Light It Up with Productivity and Office Lights

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Light It Up with Productivity and Office Lights

From the layout of your office down to the color of your walls, experts have recently uncovered the peculiar factors that affect the overall mood – and even productivity – of professionals.

The emergence of shared work areas such as coworking spaces showcased the impact of environmental physical design on an individual’s efficiency rate and focus. Several studies and surveys have highlighted the positive outcome of the movement to its members’ work life. Its open layout gave enough leeway to choose the setting that would work best with them.

In addition to this, trends such as comfort designs and dynamic offices attest to the growing demand of sustainable and efficient workplaces that help employees love their profession even more.

And though our ideologies of where to work are changing and constantly undergoing improvement, there’s one factor that is often treated with indifference by a number of designers and employers – lighting.

The Flick of a Switch

Hard to believe but its true – your mood, and even your overall well-being, can change with the flick of a switch. Aside from the common knowledge that reading in dark places can damage your eyes, poor lighting carry even more harm than we know. Well-lit environments can not only improve your employees’ productivity and vitality, it also helps enhance company image and aids you in recruiting new talents as well as retaining high-value workers.

In a recent study presented by Philips System, researchers saw a significant link between lights and circadian rhythms, or the ‘built-in-clocks’ of humans that determine their sleep cycle, stimulation, and relaxation. While another study have said that proper lighting can decrease depression and improve one’s mood and energy as well as their alertness and productivity.

The American Society of Interior Designs further strengthened the aforementioned claims by reporting a total number of 68 employees complaining about the systems of their respective office lights.

These issues serve as proof on the influence a simple light bulb can have to a person’s output. The amount of criticism businesses get with their systems can only mean that majority of them are making the same mistakes.

In order for a company to improve their workplaces and in return, get the most out of their team, it’s important that they understand what drives productivity and the factors that can affect it.

And one of the most notable factor that alter the way an individual works is the color temperature of the office lights they are exposed to on a regular basis.

Understanding Light

Those unfamiliar with lighting temperatures, colors and its variations may have a hard time figuring out which would be more appropriate for a work setting.

Measured in Kelvin (K), the temperature of light is a numerical representation of the color emitted by an object under a certain degree. As it increases, the colors will change and will emit light of that color.

Higher color temperatures that measure from 4,600K or more appear blue-white and are often called as daylight or cool colors. Mid-range temperatures within the average of 3,100K to 4,600K emit cool white and lower temperatures that are up to 3,000K materialize red to yellowish-white tone.

Knowing which office lights should be utilized in certain rooms can improve your overall workplace environment and can result to better performance from your team.

Finding the Perfect Office Lights

According to a study on the effects of high correlated color temperature office lighting on employee wellbeing and work performance, cooler light improves productivity. Using them on brainstorming rooms can help boost alertness and lowers melatonin which can help reduce feelings of fatigue.

Employees who have spent their whole day cooped up in the office can benefit from exposure to natural light. A study from Cornell University conducted among nurses who worked long shifts during nonstandard hours showed that respondents who had access to daylight communicated better with their colleagues and patients. In addition to this, significant improvement was seen in their health.

Stanley Felderman of design studio Felderman Keatinge & Associates suggest using extensive amount of glass to enable light to travel throughout the entire office space. Should daylight be inaccessible, they recommend using “blue-enriched” light bulbs.

Conference rooms can make use of mid-range color temperatures to create a welcoming aura while maintaining cool tones to promote alertness.

As our ideologies in work change, the more we see the power strategic lighting has.

Serviced Offices: The Pioneers of Flexible Workspaces

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Serviced Offices: The Pioneers of Flexible Workspaces

As of writing, there are tens of thousands of flexible workspaces available around the world. From coworking spaces that provides you with an array of working areas down to private offices that allows teams to work harmoniously without any sort of interruption or distraction, companies have a lot options to choose from – each one holding a different value to the other.

Driven by the changes brought upon by the increasing demands of the workforce to have a better work-life balance, new technology and the rising costs of offices, it’s no surprise that flexible workspaces grew rapidly.

But before hot-desks, virtual offices and meeting room rentals entered the Philippine market, there was serviced offices.

Serviced Offices

In a report entitled ‘Mining Millennials: Finding gold in Co-working Spaces”, Colliers called serviced offices as the pioneers of flexible workspaces. Having entered the market during the year 1999, serviced offices carry the basic services needed in a workspace.

Commonly known as shared offices or executive suites, Serviced Offices are fully-operational work areas with cost-efficient rates and flexible lease terms. Unlike the conventional office space, serviced offices are inclusive of maintenance and facility costs. Its facilities are all guaranteed to be plug-and-play ready. Its pliability allows businesses to scale down or up whenever they need to.

Being the first ones to enter the market, serviced offices can be found in multiple locations across the world and have sites established in prime cities within central business districts.

And as the Philippine economy stabilized and flourished, serviced offices grew popular to businesses establishing a presence in the country and multinational companies’ offshoring work. By the year 2014, the Philippines rose to second place as an “outsourcing destination”, beating Mumbai. Come 2016, serviced offices CAGR as a sector stood at 18%.

What Makes It Different

With the wide variety of flexible workspaces now readily available, the competition is stiff. Most of providers offer services that doesn’t veer away from what other companies have but each have a unique value that provides solution to certain needs.

The premise of flexible workspaces alone carries great advantages but in order to make the best choice for your company, it’s critical to differentiate one from the other – to know whether their services will fit your needs for today and in the future, will your culture fit with the culture of the office itself and the other additional assistance they can provide you with.

The widely-known coworking spaces differs from shared offices in terms of the vibe that they provide to their respective occupants. Coworking spaces often design their sites to give off that relaxed and trendy vibe that most tech startups and young freelancers look for. All the while shared offices incorporates the corporate vibe most conventional offices have to attract traditional companies.

With its open plan layout, privacy is very minimal in coworking space unlike in shared offices, yet it’s also important to note that this type of space values community and therefore, have chosen a design that allows you to interact with other members and expand your network.

Both coworking spaces and serviced offices share amenities and facilities that can cater to the general needs of a company in need of office space but in the same way, they carry specific factors that can only be needed by certain teams.

The idea that serviced offices paved the way to the hybridization of workspaces, provided the market with a variety of options flexible enough to accommodate the changing industry and technology we have today.

Shaping Your Future Success with Active Ergonomics

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Shaping Your Future Success with Active Ergonomics

Unbeknownst to many, workspaces have the ability to change the way individuals work. The size of a room, the devices you are using and even your desk – each one has the ability to influence your behavior and can even give foresight to how successful your business will be.

For one, broaden postures that resulted from desk setups helps employees stay assertive. Harvard researchers have said that posture can impact the emotional state of an individual and that learning a power pose can release confidence-boosting hormones before making a speech or entering a negotiation. The same logic can be applied when working. Devices like an iPad or a laptop that leave employees hunched over will be less assertive compared to those with a more open, broad posture from desktop setups.

In addition to this, noisier rooms tend to distract and exhaust people. According to an article by Time Magazine, engaging in small talks can disrupt thoughts and it takes a lot of mental effort to interact with your colleague without losing track of what you were working on before. Moreover, it takes away approximately 27 minutes per distraction.

These are not the only cases that demonstrates the impact offices has on the workforce. Other drawbacks such as work-related injuries and high task repetition are common scenarios found across all industries, emphasizing the importance of office ergonomics.

Ergonomics and Its Benefits

Merriam-Webster defines ergonomics as the applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people utilize in such a way that allows them to interact most efficiently and safely.

Also known as human engineering, it incorporates human data in designing the working environment to increase the comfort, safety and efficiency of workers. Theoretical principles and methods are used to fit the environment to its respective inhabitants instead of the other way around.

Leading companies and other organizations are integrating ergonomics into their operations and the benefits that they offer in return makes it understandable why more and more businesses are investing in improving their workplace ergonomic.

By reducing ergonomic risk factors such as sustained awkward postures and forceful exertions, costly MSDs or Musculoskeletal Disorders are avoided. In the US, approximately $1 out of every $3 in compensations costs are spent on MSDs. Significant costs will saved, not to mention that other indirect spending can go up to twenty times the actual cost.

Another proven benefit is improved productivity. Workstations become more efficient when it allows room for good posture as well as better heights and reaches. Therefore, improving the quality of work produced.

Employee engagement is also improved when they notice the efforts of the company in ensuring their safety and health. It reduces turnover, decreases absenteeism and improves morale.

Companies all around the world are showing more commitment to strengthening their safety culture.

And as the very idea of work changes before our very own eyes, designers, architects and even business organizations are coming up with ways to ensure that ergonomics can keep up with today’s workplace and continue improving the way we work.

Active Ergonomics and The Emerging Workplace

The advancement of today’s technology has allowed us to work freely almost anywhere. Unlike before when a typical day at work is spent in front of a computer screen, professionals nowadays engage in collaborative work made possible by effortless information sharing. This rising trend paved the way for emerging collaborative and social spaces such as shared offices and coworking spaces with casual furnishings that visualizes a calm and lax vibe.

Despite of how popular and effective these spaces are to startups and other organizations, Dr. Michael O’Neill of US furniture giant Haworth have said in a study that the traditional ergonomics is struggling to keep up with the modern workplace.

In his paper entitled Active Ergonomics for the Emerging Workplace, O’Neill says that traditional office ergonomics does not address collaborative spaces. Majority of these shared offices are being created without the appropriate ergonomic guidance, he adds.

There’s a significant probability that today’s workforce are moving between formal and informal spaces – most especially those coming from the younger demographic. And classic ergonomics only concentrates on individual workstations with the presumption that they spend the rest of their day on that same place.

It solely focuses on correcting the employee’s seated posture by taking into consideration other contributing factors such as distance of the screen from their eyes, position of their hands and wrists over keyboards and desks as well as the height of their respective desk.

But now that standing desks, casual sofas, hot desks and informal meeting areas are becoming a common feature to offices, it’s only apt that the discipline of regulation and implementation of classic ergonomics should be rethought.

O’Neill suggests giving active ergonomics a try – a new approach to office design that incorporates a variety of ergonomic principles to the whole environment. Based three areas – anthropometrics, ambients and movement – he defines active ergonomics as the application of sound ergonomic thinking to the entirety of a space instead of solely focusing on individual work areas.

The aforementioned elements can be utilized to improve the safety of today’s collaborative spaces. And though traditional offices are still around, industrial designers have said that incorporating a new take into the classic ergonomics that we have can make people happier in their workplaces.

Is your current office keeping up with the latest trends? If not, we’ll show you a variety of spaces flexible enough to catch up.

The Truth Behind Freelancing and Going Solo

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The Truth Behind Freelancing and Going Solo

Freelancing, having the freedom to work whenever you want and wherever you want.

It’s the kind of lifestyle many of us dream to have. Being able to balance both our personal and work lives. Some do it because they like the concept of supporting themselves with a job that they love. People are fond of the idea of being their own boss and having the chance to work with projects that serve their best interest.

Veterans in the industry can attest to the benefits going solo has and how rewarding it can be but at the same time, they admit that there are challenges that will change a person as they go through it.

Living the Freelancing Dream

According to the latest survey conducted by Upwork in cooperation with Freelancers Union, the freelance economy of the United States grew from 53 million during the year 2014 to 55 million in 2016 and now represents 35% of the US workforce.

Another notable trend the study revealed is that the number of people transitioning to freelance by choice is increasing. 63% of respondents reported that they made the switch by their own will, mainly because this is the ideal employment situation they want.  Some have also said that they make more money than they did before and is relatively satisfied with what they do on a daily basis.

And as the perception on freelancing change, more and more people are encouraged to take the risk for freedom and flexibility – no longer viewed as laziness. Experts predict that by the year 2020, 50% of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers.

The rising economy of on-demand work undeniably attracts the young professionals of this generation. What with the premise of doing something they love, whenever and wherever they like it, while still making money. Yet, unbeknownst to many, is the hardship people go through in becoming a ‘solo entrepreneur’

Touch Reality

Business Insider contributor Ellie Martin wrote in an article that though she has no regrets for making the move to freelance, there is so much that she didn’t know during the time she started transitioning. She says that it was definitely much harder than her former job and adds that it really does change the way you live. Anyone who considers choosing this kind of work should be ready to adapt to the drastic modifications it brings.

Martin says that starting a freelance career is the hardest part. People are likely to disregard your background and would pay you very little to none at all. She admits doing her first few projects for free in order to convince her clients. Building trust and reliability takes years even with a well-constructed portfolio.

She further discusses that there are other skills the industry will need you to learn in order to build long term partnerships. Knowing how to market the services you offer is expected. It is critical that you know how to set meetings with your clients and impress them.

Lastly, she highlights the mental toll that working alone brings to the table. Her social circle significantly shrunk since she started and have felt lonelier since socialization started diminishing.

Finding A Home

Figuring out how to start a freelance career can be difficult. Asking advice from friends and established solopreneurs online can be a great way to earn insight but there’s also the presence of great resources that can help you kick start such as coworking spaces.

These open-layout shared offices became the home to many digital nomads of the industry. Other than offering a desk that they can call their own, providers pride themselves in the community they have curated. A built-in network of diverse talents await prospect members.

A space for like-minded individuals inspires members to be productive. It allows for their creativity to flow without limits. Moreover, it expands one’s social circle and opens that person to several learning opportunities. The small interactions they make can lead to innovative collaborations and strong support groups.

At the end Ellie Martin’s piece, she says that much had been said about the wonderful advantages of freelancing but she feels that it’s also important to talk about its harsh realities. No doubt, it takes a lot of hard work – not to mention risky but nothing compares to having the leeway to work on something we are passionate about.

Getting Things Done: Improving Productivity in Shared Office Spaces

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Getting Things Done: Improving Productivity in Shared Office Spaces

 

Though widely popular to today’s workforce, coworking spaces is similar to any other office setting – it has its own benefits and drawbacks.

The movement became well-known to freelancers, startups and other independent entrepreneurs for factors such as professional ambiance and a wide social network that are of value to establishing a business presence. In addition to this, several surveys conducted amongst members attest to the claims that it increased their productivity and overall happiness in work.

However, just like any other workplace, these open areas are susceptible to disruptions that can make a significant impact to a person’s concentration and productivity.

Unanticipated Nuisances

A study on the privacy-communication trade-off in open-plan offices stated that the benefits brought by enhanced ‘ease of communication’ were much smaller compared to the penalties resulting from increased noise levels and decreased privacy.

Certain individuals have a hard time getting long hours of creative and undisturbed work due to the high noise levels shared offices have as well as the other forms of distractions that cannot be overlooked. A longitudinal study have confirmed this by reporting a significant association between open-plan office designs and elevated stress levels.

And though designers believed that by diminishing walls down, employees would frequently engage in casual conversations that can spark new ideas, research shows that it may have actually backfired. Undeniably, these spontaneous conversation between employees have become more recurrent yet unfortunately, they have the tendency to be short and superficial. Members have become self-conscious due to the fact that there are a lot of people lending them their ears.

In addition, experts have pointed out that though the new setup helped create a bridge between those who are in need of help and those who are willing to help, exploitation is likely to take place. In a study conducted by a group of German and Swiss researchers, ‘help seeking’ participants performed better compared to ‘help giving’ individuals.

Alternating between one’s individual tasks and helping others inflict heavy ‘cognitive load’ or the total amount of mental effort exerted from the working memory as they are forced to reacquaint themselves with the task they left undone.

Despite of these grievances, there are still certain teams or individuals that thrive in these kinds of environment – proof that there are still ways to combat these unforeseen noises and disturbances.

Keeping Focused in Shared Office Spaces

By listing down all of the external and internal factors that hinders workers to reach the full capacity of their productivity, specialists have come up with different solutions to them.

First, they recommend starting with the ears. Upon observation in a typical shared office, majority of its members are wearing ear buds or headphones – proven to be easiest way of reducing distractions. Admittedly, investing noise-cancelling headsets isn’t scientifically proven to be an effective solution but experts have said that by helping us gain more control of our surroundings, we become more determined to work harder.

Time magazine advises teams to make use of empty conference rooms or going for walks when discussing important information or sensitive matters with their colleagues in order for them to lessen self-consciousness or self-censorship when speaking.

In addition to this, they recommend employees to block out a certain period of their day wherein they will not be disturbed in order to minimize cognitive load.

Today’s modern offices helped us alleviate the numerous difficulties inflicted by the working industry but truthfully, the movement itself is subject to its own flaws and lapses. Its effect, of course, will be different for each one of us, we just have to find the way to riddle it out.

5 Things To Do During Your First Month in a Coworking Space

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5 Things To Do During Your First Month in a Coworking Space

Behind the overwhelming success of coworking is the community it prides themselves in. The support group that they have created among like-minded individuals and the rewards that each member get from the connections they make.

The diverse group present in these open areas offer a large pool of knowledge and network that can lead to innovative projects and meaningful collaboration. It gives people a breath of inspiration and encourages them step out of their comfort zone to try new things. And allows them to discover new opportunities without veering too far.

No doubt, this modern style of working allowed us to have a platform for collaboration and paved way for a supportive collective of professionals cheering each other on towards success. It made working healthier for certain people and brought back the joy of being in an office.

But members new to the movement can be inundated with the numerous individuals they need to meet and the events they need to participate in. In order to make the most out of their new home, here are 5 things they can do on their first month to become well-connected with everyone.

 Things to do during your First Month in a Coworking Space

 

1. First Impressions

The most crucial step in entering a new coworking space is introducing yourself. Much to the dismay of introverts, the best way of connecting with the current members is by telling them something about yourself.

Being the new comer, people are likely to wait for you to start a conversation for they don’t know whether you’re there for a day or for a week. They would only give you a friendly nod when you pass by them or smile at you when you take a seat near them. Take it a bit further by introducing yourself without causing interruption in their work.

It’s good to keep in mind that everyone in the room must’ve went through the same situation you are now in as they become new members of the community.

2. Congenial Company

Members know that there’s a need for long hours of uninterrupted concentration as you go through your day. Hence, it’s become a universal sign that if a person is wearing headphones, he/she does not want to be disturbed.

You are most likely left to be alone with them but if you don’t mind entertaining a quick chat or question, leave it be. Plug in only when needed and leave the door open for introductions. By becoming more approachable, you’ll easily find your place within the group.

3. Lend A Helping Hand

One of the greatest quality these communities have is their strong sense of camaraderie. It gives them plenty of opportunity to help other members out with their expertise and in return, more people are encouraged to be generous to others.

The underlying spirit of helpfulness gives heart to the community of coworking spaces. Share your time as well as knowledge generously and people will be more than happy to return the favor.

4. Know Your Space

Knowing where everything is helps lessen the feeling of estrangement. Other than simply memorizing where the bathrooms are, the coffee makers and the conference rooms, take the time to find out about the little details like where they place those extra cords and the location of the member wall.

These seemingly miniscule things can boost a person’s sense of belongingness rather than the feeling of a visitor in an unknown place.

5. Try New Things

Don’t be afraid to switch things up. One of the distinctive features of coworking spaces is the variety of work environments that it offers. Move around and try to find a safe space – an area wherein you get most of your work done.

After a while, change it up and try staying at the community table. Spend time in these areas and join in the conversations. Let yourself enjoy these little encounters and switch it up every now and then to meet more people.

 

Coworking gives you the opportunity to be part of something greater. It allows you to create relationships with people that can help you go through the path of success.

Don’t let this chance go to waste and connect with us today!

The Man Who Took A Stand, Avoiding Prolonged Sitting

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The Man Who Took A Stand, Avoiding Prolonged Sitting

Senior editor of Slate and New York magazine contributor, Dan Kois took quite an interest in a certain study on the effects of prolonged sitting that claimed people who sat down for more than 11 hours a day is 40 percent more likely to die in the next three years.

After reading an affluent number of research, he became convinced that sitting around all day is the worst thing he can do to his body – similar to how smoking increases his chances of dying earlier. He realized that by staying sedentary, he eliminates the many benefits his regular exercise provides.

As he observed that more people are trying to incorporate active habits into their normal workday by using standing desks and even treadmill desks, he thought that maybe it’s time he stopped. He ponders that if it really is bad for his health then maybe it’s only appropriate that he gives it up – completely.

The Experiment

Kois decided to spend the whole month of April 2014, standing. His only exceptions being when he’s driving – but he would try his best to take the train whenever he can – when nature calls, when he’s putting his shoes on and when he’d go to bed. He prepared himself insoles, anti-fatigue mats and transformed his office and home desks into standing workstations. Strapping on a fitness tracker, he plants his feet to the ground during the first day of April.

A few days in, he observes a significant change in his upper body; the tension and pain he feels in his shoulder from hunching over faded away. In addition to this, he seemed to have lost a couple of pounds and have become legitimately more productive. On the flip side, he couldn’t work the rest of the night. As the days go by, he felt more tired and sore. The pain he started to feel in his calves only seemed to go worst as the weeks go by. He started to feel spasms that would last for almost half an hour as he lied in bed at night and spent his following mornings wishing only to lie down for a few more hours.

By the 22nd of April, Kois went the extra mile to ask for the opinion of scientists on which of the two is more harmful.

What Experts Say: Avoid Prolonged Sitting and Standing

Bioengineering professor Dr. April Chambers of the University of Pittsburgh says that science has known that standing all the time is harmful to us longer than we’ve known about prolonged sitting. Chambers has conducted studies on people who are on their feet all day at work; she adds that these individuals have no other choice because their occupations require long hours of standing. Several doctors and scientist have told Kois that finding a balance between the two is the key to a healthier lifestyle. Yet Chambers admit that no one seems to have identified how much standing and sitting is needed to achieve the balance.

Taking Turns

Kois said that most of the scientists he spoke to talked about sit-stand tools fondly. Some have said that they utilize alarms and other apps to remind them to stand up for at least ten minutes every hour. He also heard several scientists say that they stand for meetings or phone calls.

Experts from the field of interior design and architecture are also taking this into consideration. Certain offices are either allowing their employees to have standing desks or permitting them to have ample time to take a walk during their work day. The widely popular modern offices such as coworking spaces have open layouts and a variety of work areas that allows its members to switch from sitting down to standing up. It gives them the freedom to go on walks whenever they like. In addition to this, several flexible workspace providers have recreational rooms such as game rooms while others even have their own gyms.

At the end of his article, on the aforementioned experiment, Kois discussed the implications of prolonged sitting that he never would have seen had he not tried to stand up for a month. He concluded that maybe reminding ourselves to stand up for at least ten minutes of every hour isn’t as arduous as giving up the idea of sitting down for a month.

Rethinking Offices and Workspaces: The Rise of Virtual Offices

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Rethinking Offices: The Rise of Virtual Offices

The very idea of work is changing. Individual work is now mixed with collaborative work and the universal thought that the office is the most suitable location for our professional lives is becoming less and less bona fide.

The increasing amount of smarter, mobile devices, faster network access and the advent of online collaboration tools, telecommunicating have become more common. Anyone can be productive anywhere – resulting to a fewer number of people found in physical offices.

These unused areas are costing businesses around the world an estimated $1.5 trillion. Hence, it comes as no surprise that spaces per worker are shrinking. In a report done by Regus, allocated spaces dropped from 125 feet per worker down to 50 feet over the last decade.

Yet despite of all this, the ideologies regarding the importance of a physical office to a business remained.

Rethinking Offices

The increasing demand for cheaper spaces paved the way for flexible workspaces such as serviced offices, coworking spaces and even private offices. And as the number of remote workers increased, virtual offices came into their aid.

Targeted for entrepreneurs and startups planning to work from their own homes and other locations whilst maintaining a professional image to the public, virtual offices provides business postal address services as well as communication services such as virtual assistants, answering services and voice mailboxes. In addition to this, providers give complimentary access to private offices and conference rooms.

There are several benefits to virtual offices other than that of less operational costs. Today, more and more workspace providers are rethinking offices to accommodate the steadily growing demand for virtual office services.

Several studies have reported an increase in the productivity of those who do virtual work. In a recent survey conducted amongst 1000 business professionals, 67% have reported a significant improvement in their productivity. Such distractions like water cooler gossip, unexpected meetings and loud officemates are avoided. In addition to this, a separate survey done on 2,060 professionals aged 18-years-old and up, 86% of them would prefer to work alone in order for them to reach maximum productivity.

Other statistics in remote working show that 82% of the overall number of telecommuters report lower stress levels and these numbers is represent a good omen to both employees and companies. It increases their individual morale and reduces both employee turnover and absenteeism.

The younger demographic of today’s workforce demand options of working remotely. The Millennial generation value the balance between their professional life and personal life. In a survey conducted by AfterCollege, a US based career network for both college students and recent graduates, 68% of job seeking millennials have said that occasional telecommuting increases their interest in certain employers.

Older generations are also starting to favor the idea of flexible work hours. In the US, workers above the age of 64 are working more than before due to the inadequate retirement funds and increasing life expectancies. Older professionals are delaying their retirement and would like to be have the freedom to work from their homes.

And though admittedly, virtual offices remain to be unorthodox to some academics and critics, it’s a global workplace phenomenon.

It’s no surprise that the way we work is constantly innovating. Keep up with the rethinking offices trend and join us as we face the future with brand new workspaces.

The Sharing Economy and its Effects on Office Spaces

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The Sharing Economy and its Effects on Office Spaces

Spearheaded by Uber and AirBnB, the sharing economy is innovating the way people consume products and services. Slowly but surely, it’s also changing the market of office spaces around the world.

According to Investopedia, the Sharing Economy is an economic model that allows consumers to rent assets owned by a private individual and is most likely used when the cost of a particular asset is high but isn’t fully utilized all the time.

In retrospect, people have shared items with other people long before. We shared clothing with our family members, shared cars with friends and even unused equipment. And today’s technology – with the help of the internet – have created a bridge between the people who want to share their unutilized assets and the individuals who are looking for people willing to share it with them.

The Phenomena

AirBnB allowed homeowners to rent out vacant bedroom and homes to strangers and Uber allowed drivers to share rides with other people. And as people start to see the opportunity to make profit out of sharing, the market grew.

Around the world, people share spaces for car park, for storage and even for planting – all of which made possible by today’s technology and the growing knack to save money. It wasn’t long until the commercial real estate industry thought that its time join the sharing phenomena.

However, there’s more it than it seems. Brokers aren’t just jumping into sharing economies for no reason. Social and economic trends came into play. Now, companies are reshaping the ideas of modern office.

Experts believed that the traditional offices began to fade when spaces per work started to shrink. Space allocation dropped from 125 feet per worker to 50 feet over the last decade. Moreover, it was a global phenomenon happening from Asia to Europe.

In addition to this, the financial pressure are driving companies to look for cheaper offices with flexible workspaces. Experts have argued that the global recession that took place during the 2008 diminished cheap rent. Businesses couldn’t afford the idle capacity brought by large-scale office buildings.

Another factor behind the demand of shared spaces is the increasing number of remote workers. The premise of telecommunicating first came to the industry during the year of 1973 and with the advancement of today’s technologies, flexible ways of working have become popular.

The “Sharing Economy”

As the number of self-employed professionals and digital nomads rose and the commodity of business operations evolved, a demand for cheap and flexible offices came to be.

The idea of flexible workspaces was brought to life by serviced offices – now widely known as shared offices or executive suites. Companies started to lease large offices and dividing them into smaller offices. Furnishing it with desks, meeting rooms and all the facilities and equipment needed in a conventional office, they started renting these spaces out to different companies.

Later on, hosted services entered the market with a similar layout as serviced offices while providing back office functions such as information technology services, human resource staffing and accounting. These providers cater to offshoring business process outsourcers.

The movement of coworking then drove the hybridization of workspaces. Coworking spaces became the widely-popular flexible workspace. Offering open space layouts with trendy interior designs and variety of working environments to cater the different needs of tech startups and freelancers. Nowadays, they also offer private offices, conference room rentals as well as event spaces.

The synergy between the sharing economy and the evolving industry of workspace solutions paved the way for a new breed of offices that can benefit both the employee and the employer. Shared spaces caters to both the needs of the company and the needs of its employees.

Besides, sharing is caring. Ready to share your offices with the rest of the world? Talk to us today!

Office Design Trends To Watch Out For

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Office Design Trends To Watch Out For

2017 is almost over and we’ve only got a few more days left before we welcome another new year full of endless possibilities. This year, we saw our workplaces evolve into something new, from the rise of coworking spaces globally down to the development of flexible workspaces.

And over the past 10 months we’ve seem quite drastic changes in the trends of office design. We’ve seen businesses adapt flexible layouts that allows them to keep up with the changing requirements of operations. Architects and designers integrated technology into the local design and have embraced the impact of workplace design to the well-being of employees.

The landscape of workspaces continues to evolve in order to adapt accordingly to the needs of the business and to enhance the productivity and overall performance of those who work within its premises. Today’s generation of designers, architects and brokers are being taught to create commercial estates that are both sustainable and efficient. Conducting research and surveys to create offices that make people healthier and happier as they go to work each day.

As the year 2018 approaches us, experts are expecting these office design trends to dominate the market.

Alternative Workspaces

As coworking spaces take over majority of the market, offices from all around the globe are turning their traditional cubicles and desks into unconventional open plan spaces.

Spearheaded by the reigning demographic of today’s labor force, the Millenials, alternative workspaces came from the need for collaborative and flexible work environments. This specific design involves communal areas that allow for voluntary interaction to happen between members and a variety of work areas to cater their different preferences.

Incorporating vibrant colors and motivational artwork as well as rooms for recreational activities within the office, alternative workspaces make work fun and synergistic – factors that young professionals often look for in companies.

Comfortable Office Design Trends

More and more enterprises are finding ways to persuade their employees into staying longer by giving their office a homelike feel to it. The homestyle comfort design introduces comfort into the workplace through relaxed seating like couches, bean bag chairs and game rooms. Behind this trend is a growing awareness on the importance of environmental physical design to the overall well-being of its employees. Designers are now mixing fabrics, wooden finishing to give offices a cozy look and to elicit a warm feeling whenever you enter the room.

Dynamic Offices

The Dynamic Spaces trend has been around over the past two to three years. These offices offer continuous change apt for growing businesses. The aforementioned design are commonly moveable and flexible enough to allow employees to work in ways that best suit them. It gives them the freedom to choose where and how they want to work. One form of dynamic spaces that have become increasingly popular are coworking spaces. Offering a wide variety of work area as well as breakout spaces and even quiet spaces, more and more professionals are signing up for membership and access of all the aforementioned amenities whenever they please.

The traditional ideas we have about where we work and how we work are changing, its only fitting that companies are trying their best to stay on top of the trends. We’ll be more than glad to give you a sneak peek of the office design trends for next year, just set up a date with us!