THE WORKPLACE

But how can these lofty ambitions be met in practice? Savills’ survey questioned respondents on their key requirements in an office environment and the top five responses were: personal safety, low levels of background/ unwanted noise, neutral smell/lack of odour, building security and openable windows. Paris-based Patrice Courousse, technical and HSE director at management specialist Workman Turnbull, says: “Health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace are no longer just buzzwords — they are now very real concerns for modern companies looking to entice workers back to the office.” And Courousse believes technology and data hold the key to delivering the workplace experience that occupiers are now beginning to demand: “COVID has certainly helped accelerate this trend, particularly in certain areas, such as air quality in the office space. However, long-term trends suggest that the uptake in smart-office solutions was already under way. Advances in technology mean that air-quality systems are now easily in-

WeWork adapts

Q&A with Kathleen Hartigan, vice-president enterprise sales, WeWork

MIPIM News: Has WeWork had to adapt its o er to refl ect changing occupier priorities post-pandemic? Have you had to reduce density for instance? KH: The e ects of the pandemic and sustained periods of working from home have transformed how we work and think about the o ce — every company is now looking at how and where their employees are going to work, and, when it comes to occupier priorities, fl exibility and optionality are more important than ever. Regardless of how companies are approaching their workplace plans, access to a convenient accessible space to collaborate and mentor and build culture remains key. Flexibility is WeWork’s core product, and like many businesses across the globe, we adapted and enhanced our spaces and products to meet these new expectations. From implementing new health and safety measures to working with our members to reconfi gure their spaces into collaboration hubs to meet emerging o ce working styles that emphasise collaboration and teamwork, we remain committed to meeting our members’ evolving needs. We also accelerated plans to enhance the fl exibility we o er through All Access and On Demand models; subscription and pay-as-you-go access to our spaces that help businesses and their employees succeed in the hybrid workplace. MIPIM News: As the workplace changes do you see increased demand for fl exibility? KH: Absolutely. As businesses navigate how to manage hybrid work environments, having the ability to move into fl exible, and turnkey workspaces has become a top priority. This is underscored by the demand we are experiencing from both SMEs and enterprises that turn to us for agile, bespoke solutions they are unable to fi nd elsewhere. Companies are recognising the cost-saving benefi ts of fl exibility and optionality where they no longer have to predict real estate needs for 10 or 20 years’ time, and can scale their space up or down depending on growth. There is also more value in de-densifying HQs and distributing teams across cities or multiple countries in this new era, and we have seen many member companies harness WeWork’s global footprint of 700+ locations to do just that. This approach also opens up access to a whole new and diverse talent pool; crucial for creativity and business performance. MIPIM News: With more people working from home more often, and with many reluctant to commute to work, are businesses looking at new locations? Is demand growing for suburban rather than CBD locations? KH: The rise of hybrid working highlights the importance of choice and convenience, and what we’re seeing from our members is an interest in blending convenient city-centre locations with working from home or a ‘third place’. This rea rms our belief in well-connected workspaces in CBDs and across cities that are coming alive once more as restrictions are easing and we have continued to see the most interest and deal fl ow within major metropolitan areas. We have also seen this trend with All Access — the most popular with our members have been city-centre locations in New York, London and Washington DC.

WeWork, rue de Madrid, Paris

stalled, can be scalable based on the asset and will result in a marked improvement in the occupier experience by providing local control through mobile apps and user interfaces.” An example of an emerging technology that has seen rapid adoption post-COVID is the AIDRA (Artificially Intelligent Dynamic Resource Allocation) occupancy management system from GoSpace AI. The software, which allows employees to book desk space and meeting rooms while giving building managers a real-time view of occupancy levels, has been adopted by JLL’s Americas business. “The pandemic has accelerated the demand for enhanced technology solutions in the workplace,” says Cynthia Kantor, JLL’s chief product officer, corporate solutions. “By staying agile in the ever-evolving, post-pandemic environment, we can reimagine a workplace that enhances human performance, improves space utilisation and remains resilient.” Cynthia Kantor: “By staying agile in the ever-evolving, post-pandemic environment, we can reimagine a workplace that enhances human performance”

As well as transforming the internal office environment, COVID has forced businesses to reassess their floorspace needs and location choices. After all, if fewer people are in the office at any one time, could a company take less space? And if more people are working from home, does the office need to be located in a city centre? “Many are evaluating how to create greater efficiency in their workplaces, which includes a reduction in their Workman Turnbull’s Patrice Courousse physical footprint,” concedes JLL’s Poppink. But he cautions: “Any transition to new physical working environments takes time and capital investment, which dampens the immediate impact on the demand for space.” And he predicts: “Space reductions will be broadly offset by de-densification and growth from job creation as our economies emerge from the pandemic.” Poppink concludes: “The workplace is changing and business should embrace the opportunity to create safe and inspiring spaces around the world that are more human-centric, more resilient and that drive collaboration and foster company culture.” 

CITIES

16.15 > 17.00 | Esterel Room - Palais 5

POST-PANDEMIC CITY: BUSINESS DISTRICTS & WORKSPACES

Should we go back to the offi ce? Hybrid workplace: is it the new future?

Assem EL ALAMI

Head of International Real Estate Finance Berlin Hyp AG

Méka BRUNEL

CEO Gecina

Pierre-Yves GUICE

CEO Paris La Défense CONFERENCES & EVENTS AT MIPIM

TUESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER

In partnership with

Ingrid NAPPI

Professor, FRICS, Real Estate & Sustainable Development Chair Professor & Workplace Management Chair Holder ESSEC Business School