The evolution of office space has been well documented in recent years. No longer is it just about having a roof over workers’ heads, instead it’s up to landlords to meet the needs of modern occupiers in order to attract businesses in an increasingly competitive landscape. 

In other words, the relationships between landlords, tenants and staff has shifted. Building owners can no longer rely on the fact that they have four walls and a plug socket; they have to offer a best-in-class service if they want to entice occupiers to let their space. Similarly, with unemployment at its lowest since 1975, businesses must provide their employees with a stand-out working environment if they want to both attract and retain the best staff.

So what can we expect from our office space in the future?

Findings from Savills last What Workers Want survey showed that the workplace can have a significant impact on employees' physical and mental health. To date, some headway has been made in tackling a few of these issues, including incorporating running tracks on roofs, yoga studios and health-conscious canteens, but this is just the start. Looking forward, it’s likely we’ll see things like more on-site GPs, crèche facilities and lockers for online retail deliveries to maximise employees time to ultimately get the best out of them.

Alongside this emphasis on wellness, there is also a need for greater sustainability. It’s no longer just about the space we work in, but also about what impact that space might have on the wider environment. For this reason recycling, waste and energy consumption has never been so important.

One example of a building that does it all is The Edge in Amsterdam. Run almost entirely via a smart-phone app, it caters for every need, from finding a desk for those working there to controlling an individual occupant's lighting and air conditioning depending on personal preference. It’s also the greenest building in the world, gaining the highest sustainability score ever awarded.

While in the short term The Edge is unlikely to be replicated in full, there is a number of lessons that can be learnt from it in the meantime. Ultimately, landlords need to take the lead from the serviced office sector which is constantly adapting to create fresh ways of working to meet occupiers’ changing needs.

There will undoubtedly always be a need for office space, but how this will look is likely to keep changing especially as the way we work becomes ever more flexible. However, whether it’s run exclusively by a mobile phone app or staffed by robots remains to be seen.

Further information

Contact Savills Office & Business