The average person spends approximately 90,000 hours, equivalent to one-third of a lifetime, at work. The workplace can be a second home to adults, and spending multiple hours has fueled a longstanding desire for change within the workplace. Over the decades, various factors, including pandemics, economic crises, and changing generational preferences, have impacted the nature of work and the places people work in. The recent phenomena of the Great Resignation and the widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work arrangements have accelerated the transformation of workplaces. In response, organizations are increasingly prioritizing the overall employee experience, recognizing the need to create environments that accommodate evolving work structures while fostering satisfaction, engagement, and well-being among their workforce.
Workplace architecture and design often evoke an image of vibrant open-plan environments retrofitted with recreational amenities. These aesthetic spaces are successful at meeting workplace trends and impressing clients and visitors but are often not optimal for employee success. With today's post-pandemic shifts in the workplace, where the business focus is on talent retention, space optimization, productivity, and hybrid work strategies, it has become necessary for architects to reject the more narrow focus of designing physical spaces to design more holistic and effective employee experiences. It has become more crucial than ever for companies to create an environment that attracts and retains top talent, a culture where teams thrive, and productivity gains lead to increased revenue and innovation.
