Although the percentage of workers in the UK who now work either fully remotely or in hybrid roles has increased considerably since 2020, these people still make up less than half of the country’s workforce.
The latest government data indicates that 27 per cent of Brits have some kind of hybrid working agreement with their employer, while 13 per cent work completely from home.
But that still leaves 60 per cent who are coming into offices every day, not to mention the fact that the hybrid workers will be in the office for at least some of the week.
So, what does this mean for the future of office design and are there opportunities to improve our workspaces by redesigning them?
How is office design impacted by employees?
One study found that one of the primary motivations for employees to return to the office was for collaboration and the social side of work. This means that offices that are optimised for both collaborative work and that provide opportunities for social connection will appeal.
By focusing on how to facilitate different kinds of work and interactions, an organisation can design its office space to provide areas designed for collaborative work, as well as spaces that give employees the opportunity for deep focus work.
Given that another finding is that views and green spaces have a positive impact on employee performance, it could be time to explore how to incorporate more structural glass into office environments, either through large windows or internal glass walls.
What role does sustainability play in office design?
When using glass as a structural element, it’s essential to focus on sustainability. This is where solar control glass can play a key role. This form of glazing is specifically designed to control both the heat gain and light that enters a building from the sun.
At the same time, it is also optimised to prevent heat loss during the colder months of the year, thereby helping create a more comfortable working environment for everyone while also keeping heating and cooling bills in check.
Indeed, many organisations have signaled their intent to focus on improving sustainability in their offices in a more holistic way.
That involves focusing not only on energy efficiency and decarbonisation, which can be supported through the use of solar control glass, but also by focusing on employee health and wellbeing.
Given that access to natural light has been found to not only improve our productivity, but also our creativity and overall wellbeing, it seems only natural that businesses would be exploring how they can introduce more daylight into their offices.
In the past, large windows would typically lead to offices becoming uncomfortably hot in the summer and uncomfortably cold in the winter in the UK. But with new technology like the solar control glass featured in Everseal units, these problems will no longer occur.
This can have a significant positive benefit on office design for both wellbeing and productivity, by enabling architects to create buildings that let in more natural light and giving organisations workplaces that support everyone.