Hybrid work hasn’t killed offices, it has led to a dramatic transformation of the office space. Offices and open space have given way to flexible offices of the Activity Based Working format. What is the new format and how is it beneficial?

Investing in office space is a painful topic for any business owner. In fact, the owner invests in walls, furniture, lighting and textiles, which in themselves do not bring money. Profits come from the people who work within these walls.

What is the difference between the ABW-office concept

Digital technologies have abolished the dependence of an office worker on a stationary workplace. Hybrid work provides for an employee to stay in the office as needed: setting a task, agreeing on conditions, negotiations, meetings with colleagues and clients, presentations, trainings, project delivery.

Employees are not assigned to desks in offices or booths in a noisy open space. Everyone chooses a place to work or rest according to the mood and essence of the task. The personal workplace replaces the office as a whole. Employees reserve meeting rooms and a conference room in advance; work at shared and individual desks, on sofas, pouffes, in armchairs, insulated capsules, on summer terraces and in winter gardens.

A study by the Delft University of Technology confirmed the positive impact of an ABW office environment on company productivity. And the defining role of design in creating a corporate coworking space with a hybrid-remote format.

How ABW offices are created
The task of designers is to anticipate trends; create an environment that will not be boring and uncomfortable for several years. A flexible office combines rooms for concentrated work alone, collective brainstorming, fruitful formal and informal communication with colleagues, and good rest.

Every detail has been taken into account in the design project of the ABW office. Lighting colors and lines set an intuitive logic for zoning rooms. Climate control and soundproofing create comfortable working conditions regardless of the season and the number of employees in the office. Circadian insolation maintains normal biorhythms at any time of the day. At any point in the office – stable online access and chargers.

The coworking configuration itself directs employees to areas of maximum efficiency in a given period of time. You need to focus – there are capsules with total soundproofing and visual shelter. You need to recharge your batteries and get distracted – the aroma of freshly brewed Arabica comes from the bar counter, and flowers bloomed on the terrace. Bio-compositions, art objects, ironic details reduce the degree of tension, minimize stressful situations.

ABW space doesn’t just change the color of the walls, the layout and the furniture. The behavioral habits of the staff are changing: everyone feels like a member of a single powerful team, understands the importance of their task, appreciates personal comfort, and provides a comfortable environment for the implementation of projects of their colleagues. The absence of a personal workplace does not mean the absence of personalization. Employees store personal items, photos, plants, and favorite stationery in lockers and on shelves.

Remote work has increased the competition for the best of the best. It has been proven by e-commerce leaders that a comfortable living environment outside the home attracts employees more reliably than high wages. For many, the mere fact of belonging to a status company, access to an “Instagram” office becomes a decisive motive for signing an employment contract.

In companies with a well-being atmosphere and a hybrid work schedule, employees prefer live communication with colleagues in a corporate creative coworking space over Zoom conferences. Unlike classic offices and impersonal open space booths, the ABW concept expands corporate contacts and reduces project implementation time.

Before the pandemic, 40-60% of office space was simply not used by companies. According to a report presented at the Big Easy Workplace Summit, switching to Activity Based Working with office remodeling saved a large company over $300,000 per year:

• in free access, a coefficient of 1.25 employees per one workplace was applied;
• instead of conference rooms for 150 seats, meeting rooms of 6m² were installed.

Designers optimize office space using BIM modeling: ergonomics, traffic logistics, security, personal comfort are taken into account. The design process takes into account the status of visitors, the estimated number of visitors and employees, the location of administrative and economic services, the minimum number of places for intensive work.

Flexible office saves from 30% of space. This is payment for rent, heating, utilities, engineering, furnishing, cleaning, security. Every meter of flexible office is functional.

Microsoft has redesigned its offices in Amsterdam and Sydney in a flexible format: a shared workspace, classrooms, deep zones, silence capsules, outdoor and indoor dining areas, games, lounges. Real estate costs have been reduced by 30%, team productivity has increased by 25%.

Financial company ANZ increased revenue by $50 million after implementing a flexible concept at its headquarters in Melbourne. Google and Amazon operate in the ABW format. In Kyiv, the format of corporate coworking is also being actively implemented. The office of Parimatch Tech serves as an example.

Flexible adaptation of office space to the needs of staff and visitors does not require significant costs, saves square meters, reduces rent and utilities, increases productivity, and retains the best employees. And most importantly, it makes a profit.