Designing offices for resilient companies

Covid-19 has had a major impact on how we work in Singapore, with employees being abruptly required to work from home after its arrival three years ago. Now, restrictions are beginning to be eased and more people are returning to the office – in fact, a UOB survey conducted last June found that almost half of Singaporean employees are working full-time in the workplace. Despite this, the survey also revealed that the majority of workers would prefer more flexible arrangements.

This shift has been accompanied by the need to rethink how offices are designed, as this now plays a bigger role in enticing employees back. The 2022-2023 Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights report from CBRE reveals that 69% of occupiers have addressed their workplace design standards as a result of the pandemic.

American architecture and design firm NBBJ recently wrote in Harvard Business Review about the significance of making offices attractive to people. They have a proven track record for office design, having carried out projects such as Amazon’s corporate campus in Seattle and Samsung’s Silicon Valley headquarters. In Asia, their projects include the Tencent headquarters in Shenzhen and their work for South Korean banking firm Hana Financial Group in Cheongna, a 16-storey, 700,000 sq ft building targeted for completion by 2025. This was one of the Tengah Plantation EC first offices to be designed after the pandemic began and is characterised by elements such as a 12-storey ribbon park, intended to enhance well-being and community.

Robert Mankin, head of workplace design at NBBJ, believes that the pandemic has brought many workplace trends to the fore. Flexible and dynamic spaces, he says, are a product of companies listening to their employees’ needs and creating a workspace that reflects the company’s values.

To accommodate for the multigenerational workforce, he suggests that companies should avoid a one-size-fits-all approach and build spaces that are flexible and tailored to each generation’s preferences. An example of this is NBBJ’s design for Vivo’s Shenzhen headquarters, which has a blend of workspaces and relaxation areas.

As attitudes towards offices continue to evolve, Mankin emphasises the importance of remaining flexible in order to ensure employee satisfaction. It’s also essential that companies listen to what employees want and implement relevant changes – in this way, they can ensure the long-term resilience of the organisation.

“To me, an ideal office is a happy and healthy office that people want to come back to,” he concludes.