Working environment 4.0: New importance for office space

The pandemic has permanently changed the world of work. A survey by real estate consultants Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) and CoreNet Global, among others, now shows the precise impact on the field of commercial space: The study examined the perspective of commercial real estate tenants worldwide and provided clear results on what the office of tomorrow will look like.

Innovative progress in old spaces?

Around 89 % of tenants agree: The office has lost its unique selling point as a place for productive work. After all, the pandemic has shown that the majority of office jobs can also be done from home. Instead, corporate spaces are taking on a new role: They are a place for efficient meetings. The modern office is used to promote creative exchange, drive innovation or get to know team members as well as customers in person.

An essential part of this change is the dissolution of the individual office: According to C&W and CoreNet Global, the number of shared office spaces has doubled compared to pre-pandemic times. However, many companies are still struggling with the actual implementation, as David Smith, Head of Americas Insights and Global Research at C&W, explains: “The purpose of the office is changing, but tenants have not yet fully adapted to the new way of working.”

New office concept for a sustainable future

However, it is not just the specific use of space that is an important criterion for tenants: Many companies place a high value on ESG and have formulated corresponding sustainability goals. Added to this is the cost factor, which is influenced by current inflation. A sustainable office must therefore consume as little CO₂ as possible on the one hand, and on the other hand it is necessary to check how much space a company actually needs.

Companies such as ReCoTech have specialized in this issue – with the help of digital tools for area planning and optimization, the service provider supports facility managers and CEOs in analyzing the available space and adapting it to work processes. At the same time, it is possible to identify whether there is surplus space following a restructuring.

“If you don’t have an overview of how available office space is being used, you pay for it – because every empty square meter costs rent and increases the carbon footprint. Smart solutions for space optimization therefore make potential savings visible. Combined with a workplace booking assistant, the utilization of the space can be checked,” explains Manuel Panzirsch, CEO of ReCoTech.