Office evolution when considering its use, its design and densification is nothing new. External events, behavioural changes and cultural shifts have, and will, continue to expedite and drive change. The pandemic is, however, causing a once in a generation opportunity to rethink how the workplace will be used and curated for the future.
The manufacturing and automotive sector in the early 20th Century shaped the office of the 1950s. The design of the office was driven by efficiency and order through rows of desks, similar to production lines, and was known as the Taylorist office layout. Hierarchical structures within the workplace, meant that those at the top of the organisation would enjoy private offices with natural light that hugged the perimeter.
Telephones began to enter the workplace and manual typewriters were commonplace for administrative roles.
The desire to shift the uninspired nature of Taylorist efficiencies drove the creation of the ‘Action Office’ and the personal employee cubicle. This allowed office workers the ability to create their own workstations for privacy and flexibility.
Electronic typewriters first entered the office in the late 1960’s and were eventually found in most workplaces.
The Cubicle heavily influenced office design with occupiers, either opting for what is now known as, ‘Cubicle Farms’ or sticking to their Taylorist roots with rows of desks within the workplace.
The early shift from the typewriter to the personal computer (PC) word processer began and computers started to shrink from the size of large rooms to desk sized, albeit with quite limited functionality. Fax machines allowed documents to be sent instantly and physical document storage was slowly being replaced through the introduction of the floppy disk.
Whilst technology dramatically changed the workplace, office design now fully embraced the Cubicle Farm. When combined with modular walls and advancing technology, it meant the workplace became a processing warehouse.
Personal computers became part of the workplace and towards the end of the decade, companies realised they could increase productivity and efficiency through utilisation. By the mid 1980s portable mobile phones were creeping into the working environment, albeit only for a select few due to the high cost.
Office design began to stagnate and cubicles were still the norm, however, the introduction of the internet and shifts in company culture were set to change the way we worked forever.
The mainstay of the office, the fax machine, was gradually being phased out towards the end of the decade thanks to the World Wide Web. Computers remained bulky compared to the modern day equivalent and email began to replace the physical sending of mail.
The early 2000s saw the death of the cubicle office, giving way to more open plan or ‘casual offices’ that were aimed at being playful, attracting talent and creating a more free moving environment. As Wi-Fi enabled roaming within offices, it also meant you could work in coffee shops or even the home. The earliest ‘co-working’ spaces opened in San Francisco and London in 2005, which allowed for likeminded individuals from different sectors to work in the same environment.
Skype came onto the scene in 2003 and began to alter the way we communicate in a virtual sense. The launch of the iPhone in 2007 would change both the communications industry and office environment forever.
Flex is the word. Agile working and flexible desk spaces influenced the rise of the co-working companies of today. Remote working and hot-desking became the norm in corporate culture, as technological advances meant the fixed desk began to be phased out. Office design sought to promote company culture, making employees feel part of their brand, whilst driving engagement and creating a 'place' to attract the workplace and new talent. The cloud allowed for online storage and access to data without the need to be connected to a physical environment. Alongside this, workplace tools for communication and productivity gained momentum as key parts of the digital workplace ecosystem.
2020 saw the largest working from home experiment thanks to the impact of COVID-19. The virtual world invaded the physical world, resulting in the wide scale use of telecommunication tools such as Zoom & Teams. These tools were not new, however, their rate of adoption was staggering.
What happens next is still unknown but as working habits have changed, it’s highly likely that the office workforce will be demanding the best parts of their home working experience be retained. Previous metrics around cost or design will remain relevant in the short term. However, the transition back into the workplace must be underpinned by a more sustainable and data driven approach if we wish to create enhanced human-centric and experiential-led working environments for the future. Whilst change may not be as rapid or dramatic as seen across 2020, there will be a continuous evolution. Keeping ahead of new and evolving trends will be essential for those investing in, occupying or developing new workspaces.