Since Covid-19’s unwelcome arrival in Singapore three years ago, the way we live, work, and play has been drastically impacted. In April 2022, social-management measures began to ease and 100% of employees were allowed to return to office full-time. This runs against the preference of many workers, as the same survey found that over 80% of respondents desired some form of flexible work arrangement.

Organisations have had to rethink how their offices are designed in order to make it a desirable place to be; this is explored further in CBRE’s Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights report. In January 2022, American architecture and design firm NBBJ emphasised the importance of designing an office that people want to come back to in Harvard Business Review.

NBBJ have an extensive track record for unique office design, working on projects including Amazon’s corporate campus in Seattle, Samsung’s North American headquarters JCube Residence in Silicon Valley, and Tencent’s 270,000 sq ft headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Looking to the future, their designs include Hana Financial Group’s 16-storey, 700,000 sq ft building in Cheongna, and the Shenzhen headquarters for Chinese technology company Vivo, both due for completion in 2025.

Robert Mankin, head of workplace design at NBBJ, sees the pandemic as an accelerator for trends that were already present. He highlights the importance of creating a workplace that reflects a company’s values and focuses on restorative environments, providing flexible, inspiring workspaces and integrating nature.

Providing a variety of environments is now an important part of office design. Flexible and dynamic spaces are a product of companies listening to their employees, particularly in a post-pandemic world. To this end, needs of a multi-generational workforce must be addressed, and companies should build spaces that are flexible enough for all generations, eschewing a one-size-fits-all approach.

At the heart of the matter is providing an office that employees want to come back to. It is a process of constant testing, refinement, and listening to what employees want. By doing so, companies are ensuring employee satisfaction and reinforcing long-term resilience.