Last year was the year ‘workspace as a service’ really came to the forefront of the office debate. It’s by no means a new idea, however it’s now something almost all landlords, occupiers and developers are talking about.

The industry has come to realise the workplace is a shopfront for attracting and retaining talent and as a result office design, and the way in which we curate how the buildings we work in, is now a highly competitive space. Consequently, landlords are looking at how to value customer service and wellness in the context of rental value.

We have seen the rise of amenity space in office schemes as landlords appreciate that, while it may not directly generate rent, it will add to the overall value of the building. This includes breakout areas, cafés and restaurants, roof terraces and spaces designed to feel more like a private members club than an office. Not only are we seeing more of this space included in office design, we’re educating users on how to best use it to ensure habits are adopted and the overall success of the space sustained.

We’re embracing new ways to welcome guests into office schemes, focussing on the customer journey and in some buildings the reception desk is a thing of the past. Guests can pre-register before arrival to reduce dwell time when signing in. Security guards become wardens and have a softer presence reflected in bespoke uniforms.

Tech innovation allows for the collection of data from users in the building to track and improve their journey and also providing a platform to share information, while broadband connectivity is more important than location in many office search requirements today. 

The way we measure and improve the wellness and sustainability of a building continues to evolve and is likely to remain one of the biggest growth areas in the management and design of buildings in the future as ever more information is shared between building owner and occupier. As people expect more ‘smart’ solutions we need systems and platforms that communicate with each other and anticipate and resolve issues.

The idea of managing people and a place, rather than simply managing a building is snowballing and as developers and landlords compete to offer the very best customer service, the user can benefit from ever improving ways of working. The roll out of amenity space and other such changes to office design was something that was first embraced by forward thinking landlords three or four years ago. Now that these designs have reached fruition, and others can see the advantages of these changes, they can follow suit and this is what is creating more hype in the market.

Further information

Contact Savills Commercial Property Management