The future of home working

First, we must ask: What will happen to the office?

Back in June 2020, Flokk, an ergonomic workplace furniture provider, asked me how work will change as a result of the pandemic. My big idea then was that the office will function more like a holistic member's club, becoming a place people want to go and spend time in, feel exclusive and valued (like that time your friend took you to Soho House).

A place which offers diversity not only in types of spaces but also in mood and atmosphere. You would want to be inspired to work from there, collaborate, hang out, exercise, socialise, brainstorm and participate. A community-based space such as the work lounge we have designed for Capital One would allow employees to accomplish tasks where they choose to.

In my interview with Flokk, I also said that there should be more space to breathe within work areas, resulting in a larger footprint per person and spacious interiors reminiscent of an executive suite throughout, contrary to most company's immediate response of adding a bunch of dividing screens and cubicles in order to accommodate the numbers.

Looking further into the future, on the contrary to what I said six months ago, I believe that companies will reduce their Real Estate footprint significantly and consequently transform their traditional office space into appealing hubs for employees [perhaps even public] to gather and collaborate rather than work full time. The saving in real estate will enable the companies to invest back in employees, particularly in their home-working set ups.

Although we all loved it for a short while, what were our negative experiences with working from home?

Since March 2020, we have been gathering feedback on home working through our social media channels. The photo collage below shows various solutions people have come up with. Three main problems summed up below.

• Lack of space / overcrowding
• Blurring of work and home life
• Back and neck pain / loss of voice / eye strain

Today, 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050 according to United Nations. People in dense cities like London or Istanbul inevitably reside in smaller dwellings. Lack of space is one of the biggest problems which needs to be addressed, because creating a comfortable and an efficient workspace does unfortunately take up space, something we don't have the luxury of.

The blurred boundary between work and home life is not helping our mental wellbeing which is already being challenged by watching the news. Negative mental health impacts are being reported all around the globe, and it will only continue to decline if we are constantly being reminded of work even as we kick back on the sofa watching Netflix.

We are yet to see the full effects of the fatigue caused by makeshift home office set ups. This year has seen us get 'creative' with our work environment; from ironing board stand-up desk, exercise ball task chairs to quirky Zoom backgrounds, people had fun with their interior design skills. However, we need to need to shift from that mindset to making meaningful changes in order to avoid long-term health problems.

What is the future of home working?

We cannot ignore the fact that there will be a big shift to working from home in the upcoming years. However in most homes there is no infra-structure to enable this properly. Any decent set-up needs to respond to the problems outlined above, providing an ergonomic, easy-to-implement solution with the following features.

• Flexible | Modular | Compact
• Encourage healthier lifestyle
• Environmentally conscious

"We have been designing flexible workplaces for decades, why shouldn’t we apply that to our home offices too." said my good friend Charlotte Moon-West who is a Workplace Strategy Consultant. Combining flexibility with modularity will give people choice as to how they want their space configured within available area. Ability to quickly put everything away will hugely help un-blur the boundaries between work and personal time.

Ergonomics should not be overlooked and needs to be on the forefront of any solution. Providing back support, seat height adjustment and sit stand worktop will help tackle the fatigue of long hours of work. We should be encouraging people to move more throughout the day and take breaks. With virtual classes proving popularity, you do not even need to leave home to work out, provided you have space to do so.

Since we are talking about the future, we must not forget that Generation Z & Alpha will be environmentally conscious consumers. We need to turn to sustainable materials and production techniques. Biodegradable materials such as cork, mycelium and bamboo are yet to be fully utilised, particularly in domestic settings.

If you found this useful, join in the conversation; share what your home office looks like and how your overall experience evolved throughout last year.