Modern technology has put traditional office space under immense pressure in recent years. So much so that in many parts of the world – London included – the traditional office cubicle has all but disappeared.
According to Colleen Baldwin, principal of design and business development at Straticom Planning Associates, a Canadian firm that specialises in designing service office spaces, the biggest driving force behind the monumental shift away from small, static cubicles is the rising demand for flexible, mobile working.
Speaking to the Globe and Mail, Ms Baldwin said that firms are realising the huge benefits offered by the adoption of multi-site working – which is being facilitated by virtual offices and cloud computing.
She said that this alone had fundamentally changed the way traditional office spaces were perceived by both business owners and workers.
“Space is a tool to help you achieve what you want in a company. Not engaging design to support business strategy could result in [a] high turnover [of] disengaged staff,” she concluded.
Recently, Michelle Singleton, assistant policy officer at Unison, said that the flexible working capabilities offered by virtual office environments will be used to boost morale.
