Generation Playlist by Orangebox Ltd

reasons why graduates and the higher education sector will impact our workplaces.

GENERATION

P L AY

LIST

Introduction

There’s been a noteworthy shift in the way that younger people in society see the world. Anthropologists such as Joseph Henrich at Harvard University have pointed out that, during most of history, and in most cultures across the world, individuals and their choices have been seen as a product of society, with the ‘group’ defining people’s identities. [1] The choice was to fit in or get out. Western society came to be considered the product of individuals, with individual rights led to the emergence of the “Me” generation in 20th-century Western popular culture. And now, in the 21st century, the “Me” generation is evolving further. Technology has fostered the idea that individuals sit at the centre of their own world and can, and should, fashion it to their individual tastes. This already happens in consumer culture, where, rather than just fitting in with a preset package, we increasingly customise everything – from our travel plans to our coffee choices and, of course, the music and TV we watch and listen to. It has reshaped the media, with people increasingly using a pick‘n’mix approach to absorbing news on their own terms. [2]

Unsurprisingly, it’s now seeping into our attitudes towards work.

Welcome to

Small Plates —— Leasing models —— Co-working —— Podcasts —— Mid-journey ————— Black Mirror —— Only Fans —— ChatGPT —— Oat Caramel Extra Shot Decaf — Filters —— LGBTQI+ —— BLM — Masterclass — Monzo —— IMDB —— Headspace —— Gig Economy —— Like & Subscribe — Dating Apps —— Kudos ——— — Avatars ————————————————————— ————————————————————————— ———————————————————

Introduction

While these social behaviours are affecting all of us, Gen Z (19972012) was the first generation to be born with the internet, a key accelerating factor in this sense of “my profile”. To older generations, this attitude may sound selfish and immature. To younger people, many of whom are locked out of the privileges that their parents took for granted – from home ownership to affordable education – it feels not just empowering, but vital. To anticipate how our younger generations may impact our workplaces we must meet them where they are now; at university. Understanding today’s higher educational experience will help us anticipate what Gen Playlist are going to expect to find – or seek to introduce –in the businesses they enter. Within this report we have therefore explored the educational environments experienced by Gen Playlist and assessed the cultural impact this is likely to have on all of us within the workplace. Orangebox has been providing furniture for educational spaces for the last 20 years, and now has a global network of university clients, alongside architects, business leaders, consultants, furniture dealers and spatial designers specialising in this field. We drew on this professional network when compiling our findings and are grateful to those who generously agreed to contribute insight by sharing their expertise with us in workshops, round tables and one-on-one interviews.

The Research & Insight team needs to make clear that, while we may be focusing on one generation during these observations, the contemporary workplace will be required to design for inclusivity. All generations are made up of individuals who are proudly independent. Often, the aim of generational study is to draw out the differences rather than similarities of age groups. This angle of approach will benefit us and our clients, enabling us to create detailed maps that will help us navigate the coming decades.

Contents

1 N E W W O R L D B E H AV I O U R S

2 AI-ANXIETY

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3 B I G U N I ’ S VA L U E A N D T H E I M P A C T O F L I F E L O N G L E A R N I N G P15

4 CHECKING INTO THE ‘STUDENT HOTEL’ F O R A N E N S U I T E E D U C A T I O N P20

5 A C T I VA T I N G A C T I V E C L A S S R O O M S

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6 THE SUPER-SLOW & STICKY CAMPUS

DIFFERENT SPACES ARE THE D I F F E R E N C E M A K E R S P33

SOME LAST THOUGHTS…

P37

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N E W W O R L D B E H AV I O U R S The Generations Generation Z [age 12–25] born 1997-2010 Millennials [age 26–41] born 1981-1996 Generation X [age 22–57] born 1965-1980 Baby Boomers II [age 58–67] born 1955-1964 Baby Boomers I [age 68–76] born 1946-1954 Silent Generation [age 77–94] born 1928-1945

We find ourselves in an unprecedented period where there are more generations co-working in our organisations than ever before. There are five cohorts: Traditionalists (who are in their early 70s and continue to work full or part-time), Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. [3] It’s a melting pot of values, expectations, habits, neurodiversity and skillsets. According to a 2019 Boston Consulting Group report, companies with above average diversity on their management teams report profit margins 9% higher than companies with below-average diversity.[4] But while businesses are keen to capture the benefits of a generationally diverse workforce, they need to appreciate the unique tastes and requirements of each cohort. “Many of the generational conversations in the news today rely on false stereotypes and clickbait headlines, rather than taking the time to understand the important differences that are a part of our generational identities,” Professor Megan Gerhardt from Miami Business School outlined.[5] The Orangebox research team aims to avoid generalisations and ‘broad stroke’ divisions. The field of generational study is authentic and rigorous but it can be difficult to digest, as individuals are quick to consider their own reality and judge the behaviour of their own grandparents or children, rather than the holistic study of large groups. It’s well understood that there are two significant factors in behavioural differences between generations; parenting styles and technological revolutions. So, if we can spot clear, evidencebased tendencies, universities and businesses will be better equipped to provide services and space that help rather than hinder cohesion.

Reason 1 N E W W O R L D B E H AV I O U R S

Baby Boomers spent more time working alone, while younger generations spent 3x more time learning and socialising. [6]

During a typical week, how do you spend your time working?

Gen Z

35%

Millennials

31%

Gen X

35%

Baby Boomers

49%

28%

12%

28%

16%

28%

12%

13%

12%

13%

14%

11%

33%

13% 10%

4% 4%

Working alone Working with others in person Working with others virtually

According to the World Economic Forum, Gen Z currently make up 30% of the global population and are expected to account for 27% of the workforce by 2025.[7] The overwhelming majority of global students come from this generation, which is why scrutinising campuses may give us fresh insight. Thumb Scrollers (true digital natives) Gen Z’ers are known for doing everything online, from working to shopping, dating to making friends. According to a recent McKinsey report, 36% of Asian Gen Z’ers spend six or more hours per day on their phones, compared to 22% of millennials.[8]

Learning Socializing

Growing Up Slowly Contrary to popular belief, young people today are growing up more slowly than their parents’ generation, and taking longer to embrace the responsibilities of adulthood. According to research from the North American Child Development agency, the average age for Gen Z’ers to lose their virginity is just over 17, a whole year later than the average Gen X’er. [9] Similarly, abstaining from alcohol is now far more common. A 2018 NHS report uncovered that ‘binge drinking’ has seen a large decline, dropping in England from 27% to 18% from 2005-2015 (between millennials and Gen Z). Part-time and full-time work, as well as learning to drive, all happen later in Gen Z’s world than in previous generations.[10] Heightened Awareness of Mental Health Gen Z also faces an unprecedented behavioural health crisis: US Gen Zers surveyed by McKinsey report the least positive outlook and highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation, and European respondents report struggling with selfstigma.[11]

Reason 1

N E W W O R L D B E H AV I O U R S

How different generations describe their mental health. Compared to older generations, a greater share of members of Gen Z describe their mental health and emotional wellbeing as “poor” or “only fair”. Poor

Only Fair

Gen Z

10%

26%

Millennials

18%

Gen X

2% 18%

Baby Boomers

1% 13%

Silent Generation 4

10%

Good

Excellent

44%

20%

43%

29%

49%

47%

53%

31%

39%

33%

Due to rounding, percentahes for Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers do not add up to 100 Source: Gallup, Walton Family Foundation [9]

Reason 1 N E W W O R L D B E H AV I O U R S

While 49% of Gen Z’ers and 62% of Millennials say work is central to their identity, work/ life balance is something they are still striving to achieve. A good work/life balance is the top trait they admire in their peers, and their top consideration when choosing a new employer. Inclusive as a Default In 2021, FutureCast undertook a large study of European teens, which identified the causes most likely to be supported by Gen Z: racial equality (72%), gender equality (64%) and sexual orientation equality (48%). [12] As well as being the most racially diverse generation ever (48% of US Gen Z’ers are non-white),, they value organisations that champion diversity. In a 2022 Deloitte survey, 83% of Gen Z candidates said that a company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is important when choosing an employer (up from 75% for Millennials).[13] Smart Cookies Gen Z are on course to be the most educated generation we’ve ever seen. In 2019, 44% of UK Gen Z’ers aged 7 to 17 were living with a parent who had a Bachelor’s degree or further education, compared with 33% of Millennials at the same age. According to the Pew Research Center, among young US adults ages 18 to 21 who were no longer in high school in 2018, “57% were enrolled in a two-or four-year college.” This same statistic was 52% for Millennials. Side Hussle Kantar’s Connecting the Workforce report canvassed 10,000 employees across 10 countries and identified that up to 40% of Gen Z’ers have a second role. They cite financial reasons for the shift to side hustles. Perhaps ‘quiet quitting’ just means shifting focus? Most popular side-hustles include e-commerce, freelancing in your primary role, and social media.[14] Pluralist of Place According to Gensler’s 2023 global workplace report, 86% of younger workers said they would be willing to come into the office more often if their employer provided their ideal mix of experiences. They want to be in an environment that feels welcoming and amenity-rich, with a hospitality vibe that encourages socializing, connecting, and being part of a community.

Reason 1 N E W W O R L D B E H AV I O U R S

Don’t Forget the Focus Despite mobility and flexibility, younger generations still value working in their company’s workplace. For Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X, the top-ranked reason to come into the office is “to focus on my work.” [15] This suggests that younger workers view the office as a space where they can be productive and get things done. They do, however, prefer a different mix of experiences to their older counterparts. There’s no questioning the difficulty in mentorship whilst working remotely. Gen Z need to be afforded the same levels of in-person leadership and training that their predecessors valued so highly. The generation who joined the workforce post-March 2020, have yet to benefit from the intangibles in a reliable, constant, or meaningful way. This inevitably changes not just what they learn and how they develop in their careers, but also how they feel about the experience of work. It also removes their opportunity to build a network of strong professional relationships that can help shape their career further down the line.

What this means for Generation Playlist: Businesses need to continually assess and re-assess their wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusivity policies. What this means for organisations: Be sure not to design workplace policy for just one generation. Be inclusive and expect to invest more than ever in mentorship programs to get knowledge and engagement flowing. What this means for higher education: As technology carves new career paths relevant for a future economy, we may see students opt for greater variety during their time on campus.

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AI-ANXIETY As I type this, no new films or television shows are being written or produced in Hollywood. An industry that typically generates the equivalent of Slovenia or Costa Rica’s GDP has temporarily shut down because of the threat posed by AI. A study by the OECD suggests that approximately 14% of jobs across 32 countries are at high risk of AI automation within the next 12 months (Nov 2023). That’s 75 million people displaced from their roles. [16] The revolution is under way within manufacturing, retail, transportation, and customer service industries. Law, agriculture, banking and finance are also seeing large-scale disruption, globally. McKinsey reported than those in the US earning $38,200 a year or less are up to 14 times more likely to need to change occupations by 2030 than the highest earners – a tricky tightrope for those in low-income industries or younger people in the formative years of their career. Young people, like individuals of any age group, have a wide range of opinions and attitudes regarding the AI revolution. While it’s not accurate to make sweeping generalisations, here are some common perspectives and concerns among Gen Z:

Bias and Fairness AI systems can inherit biases from their training data, which can result in unfair or discriminatory outcomes. Addressing bias in AI algorithms is a major concern, especially in applications like hiring, lending, and law enforcement. Privacy AI can process vast amounts of personal data, which raises concerns about data privacy and security. The misuse of personal data for surveillance or marketing purposes is a significant issue.

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Reason 2 AI-ANXIETY

Environmental Impact Training large AI models can be computationally intensive and energy-consuming. The environmental impact of AI, particularly in data centres, is a growing concern. Social Manipulation AI can be used to create and spread misinformation, deepfake videos, and social engineering attacks, posing threats to democratic processes and social cohesion.

The most immediate and visible impact of rapid job displacement would be high levels of unemployment, leading to income inequality. This may necessitate significant investment in education and workforce development programs to reskill and upskill affected workers. A universal basic income may be one way in which we can alleviate anxiety about AI in the short term. Reskilling and upskilling will be critical in this transition period. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report stated that 54% of employees across the world would need significant reskilling and upskilling by 2024 due to the adoption of automation and AI. IBM has established the IBM Skills Academy, which offers training and certification in emerging technologies, including AI, data science, and cybersecurity. The Skills Academy provides a structured learning path for employees to gain new skills and advance their careers. The program collaborates with global universities and colleges to offer education and training programs. Similarly, AT&T worked with Udacity to create “nanodegree” programs in subjects like data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. These nanodegree programs were designed to help employees build specific skills needed for AI-related roles. As part of its ongoing digital transformation, Ericsson has developed a multi-year strategy devoted to upskilling and reskilling. The effort involves systematically defining critical skills connected to strategy, which correspond to a variety of accelerator programs, skill journeys, and skill-shifting targets, most dedicated to transforming telecommunications experts into AI and data science experts. The company considers this a high-priority, high-investment project and has made it part of the objectives and key results that executives review quarterly. In just three years Ericsson has upskilled more than 15,000 employees in AI and automation.

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Reason 2 AI-ANXIETY

Top focus areas identified by CEOs for driving growth in the next three years (% frequency). [17]

Enhancing performance and productivity through data, tech and AI

38%

Accessing and creating top talent across the organisation

38%

Driving connection and collaboration across business units

35%

Enhancing the company’s digital core

34%

Data from n=570 CEO survey responses

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Reason 2 AI-ANXIETY

AI is having a significant impact on education across various levels, from primary and secondary education to higher education and lifelong learning. AI-powered educational platforms can adapt to individual student needs, providing personalised learning experiences. These systems analyse students’ strengths and weaknesses to offer tailored content, assessment and feedback, helping to improve learning outcomes. AI can create and curate educational content, including textbooks, video lessons and quizzes. Chatbots and virtual assistants can provide instant help and support to students, supplementing the role of teachers. Arizona State University has been a pioneer in the use of adaptive learning technology, implementing adaptive learning systems in various courses and reporting improvements in student performance and course completion rates. Their results are impressive: pass rates have risen by 17%, and course withdrawals dropped by 56%, with 45% of students finishing the courses four weeks earlier than anticipated. Similarly, Georgia State University has utilised adaptive learning technology in courses like Algebra and Economics, resulting in higher pass rates and reduced achievement gaps between different student groups. According to the McGraw-Hill Education study, Adaptive Learning technology enables instructors to spend 72% less time on administrative tasks and 90% more time on active learning experiences, while the kinds of insights it offers up should mean much more dynamic learning experiences. Adaptive learning is more like the app Duolingo than the traditional chalk’n’talk teaching approach. While it is not currently intended to replace teachers, it can support educators in providing a more personalised and effective learning experience for students. Many adaptive learning programs are delivered online or in a blended learning format, with students accessing content and assessments through digital platforms. Traditional classrooms, on the other hand, are typically face-to-face, in-person settings. In their current pilots, student groups are created so that individual students can collaborate when they catch up with each other. There is a danger that current AI tools can make it easier for students to plagiarise or engage in academic dishonesty. Even though there are AI-powered plagiarism detection tools to identify instances of plagiarism, students may attempt to outsmart these systems by using advanced techniques to evade detection, causing concern for academic integrity.

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Reason 2 AI-ANXIETY

Change is inevitable, but businesses and universities can make the transition period more comfortable before negative impacts mount up and become overwhelming. There are clear links between spatial design and the reduction of stress on individuals.

NB. This entire chapter was written by the AI algorithm, Chat GPT-3.5 by using 26 ‘prompts. Small edits were made to aid flow and readability.

What this means for Generation Playlist: It’s our younger people who are responding with the most concern for the AI revolution, which isn’t surprising as they’re set to experience the most prolonged disruption. Their level of alarm is also mirrored in the challenges presented by our changing climate. The first wave of disruption will not be from AI itself but from those organisations, governments or individuals that harness AI tools. What this means for organisations: The impacts will be profound. Businesses that skill staff correctly and have light-touch, agile business models and real estate are able to adapt quicker. And those that create physical or digital workplaces that focus on reducing stress and anxiety for staff may be the winners. What this means for higher education: In the short-term, colleges and universities will be able to export education around the globe as citizens look to upskill. Life-long learning will mean campuses have far more age diversity in their student body, but will perhaps require shorter courses or modules. Campuses will need to be delicately designed, with a mandate to alleviate anxiety for both student, teaching and faculty members.

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‘ B I G U N I ’ S VA L U E AND THE IMPACT OF LIFELONG LEARNING

The price of everything Average annual tuition fees for nationals for a bachelor’s degree at public instituitions. Selected countries, $’000 at PPP*, 2020 or latest. 0

The UK’s educational institutions are mature and competitive, seen, in many instances, as setting a global benchmark. But it’s not just the UK that sees the value: the need for quality education all over the world has never been higher.

England** United States Ireland Chile Japan

Between 2006 and 2021, student numbers grew 56% to 209 million people globally. Most of this growth is being seen in Asia and Africa, with student numbers in Europe and North America remaining relatively stable. (There certainly haven’t been the alarming drops that some were anticipating.) Students are evidently still answering the question, ‘Do you still think higher education has value?’ with a resounding ‘Yes’. (It’s worth noting that shortfalls in apprenticeships and online courses may have led some to taking the uni route as a last resort.) [18]

Australia South Korea Spain France

The Economist Source: OECD

* Purchasing-power parity ** Government-dependent private institutions

So what exactly is it about higher education that’s being valued by students? It would seem to be two very different elements: the qualification earned (together with the career- and income-boosting power that wields) and the educational or campus experience. In the US, the graduate premium (the wage boost received by people with a degree) increased from 75% to 81% between 2005 and 2020, according to a Financial Times analysis of figures from the OECD group of rich nations. In the EU and UK, graduates are still paid about 50% more than those without a degree. [19] Despite this, young people are actively considering other ways of acquiring skills, and employers are offering new paths to competitive careers. In the UK, for instance, the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) found the share of members requiring a 2:1 degree fell from three-quarters in 2014 to less than half in 2022. A separate analysis by website Totaljobs found just 22 per cent of UK entry-level adverts mentioned a degree this year; a decline of almost a third since 2019. And, according to LinkedIn, job postings not requiring a degree increased 90 per cent from 2021 to 2022. [20]

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Reason 3 ‘ B I G U N I ’ S VA L U E A N D THE IMPACT OF LIFELONG LEARNING

At the same time, employers ranging from the cereal maker Kellogg’s UK to Apple; GM to the Utah State Government, have stopped requiring degree-level qualifications. Companies such as IBM and Accenture have, meanwhile, invested in hiring routes such as apprenticeships so that new recruits can train on the job. While there could be an element of virtue signalling in this, eliminating degree requirements will open a door to validate other pathways. [21]

More than one in four US workers is overqualified. % of workers, 2021

100%

50%

00% US

Australia

France

Germany

Overeducated Matched Undereducated Financial Times Source: ILO [22]

Almost a third of workers in the US and more than a fifth in some big European economies are overeducated for their current job, according to the ILO, with many graduates stuck doing jobs that could be done by non-graduates. The average UK student, meanwhile, leaves university with a debt of £46,000. Does that sound like value? Interestingly, less than half of Brits think it’s worthwhile for a young person to do a degree, according to a study this May by pollsters Ipsos. Americans too have drastically shifted their priorities for school education. “Preparing children for college” has plummeted from the 10th-highest priority to 47th, according to a 2023 study by Populace, which found that the public wants schools to help students develop practical skills most of all.[23] There are other factors at play: 55% of US parents said they’d prefer their child to enrol on an undergraduate course, while apprenticeship levies in Europe have required employers to invest in non-grads.

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Reason 3 ‘ B I G U N I ’ S VA L U E A N D THE IMPACT OF LIFELONG LEARNING

New technologies such as AI could also level the field by helping non-graduates overcome deficits in skills they’ve historically underperformed in, such as writing (see previous chapter). They could also enable employers to screen candidates in more varied ways, reducing the reliance on degrees.

Jobs on the rise in Europe:

Software Developer ––––– Blockchain role –––– Virtual Reality role ––––– Cybersecurity (ethical hacker) ––– Big Data Analyst –––– –––– Content Creator – Data Protection role Gene Editors ––– Mental Health role ––––––––– Data Broker ––––– Drone Pilot Source: FutureLearn 2022 [24]

But higher education at a university isn’t just about a return on investment. Many disciplines are worth studying for their own sake, and universities, traineeships and apprenticeships hold a value beyond the mere financial. After months spent revising, socialising and working in isolation during the Covid pandemic, recent graduates are believed by some employers to be missing key skills needed to succeed at work. Post-pandemic employers are therefore also seeking a variety of ‘soft skills’ from their graduates; skills such as communication, time keeping, leadership and spirit. Deloitte and PwC, two of the ‘big four’ accounting firms that collectively recruited 2,785 graduates and school leavers in 2022, have launched initiatives aimed at helping junior staff develop these competencies. Jackie Henry, Managing Partner for People & Purpose at Deloitte, believes that recent graduates’ lack of exposure to the physical university campus means there is greater need for employers to provide training on basic professional and working skills – something that wasn’t previously necessary. “In some cases, their confidence in both themselves and their abilities as young professionals has been reduced. Many are used to working in an isolated way, so struggle with teamwork and how to work in the office and on client sites,” she adds.[25] The university ‘experience’ has typically filled in these softer skill gaps, whether through formal or informal means, with the 3-4

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Reason 3 ‘ B I G U N I ’ S VA L U E A N D THE IMPACT OF LIFELONG LEARNING

year campus experience boosting the confidence and proficiency of young people. The value of the university experience may therefore lie there, in the experience of physically being on campus, rather than just completing a similar course online.

Workers have traditionally accumulated knowledge in a T-shaped profile.

BROAD COMPETENCIES

Many studies confirm that it’s not intelligence that creates expertise, it’s effort and practice; that is, hard, regular work. This may be how the three players with lower than average IQs became Grand Masters, and why continuous professional development (CPD), with its regular, top-up training, is proven to be more effective than one-off training sessions.

DEEP E XP E RT ISE

Age

The impact of lifelong learning When researchers asked the 10 best chess players in the world, who had each spent 10,000 to 50,000 hours mastering the game, to take an IQ test, they found that three out them had a below-average IQ. As playing world-class chess is associated with extremely high intelligence, they wondered how this could be possible.

Today’s workers need M-profile knowledge.

Lifelong learning refers to the continuous, self-motivated pursuit of knowledge and skills throughout one's entire life. It demands a commitment to learning and personal development that goes beyond formal education and extends into various aspects of life. It can typically be broken down into two categories: professional and personal learning. Our hypothesis is that organisations which support their employees with these pursuits and institutions that provide these services will thrive in the upcoming AI revolution.

BROAD COMPETENCIES

DEEP E XP E RT ISE

Age

DEEP E XP E RTISE

DEEP E XP E RT ISE

Traditionally, workers developed deep expertise in one discipline early in their career and supplemented this knowledge over the years with on-the-job development of integrative competencies. This kind of knowledge can be represented by a T-shape or profile. Longevity has, however, made this approach obsolete. Since 1840, life expectancy has increased three months for every year: as a result, people are staying, and will continue to stay, in the workforce longer. Staying relevant over protracted periods demands in-depth knowledge in many different areas of expertise, supplemented with targeted on-the-job development. That’s why knowledge should today be represented by an M-shape or profile.

Source: Nick van Dam, Learn or Lose, Breukelen, Netherlands: Nyenrode Publishing, November 2016 McKinsey&Company [26]

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Reason 3 ‘ B I G U N I ’ S VA L U E A N D THE IMPACT OF LIFELONG LEARNING

FOCUS ON GROWTH BECOME A SERIAL MASTER

STAY VITAL

DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND DISCOVER YOUR IKIGAI (REASON FOR BEING)

OWN YOUR DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY

A lifelong-learning mind set consists of seven essential elements. STRETCH

BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND AND NETWORK

Source: Nick van Dam, Learn or Lose, Breukelen, Netherlands: Nyenrode Publishing, November 2016 McKinsey&Company [26]

The National University of Singapore has an alumni program titled NUS L3 . As part of the NUS L3 programme, your student enrolment is valid for 20 years+ from the point of undergraduate / postgraduate admission. “In your career, we will be your anchor for lifelong learning so that you can make sense of the future economy, and your future jobs,” says Prof Tan Eng Chye, NUS President.[27]

What this means for Generation Playlist: The increase in viable routes to a rewarding career is a positive. Exploring and scrutinising those options will be fulfilling for you, and for your future employer. What this means for organisations: Businesses that provide room for meaningful lifelong learning will be able to attract and retain the best talent. This approach will turn their businesses into academies of fascination and innovation. What this means for higher education: Continually monitoring and identifying the type of graduates that high-performing businesses are craving will only increase the value of bricks-and-mortar university experience.

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CHECK INTO THE ‘S T U D E N T H O T E L ’ , FOR AN EN SUITE EDUCATION

In the UK, the standard of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) has been steadily rising over the last decade or more. Undergraduates can spend their mornings in the coffee shop on the ground floor or, perhaps, in the co-working library on the first floor, then head to the on-site gym class in the afternoon before hitting the rooftop bar in the evening.[28] The rising tide of quality and services from the sector will have a profound impact on workplace design. The value that Generation Playlist places on these services will drive organisations to re-think their real estate strategy. However, there are clear divides in what’s on offer. Feast and famine. There must be a distinction made between campus and city universities, high-end and mid-market, private or institutionowned accommodation. There has been an increase of almost 390,000 UK students in need of accommodation over the last decade, and this, combined with rising operational and development costs and high inflation, is sending rents soaring. According to Cushman & Wakefield, fewer than one in 10 beds in major university cities are now affordable to the average student in receipt of maintenance loans and grants. This rental cost rise isn’t just limited to the UK, it stretches across Europe. The largest rise over the past 12 months has been in Poland, where cities have seen rental cost growth of between 16% and 22%.

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Reason 4 CHECK IN TO THE ‘STUDENT HOTEL’, FOR AN EN SUITE EDUCATION

A 2022 survey by the National Union of Students has, meanwhile, found a growing culture of part-time working among students, with more than two-thirds (69%) taking on part-time jobs, and almost all students working more hours this year to help cover spiralling costs.[29] Most student accommodation is now built and rented by the private sector, and Unipol keeps a register of the number of rooms as part of a voluntary code of conduct. In a blog by the Higher Education Policy Institute, Unipol Chief Executive Martin Blakey says the creation of new student rooms is grinding to a halt, mainly because of high building costs. But we must also remember that universities do not exist in a vacuum. Many of the local communities which they are part of are themselves experiencing an affordable housing crisis.[30] Specifically, the growth in the numbers of affluent international students coming to the UK has led to a new luxury student accommodation market. The cost of these hyper-luxurious student flats can reach an eye-watering £700 a week. Students from mainland China represent the fastest-growing group on UK campuses, with 43,355 Chinese students enrolled at UK universities in the 2007/08 academic year, compared to 106,530 last year. This is 31% of the total number of international students enrolling, according to HESA.[31] Chapter in London’s King’s Cross is a clear statement of intent for these projects. With its cinema, coworking lounge and large luxurious atrium, it feels more like a members club than uni halls. Chapter’s East London project even has a 32nd floor restaurant and karaoke bar. Collegiate’s most recent opening in Lisbon features, among many other perks, a 24/7 concierge, swimming pool and sauna, private fitness suite and library. You start to wonder why students would even bother leaving the building to go to class? This rising tide of quality, luxury and expense could cause an issue for university cities all over the world. As the private sector has been handed the management of student accommodation, it’s been given the opportunity to provide more services and facilities, creating even ‘stickier’ destinations. This could mean students staying away from campus services entirely, creating even more silos. It’s when Generation Playlist enters the workplace that we could see an impact. With expectations dictated by their university experience, the provision of 24/7 concierge and an abundance of quiet library rooms could be the bare minimum the best talent demands of an employer.[32]

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Reason 4 CHECK IN TO THE ‘STUDENT HOTEL’, FOR AN EN SUITE EDUCATION

Faculty Community Park/Garden Landscape

Gym

Bar

Social Learning Spaces

Specialist Spaces

Collaborative Teaching & Learning Space

unstructured SPACE

Home

Pool

Café

Lecture Theatre

structured SPACE

Art Museum

Library

Peer to Peer Learning Spaces

Seminar

Active Learning Space (next genersation lecture theatre)

City Community Networks School & Staff Cohort Campus Community Campus & Interdiciplinary Networks Library Support

Learning Modality

Didactic

Active Learning Feedback

Reflective

Place for Learning Spectrum (Wilson 2009) [33]

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Reason 4 CHECK IN TO THE ‘STUDENT HOTEL’, FOR AN EN SUITE EDUCATION

Younger people seem trapped between an unaffordable property market and an over-inflated student accommodation market. If ownership is out of reach, then a high-quality rental, from undergraduate days on, is one way to carve out some small living luxury. The best schemes can revitalise local economies and benefit townscapes, but only if providers open up them up, integrating public access as part of creating better connectivity. Why not share that rooftop bar, 5-a-side pitch or tennis court?

What this means for Generation Playlist Let’s keep in mind that while only a small proportion of global students can afford these luxury ‘hotels’, they do have an influence on the rest of the market. Having a variety of space and services will become more commonplace and be expected from future employers. What this means for organisations: As human beings continue to flock to cities, these ‘small-space, large-luxury’ experiences may encourage employees to WFH. This may be the office’s new competitor. What this means for higher education: Competition for student attention is fierce. Focusing on high quality teaching and mentoring environments will encourage students to dwell on the sticky campus for longer, getting more value from their experience.

Average time spent studying on and off campus

on campus

off campus

[34]

Discipline

on campus

off campus

Life Sciences Medicine & Dentistry Humanities & Social Science Other STEM Creative Arts & Design Law Business & Administration

41.5% 42% 42.9% 45.9% 47.2% 47.8% 51% 53.5%

58.5% 58% 57.1% 54.1% 52.9% 52.2% 49% 46.5%

P24

A C T I VA T I N G A C T I V E CLASSROOMS Universities are in the business of teaching students something new, day in, day out; week in, week out. And recent groundbreaking work investigating the learning process has shed light on the role environmental design can play in enhancing it. Active classrooms and a flipped learning pedagogy are becoming the default setting for educators all over the world. Flipped learning typically comprises two phases: a pre-class phase, in which students passively engage with pre-recorded content, and an in-class phase, in which active learning is supposed to take place. This means far more group work and collaboration taking place in the classroom, meaning the furniture must be modular and flexible. A simple methodology, flipped learning has proven time and time again to be hugely impactful on student performance. This flipped learning and active classroom model has been understood to increase students’ ability to problem solve. And, according to a survey by Steelcase of 16,000 global students, active classrooms are preferred to traditional set-ups by an overwhelming majority (72% of those surveyed). Learning initiatives are, however, evolving all the time and it may be that they are entering a new phase. [35] “[Students] seem to form community much faster/earlier in the semester. I think the environment enables more oneon-one than in a traditional classroom, which I believe impacts a student’s learning.” Instructor reflection from an active classroom pilot

Manu Kapur is a professor and Chair of Learning Sciences and Higher Education, who also directs the Future Learning Initiative at ETH Zurich. His recent review of 173 studies and data mined from approximately 43,000 students found an overall positive effect of flipped learning.[36] However, it also showed a high level of variation, with the most significant learning gains occurring when the in-class phase included a short lecture. This suggests that the benefits of flipped learning might be more associated with passive and repeated exposure to learning content than with active learning. Manu and his team at ETH Zurich are now trialling a new pedagogy called the 4F model, which incorporates a sequence of four phases: Fail, Flip, Fix and Feed. [37] [38]

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Reason 5 A C T I VA T I N G A C T I V E CLASSROOMS

1. The Fail phase: creating a culture of exploration The fail phase encourages students to engage in problem-solving even before they receive any formal instruction. This not only allows students to discover the limits of their current knowledge but also fosters resilience, as they learn to navigate and learn from initial failures.

Which type of study is difficult to find on campus?

Individual study spaces

Individual quiet study spaces

Group study spaces

[36]

2. The Flip phase: maximising pre-class activities By providing students with pre-class reading and videos, and following these up with quizzes, instructors can ensure that students arrive in class somewhat familiar with the core concepts and ready to engage at a deeper level. Research suggests that students who go through the Fail phase first are likely to learn more from the Flip phase than those who go straight to it. 3. The Fix phase: a balance between lectures and interactive activities The Fix phase reintegrates lectures into the in-class phase, but these should not be traditional lectures (which ought anyway to have been given in the Flip phase). Instead, they are designed to build on student solutions and misconceptions from the Fail phase, and also to address students’ questions from the Flip phase. Here’s where active learning, not just more passive lecturing, should form the core. 4. The Feed phase: providing regular feedback Regular and constructive feedback sessions in the form of individual comments, group discussions, or digital feedback tools.

Group quiet study spaces

This 4F model is an evolutionary step, building on the success of flipped and active classrooms but with the understanding that failing and feedback are essential. How can this be designed in practice? And does it work? The tests are underway.

Key

The key with the 4F model is that students get to try to solve a problem that has been expressly designed to not be solvable. This encourages trial and error, as students get inventive and test and try a variety of solutions. We know we learn from our failures, so why wait until failure occurs naturally, when the 4F model designs it in?

Very easy Easy Neutral Difficult Very Difficult

The results of this methodology, called productive failure, so far highlight that in terms of basic understanding of an idea it produces equal learning outcomes to ‘direct instruction’ (where a method is taught to you and you are given the solution). However, when we look at concept understanding and knowledge transfer, the improvements shown from the Failure phase make it transformational.

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Reason 5 A C T I VA T I N G A C T I V E CLASSROOMS

The Failure phase can take place in small social groups, allowing students to flit between social library space and active, modular classrooms, always working together, never alone. The Flip phase, however, usually involves solo work, which can be done anywhere that privacy levels are high. In higher education this would typically be focus booths in the library or student accommodation. The Fix phase is classroom-based, and will typically look like the active classrooms now common across schools and campuses the world over. These rooms are designed to facilitate ‘chalk & talk’ lectures, where eyes are focused towards the front, and also have design features enabling small groups to assemble and solve problems (typically planned similarly to the images you see here). The Feedback phase can occur in both physical and digital spaces and is not necessarily anchored to one environment. While it could be in the active classroom, social study spaces, or online, perhaps a more effective way to encourage feedback is to encourage specific critique camps; comfortable areas where groups are in the round together, tiered with a variety of AV technology. While 30% of classes are now online (compared to 4% prepandemic), hybrid remains rare, and is a far harder challenge than workplace. Today’s best learning spaces are designed for participative, active and engaging learning experiences that help students function at their best – cognitively, physically and emotionally – but this rarely translates to dispersed classrooms or tutorials. As graduates are going to need to work in a hybrid way in future, doesn’t this mean they’ll be joining the workforce lacking experience of an important element of their future job role? A University of Oxford hybrid classroom pilot found that there are at least three modes of pedagogic interactivity that require different AV responses: 1. Lecture mode, 2. Discussion mode, 3. Breakout/group work mode. The capability to switch fluidly between these modes is critical to hybrid pedagogic development. However, acoustic challenges remain tricky to overcome, with students often struggling to hear audio interactions between those online and teaching staff. [39]

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Reason 5 A C T I VA T I N G A C T I V E CLASSROOMS

Active learning classroom improves student engagement. Students agreed or strongly agreed these classrooms helped them:

100

34% increase

40% increase

52% increase

33% increase

35% increase

43% increase

0 be more creative

feel motivation to learn

connect with others

facilitate problem solving

Traditional classroom Active Learning classroom Source: www.steelcase.com/resources/documents/steelcaseeducation-learning-environment-evaluation-outcomes-report/ [35]

collaborate with classmates

communicate work/ideas

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Reason 5 A C T I VA T I N G A C T I V E CLASSROOMS

Inconsistency of classroom design and equipment also causes unnecessary angst for educators and students, with little equity throughout the campus: some teaching rooms have all the technology they need, some have half, and others none. One benefit of the hybrid method that many Hi-Ed institutions boast about is reach. The ability to teach beyond the campus, even to communities on different time zones, and to bring in experts they wouldn’t have been able to get physically to their location. When choosing where to study, 61% of students feel it is important for a prospective university to deliver at least some of its teaching in a hybrid (hyflex) way, so even though hybrid on our educational campuses is lagging behind the workplace, hybrid is clearly where the future holds.[40]

What this means for Generation Playlist: Exposure to these new learning methodologies will not only improve educational standards, the Fail and Feedback elements of the 4F model will also improve students’ soft skills; something we know businesses are crying out for. What this means for organisations: Having a generation of graduates who have spent formative years in classrooms that flex, flip, stack, snap together will make a huge impact on expectations of what a meeting room may look like in the future. What this means for higher education: Investments must continue to be made in active classroom design if the real benefits are to be reaped. Achieving consistency across campus will be challenging, but is surely something worth aiming for.

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THE SUPER-SLOW & STICKY CAMPUS

Providing value to commuters in a post-pandemic world is the latest equation to solve. But perhaps there are key lessons to be learned from universities, who, thanks to a diverse and increasingly international student body, have had to be open and accessible 24/7 for decades.

“International students have meant a very different approach – the campus is now under pressure to be open 24/7. The library was really busy on Christmas Day, students often want a coffee at 2am… they demand an estate that is much more responsive to their needs.” Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of University of Exeter

Providing much more than just a library desk and a classroom, contemporary campuses have been designed to slow students down. To encourage them to stop, to dwell, to linger, collide, chat, collaborate, congregate. All the things that can add value and purpose to the ‘commute’. A 2022 Higher Education Design Quality Forum (HEDQF) survey on social learning spaces revealed that 80% of students study in their bedroom outside of teaching hours.[41] The brief is therefore to create destinations for learning and working that are sticky; that connect people to people and people to services, with magnetism. Awkward, disconnected, chilly spaces keep conversations to a minimum and drive students back to their accommodation. Let’s challenge this. Generation Playlist are socialising and studying in different ways, at different times, in different spaces. Caterers are providing more (and more varied) meals, at all times of the day and night. Security teams are patrolling a bigger area, with a more diverse population, nonstop.

P30

Reason 6 THE SUPER-SLOW & STICKY CAMPUS

How to make a space sticky? By equipping the campus with things they’d previously have gone off site for: the best coffee shop, the most comfortable cinema, the most varied restaurants. This obviously boosts revenue, but it also helps give students a sense of belonging and of ownership, offering them the flexibility to learn, socialise and interact, how, when and where they want to, and in the ways that suit them. A playlist of services.

“Student centres often become the heart of the campus – the void that completes the solid. They are the infill to student life: a place to go to in between the more formal aspects of studying.” Helen Groves of Architects Atkins

“Pedagogy is the driver for the changes in library design," says Ann Rossiter, director of the Society of College, National and University

There is perhaps no other area of a university that has such a high level of student footfall and interaction than the library, which makes it an important weapon in keeping student satisfaction high. Interestingly, a student survey at the University of Northampton uncovered that 91% of students will have two devices as they enter a library, with 50% of them having three devices on them at one time.[42] This adoption of BYOD (bring your own device) made the architects re-evaluate the role of the fixed computer, so much so that the Learning Hub doesn’t have a single fixed PC.

Libraries – “changes to the way

undergraduates are expected to study, for example, including more social spaces, more social learning and group learning. The way that library buildings are changing is designed to reflect that.” [44]

Student panelists from a recent AUDE Social & Learning report 2022 responded to the question, “Thinking about social and informal learning space at university, what do you consider to be most important to you?” [43] The 1,000+ respondents’ top 10 factors are: • Safe & secure environment – 42% • Quiet Space – 40% • Sufficient seating – 39% • Individual work spaces – 36% • General cleanliness & presentation – 36% • Appropriate access to power – 35% • Easy access to washrooms – 33% • Extended periods of availability – 26% • Group working space – 24% • Access to water – 22% Quieter, more private and more secure space are the clear trends here – which is perhaps the reason why students are often keen to work in their student accommodation. When we think about these social spaces, we often envisage atriums, triple-height ceilings, lounge seating and bleachers. Continue with those

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Reason 6 THE SUPER-SLOW & STICKY CAMPUS

elements, yes, but consider a layered approach to privacy, where designers play with cocooned space, raised floors, defined wayfinding, curtain divides, flexible private panels or soundmasking domes. When Gen Playlist were asked why they sometimes prefer to work off campus, the most impactful factors were convenience (78%) and being able to study on their own (63%). The reasons for studying on campus were being able to study with friends (52%), fewer distractions (46%) and availability of curriculum resources (51%). It’s clear that our on-campus sticky spaces need to provide individual privacy and group social work in equal measure.[45] Opened in 2022, the James McCune Smith Learning Hub, which we designed for the University of Glasgow, is a prime example of how good design can influence behaviour and performance. Unlike other campus buildings, the 24/7 accessible JMSLH building isn’t exclusively designated to one of the University’s academic schools. Instead, it’s a student-owned building, shared across disciplines and used by students for a wide range of activities. That’s critical to stickiness – being everyone’s space. Understanding that food & beverage is an effective way to create dwelling destinations, the West Campus at Duke University, North Carolina houses 12 dining venues, showcasing international and local cuisines. The new café space provides made-to-order cooking featuring fresh ingredients and healthy, farm-to-fork options intended to encourage healthy lifestyle choices. No fizzy drinks are served in the building; rather a range of hand-made flavoured waters is available free of charge. The key difference between the way that students adopt social spaces vs employees’ adoption of social spaces is their sense of ownership. Students these days are in a transactional relationship with the university so are very much the client, making the campus their membership club. Employees, on the other hand, are contracted, which reduces their ownership of the space and the likelihood of its being sticky 24/7. The mechanisms for creating valuable destinations remain consistent, however.

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Reason 6 THE SUPER-SLOW & STICKY CAMPUS

Work Café Slowing people down in buildings is all about offering varied, engaging experiences, with dwell times being particularly lengthened with a high quality and attractive food & beverage offer. As well as creating a central food court, perhaps seek to offer many more satellite coffee moments throughout the building – though be wary of their proximity to uber-private focus spaces.

Recommendations to increase stickiness…

Media Booths Hotspots where teams can collaborate in groups of 2, 4 or 6 are ideal for students seeking to meet up pre- or post-lecture, whether they are around the perimeter of a space or within the open plan area itself, employing high-back acoustic upholstery to help create a sanctuary. Islands of One As discussed in a previous chapter, although it’s currently hard to facilitate hybrid learning, it’s here to stay so it needs to be addressed to make it more effective and attactive. Private study pods can allow students to attend one class in the morning and dial into another in the afternoon, increasingly the likelihood of them staying on campus. Such sanctuaries provide the level of privacy and concentration needed. Bar Height Tables Working at bar or café height is popular across educational campuses. The height gives users great views across the often vast, open landscape meaning it can be easier to spot peers for collaboration.

What this means for Generation Playlist: Shared spaces will have a greater variety of services designed to enhance the experience for all. What this means for organisations: Having a generation of graduates who are comfortable with understanding the task at hand and then choosing an appropriate location in which to work will have an impact on the variety of spaces businesses are expected to provide. What this means for higher education: A further investment in sticky services will mean a richer, more prosperous campus environment on campus, which will attract prospective students. It also acts as a canvas for the culture, attitudes and behaviours you would like to instil in the student body. There is also huge value in sharing these hubs between faculty members and students, more on which later.

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DIFFERENT SPACES ARE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

DIFFERENT SPACES ARE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS AR for one+ Standing Room Only Limelight to Shine Bright Bumper Car Classrooms

Scenic Routes Sensory Focus Brain Gyms Decompression Lounge

Alone Together

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DIFFERENT SPACES ARE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

Embarking on a large new capital project at a university campus is a wonderfully creative moment. It’s vital that the scale and impact of the building balances pragmatism and magnetism, taking into account the legacy of the university, the demands of the new student population and the new theories and practice relating to education and the needs of the student body. The Orangebox Research & Insight team want to explore some of those new notions. Some will succeed, others will need to evolve, but right now we’re at a critical creative point where the built environment sector, along with brave clients, are on the frontier of ‘new’. Standing Room Only During the school day, primary school children spend 50%-70% of their time sitting. This doesn’t have to be the case: children given access to a standing desk reduced their sitting by around 20% over an eight-month trial by Loughborough University.[46] Research by Dr Mark Benden from Texas A&M Ergonomics showed that pupils showed 12% more engagement in tasks when using standing desks compared to traditional classroom seating.[47] During tests of their executive function – their ability to analyse problems and solve them – pupils showed increased neurocognitive function when standing up. Researchers also found that using standing desks burns between 15 and 25% more calories, compared to using traditional classroom seating. VR for one Future learning may frequently be delivered via a lens, an experience that may feel connected and social in some ways ultimately leaves you physically alone. A Metaverse or similar may be a more effective prism for educators and students to interact through. Given the current technology (and that in the pipeline), the experience will be headset-driven and likely to require private, personal space. Flexible booths or pods will need to be provided, with enhancements such as temperature control and adaptable lighting. These spaces are likely to be popular, so etiquette over scheduling will also be important in the short term.

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DIFFERENT SPACES ARE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

AR for one+ Just like virtual reality, augmented reality has made major breakthroughs in terms of viable adaptions for learning and training space. AR’s benefit over VR would be the cost to the consumer (student), as there’s far less reliance on expensive investment, with most of the advantages available when using the phones, watches, laptops and monitors we already own. Immersive learning experiences are here to stay. AR simulates superimposed, artificial objects in real-world environments, bringing textbooks come to life. At Duke University, for example, humanities classes explore ancient buildings or archaeological sites in AR, getting up close and personal in a way that probably wouldn’t be possible in the real world.[48] Logitech Ghost in its collaboration with Orangebox is a fine example of where our industry will soon be heading, offering personalised moments with a new depth of technology compensating for the physical distance between student and lecturer. Bumper car classrooms As the technology that students and educators use becomes more flexible and informal, so too must the furniture we use. Using a tablet, while sitting in an individual seat with castors for moveability, can help transform the learning experience. Getting rid of fixed tables and moving the surface to the individual – perhaps a surface that allows students to dock together for group work – is growing in popularity. Configurations are endless, with each student getting to drive their own ‘bumper car’ – a perfect response to Generation Playlist’s appetite for choice and control. Brain gyms Maker spaces provide a safe environment where students can learn – and fail – outside of the restrictions of a job, building important skills and competences relevant for their professional lives. As we discovered with the 4F model of learning, failing is vital to truly understanding a concept. So, let’s provide these hyper flexible spaces across campus. Sure, they will need to be contained and managed as they can quickly become hectic, but these brain gymnasiums will be worth the investment.

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DIFFERENT SPACES ARE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

Scenic routes Transitionary spaces can take many forms – walkways, atriums, corridors, mezzanines – but they’re all primarily designed to take you from one space to another as efficiently as possible. But, as ‘place’ refocuses on ‘people’, the brief is to slow down on campus, rather than speed up. This means that adjacent spaces that allow individuals or peers to ‘pull-in’ off the thoroughfare are a new opportunity. In large learning campuses these spaces will bring life and energy to Generation Playlist. (In the workplace we’re starting to call this, ‘Avenues, not Corridors’.) Live & learn Hybrid buildings are already here. Student housing could become as intertwined with academic space as mixed-use communities are with residential and office space, creating a central location for students to live and learn in. The concept goes further: “If you leave the students where they are and bring the professors to them, it’s more efficient and those spaces can be used for other purposes after hours,” says KTGY principal David Senden. Just as long as students are getting enough steps in the meantime… Office-for-all (“I need my own office!”) A common challenge for estate and facilities managers for the higher education sector is the allocation of fixed personal offices for the teaching faculty. Often space-hungry and under-utilised, these spaces can sometimes feel like a necessary evil when embarking on a large capital project. Orangebox has case study examples where we’ve been able to successfully shift academics from fixed personal rooms to flexible ‘hot-rooms’; meeting pods that can be booked for an hour or a week depending on the need owned not by an individual but by all. “What about my study material; my books?” they may ask, but these can be housed in other areas, such as home offices or larger scale personal lockers. The workplace has been successfully moving in this direction for the past 20 years. Pre-exposure, together with a well-considered pilot scheme, are always helpful. Sensory focus The private, individual library desk always has been and always will be a critical component of a university. Shielded from the hustle-bustle of a café or main artery walkways, these study booths are often found in the depths of the library, where visual and acoustic disruption remains low.

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DIFFERENT SPACES ARE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

For Generation Playlist, we should provide the personalised control they are coming to expect. Lux lighting levels and tone, privacy screen heights, sit-stand options, and ergonomic technology with the addition of natural surfaces can all make these working moments magnetic. Limelight to shine bright Large or small public forums will become popular for presentations, debates and live events, as universities aim to hone the soft skills of students. When we see these design settings on campus they’re full of life, as students embrace flex tech. In the workplace they’re so far frequently underutilised, so continued and overt permission to use these types of spaces is vital to uptake. Decompression lounges The most stressful part of getting to campus may be the commute. Welcome lounges or decompression spaces are becoming popular to parachute people from the bustling streets and prepare them for their work or study day. With the correct wayfinding strategies and clear communication, furniture systems that can cocoon individuals may alleviate short-term anxiety. Alone together (the student/faculty mixtape) Teaching and faculty staff and students can often feel like oil and water; chalk and cheese, with the idea of shared workspaces for all causing concern for both demographics. Our suggestion is that there are intermediary layers, with dedicated environments for both and also a third, mixed space. This will allow all users to make a choice. What are my tasks today and how open and collaborative do I feel? Within these mixed layers, large collaborative tables with integrated lighting are ideal, creating a sense of togetherness but enabling individual work.

P37

SOME LAST THOUGHTS… We’ve entered into a new realm, a paradigm where our organisations will be forced to adopt multiplicity or else…the talent walks and the ship sinks.

A picture is starting to emerge from the work that’s been harvested here. We’re of course heading for an uncertain future but what we know of the present is that there are threats and instabilities - causing all of us, but our younger people in particular, stress and anxiety. The positive is that the built environment, our universities and our workplaces, can play a vital role in alleviating those concerns. With good design and confident stewardship we can navigate the challenges ahead. What does a healthy return to work program look like? What average occupancy level will cities and corporations be happy with? These are still unknowns as the dust continues to settle. One thing that we do understand is that our younger people, Generation Playlist, are expecting their future employers to have a purpose - a reason to be. And that purpose to manifest itself in spatial design, in policy, in furniture. The endless options, varieties and flavours that they’re exposed to in their consumer lives will impact their expectations and behaviours in their working lives. If coffee is no longer black or white then the workplace can no longer be a desk and a meeting room. We’ve entered into a new realm, a paradigm where our organisations will be forced to adopt multiplicity or else…the talent walks and the ship sinks. We are indeed in a creative storm. Institutions and businesses alike are hungry for innovation. They see that they’re at the epicentre of fundamental change and the more creativity, dynamism and knowledge Orangebox can bring then the more our clients may thank us in the future. Now is our time to try something new.

Resources

Introduction [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-josephhenrich.html [2] https://www.ft.com/content/2ecc2819-d54c-4539-9c9d-e849cfe618ba Chapter 1 [3] https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/song/human-paradox [4] https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boostinnovation [5] https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx [6] https://www.gensler.com/gri/us-workplace-survey-2022 [7] https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/flexible-hybrid-working-2023/ [8] https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/addressingtheunprecedented-behavioral-health-challenges-facing-generation-z [9] https://www.gallup.com/analytics/506663/american-youth-research.aspx [10] https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/smokingdrinkingand-drug-use-among-young-people-in-england/2018/part-5-alcoholdrinking-prevalence-andconsumptionf [11] https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/ diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/ diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters-vf.pdf [12] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-ofadulthood-andfacing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/ [13] https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/genzmillennialsurvey-2022.html [14] https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/pf/community-research/ workforce#:~:text=It%20also%20explores%20topical%20new,Sentiments%20towar ds%20hybrid%20working [15] https://hbr.org/2021/08/how-to-manage-a-multi-generational-team Chapter 2 [16] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/615d9a1ad3bf7f55fa92694a /impact-of-aion-jobs.pdf [17] https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/ceosurvey. html#:~:text=Innovating%20new%2C%20climate%2Dfriendly%20products,top%20t heir%20list%20of%20priorities.

Resources continued

Chapter 3 [18] https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7857/CBP-7857.pdf [19] https://cdn.eventscase.com/www.whec2022.org/uploads/users/ 699058/uploads/da623eb61f1975869cd49173e623d17bf7b500b427e6ae665ef5e6 d055ad5964d5e46bb8f82b5f3590244b9d7778867bdbd7.628513b8c6d86.pdf [20] https://insights.ise.org.uk/selection-and-assessment/blog-2-1-degrees-andpersonalitytests-lose-favour/ [21] https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/insights/industry/public-sector/articles-onhighereducation/value-of-college-degree.html [22] https://www.ft.com/content/490b8aa2-99c2-497f-ab75-1f8c74215803 [23] https://populace.org/research [24] https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/14-jobs-of-the-future [25] https://www.raconteur.net/talent-culture/poor-communicators-pandemic-eragraduatestraining [26] https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizationalperformance/ourinsights/elevating-learning-and-development-insights-and-practicalguidance-from-the-field [27] https://news.nus.edu.sg/reimagining-teaching-and-learning-for-the-future/ #:~:text=“In%20your%20career%2C%20we%20will,succeed%2C”%20said%20Prof %20Tan Chapter 4 [28] https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2023/08/29/accommodation-shortages-are-the-oddsstackedagainst-students/ [29] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/27/uk-university-studentsfacingunprecedented-rent-rises#:~:text=Rental%20growth%20in%20private% 2Dsector,2.8%25%20over%20the%20same%20period.. [30] https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/financial-strain-must-not-deterprovisionsuitable-student-housing [31] https://www.savills.com/research_articles/255800/3349070#:~:text=On%20average%20across%20Europe%2C%20the,quality%20compared %20to%20private%20stock. [32] https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/student-housing-time-for-a-reckoning [33] https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Place-for-Learning-Spectrum_fig1_237249564 [34] https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Student-AcademicExperience-Survey-2023.pdf Chapter 5 [35] https://www.steelcase.com/content/uploads/2023/06/Learning-EvaluationOutcomes-Report-Digital-6_6.pdf [36] https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/sites/default/files/202301/Hybrid-Learning-the-Future-THE-Consultancy-Report-v04.pdf [37] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.956416/full [38] https://www.manukapur.com/productive-failure/

Resources continued

[39] https://www.ctl.ox.ac.uk/files/studentsconnectingadvancing hybridteachingandlearningattheuniversityofoxfordpdf [40] https://fctl.ucf.edu/teaching-resources/learning-spaces/the-sandbox/ Chapter 6 [41] https://www.universitydesignforum.org/about/news/social-learning-spaceshedqf-reportnow-published/ [42] https://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/services-and-facilities/library/ [43] https://www.aude.ac.uk/resources/Documents/Content?g=a6296625-d94849f0-8beca4f6c8819d4b [44] https://www.theguardian.com/higher-educationnetwork/blog/2013/aug/06/universitylibraries-learning-shapes-design [45] https://www.deloittedigital.com/us/en/blog-list/2023/gen-z-research-report.html Different spaces are the difference makers [46] https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2020/november/standing-desksschoolchildren-choose-to-stand/ [47] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285549815_Standing_Classrooms_ Research_and_Lessons_Learned_from_Around_the_World [48] https://unbound.upcea.edu/online-2/online-education/vr-ar-and-ai-willtransformuniversities-hereshow/#:~:text=Distance%20Learning%2C%20Now%20Up% 20Close,enhancing%20their%20perception%20of%20reality.