Working from home is not, of course, an option for everyone but, when the pandemic is over and Covid-19 becomes ‘just another virus’ for us to live with, will employers and employees want to revert to the previous ‘office’ model? For those who can, will ‘working from home’, or mostly doing so, become their preferred choice? What are the positive benefits and negative effects of more home working?
Of course, the concept of working from home (WfH) raises a number of questions such as: if regular access to an office building is not required, will people want to live in cities? What is the impact of large scale migration to smaller towns or rural communities? Is WfH more sustainable or is one cost (commuting, offices) transferred to another (home working space, additional home energy use)? What is the impact on real estate when or if office space is considered redundant? An organisation might save money by closing offices but is it more efficient or productive? What are the impacts on people’s mental health when working exclusively from home?
What does it mean in terms of home work spaces and home design? Will many existing office buildings become stranded assets? Will we demand that the buildings we occupy are healthier? What will be the re-use of vacant office space? Will we reject tall towers with dependence on confined spaces i.e. lifts, and mechanical air handling systems. Will we insist on nearby open spaces? Is it time for a rethink on the future of work?
How should ‘work’ respond to our 3 questions on i) what are we learning from our time of lockdown and beyond to change both as individuals and professionals? ii) What do we keep and what do we change in the industry? iii) If we embrace change, what is our vision for the future? If we don’t, what are the risks?
Hear the following talks from our speakers:
Chair: Jason Longhurst
Making work ‘work’ for people – home or office? – Ed Houghton
Planning the future of office space – impacts on property – Doug Jones
What does working from home mean for housing design? – Julia Park
Working from Office – implications for office design and use? – Nicola Gillen
This will be followed by a live Q&A session, where you can pose your questions to our experts.
In partnership with Futurebuild UK.
Watch on demand here