The Architect's Office: Time to change?

Photo by Israel Andrade on Unsplash

For the past year most architectural offices have been big, empty spaces, with their traditional row upon row of desks devoid of people, yet most of them still with workstations churning away, being accessed remotely via one form of remote desktop solution or another.

With the relaxation of restrictions will these traditional seating arrangements simply become populated once more? Is this still believed to be the best way to structure a working environment?

It would be a shame to return to the old status quo. This is a golden opportunity for architects to apply innovation and creativity to their own spaces, using the catalyst of the pandemic to reinvigorate the physically collaborative environment and make the office somewhere staff want to come back to (and not just to escape bedroom working).

Thomas Heatherwick has spoken widely over the last year about the need for offices have personality and heart, designing desks that incorporate greenery much like the verdant designs of many of the studio’s recent projects.

Cullinan Studio have opened up their self-designed, canal side building to create a vibrant multi-disciplinary hub.

Just about every Practice and Studio we have spoken with over the past 6 months are considering just what to do with their office spaces. Some are downsizing, some are opening smaller satellite offices in other parts of the UK, some are reconfiguring what they have or waiting for leases to expire.

There is uncertainty: economic and operational. But let’s be brave! We have all learned so many lessons over the past year that these should inform our return to the office this summer. Flexible working is here to stay; now let us make both our home and office environments wonderful places to work in. This is surely a challenge to relish.

We can help. Inevidesk provides a virtual desktop platform that will provide any architect’s office with the flexibility to remake their office space as they desire, whilst also better supporting remote working and costing a fraction of other industry agile working solutions.

Speak with us now to learn how we are supporting a growing number of architects to meet their post-pandemic challenges with positivity and innovation. These are exciting times and we’d love to work with you.