A nationwide survey of more than 300 end users, operators, landlords, and developers found that an agile workplace has a positive impact on user engagement.
The survey—conducted by The Instant Group, a workplace innovation company, and the architectural firm HLW—also exposed a blurring of the lines separating “flex” and “conventional” approaches to office design and operations.
“Agile working practice has been widely adopted and is now viewed as a strategy to mitigate uncertainty and risk,” observed the authors of the research report based on the survey titled The Marketplace for Flexible Work. “Furthermore, many companies now see agile solutions as offering value to their business planning.”
Peter Bacevice, HLW’s Director of Research, adds, “Today’s workplace calls people to action and to do great things. Great workplaces inspire people and provide the essential staging for the cultivation of community from which fresh ideas emerge, evolve, and underpin sustained business growth.”
End users of co-working and flex office spaces spend an average of 54% of their total work weeks in these spaces, the survey revealed. Among its respondents, 83% of the survey’s end users of co-working and flex space claim they’ve benefited from these new work environments over the last five to 10 years. And 71% stated that these workspaces positively affect the ways that they engage their work.
The survey found a high level of satisfaction with flex and co-working spaces among end users. Image: The Instant Group/HLW
End users say they are thriving in flex office spaces because these environments expand their professional networks and business opportunities, engender innovation, and give them a higher feeling of energy. The experience in these kinds of office spaces is akin to what users might encounter in hotel operations, observed John Williams, Instant’s head of marketing.
It’s not surprising, then, that while the majority of end users expect they will be working in a range of work environments in the future, more than two-fifths (42%) expect to be using flex office spaces more going forward in their work lives.
Three-fifths of corporate respondents to the survey agreed that the rise of co-working and flexible approaches to office design and operations has benefited their businesses, particularly in the area of being able to add or reduce the amount of space needed to seat employees at any given time.
Corporate tenants are looking for maximum flexibility from the workspaces they lease. Image: The Instant Group/HLW
For landlords, flex and co-working space creates value for their portfolios, the survey found. And office operators see the growth of these approaches as a way to gain more market share from corporate tenants.
While corporate tenants remain divided on co-working and flex space as a short or long-term solution for their companies, more than two-fifths of landlords agreed that flex space is a long-term solution, and 72% agreed that working with co-working operators that have a strong brand has “significant benefits” for their development.
“There is still much work to be done by the landlord market to assess who these potential clients [for flexible spaces] are and their specific demands, but the desire is there to adapt their offer to the market,” wrote John Vaughan, Instant’s Director.
Overwhelmingly, all respondents agree that wireless connectivity and wireless security are the most important technology-related features of flex and co-working spaces. Printing compatibility and printing security were also very important to almost two-thirds of respondents.
And with leases, on average, down to as low as 5.2 years, and with the average tenure or stay around 36 months for operators, the choice among tenants between a “flex” or “conventional” approach is now based more on cash-flow and strategic considerations than the length of stay.
Related Stories
| Jan 21, 2014
Comcast to build second Philadelphia skyscraper, with Norman Foster-designed tower [slideshow]
The British architect last week unveiled his scheme for the $1.2 billion, 59-story Comcast Innovation and Technology Center, planned adjacent to the Comcast Center.
| Jan 21, 2014
2013: The year of the super-tall skyscraper
Last year was the second-busiest ever in terms of 200-meter-plus building completions, with 73 towers, according to a report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jan 17, 2014
Australian project transforms shipping containers into serene workplace
Australian firm Royal Wolf has put its money where its mouth is by creating an office facility out of shipping containers at its depot and fabrication center in Sunshine, Victoria.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Jan 11, 2014
Getting to net-zero energy with brick masonry construction [AIA course]
When targeting net-zero energy performance, AEC professionals are advised to tackle energy demand first. This AIA course covers brick masonry's role in reducing energy consumption in buildings.
| Jan 8, 2014
Strengthened sprinkler rules could aid push for mid-rise wood structures in Canada
Strengthened sprinkler regulations proposed for the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) could help a movement to allow midrise wood structures.
| Jan 7, 2014
Concrete solutions: 9 innovations for a construction essential
BD+C editors offer a roundup of new products and case studies that represent the latest breakthroughs in concrete technology.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2014
9 mega redevelopments poised to transform the urban landscape
Slowed by the recession—and often by protracted negotiations—some big redevelopment plans are now moving ahead. Here’s a sampling of nine major mixed-use projects throughout the country.
| Jan 2, 2014
Sacramento utility maintenance facility earns LEED Platinum, targets net zero
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s new maintenance facility, which is targeting net zero, has received LEED Platinum certification.
| Dec 31, 2013
BD+C's top 10 stories of 2013
The world's tallest twisting tower and the rise of augmented reality technology in construction were among the 10 most popular articles posted on Building Design+Construction's website, BDCnetwork.com.
