Ever The Optimist

PwC Birmingham

Bruntwood Glasshouse, Alderley Park

The Covid-19 pandemic kept most people away from their offices for over a year. Companies had to adapt quickly to a new way of working with immediate consequences. As a result, the redesign of the workplace has become the focus for progressive businesses as they explore ways for people to return to the office.

With future ways of working very much in the spotlight, we asked Mark Simpson, head of workplace, for his view.

What are the most notable changes you have seen to the office environment in the last three decades?

Computers. When I joined BDP we had one CAD machine. We had just won a huge project in Singapore and the space planning was done on that. I remember my colleague John Barker saying that one day we would all have computers on our desks. I thought he was mad. So technology has undoubtedly had the most significant and notable effect on the way we work - and continues to do so. The last year has really brought that into sharp focus. Can you imagine how the world could have kept turning without technology and the ability for millions of people to, almost overnight, work from home? The next few years will see to what extent that has changed the way we work – but it certainly has – for good.

What impact has the Covid-19 pandemic had on the workplace?

As I’ve just said, technology has kept the world turning and a lot of people working, but the effect of the pandemic has really only accelerated the changes that were already underway – whether that is on the high street or in the workplace. The office is not dead and the debate about how we will work still rages on. I personally think the appetite for returning to a place where people can interact face to face, collaborate, innovate, develop and mentor will be back – it’s a human instinct and that won’t change.

How has the pandemic shaped what corporate occupiers are looking for in their office spaces?

Although some are talking about fairly large reductions of space across their estates, they are perhaps only going up a gear on the reductions they were already planning as they become more agile organisations. There is still a need to maximise collaboration, community and efficiency, but now with added choice and a greater desire to introduce more human elements; light, air, greenery and the need to promote health, wellbeing and sustainability are no longer tick-box elements; they are essentials.

How do you see technology and smart offices influencing employee wellbeing?

Technology has already had a massive impact on the way we work. When I started I couldn’t believe what a fax machine was capable of. It blew my mind. I could send drawings across the world – but they were drawings I’d done with a pen on a sheet of paper.

So the way we work is smarter and fully enabled by technology – to the point that we couldn’t do our work without it. Buildings are increasingly smarter and I do believe that will be of benefit to the developers, occupiers and those who use the buildings daily. Some larger businesses are very astute about the way they occupy their space – we have worked with them to roll out programmes whereby every room, booth, space, desk etc is monitored by sensors. These sensors provide real-time information about how their buildings are being used and are linked to the systems that run them. That is already providing real benefits and as the workforce becomes more dynamic and distributed, it will help us understand how best to design and operate their buildings. That means greater efficiency and an enhanced working environment.

What’s next for the workplace team at BDP?

More of the same and increasingly international – with BDP Quadrangle in Toronto we are opening new markets all the time. We are celebrating our 60th anniversary as a practice this year, reflecting on all we have achieved during that time – but with an eye on the future, which I think is very bright. Exciting times.