21st-Century Work Habitats (43KB PDF)
Technology gives people mobility so they can work anywhere. Collaboration and the innovation it can spur call for places where people can come together. Attracting skilled, talented people is critically important, but so is creating spaces that keep them engaged. Multiple generations--each with its own ideas about how to work--share the same workplace. As these and other realities shape 21st-century work habitats, the industry that designs them faces new challenges. For some perspective on how these challenges are being met, Herman Miller spoke with four Chicago-based designers from the architecture and design firm Gensler. In this wide-ranging discussion, they speak about what they're experiencing and what they foresee.
Appropriate Flexibility:
New Twist on an Old Conundrum (53KB PDF)
Offices are increasingly social places where connections and relationships are established and tended. Is flexibility in work environments that big a deal? What is flexibility anyway, and do we all need the same kind? How much does it cost and how much do we use? This conversation with STUDIOS Architecture reveals some interesting answers. One in particular deals with the idea of "appropriate flexibility." By balancing the realities of the building with the needs of those who work in it and those who own it, it is possible to reach a level of flexibility that is real and workable now. And that increases the chances of handling the unknowns of the future.
Bright Idea:
Personal Control for Office Lighting (112KB PDF)
While people prefer natural light, their workplaces, for obvious practical reasons, are lit by some combination of daylighting (perhaps with views to the outside) and artificial lighting. Within that range of illumination, people have clear preferences for how much and what kind of light they want. The fact that preferences vary--among people and for the same person at various times during the day--argues for giving them some control. Whatever else people say about office lighting, they make it clear they want the ability to adjust it themselves. And they will adjust it quite differently based on the quality and visual performance of local lighting, ambient lighting, and daylighting. Giving people control over their lighting helps them feel more satisfied with their workplace. It affects their performance, too, helping them to stay engaged in tasks longer and to avoid fatigue. Proper lighting can also increase energy savings if adjustability is part of the picture.
It's All About Me:
The Benefits of Personal Control at Work (464KB PDF)
As the ways we work change and the work itself changes, we look for ways to cope. For most of us, that means "tuning" where we work to the way we work and who we are. Having some control over our workspace can improve our comfort and ability to get work done and reduce stress. This, in turn, can lead to greater productivity and better health. Having some control also allows us to "own" a workspace, which gives other people a sense of who we are. Workers want control over light, temperature, noise, privacy, how they organize work, how they personalize their workspaces, how they arrange their files, the adjustments of their furniture, even how work flows to them, and from them. Organizations are learning how to give more control and seeing the benefits that result.
Long and Winding Road:
Getting Electricity, Voice, and Data to the Desktop (237KB PDF)
When things are going right (the network's up, the power's uninterrupted, the connections are stable), office workers don't give their electronic work tools another thought. Yet for this to happen, vast lengths of cable, complex power grids, and intricate switches must all remain aligned like the sun, moon, and stars in an astrologer's auspicious reading. This report examines how power and data
make their way from building source to the place where the work gets done (typically the desktop, sometimes the palmtop).
Office Alternatives:
Working On-Site (128KB PDF)
The economic realities of the 90s have forced businesses to reassess and make fundamental changes in the way they structure their organizations. In this report, Herman Miller's Advanced Applications Group looks at how new ways of working affect corporate facility design and answers some frequently
asked questions about supporting on-site work in a time of continual change.
On the Move:
How Mobile Employees Are Changing the Workplace (302KB PDF)
Among knowledge workers, the switch from a tethered workforce--one that keeps traditional hours in a traditional workplace--to a new, mobile model is already in progress around the world. These employees will be working in places ranging from home offices to nearby coffeehouses, from guest workstations to team spaces. Laptop computers, wireless networks, and cell phones made the initial shift to mobility possible, but as larger groups of workers are untethered, IT departments will be addressing additional challenges. Companies will also need to prepare for corporate culture changes and make sure their management employees have the skills necessary to guide mobile workers and their project-team work style. These adjustments will be well worth making, because large productivity gains, significant facility savings, and even environmental benefits will result from shifting to a more mobile work model.
Set Them Free:
How Alternative Work Styles Can Be A Good Fit (281KB PDF)
Increasingly, people are working everywhere--in group spaces near cubicles, while waiting in airports, at "campsite" workstations, from the comfort of home. There are plenty of reasons why, from the need to keep good people--in large part by helping them balance work and life--to the requirement that real estate be put to better use. The question becomes, When and how to incorporate alternative work styles in an organization? Among other things, the answer must determine whether these work styles align with the organization's goals. This is the first reality check. The next, and perhaps more important one, involves culture. Even cultures that are friendly to alternative work styles must build support for them. What matters most is that people have options to work in the way--and the place--that works best for them.
The Impact of Churn:
Managing Workplace Assets (171KB PDF)
The moves that constitute churn, which averages about 40 percent annually, typically occur due to companywide restructuring or to achieve greater efficiencies within and between departments. Developing strategies to manage churn-related facility costs and to minimize disruptions and downtime is essential for organizations that find it difficult to avoid churn because of the nature of their businesses. Facility managers and corporate real estate executives are likely to use tactics such as universal planning, free-address (unassigned) offices, spine walls, raised floors, flexible furnishings, zone distribution, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to address churn. In some cases, alternative workplace strategies, such as team environments, wireless networks, and telecommuting, provide a way to avoid the issue of churn altogether.
|
|
|
