Image courtesy of UC Berkeley
Design professionals are at the forefront of sweeping changes occurring in many workplaces on an international level, however these changes are especially salient in the Bay Area due to the region’s cultural history and rate of technological innovation. Competition among tech companies to attract and retain the most talented employees has also fueled a steady evolution of what can be expected in today’s workplace culture and physical spaces, for both office and R&D environments.
“This is a very exciting time for research as the speed of discovery is happening at an accelerated pace,” said Suzanne Napier, vice president at SmithGroupJJR. “The high level of data and information being shared and the blending of the data between fields of research is helping work progress faster and faster. Reevaluation is happening at the planning level to address the changes and to rebalance the needs of lab spaces.”
Diane Stegmeier, founder of Stegmeier Consulting Group has been researching changes in work environments for the past 20 years and has worked with organizations from all over the world to assist in change management. She’s found a great level of awareness among leaders in the Bay Area that workplace culture is an integral part of the overall work experience for employees, which has in turn influenced the built environment.