#WRKPLC

Welcome to my newsletter?#WRKPLC ?which will be published every 2 weeks. This is where I will share my thoughts on interesting headlines and emerging topics from the past two weeks, plus cool office designs and opinion pieces. If you don't have the time to keep up with the news,?#WRKPLC ?will do the heavy lifting for you.

OFFICE DESIGN / What does the office mean to you?

For what is essentially a book promo, this is a fascinating interview with architects, LeeAnn Suen and Florian Idenburg. In a Q&A with LeeAnn and Florian, we get snippets about the evolution of work, the built environment and the role of technology. Some great soundbites about their upcoming book ‘The Office of Good Intentions. Human(s) Work’ looks at the seemingly endless journey the workplace has been on over the past 50 years.

The opening quote at the top of the article is the sort of question which sparks a huge range of opinions, and emotions, about the office.?

‘Is an office a jail, a playpen, a living room or a “container for occupational distraction”?’

I’d highly recommend this piece as while it’s a short interview, there are some cool ideas shared by the architects. Maybe it will inspire you to buy the book?! Read the article here .

VIDEO / Is this the greatest office ever?

I love this video. In 1939, Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned to design the SC Johnson building in Racine, Wisconsin. This was building was the future of work and Wright designed it to be “as inspiring a place to work in as any cathedral ever was to worship in.”

Vox’s Phil Edwards visited the open office to find out what it’s like to actually work there. He goes through the architectural details behind the design of this incredible space.

Watch the full video below ?

FUTURE OF WORK / Is it worth going into the office?

2022 was meant to represent a return to normality for many of us and while many things have gone back to how they were, the mass return to the office has hit a snag.

Flexibility is in high demand and while many employers are trying to figure this out, a tug of war is playing out. Employees have been shown the possibilities of remote working and the taste of saving money and lack of the dreaded commute has turned heads. This has proven to be problematic for business leaders as they seek ways of attracting people back to the office and reviving their workplaces.

One of the biggest questions affecting the workplace at the moment is, “is it worth going into the office?”. There is a whole host of factors that feed into this decision which means there is no quick fix and is dividing employees and employers.

This article presents a good balance of the situation and sheds some light on the primary considerations.

RETURN TO THE OFFICE / Why Aren’t More Companies Focusing on Social Capital?

Sometimes other people just say it best and this is one of those times. Zoe’s recent post about social capital (the network of relationships of those at work/in a community) grabbed my attention.

Zoe Humphries , Workplace Experience Director at Cushman & Wakefield shared some data from the 微软 Work Trend Index and posed a poignant question. Referring to some of Cushman & Wakefield’s research that has shown how “connecting with people is a major driver when deciding to travel to the office.”

Why aren't more organisations evolving their Workplace Experience to focus on developing and enhancing social capital?

One of the early issues coming out of the pandemic was the lack of data for leaders to base decisions on. Where we are now is by no means perfect but we do have significantly more data to inform and back up our workplace decisions. If we want to answer the question of how to lure staff back into the office, organisations must begin to digest and build from data. A mandated RTO is riddled with flaws and counterarguments, so we must elevate the compelling components of the office. Otherwise, we will be left on an endless merry-go-round of trying to get people to return to the workplace.?

FUTURE OF WORK / Making the office feel like home

Since the pandemic, the desire for an office that feels like home has increased. This ‘homeification’ or resi-merical design has been around for a long time but do we really want to go to the office if it feels like we haven’t left home?

There’s debate about whether recreating the home in the office is the best way of getting people back to the office. For some, having a comfortable workspace that feels calm and looks like a home is a must-have. For others, the feeling is that recreating an environment you already have access to makes no sense. The office should offer something different to motivate people to come in.

How do you feel about having an office that feels like home? Check out this article for a quick look at how monday.com have recreated the home in the office.

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