The Office of the Future

Over the last couple of months, the world has taken a crash course on “working from home” (WFH). While not without its challenges, one thing has proven itself to be true. We can do it. Many companies who traditionally occupy offices within the city’s downtown core have their employees working in bedrooms and kitchens, and in some cases resulting in an uptick in productivity. 

So, why have offices at all? Why not take those costs and put them into more robust digital work systems? Give everyone a killer home-tech setup, a comfy chair and away you go. 

But working from home isn’t for everyone. What is missing from this new reality are the vital connections that can only be forged through real-world interactions. It’s true that digital workspaces give us flexibility, however, this new set-up lacks the magic of in-person collaboration. The office of the future must focus on balancing the digital world and the real world. 

The office of the future must give people a compelling reason to visit it. It must offer all the things that home offices do not. Connection and collaboration. Amenities and entertainment. We need spaces and activities that bring people together, invigorate corporate culture, and provide health or cultural benefits.  

Now more than ever, we need dynamic spaces for us to work. A row of cubicles just won’t cut it. Yes, we all need meeting rooms where we can bounce ideas off each other and feel inspired by each other’s creative energy. But we also want gyms, theatres, libraries, stages, gardens – spaces that make our work lives and personal lives feel symbiotic. 

Our most recent development, The Grid, designed by Architects, OMB, was designed around these kinds of flexible spaces. Main features of the architectural expression came from developing spaces to connect, both indoors and outdoors. The Grid is located on Terminal Ave in the Innovation District of the False Creek Flats, across the street from the Main Street/Science World station, a 20 min walk from downtown and a 20 min walk from Mt. Pleasant. 

We are all undergoing a reevaluation. Some of us have fallen in love with working from our homes, having the flexibility of time and cutting down on our daily commutes. While others are yearning to be back into offices or studios, where they can create a separation between their home life and work life. One thing is certain, the demand for more thoughtful and dynamic office spaces will change the culture of work.