The panelists, from left to right: Antonia Cardone, VP of Cushman & Wakefield workplace strategy; Eric Ibsen, chief designer at Forge Architecture; Kamran Arshad, Haworth workplace design strategist; and Avinash Rajagopal, editor in chief Metropolis
Ever work in an office you just couldn’t get anything done in? Thankfully, with the widespread adoption of digital communication tools, many of us can now work anywhere, be it coffeehouses or co-working spaces. Technology has led us to ask: Why should we still be clocking in at brick-and-mortar offices? Turns out, the answer to that question is the crux of office design today.
On August 1, Metropolis editor in chief Avinash Rajagopal moderated a discussion at Haworth‘s San Francisco showroom among three workplace experts: Kamran Arshad, Haworth workplace design strategist; Antonia Cardone, VP of Cushman & Wakefield workplace strategy; and Eric Ibsen, chief designer at Forge Architecture. From varying perspectives, the three suggested that today’s office interiors must be approached not just uniquely, but qualitatively, in a deep and detailed way.
Typically, Cardone revealed, 50 percent of all employees surveyed by Cushman & Wakefield would rather not be in the office, period. This widespread alienation can become a drag on recruiting, retention, productivity, creativity, and even the bottom line, so, “if this can be shifted, the impact to the business is huge,” she said. Cardone and her team use a variety of increasingly sophisticated survey methods to find out who and what they’re designing for, and how to create the most engaging experiences per square foot.
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Cushman & Wakefield’s surveys have found that while some workers make it to the office every morning due to compulsion, others show up because it is more comfortable or convenient: The internet connection is faster than at home, or it’s cooler in August. Some employees feel a sense of belonging in the workplace, while others find it more efficient and effective to collaborate face-to-face instead of remotely. (“Some people still love to write on whiteboards,” said Cardone, “even coders.”)