FOCUS INTERIORS
also in terms of functionality. While so
seating and a more domestic feel replaces
many traditional working areas, agile
working could be seen as the creation
of a cityscape within an o ice, with its
parks, cafés, quiet spaces and random
encounters.
DISRUPTIVE AI
AI has been around for some time now,
but 2019 may be the year it starts to
impact extensively on people’s working
lives. Like many genuinely disruptive
technologies, it will change things
gradually, then suddenly. A report from
tech firm Spiceworks (5) suggests that
before the end of this year, 40 per cent of
large businesses in the US and Europe
expect to implement one or more
intelligent assistants or AI
chatbots on companyowned
devices,
compared to 25 per
cent of mid-size
companies and 27
per cent of small
businesses.
The good news
is that most
commentators
think the advent
of AI may not be
as catastrophic
to employment as
some forecasts suggest.
According to an analysis
by PwC (6), in the UK around
seven million existing jobs could be
displaced, but around 7.2 million could
be created.
40 MAY 2019
Designing for wellbeing means off ering people views, fresh air and daylight, as seen at
the new Deloitte HQ in London
and acoustics, personality types and the
creation of e ective teams, along with the
spaces needed to address these issues.
FLEXIBLE WORKING
Old but gold, there is still a pervasive
inertia with regard to the adoption of
flexible working in some organisations
as well as widespread misunderstanding
of what it means – most typically that it
involves working from home rather than
the o ice. The truth is that it takes a wide
variety of forms, and while these are now
commonplace, they are not universal.
This is a shame because flexible work
models o er the chance to address a wide
range of work-related issues, including
improvements in work-life balance and
productivity but also helping mothers back
into the workplace and encouraging more
fathers to take a greater role in childcare –
both of which are important in reducing the
earnings gap between men and women.
The good news is that
most commentators think
the advent of AI may not be as
catastrophic to employment
ALL IN THE MIND
Although psychology
and physiology have
always played an
important role in
understanding how
best to design o ices
for people, growing
workplace complexity is
leading designers and their
clients to call on some other
disciplines to understand what
makes people tick. Among these are
as some forecasts
suggest.”
neuroscience and anthropology. These are
important as we increasingly try to address
issues such as how to deal with distractions
Reference notes
(1) www.cascadehr.co.uk/hr-landscape-2019/
(2) www.employment-studies.co.uk/report-summaries/
report-summary-drivers-employee-engagement
(3) www.gensler.com/research-insight/publications/designforecast/
shaping-the-future-of-cities
(4) Survey conducted by Cushman & Wakefi eld and CoreNet
Global; completed by more than 220 corporate real estate
executives and industry service providers
(5) www.spiceworks.com/press/releases/spiceworksstudy
reveals-40-percent-large-businesses-will-implementintelligent
assistants-chatbots-2019/
(6) www.pwc.co.uk/press-room/press-releases/AI-willcreate
as-many-jobs-as-it-displaces-by-boosting-economicgrowth.
html
/
/report-summary-drivers-employee-engagement
/shaping-the-future-of-cities
/
/AI-will-create-as-many-jobs-as-it-displaces-by-boosting-economic-growth.html