Within a workspace a variety of activities can be promoted to encourage user wellbeing and promote productivity. We have come along way from the the Taylorist inception of the office in the 1930s. Offices are no longer spaces in which to manage and supervise people performing repetitive bureaucratic tasks. Repetitive tasks have become the preserve of machines and the advent of Artificial Intelligence will further this trend. This leaves people to focus on what humans are good at - imagination, creativity, empathy, abstract thinking and judgement. A space that accommodates this cannot be a blank row of desks, but rather a range of atmospheres and zones that focus on particular tasks - quiet space for deep concentration, hang-outs for loose collaboration, spaces for presenting ideas and demonstrations, spaces that support team work and spaces to escape. Interspersed with these need to be spaces for socialising, for dining, for exercising, for performing. A collection of diverse spaces that can offer all the cultural, intellectual and social needs of its users.

 

Throughout the building a range of workspaces should be provided to suit these needs; different atmospheres; degrees of privacy and tenancy or membership options. Open plan hot-desk areas are close to circulation routes and refreshment points provide opportunities for active areas for touch down working and informal meeting. More secluded areas in remote corners can be fitted with sound absorbent materials and partitions to create quiet areas for concentrated, focused work. Private rooms and phone booths provide opportunities for quieter work patterns and a range of studio sizes allow teams to occupy space permanently to facilitate continuous interaction.

 

The provision of an array of meeting spaces allows each tenant to meet the requirements of each particular event they are organising, rather than relying on one or two standard sized and equipped spaces which may be less suitable. Spaces range from formal meeting rooms with board tables and AV equipment to relaxed workshop spaces. Larger event spaces provide opportunities for larger presentation and launches as well as social events and receptions. 

 

Similarly, breakout areas should be provided which offer respite from working areas and allow space for socialising and discussion. Chance encounters over a tea point can lead to an unexpected collaboration or connection. 

 

To connect and add to the real networks of city life it is important to open parts of the building and create fully accessible places and events that can reach beyond the buildings' tenants. The possibility of opening up space to the public can increase engagement with the local community and add to the streetscape at ground floor level, providing a venue for the building’s users to network and showcase to the city beyond.