How modern office design impacts working relationships and decision making

By Nicola Smith

“It’s clear that 10 Downing Street isn’t fit for purpose and much of the muddled decision-making afflicting the U.K. Government may stem from not having a proper office to work out of.” So said Andrew Mawson, managing director of global management consultancy, Advanced Workplace Associates. It is a valid point. Numbers 10, 11 and 12 Downing Street comprise a cramped seventeenth-century complex of over 100 rooms, including the Prime Minister’s flat. “No major corporation – or indeed government department – operates from a largely unreconstructed 300-year-old building or has the CEO living above the shop,” Mawson added. It gives rise to the question: How does modern office architecture impact working relationships and decision making, and what does the optimum workspace look like for today’s cohort of more demanding, increasingly hybrid, workers?

Digital technology company, Sensat has redesigned its office in Old Street, London to accommodate its post-pandemic hybrid working structure. Due to open in September 2022, it has been designed around the idea that when teams meet physically, it should be solely to interact and mingle. “We believe that to best support our employees when we come together to work and socialize, this space should promote collaboration and the celebration of our culture and achievements as a team,” said Sophie Martin, senior people partner, Sensat. “The new space will feature coffee bars, sofa areas, thinking spaces and more meeting rooms.” 

It will also feature fewer desks. Instead, people will gather primarily for planning sessions, blue sky thinking days and Team Power Hours. Sensat is not even labelling the new space an “office” – Martin said they want a café vibe and have instead named it, curiously, The Dog On The Moon.

A reduced number of desks is a trend being seen globally. Jonathan Webb, director at Wisconsin-based KI, which manufactures innovative furniture and architectural walls for corporate markets, said fewer workstations is one of the biggest changes he has seen in the U.S. “Prior to the pandemic 99% of KI’s clients were 1:1, meaning for every FTE [Full Time Equivalent] hired they provided a personal workstation for that employee.” The advent of hybrid working has changed this, and Webb said organizations are recognizing the importance of creating spaces that promote interaction and engagement.

Employee experience platform, Nexthink has also redesigned its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, with hybrid and flexible working at its heart. “The older office style was not conducive to the flexibility we now need ‘post-pandemic’,” said Meg Donovan, chief people officer, Nexthink. “The number of employees in the office changes drastically day-to-day, so we needed a space that could be agile enough to keep up with that.” 

The Nexthink HQ now has 196 workstations, representing one workstation for every 1.5 employees. The company will have many collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, bubbles and soft seating spaces where each person can work. “We can therefore easily accommodate the 300 employees we currently have in Lausanne, but also Nexthinkers from abroad,” said Donovan.

More informal workspaces are certainly growing in popularity. Lucy Minton, chief operating officer and founder of London-based managed office platform, Kitt, which has helped companies including Oatly and PZ Cussons create hybrid workspaces, said many companies – particularly scaling businesses – are adapting a 3:2 split with three dedicated in-office days. “When you’re growing a business at its early stage, off-hand communication and over-the-desk hearsay can be extremely valuable. With this in mind, office space should focus on providing flexibility for these teams, prioritizing spaces for collaboration and innovation with the addition of soft seating areas, touchdown points and meeting rooms.”

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