The office of the future

Private small spaces with a suspended ceiling and carpet flooring within one big office, are completely out of fashion. These kind of offices are less and less common. Currently, the open floor plan offices with an industrial look, old factory halls and trendy co-working spaces are the current hotspots on the office market.

More focus on staff members: the right balance between work and relaxation. 

Nowadays, offices are no longer solely focused on work. More attention is being paid to productivity and the right balance between work and fun. By  providing several relaxation possibilities such as table tennis, pool tables or games consoles, employers ty to create some much needed amusement which will ultimately increase the productivity. Research also shows that satisfied employees perform better than employees who are reluctant to go to work.

The offices of the future will continue to optimize the working environment. An important factor for employers is that they see a direct improvement in staff productivity. As a result, the investments can be justified and there will be a clear return on investment.  A win-win situation for both employer and employee. 

They will also try to match the environmental factors such as: temperature, humidity, space, greenery in the office and natural light, as best as possible. There will also be automatic measurements of the oxygen percentage and air quality of the rooms.  For example, if the oxygen level in a room is too low, the system will automatically add oxygen. 

The new 'Hi-Tech' office.

Virtual reality (VR) has been known for some time now and is regularly used in the office market. VR is often used by providers to remotely show their office space to potential tenants. Nowadays it is also possible to use VR at corporate events. Have a look at a VR example of an office in Brussels. 

Several new developments for the office of the future.   

• A.I. Smart desks - these desks can recognize people and automatically determine when it is time for the employee to do some work while standing up.
  A projected screen will pop up on your desktop to alert you for meetings, when you need some relaxation, it will anticipates when you are hungry, order food for you and even indicates when it’s time to have a drink.
  
  
• Hologram receptionist – As they still need some extra development, the hologram receptionist hasn’t been widely integrated into the office market yet, but it is expected that through machine learning this development will go very fast. Holograms will also be used to meet with colleagues around the world without adding additional travelling time. Here is an example of a hologram receptionist:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIJ1slIta-E
  
  
• Augmented reality – an empty office space can be digitally transformed into whatever you want by means of 'augmented reality'. However, this technology isn’t ready yet for mass integration in offices, but the first steps are being taken via mixed technology. An example of this was the popular game Pokémon Go.
  
  
• Energy neutrality - of course sustainability is a big part of the office of the future.  The offices will be completely energy neutral. This sustainability can be achieved by using solar panels, collecting rainwater and an installation that generates thermal energy.
  
  
• LED lighting & climate control - by means of 'connected lightning', employees can customize their workplace and adjust it to their own wishes.  Both lighting settings and the temperature can be fully tailored to their personal needs.
  
  

Of course no one knows what the office of the future will actually look like. But we believe there is a good chance that these developments will be embraced by both employers and employees. BluePoint's 'early adopters' will be the frontrunners to integrate these new technologies as soon as they are reliable and mature enough to be fully implemented. 

Do you want to discover for yourself whether the office of the future is the right solution for you?

Tech.Lounge Brussels is a new coworking space in Brussels, equipped with the latest technological applications. 

It consists of 1200 m2 workspaces with fixed and flexible workspaces, private offices, meeting rooms, relaxation and network zones, a brainstorming arena, a recording studio and a fully digital training room.

Come and visit the Tech.Lounge and its affordable office spaces with additional services such as on-site restaurants and meeting / event rooms and make an appointment via marketing@bluepoint.be or +32 2 706 88 00.