Contract furnishings provider, Hightower received multiple awards at NeoCon 2021, including IIDA's 'Best Small Showroom' (under 4,000 sf) and 'Best of Competition' for its newly designed Chicago showroom.
Humanscale welcomes Elizabeth Margles to its Marketing Division in the role of Chief Marketing Officer. Margles comes to Humanscale with twenty years of experience in design, fashion and retail and a background in public relations and advertising.
The exclusive relationship with Kontrol's BioCloud® Technology will provide real-time detection of airborne pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 to help make workplaces safer as organizations return to the office.
The trend of American employees working remotely continues to grow, according to Gallup's State of the American Workplace report.
In 2012, Gallup data showed that 39% of employees worked remotely in some capacity, meaning they spent at least some of their time working in a location different from that of their coworkers. In 2016, that number grew by four percentage points to 43%.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization issued a warning that superbugs—drug-resistant bacteria and pathogens—are one of the most dangerous and imminent threats to people. The cause? Overuse and abuse of antibiotics and antimicrobials. Bacteria and germs make us sick, so the prevailing practice has been to kill them—but that's only making us more vulnerable to superbugs. Now, the design industry is chiming in about how buildings contribute to the problem and what can be done about it.
This white paper is the first in a three-part series of research studies which examines the evolution of office environments and considers how present day activity-based work environments (ABWs) support employee personalities and work modes. "The Effect of Individualized Work Settings on Productivity and Wellbeing" is the culmination of an extensive in-depth examination - in partnership with Three H - of workplace trends and the direct impact that design can have on employee performance, collaboration, wellbeing.
Corner offices are a coveted piece of corporate real estate — but they probably shouldn't be.
According to newly published research from office design company Steelcase, corner offices meet only a small percentage of modern CEOs' needs. Many leaders say they value teamwork over unilateral decision-making, yet still work in fixed spaces designed to isolate.
A new Gallup State of the American Workplace report is garnering headlines for this finding: The most engaged employees are people who work away from the office three to four days a week. But, it’s another conclusion from Gallup that should be resonating with leaders around the world. If organizations want to compete today they should consider giving their people greater flexibility, autonomy and care for the holistic wellbeing of employees.
“Organizations have nowhere to hide,” writes Gallup. “They have to adapt to the needs of the modern workforce, or they will find themselves struggling to attract and keep great employees and therefore customers.”
What does it take to provide an attractive work environment? As mobile work increases and people are working anywhere at anytime, we know people are seeking out new ways to get work done. So, the real question is: Is your work environment adapting to keep up or are people leaving the office to get work done?
The majority (79 percent) of workers say reliable and modern technology is more important to them than office aesthetics, while accessories such as ping pong tables, slides, hammocks and wacky office designs may look good in pictures, but they don’t necessarily make employees any happier or productive. The is according to a survey, conducted by storage firm Kiwi Movers, which found that 86 percent of UK adults who work in an office said fun features were of no specific value to their working life, 11 percent said they were nice-to-have and of some value and 3 percent said they were very valuable. The most popular office perks are those offer an immediate tangible benefit to the employee, but even so, as many as 23 percent don’t take advantage every day; while 71 percent overall said they’d like more space in their office and of those, 58 percent believe that could be achieved by removing non-essential items. The research also found that younger workers were more likely on average to take advantage of ‘environmental’ perks like chill out areas and recreational equipment.
Two-thirds of knowledge workers told a survey they left their last role because their workplace was not optimised for them.
A study commissioned by Sodexo, in partnership with Quora Consulting, examines factors affecting productivity, engagement and retention in the knowledge worker sector.
Sodexo says the findings of the study, Creating a workplace that maximises productivity, are a wake-up call for organisations not to put cosmetic design over substance.
In the study of 2,800 knowledge workers, 67 per cent admit they left their last role because the workplace was not optimised for them.
Gensler conducted a three-year study focused on student life on university campuses, and the role of the residence hall in fostering student success. In the first phase of our research, they examined the study habits of high school seniors using surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews to document their preferred methods of learning before attending university.
The architecture firm then conducted surveys, focus groups, and meetings with university students and administrators to understand challenges that current college students face regarding studying and focusing specific to their living situations. Ultimately, they used this information to identify areas for improvement, measure students’ perceptions of the on-campus living experience, and understand the challenges faced by facilities and building managers as solutions are developed.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Download full report »
Embracing digital culture, tools, and approaches.
A Deloitte survey (sponsored by Facebook) asked C-suite executives for their perspectives on the future of work. Their responses reveal six themes about the future workplace—and six lessons to help leaders ease the transition.
Communication, collaboration, and connectivity are at the core of much of what the C-suite believes will drive the major changes in the future of work. The reason for investing heavily in these aspects of work is the belief they represent hard business benefits for their companies.
It was only a few years ago that people had to call a cab in advance — sometimes an hour in anticipation of when they would want to be picked up to ensure they’d get a ride.
Then Uber came along and changed things for good. By offering cab service whenever and wherever customers needed, they created a new standard: businesses would have to cater to the schedules of consumers, rather than the other way around.
This is the defining characteristic of the new economy. We’ve seen it with Netflix and movies, with Hulu and TV. And the next major industry to follow this trend in the coming years, we think, is the workplace — with coworking spaces at the center of the shift.
The demand is already there: Freelancers comprised 34% of the workforce in 2014 and are expected to rise to 50% by 2020, and more companies experimenting with alternative workplace arrangements. And the expectations of employers and workers have changed: In 2014, a four-hour response time to emails was deemed good (the point at which about 80% of people were happy). By 2015, this had moved up to about one hour. In 2014, only 4% of people said they expected a response within 15 minutes; by 2015, 14.5% expected that.
More than half of the workforce (53 percent) report that they have felt physically unwell due to a poor work-life balance, and a similar number (52 percent) go so far as to say that work makes them more unwell than anything in their personal lives, claims new research from Bupa UK. In addition to physical sickness, work stress is keeping half (51 percent) of employees awake at night. Two fifths (42 percent) even state it is ‘ruining their life’.The research revealed that people find workplace demands such as presenting at an important meeting (71 percent) or managing a project (65 percent) just as stressful as buying a first house (69 percent) or getting married (66 percent). The research indicated that there is a pressing business need for organizations to better understand and address the wellbeing needs of their employees, as it is impacting profitability.
The monthly Architecture Billings Index (ABI) came in at a score of 50.6 in November, down a scant 0.2 points from October's 50.8, the American Institute of Architects announced today. Following two months of contraction before October, today's release indicates continued growth.
The ABI is a leading economic indicator of construction activity in the U.S., and reflects a nine- to 12-month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending, nationally, as well as regionally and by project type. A score above 50, like this month, represents an increase in billings from the previous month, while a score under 50 represents a contraction.
The most common office gripe is not about lack of receptive management, disregard for well-being, or difficulty interacting with coworkers. No, more than anything else, workers just wish they could control the temperature of their workspaces.
In a survey commissioned by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA), “Ability to adjust your workplace temperature” topped the list of office qualities with which workers said they were unsatisfied. “Temperature” also made the list, coming in fifth place.
New research released by Samsung Electronics claims that UK small business workers are losing 5.5 hours a week because of workplace disruptions and irritations. Unsurprisingly, technology issues caused the most lost time, at an average of 27 minutes a day (or just over two hours per week). Crashing computers (92 percent) and slow internet (92 percent) were the two biggest technology factors annoying small business workers, closely followed by no access to emails (85 percent). Distractions caused by co-workers caused 22 minutes a day of downtime (just under two hours per week). Moaning (which annoys 84 percent of small business workers), eating loudly or messily (83 percent) and interruptions while talking (80 percent) were the biggest irritations. General office issues contributed 19 minutes a day (1.5 hours a week) in lost time. Being too hot or too cold (82 percent), uncomfortable seating (81 percent) and a messy workplace (80 percent) were the top frustrations.
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) have released Design Leveraged, Volume II, the second in a three-part series, which makes the case that good design makes a meaningful impact on employee satisfaction and has a positive effect on a company's bottom line. The report highlights new survey findings that provide commercial interior designers with the hard data they need to demonstrate the ROI of an office redesign to C-level executives. More than 1,200 U.S.-based office workers participated in the survey, which showcases the stark differences between employees who are satisfied with their workplaces versus those who are not.
The American workforce has never been more diverse, with generations spanning from Baby Boomers to Gen Xers and beyond. In recent years, however, Millennials (adults ages 19 to 35) have driven the biggest transformation in workplace dynamics. Experts and studies, for instance, tout how the Millennial generation is more collaborative than others and has a strong preference for remote work options. Additionally, Millennial workers are more connected and prefer to use technology to interact and get work done.
Why do these insights matter more now than ever before? According to an analysis from Pew Research Center, more than 30 percent of American workers today are Millennials. They recently surpassed Generation X in becoming the largest share of the American workforce. As more Baby Boomers retire, more and more Millennials will be stepping up to fill management roles.
With Millennials moving into leadership positions, and an even younger generation (Generation Z) preparing to enter the workforce, we predict there will be significant changes in office dynamics and operations starting in 2017, and lasting well into the coming years.
The office watercooler days are long gone, and in its place are platforms like Slack, Toggle, and Facebook Messenger. With the rise of our increasingly mobile and connected relationships comes new ways of working. If we take a moment to look around us in any urban city, we’ll see the future of work all over: at our local coffee shop, brimming with entrepreneurs dialing clients, on the sidewalks, where teams are taking their walking status meeting, across open-office spaces, where employees roam freely. With these new standards for office culture, creating opportunities for professional relationships to develop and collaboration to occur is more integral than ever to an organization’s success.
According to a Google For Work Study released in 2016, 73% of employees think their organization would be more successful if they were able to work in a more flexible and collaborative way. As the needs and expectations of employees continue to evolve, companies are building and protecting spaces—virtually and in the office—to help colleagues connect, offer mentorship, and share expertise.
Haworth white papers: the right office design can increase the happiness of employees, whereas ping-pong tables, slides and even pay rises can't, according to new research by Haworth.
The findings are contained in a new white paper launched by the office furniture giant at the Orgatec workplace design fair in Cologne last week.
"Our research shows that there are specific design elements you can use to help workers feel happier," said Michael O'Neill, Haworth's head of research. "That's what the data is saying."
The report is the latest in a series of white papers by US company Haworth exploring office design.
The workplace is undergoing rapid changes and A&D firms are right at the center of it. As drivers of innovation, A&D firms are charged with satisfying their clients’ desires to incorporate all of the latest trends, now. In order to deliver meaningful solutions, new resources, and more impactful content, we teamed up with AgilQuest to better understand the state of the A&D industry today.
Who we surveyed
The majority of our 312 survey takers work in large firms. Twenty-six percent hail from firms of 250 or more, and over 63 percent of respondents work in firms of 30 or more. Responses from A&D professionals in firms of less than 30 clocked in at 23 percent.
To better understand the scope of their current work, we asked the respondents about their client base. Results showed that they primarily work with clients who have multiple locations, as opposed to 24 percent of survey takers who work mostly with clients in single locations.
Despite half (50 percent) of the British workforce saying they are equipped with the right tools and technology to enable them to work anywhere, half (50 percent) of respondents to a new survey stated that remote working can make them feel stressed, isolated or lonely (43 percent) and over half (53 percent) said that working out of the office makes them feel disconnected from colleagues. The survey from Peldon Rose, found that two-thirds (66 percent) of British workers say they work most productively in the office compared with a quarter (26 percent) who work most productively at home. The survey results also underline how vital close working relationships with colleagues are to employees’ happiness, wellbeing and productivity with nine in 10 (91 percent) of office workers stating they value their friendships within the workplace and 80 percent crediting their friendships with colleagues with helping them to be more productive at work – something they feel boosts their productivity even more than personal technology (66 percent).
