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AT THE OFFICE
Looking ahead, office design is becoming
more intentional, balancing function with
aesthetics and individual preferences.
by Stienie Greyling
rom creating environments will actually be used. Companies must
that encourage movement and focus on what employees actually need to
Fcollaboration to integrating be most productive.
technology for remote-first work, the The shift to flexible work points
office landscape in 2025 will be defined by represents a seismic change in how
flexibility, sustainability and user-centric we utilise office spaces. Sometimes,
design. employees need private spaces. Sometimes
Embracing the right workplace trends they need ‘official’ collaborative spaces,
is always top of mind for companies and sometimes they need places for
that want to stay competitive in today’s impromptu brainstorming or to take
increasingly complex market. breaks when needed. That’s why it’s up to
The workplace is always changing, companies to figure out how best to design
with or without the global pandemic to office space that are fit for purpose and
contend with. The reality is that the shift in line with whatever flexible workplace
towards more hybrid and flexible working strategy they are using. Ideally companies
was picking up speed long before anyone will actually consider employee feedback
had heard of COVID. in their design plans.
The hybrid workplace and other The implementation of smart office
complex work environment types are no technology, while promising, raises valid
longer the ‘future of work’, they are here concerns around employees and visitor
to stay. This makes these environments a privacy. As smart offices collect and
present reality for many companies. process vast amounts of data, it’s crucial
The days of endless cubicles are out. So that this data is handled responsibility
too are large, open offices that don’t serve and ethically.
the people who use them. The biggest Transparent data collection practices,
trend in workplace design today is creating robust security measures and clear
offices that are designed around how they data usage policies are essential for
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