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British Council for Offices Publishes Guidance for Hybrid Working Environments

British Council for Offices Publishes Guidance for Hybrid Working Environments
03 February 2025
 

A guide to help facilities managers create workspaces for the hybrid working generation has been published by the British Council for Offices.

The BCO’s flagship “Guide to Fit-Out” hadn’t been updated since 2011, but this third edition offers best practice on office interior design to attract and retain talent amid changing working patterns and environmental regulations. 

It features advice on how to facilitate hybrid working, embed AI and smart building technology and prioritise occupier health and wellbeing. It also now includes standalone sections on health and wellbeing, fire, acoustics, vertical transportation and structural engineering. 

Over 100 industry professionals contributed to and supported the creation of the guide, which was led by Neil Pennell, Head of Design Innovation and Property Solutions, Landsec and Peter Williams, Senior Technical Advisor, Stanhope – Chair and Deputy Chair respectively of the BCO Technical Affairs Committee. 

 

“The guide is ultimately a tool for attracting and retaining the best workforce possible. The pandemic accelerated changes that were already in train in the sector, meaning that office spaces now need to work harder to set themselves apart."

–Peter Williams

Senior Technical Advisor, Stanhope

 

Multi-Sensory Design Intervention

 

The guide promotes multi-sensory design interventions such as biophilia, active working, quiet spaces, sports facilities and art. 

In terms of sustainability, it guides FMs on a circular economy approach to fit-out, to minimise waste and maximise reuse and retention of furnishings and fixtures.

Neil Pennell, Head of Design Innovation and Property Solutions at Landsec, said: “The new edition of the Guide to Fit-Out reflects the evolution in the way people use offices over the past decade. When developing the insights and recommendations shared in the guide, we paid close attention to what people want from their workspace today, and what they are likely to demand in the future. This starts with a healthy environment which features less desks and more amenity spaces that create valuable, fulfilling experiences. With sustainability increasingly influencing business decisions, reducing embodied carbon in the fit-out process is more important than ever and the advice on circularity principles shows how multiple stakeholders can play a part in helping to cut waste during the fit-out process.”

Peter Williams, Senior Technical Advisor at Stanhope, added: “The guide is ultimately a tool for attracting and retaining the best workforce possible. The pandemic accelerated changes that were already in train in the sector, meaning that office spaces now need to work harder to set themselves apart. By creating sustainable, human-centric and tech-enabled workplaces, office occupiers can offer an experience that simply can’t be recreated in the home working environment. The increased flexibility we’re seeing in office design is recognition that offices are ultimately spaces for people to come together, spark new ideas and collaborate.”

Picture: a photograph of a person sitting in a communal office area on a sofa surrounded by plants and a wooden tree-like structure. Image Credit: BCO

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 03 February 2025

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