In the last year most people who typically spend their time working in an office will have been working remotely instead. This change is making businesses re-evaluate how their teams work. It is also encouraging them to look at what the office needs to be. This period could see some big changes in what we expect from commercial architecture.

People work differently

The one thing many businesses will be realising is that their people work very differently. Some will be perfectly happy working from home and using tools like Zoom to stay in touch with colleagues. Others will be waiting patiently until they can go back to the office full time.

What most businesses will probably find is they will have to change their offices to cater for these differences in working. For example they may need to create areas or zones where people can work 9am to 5pm every day. Then they may require another area or zone for people who only need to come in once a week to meet with their team. They may even want to create a space for people to use even less often than that.

A tangible asset

It is a good idea for each business to view their commercial architecture as a real tangible asset. They can use it to impress and motivate their employees. The right design could even establish them as the go to company in their field. This would draw in more talent and customers.

What remote working shows is that the office experience is mostly about community. Many people who need to work in offices do so because they have to be close to their colleagues. Others who don’t need this may still choose to go into the office so they can socialise and connect with their team. In both cases you must design the space so it suits these needs and creates communities.

It is likely that more and more office buildings will evolve to become hybrid workspaces. They will include more permanent spaces as well as flexible ones. You could therefore expect to see properties that are partially open plan with other separate spaces for meetings and socialising.

Talk to us about commercial architecture

This is a really interesting time for commercial spaces because needs and working behaviours are changing so much. At Coffey Architects we would love to help clients who are thinking of the next evolution in their spaces. Our team have passion and an eye for design. They also have the skills to work closely with clients to determine their needs and bring them to life.

If you want to work with us on your commercial architecture project, please get in touch. We have experience with renovations as well as new builds. That means you can rely on us for anything.