With office design becoming more elaborate in recent years as companies seek to stand out from the crowd, some firms are looking to taking their cue from local culture.
From Estonian saunas, Australian Aboriginal gathering places, and American cookie time, many features reflect a company’s heritage as well as helping employees feel tied into that space, a crucial difference to the sense they could be in any city in the world.
The need to crack homogeny has never been more important for firms increasingly focused on wooing talent and standing out from the competition, says Scott McCrossin, managing director of project and development services for JLL Australia.
“A company’s workplace can be the most effective billboard to showcase its culture, its brand and its values,” McCrossin says. “Many organisations recognise human capital as their most important resource, and so their experience is everything. This makes endearing design not just about the type of workspace delivered, but also about how they interact within the space.”