Offices have changed over the years from formal spaces into more flexible, collaborative work environments, in a shift driven by changing work models, new technology and evolving employee needs.
The hierarchical and often cramped workspaces of yesteryear, with their rigid structures, are being replaced by a new breed of serviced offices better suited to modern working practices. These dramatic changes in office design and culture use psychology to design human-centric workspaces.
Origins of the office
The word “office” originated from the times of the ancient Roman empire, dating from 753 BC to 476 AD. The Latin word “officium” wasn’t a specific building or place but referred to the people who worked inside. It could mean a formal position, such as the Office of Prime Minister, a phrase that continued to modern times.
Architects in Roman times used building techniques to create workspaces that inspired order and organisation. The employees dealt with centralised bureaucratic processes in the city’s modern business district, where being well organised was the key to their civilisation and ever-growing empire. The public officials were scribes, responsible for keeping records and dealing with administration tasks.
However, the practice of dedicated office buildings started to fade from memory after the Roman Empire fell, and people began working from home. Many people lived upstairs in rooms above their small business and, amazingly, massive, dedicated office buildings disappeared into history for around 1,200 years.
Offices through the ages
It’s hard to imagine why the large bureaucratic buildings and workspaces of ancient Rome didn’t exist again until the 18th century. They were finally recreated as a central operations base by organisations such as the Royal Navy to service Britain’s interests overseas. In 1729, East India House was constructed on Leadenhall Street in London for the East India Company. Thousands of people were employed there to process paperwork for the company, which traded in textiles, spices, tea and other goods.
The layout of the first office buildings in the UK wasn’t the most practical. Many 18th century offices looked more like old-fashioned school rooms, with employees seated in rows and rows of small, cramped desks. Although this was an efficient way of using floor space, it wasn’t comfortable and didn’t create an environment conducive to productivity.
The first high-rise office building, Oriel Chambers, was designed by Peter Ellis and built in 1864 on Water Street in Liverpool. Its revolutionary glass curtain wall with metal frames has since become a feature of many skyscrapers worldwide. Now Grade I Listed, the building is still a feature of the skyline today.
Cubicle style offices 1950s-70s
By the 1950s, large offices normally housed rows of workers sitting in long lines, all facing the same way, in an open-plan layout. However, cubicle-style layouts gradually began to creep in and were quite prominent during the 1960s and 1970s. This provided each individual with a semi-private workspace, separated from neighbouring colleagues by partitions.
However, in recent times, this style of working has been widely criticised for being more interested in saving money than in the wellbeing of employees, amid claims it was used to pack as many people as possible into the floor area. Designed as an antidote to “dull” open-plan offices, the sea of cubicles had turned offices into “barren rat-hole places”, according to critics.
Modern office evolution
In the 1990s, the dreaded cubicles began to disappear, with designers realising the importance of having a strong sense of community and collaboration in the workplace, after employees complained of feeling isolated as they sat at their desk behind grey screens.
One of the biggest changes as the 21st century began was the increasing availability of internet access. Not only did it signal the start of social networking, offering new marketing strategies, but it also spurred a revolution in terms of office working. The new technology, including mobile phones and laptops, meant people didn’t need to be in a physical office at their desk to do their job. They could access work from home, in a café, and even on public transport.
Business leaders realised the advances in telecommunications meant they could make savings by reducing office space in expensive city centres. Instead, they began relocating staff to remote industrial estates, where it was cheaper to rent premises. This led to the growth of industrial parks on the outskirts of cities.
London office space
The modern office evolution, with remote working, digital transformation and demand for flexibility, has further transformed the business landscape. In particular, London has adapted its workspaces to accommodate many niches.
Research shows office rental in London is significantly more costly than in other areas of the UK. In particular, central London is the most expensive place to rent in Britain, with businesses expecting to pay between £500 and £1,400 extra per person per month to accommodate staff in the capital. In some prime locations, it breaks down to paying £150 more per square foot. London is more expensive than other regional business hubs, such as in Birmingham or Manchester.
Today’s businesses are increasingly looking for flexible office space in London, not only to create an environment that encourages collaboration and creativity, but also to enable scalability and free themselves from the rigid contracts of regular office leases. The solution has come in the shape of serviced office space in London in recent years, allowing employees to enjoy a better work-life balance.
Advances in office design have evolved the working culture of businesses, with the layout saving costs, enabling flexibility and encouraging collaboration. Serviced offices mean companies can get on with the important tasks of running their business, without worrying about any practical aspect of renting a building. Everything from the technology and furniture to cleaning and security are taken care of on the organisation’s behalf, with everything conveniently packaged into one monthly bill. Workplace wellbeing initiatives can save money by reducing sick leave from work and boosting productivity, while sustainability is top of serviced offices’ priorities in support of the UK Government’s commitment to net zero by 2050.
With thoughtful furnishings and increased biophilia to create a pleasant environment, offices for both collaborative and independent working is where it’s at.
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