electric cars.