CLOCKING OUT
Insight : Our industry ’ s workspace is changing too
Anecdotally , we ’ ve heard that architecture and construction office spaces are changing with the times . In a recent AIA article on return-to-office policies , firms described going fully virtual or massively downsizing footprints and renovating to have fewer workstations and more communal spaces . However , OII data suggests the shift is not happening fast .
OII data looked at Q4 of 2023 for architecture and construction firms and all industries . While the other sectors showed up to a 3 % increase in capacity usage ( a space ’ s person count divided by the space ’ s capacity ) and up to a 5 % increase in active time usage ( minutes used divided by total minutes in a workday ), the trend was less pronounced for design firms , with some showing no change at all .
For companies poised to implement innovative solutions to workspace problems , this trend might reflect the industry putting client needs before our own office improvements . Or it could be that we ’ ll see bigger changes in space allocation and usage over time as existing leases come up for renewal and firms renovate or relocate .
On trend or just getting started ?
Like other industries , architecture , design and construction firms are moving towards a more metrics-oriented model , where business decisions require hard data instead of hypotheses . Using analysis from the OII and other sources allows for observation of trends over time while anticipating the needs of clients and recommending designs that better address current office attendance and employee needs .
With workspace leases averaging three years , we are quickly approaching a critical point : it ’ s been about three years since the ‘ return ’ following the pandemic . We ’ ll watch the data into 2025 , but there are early indications that the changes we are seeing are just the beginning of a workspace transformation trend that could have offices looking – and operating – very differently . Your clients will surely look for guidance on their space .
The next Occupancy Intelligence Index will be released in August of 2024 . �
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