• Events
  • Marketplace
  • Resources
  • Press Releases
  • Business Directory
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Submit to Allwork.Space
  • Verified Remote Jobs
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Allwork.Space
The FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003
Find A Flexible Office Here
  • All Topics
    • Business
    • Biophilic Design
    • Career Growth
    • Coliving
    • Collaboration
    • Coworking
    • CRE
    • DE&I
    • Digital Nomads
    • Future of Work
    • Home Office
    • Human Resources (HR)
    • Hybrid Work
    • Investment
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Mental Health
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Office Furniture
    • Productivity
    • PropTech
    • Remote Work
    • Self-care
    • SMBs
    • Social Impact
    • Space-as-a-Service
    • Technology
    • Virtual Office
    • Work-life Balance
    • Workforce
    • Workplace Design
    • Workplace Wellness
  • News
  • Business
    The Million-Dollar Mistake Businesses In California Cannot Afford To Make: Compliance Deadline Approaching!

    The Million Dollar-Mistake Businesses In California Cannot Afford To Make: Compliance Deadline Approaching!

    How Africa’s Economy will Harness Digital Tech in the Future of Work

    How Africa’s Economy will Harness Digital Tech in the Future of Work

    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business?

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business? 

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    What It Takes To Be A Hybrid LeaderWhat It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    Dr. Gleb Tsipursky CEO Of Disaster Avoidance Experts | What It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    Trending Tags

    • Leadership
  • Work-life
    Build The Best Work Playlist: 8 Songs To Avoid And 10 To Blast

    Build The Best Work Playlist: 8 Songs To Avoid And 10 To Blast

    Escape The Lingering Cold In These 7 Countries Perfect For Remote Work

    Escape The Lingering Cold In These 7 Countries Perfect For Remote Work

    Say Goodbye Comfy Pants – 9 in 10 Companies Planning RTO This Year

    Say Goodbye Comfy Pants – 9 in 10 Companies Planning RTO This Year

    Remote Work Is Just E-Commerce Déjà Vu All Over Again

    Remote Work Is Just E-Commerce Déjà Vu All Over Again

    Four Days Is Enough

    Four Days Is Enough

    The CDC’s Vision For The Future Of Worker Health

    The CDC’s Vision For The Future Of Worker Health

    Will Influencers Be The New Recruiters In The Future Of Work?

    Will Influencers Be The New Recruiters In The Future Of Work?

    Office Party Etiquette Matters All Year

    Office Party Etiquette Matters All Year

    Fun Promises Won’t Get Your Employees Back To The Office

    Fun Promises Won’t Get Your Employees Back To The Office

  • Tech
    Paving the Way for the Future of the Workplace With the Metaverse

    Paving the Way for the Future of the Workplace With the Metaverse

    What You Need To Know About Web3 And Finding Great Developers

    What You Need To Know About Web3 And Finding Great Developers

    The Price Of Remote Work? Your Privacy

    The Price Of Remote Work? Your Privacy

    Should You Put Your Job On AI-Pilot Mode?

    Should You Put Your Job On AI-Pilot Mode?

    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    PETER MISCOVICH

    Peter Miscovich JLL Global Future Of Work Leader | The Hybrid Workplace Evolution: Unlocking The Future Of Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work: Frameable.com CEO on the Future of Virtual Offices

    How AI Can Help The Humans Within Human Resources

    HR Professionals Are Burned Out. Can A.I. Help?

  • Design
    Living Buildings Are On The Way — The Future Office Will Breathe, Digest And Grow

    Living Buildings Are On The Way — The Future Office Will Breathe, Digest And Grow

    AI And the Next Generation of Workplace Architecture

    AI And the Next Generation of Workplace Architecture

    From Vacant to Vibrant: Activating Office Space at The Ground Plane

    From Vacant to Vibrant: Activating Office Space at The Ground Plane

    Ryan Anderson, Vice President of Global Research and Insights at Miller Knoll, explains the importance of getting the data to build a full picture of employee and company needs before designing the workspace — and how to do it.

    Unlocking Inclusive Design With Data: 6 Steps To Power Your Workplace

    The Powerful Impact Of Mood-boosting Office Designs

    The Powerful Impact Of Mood-boosting Office Designs

    What Can Workplace Design Practitioners Learn From Human Psychology?

    What Can Workplace Design Practitioners Learn From Human Psychology?

    Navigating The Complexity Of The Hybrid Workplace Design Process

    Navigating The Complexity Of The Hybrid Workplace Design Process

    The Gardens, 780 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017

    Coworking Spotlight: The Clearing in NYC Focuses on Hospitality

    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

  • Workforce
    4 Ways To Financially Support Your Employees (Other Than Raises)

    4 Ways To Financially Support Your Employees (Other Than Raises)

    New Study Shows Managers Are Changing Their Minds About The Hybrid Work Model

    New Study Shows Managers Are Changing Their Minds About The Hybrid Work Model

    Data-based Strategies to Manage Talent, Workplace Experience

    Data-based Strategies To Manage Talent, Workplace Experience

    Meditation Apps: Workplace Fad Or The Key To A Happier Workforce?

    Meditation Apps: Workplace Fad Or The Key To A Happier Workforce?

    Culturally Diverse Workforces Require Bespoke Mental Health Support

    Culturally Diverse Workforces Require Bespoke Mental Health Support

    Dispelling the False Narrative About Working Two Remote Jobs

    Dispelling the False Narrative About Working Two Remote Jobs

    4 Challenges in Navigating Remote Work Layoffs

    4 Challenges in Navigating Remote Work Layoffs

    Level Up To Reduce Stress — How to Convince Your Boss Video Games Belong At Work

    Level Up To Reduce Stress — How to Convince Your Boss Video Games Belong At Work

    Programming Strategies For A Happy Workplace

    Programming Strategies For A Happy Workplace

  • Coworking
    3 Tech Tools Coming To Coworking Centers In The Future Of Work

    3 Tech Tools Coming To Coworking Centers In The Future Of Work

    Top 3 Global Coworking Hotspots

    Top 3 Global Coworking Hotspots

    Will The Cascade Of Bank Collapses Break The Coworking Industry?

    Will The Cascade Of Bank Collapses Break The Coworking Industry?

    5 Top Software Picks To Revolutionize Your Coworking Space Management In 2023

    5 Top Software Picks To Revolutionize Your Coworking Space Management In 2023

    Can WeWork Survive?

    Can WeWork Survive?

    Ambient Scenting Makes Sense For Coworking Management

    Ambient Scenting Makes Sense For Coworking Management

    Coworking Explained: What Is It And Why Should You Start?

    Coworking Explained: What Is It And Why Should You Start?

    The Most Important Coworking Perk Of 2023: Brain Breaks

    The Most Important Coworking Perk Of 2023: Brain Breaks

    6 Benefits Of Embracing AI In Your Coworking Space

    6 Benefits Of Embracing AI In Your Coworking Space

  • Marketing
    8 Reasons Why Sponsored Content Is Worth The Investment For Your Brand

    8 Reasons Why Sponsored Content Is Worth The Investment For Your Brand

    Instagram GenZ

    2023 Instagram Trends Reveal How To Market To Gen Z

    TrueView360 Interactive Virtual Tours

    TrueView360s Interactive Virtual Tours

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert? Start by Keeping It Simple, Fun, and Consistent

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    Want To Wow Coworking Members

    Want To “Wow” Coworking Members? It All Starts With (The Right) Insights

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

  • CRE
    75% Of Business Leaders Lack Data Needed For Crucial CRE Decisions

    75% Of Business Leaders Lack Data Needed For Crucial CRE Decisions

    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    San Francisco Skyline

    The Future of Commercial Real Estate in San Francisco Doesn’t Look Good

    3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: 3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    Meet Flex Space More Chaotic Cousin Gray Spaces

    Meet Flex Space’s More Chaotic Cousin: Gray Spaces

    The Future Of Our Offices And Our Planet Hinges On The Real Estate Industry Priorities

    The Future Of Our Offices — And Our Planet — Hinges On The Real Estate Industry’s Priorities

    JLL New Future Of Work Survey The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate (2)

    JLL’s New Future Of Work Survey: The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization?

  • Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • All Topics
    • Business
    • Biophilic Design
    • Career Growth
    • Coliving
    • Collaboration
    • Coworking
    • CRE
    • DE&I
    • Digital Nomads
    • Future of Work
    • Home Office
    • Human Resources (HR)
    • Hybrid Work
    • Investment
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Mental Health
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Office Furniture
    • Productivity
    • PropTech
    • Remote Work
    • Self-care
    • SMBs
    • Social Impact
    • Space-as-a-Service
    • Technology
    • Virtual Office
    • Work-life Balance
    • Workforce
    • Workplace Design
    • Workplace Wellness
  • News
  • Business
    The Million-Dollar Mistake Businesses In California Cannot Afford To Make: Compliance Deadline Approaching!

    The Million Dollar-Mistake Businesses In California Cannot Afford To Make: Compliance Deadline Approaching!

    How Africa’s Economy will Harness Digital Tech in the Future of Work

    How Africa’s Economy will Harness Digital Tech in the Future of Work

    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Flexible Work and Investment in ESG are Driving Profitability for this Global Brand

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Disney’s Imagination Has Failed

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business?

    Can COVID Booster Shots Save Your Business? 

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    Three Culture-Building Steps To Create A World-Class Company

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    How To Manage Partnership Risks In The Future Of Work

    What It Takes To Be A Hybrid LeaderWhat It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    Dr. Gleb Tsipursky CEO Of Disaster Avoidance Experts | What It Takes To Be A Hybrid Leader

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    HR Leaders Share How New Salary Transparency Laws Have Changed Everything

    Trending Tags

    • Leadership
  • Work-life
    Build The Best Work Playlist: 8 Songs To Avoid And 10 To Blast

    Build The Best Work Playlist: 8 Songs To Avoid And 10 To Blast

    Escape The Lingering Cold In These 7 Countries Perfect For Remote Work

    Escape The Lingering Cold In These 7 Countries Perfect For Remote Work

    Say Goodbye Comfy Pants – 9 in 10 Companies Planning RTO This Year

    Say Goodbye Comfy Pants – 9 in 10 Companies Planning RTO This Year

    Remote Work Is Just E-Commerce Déjà Vu All Over Again

    Remote Work Is Just E-Commerce Déjà Vu All Over Again

    Four Days Is Enough

    Four Days Is Enough

    The CDC’s Vision For The Future Of Worker Health

    The CDC’s Vision For The Future Of Worker Health

    Will Influencers Be The New Recruiters In The Future Of Work?

    Will Influencers Be The New Recruiters In The Future Of Work?

    Office Party Etiquette Matters All Year

    Office Party Etiquette Matters All Year

    Fun Promises Won’t Get Your Employees Back To The Office

    Fun Promises Won’t Get Your Employees Back To The Office

  • Tech
    Paving the Way for the Future of the Workplace With the Metaverse

    Paving the Way for the Future of the Workplace With the Metaverse

    What You Need To Know About Web3 And Finding Great Developers

    What You Need To Know About Web3 And Finding Great Developers

    The Price Of Remote Work? Your Privacy

    The Price Of Remote Work? Your Privacy

    Should You Put Your Job On AI-Pilot Mode?

    Should You Put Your Job On AI-Pilot Mode?

    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    3 Steps To Build A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Workplace

    PETER MISCOVICH

    Peter Miscovich JLL Global Future Of Work Leader | The Hybrid Workplace Evolution: Unlocking The Future Of Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    AI Is Transforming The Future Of Industrial Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work

    Reimagining Offices for Hybrid Work: Frameable.com CEO on the Future of Virtual Offices

    How AI Can Help The Humans Within Human Resources

    HR Professionals Are Burned Out. Can A.I. Help?

  • Design
    Living Buildings Are On The Way — The Future Office Will Breathe, Digest And Grow

    Living Buildings Are On The Way — The Future Office Will Breathe, Digest And Grow

    AI And the Next Generation of Workplace Architecture

    AI And the Next Generation of Workplace Architecture

    From Vacant to Vibrant: Activating Office Space at The Ground Plane

    From Vacant to Vibrant: Activating Office Space at The Ground Plane

    Ryan Anderson, Vice President of Global Research and Insights at Miller Knoll, explains the importance of getting the data to build a full picture of employee and company needs before designing the workspace — and how to do it.

    Unlocking Inclusive Design With Data: 6 Steps To Power Your Workplace

    The Powerful Impact Of Mood-boosting Office Designs

    The Powerful Impact Of Mood-boosting Office Designs

    What Can Workplace Design Practitioners Learn From Human Psychology?

    What Can Workplace Design Practitioners Learn From Human Psychology?

    Navigating The Complexity Of The Hybrid Workplace Design Process

    Navigating The Complexity Of The Hybrid Workplace Design Process

    The Gardens, 780 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017

    Coworking Spotlight: The Clearing in NYC Focuses on Hospitality

    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

    The Secret Formula To Determine How (And How Often) Your Employees Should Work In The Office

  • Workforce
    4 Ways To Financially Support Your Employees (Other Than Raises)

    4 Ways To Financially Support Your Employees (Other Than Raises)

    New Study Shows Managers Are Changing Their Minds About The Hybrid Work Model

    New Study Shows Managers Are Changing Their Minds About The Hybrid Work Model

    Data-based Strategies to Manage Talent, Workplace Experience

    Data-based Strategies To Manage Talent, Workplace Experience

    Meditation Apps: Workplace Fad Or The Key To A Happier Workforce?

    Meditation Apps: Workplace Fad Or The Key To A Happier Workforce?

    Culturally Diverse Workforces Require Bespoke Mental Health Support

    Culturally Diverse Workforces Require Bespoke Mental Health Support

    Dispelling the False Narrative About Working Two Remote Jobs

    Dispelling the False Narrative About Working Two Remote Jobs

    4 Challenges in Navigating Remote Work Layoffs

    4 Challenges in Navigating Remote Work Layoffs

    Level Up To Reduce Stress — How to Convince Your Boss Video Games Belong At Work

    Level Up To Reduce Stress — How to Convince Your Boss Video Games Belong At Work

    Programming Strategies For A Happy Workplace

    Programming Strategies For A Happy Workplace

  • Coworking
    3 Tech Tools Coming To Coworking Centers In The Future Of Work

    3 Tech Tools Coming To Coworking Centers In The Future Of Work

    Top 3 Global Coworking Hotspots

    Top 3 Global Coworking Hotspots

    Will The Cascade Of Bank Collapses Break The Coworking Industry?

    Will The Cascade Of Bank Collapses Break The Coworking Industry?

    5 Top Software Picks To Revolutionize Your Coworking Space Management In 2023

    5 Top Software Picks To Revolutionize Your Coworking Space Management In 2023

    Can WeWork Survive?

    Can WeWork Survive?

    Ambient Scenting Makes Sense For Coworking Management

    Ambient Scenting Makes Sense For Coworking Management

    Coworking Explained: What Is It And Why Should You Start?

    Coworking Explained: What Is It And Why Should You Start?

    The Most Important Coworking Perk Of 2023: Brain Breaks

    The Most Important Coworking Perk Of 2023: Brain Breaks

    6 Benefits Of Embracing AI In Your Coworking Space

    6 Benefits Of Embracing AI In Your Coworking Space

  • Marketing
    8 Reasons Why Sponsored Content Is Worth The Investment For Your Brand

    8 Reasons Why Sponsored Content Is Worth The Investment For Your Brand

    Instagram GenZ

    2023 Instagram Trends Reveal How To Market To Gen Z

    TrueView360 Interactive Virtual Tours

    TrueView360s Interactive Virtual Tours

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Focus Marketing On Values and Customer Experience, Not The Product

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert

    Want Your Coworking Newsletter to Actually Convert? Start by Keeping It Simple, Fun, and Consistent

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    5 Pros Share How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Coworking Business

    Want To Wow Coworking Members

    Want To “Wow” Coworking Members? It All Starts With (The Right) Insights

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    6 Free, High-Quality Photo Sites To Level Up Your Marketing

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

    The Creator Economy Is Dramatically Changing Marketing Practices, Here’s Why

  • CRE
    75% Of Business Leaders Lack Data Needed For Crucial CRE Decisions

    75% Of Business Leaders Lack Data Needed For Crucial CRE Decisions

    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    Rapid Work Style Shifts Are Tanking Tax Revenues — Can City Planners Catch Up?

    San Francisco Skyline

    The Future of Commercial Real Estate in San Francisco Doesn’t Look Good

    3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: 3 Things CRE Players Must Do To Stay Relevant In 2023

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    The Office Space Sector Is Projected To See A Strong Fourth Quarter In 2022

    Meet Flex Space More Chaotic Cousin Gray Spaces

    Meet Flex Space’s More Chaotic Cousin: Gray Spaces

    The Future Of Our Offices And Our Planet Hinges On The Real Estate Industry Priorities

    The Future Of Our Offices — And Our Planet — Hinges On The Real Estate Industry’s Priorities

    JLL New Future Of Work Survey The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate (2)

    JLL’s New Future Of Work Survey: The Next Few Years Are Crucial For Commercial Real Estate

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization

    What Is The Impact Of Hybrid Working On Space Optimization?

  • Podcast
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Allwork.Space
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Business
  • Work-life
  • Tech
  • Design
  • Workforce
  • Coworking
  • Marketing
  • CRE
  • Podcast
  • Subscribe
Nexudus Ad
Home Work-life

Nature And The Workspace Wellness Movement: A Q&A With Philip Vanhoutte

byCat Johnson
July 1, 2019
in Work-life
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
Q&A With Philip Vanhoutte

To improve the wellness of their members, workspace operators should find ways to bring more nature inside.

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare to Network
Find a remote job with Flexjobs

Philip Vanhoutte, co-author of The Smarter Working Manifesto, discusses ways to improve wellbeing by integrating nature into our working lives.

In addition to encouraging workers to spend more time outdoors, workspace operators must also improve the inside of their space, starting with acoustics.

Being in rooms that have no view of nature is scandalous. The only time people should be in boxes without windows is when they are dead — Philip Vanhoutte.

Advertise on Allwork.Space 2023

Philip Vanhoutte is a leader in the workplace wellness movement. Co-author of The Smarter Working Manifesto and co-founder of Ozadi, a movement to integrate nature into our work lives, Vanhoutte is on a mission to teach workspace operators about foundational wellness elements of space design.

Allwork.Space chatted with Vanhoutte about the importance of listening to what people need from a space, including nature in your workplace palette, and getting space acoustics right. Here are the highlights of our conversation.

Allwork.Space: I’ve seen you at GCUC now a couple of times, in London and Denver. I’m always quite inspired by your work around wellness. How did you come into the field of workplace wellness and human potential?

Philip Vanhoutte: It all started in 2008 with the economic crisis. At that point in time, I was asked to basically collapse three buildings into one in the UK. Of course, you can do this in the — dare I say — stupid way by just squeezing more people into tighter spaces. I wasn’t going to do that.

We sent out the Leesman employee workplace satisfaction survey that asked what people do, where they do it, if they’re well supported in doing it and, if not, what we should do about it. That was a big data tool that was listening with elephant ears to all the employees.

So many insights came out of that, that we basically had the spec for a good, supportive environment. Give them a physical space where they can do their jobs; give them the technology that is right for them; and, last but not least, give them a human environment with a culture, an appreciation of ergonomics, and wellbeing support.

We then presented the new design to the employees and asked if they thought it would help them. Through the mechanisms of listening, the bosses had the finest appreciation of what people are doing. Out of that came the big, big message that acoustics are just not good enough. It was a problem area and we had to fix it.

Allwork.Space: You’ve spoken about the emergence of 21st century workaholism and the need to address it. What have you observed and what would you like to see?

When I noticed workaholism happening in companies I worked with, I got in touch with the Mentally Fit Institute. I learned that there are aspects of mental wellness. There’s a physical aspect, a cognitive aspect, an emotional aspect, a spiritual aspect. All these aspects are like batteries and they all need to be charged. If one battery is low, it’s going to upset the others.

I noticed that we had people inside all the time. I wanted to get us into nature more. From a personal point of view, I hated being in conference rooms without windows. At one point, we had a sales meeting at Lake Tahoe, with 100 of our sales people, and we were going to be in hotel ballrooms for three days. I took the entire sales team from Europe down to the beach for our meetings. We had easels on the sand. It was fantastic.

Another time in Montreal we were, again, going to be underground. I hired a boat and we had our meetings on the deck of that boat. Being in rooms that have no view of nature is scandalous. The only time people should be in boxes without windows is when they are dead.




Advertisement

Allwork.Space: As we put more emphasis on workplace wellness, what have you seen in the shared workspace landscape?

Agile working has been around since 1989. It was inspired by tech companies with employees working from home. With coworking, people are capable of getting out of the office cage. Stage one of flexible working was driven by the effectiveness of everyone being there; stage two was driven by technology; stage three was driven by cost — companies had to let go of buildings so more people started working from home so the company could save a buck; stage four was when coworking spaces started. 

About five years ago, we found that we had a loneliness and disconnectedness problem, and that became a top agenda item. Those are the stages of agile work that I see and my duty is to experiment and let people know the results of that.

Allwork.Space: We’re seeing a rise of coworking spaces focused on wellness, with in-house yoga, massage, meditation rooms, gyms, nap pods. From what I’ve heard from your talks, however, wellness is more organic than simply having amenities. What’s your perspective on the wellness trend?

It should all begin with what the job demands. For instance, if you work in a laboratory, you can’t take your equipment into your kitchen, or into nature. But if you’re doing customer interaction, you can do that from home. For me, it’s all driven by job preferences and individual preferences. Every organization needs to do a location independency suitability analysis. Then they have to have a palette of ways people can work.

You need to get away from spending all your time with the same people. Coworking spaces are the source of diversity, creativity, a different point of view. At the same time, working from home is good and working in nature is good. I call this workspace portfolio management. In all of these spaces, acoustics have to be right. In all of these spaces, you need to have nature and find ways to bring more nature inside. 

If you asked me what the challenge around this is, I’d say that the human dimension of organizations is not very well understood. The best way for managers to drive professionals is to give them autonomy, the space to demonstrate competency and the freedom to connect with others inside and outside the organization to grow and innovate.

Coworking spaces can be talent gardens where people appreciate where they are in their lives and the spaces can yank them up and get them to the next level. I strongly believe that coworking spaces are the talent gardens. It’s a mix of the rational aspects of companies and a business mind, with an understanding of the human dimension.

Allwork.Space: In Denver, you challenged workspace operators, saying their spaces fail to correctly address acoustics and noise management. How are we, as the coworking movement and industry failing, and what can we do to remedy it?

It’s not just coworking spaces. All workspaces have this issue, with three out of four people saying they can’t do their job properly because of noise problems. A couple decades ago, we went from cubicle land and office land to open offices. The theory was that we’d be collaborating better and the financial people wanted to save money.

One issue we had with this was that architects started designing for the eye. The attributes of new buildings were glass, with lots of rectangular stuff, indoors and all that. Architects have not been educated to design for our ears as much as for our eyes. 

Most of the cool offices, on the day they open, are already not well done. And the companies are out of money so they try to patch it a bit, but it doesn’t work. Sound masking systems that sound like air conditioning don’t work. The better sounds that relax people and dovetail with their work are the sounds of nature. You can pipe nature sounds in; or include things like waterfalls in the space; or have skylights that let nature in.

If you blend nature sounds with good sound absorption and blocking the sound of people directly around you, that’s the most advanced strategy. If people go into office spaces and put on headphones just to get away from the sounds, that’s a failure.

Human beings are just sophisticated animals and we’re not designed to have people talking so close. It’s out of our comfort zone. It’s this human dimension and it’s very poorly appreciated in workplaces. We have a reptilian brain that is distracted by the ding of a phone or the guy talking next to you, and it’s very hard to get to a place where the thinking or technical brain is working.

Allwork.Space: Acoustics is really a foundational piece of designing workspaces that work, regardless of the size.

Coworking spaces that want to attract enterprise businesses need to understand that large organizations now know about this stuff. They’re going to come along and say that the noise situation is not good. They have health and safety standards that they have to obey.

I feel it’s my duty to inform coworking operators about these foundational elements of physical spaces so we don’t go back to enterprises wanting to put people in offices. People should be working in coworking spaces for the reason of innovation, but they need to get the foundational elements of workspace right from the beginning.

Allwork.Space: Thanks, Philip. What are you working on right now that we should know about?

I’m making sure the competency and skills further improve in the coworking spaces that are available. There’s a lot to be learned and I want to make sure that the good ideas around nature and wellbeing are there. If we don’t, what’s the point?

Tags: Work-life Balance
Cat Johnson

Cat Johnson

Cat Johnson is a content strategist and creator focused on coworking and the shared workspace industry. Founder of Coworking Convos and the workspace Marketing Lab, Cat publishes the Coworking Out Loud Newsletter and hosts the Coworking Out Loud Podcast.

No Result
View All Result

How will work change in 2023?

Subscribe today to know what's changing tomorrow.

* indicates required
100% FREE. You can unsubscribe or manage your preferences at any time.
swipedon
300x250 Kube Space Mgmt
Fiverr Ad

Latest News

SF Mayor Wants To Make Office-To-Housing Conversion Easier

SF Mayor Wants To Make Office-To-Housing Conversion Easier

March 29, 2023
Japan makes plan for “new capitalism”

Japan Makes Plan For “New Capitalism”

March 29, 2023
Germany will tackle labor shortage with new immigration plan

Germany Will Tackle Labor Shortage With New Immigration Plan

March 29, 2023
Meta Will Shrink Bonus Plans

Meta Will Shrink Bonus Plans

March 28, 2023
IWG Might Be The Latest Firm To Ditch The UK For The US

IWG Might Be The Latest Firm To Ditch The UK For The US

March 28, 2023
Starbucks And A Labor Union Are In Disagreement

Starbucks And A Labor Union Are In Disagreement

March 28, 2023
TrueView360: The Rise Of Virtual Tours For CRE And Flexible Workspaces

News and Features

Business

Tech

Marketing

Design

Work-life

CRE

Coworking

Workforce

Daily Digest

Podcast

Resources

Marketplace

Events

Press Releases

FlexSpace, Coworking
and Office Space

Los Angeles

New York

Chicago

Washington, D.C.

Houston

Dallas

Miami

San Francisco

Atlanta

Philadelphia

Seattle

Austin

Company

About Us

Submit to Allwork.Space

Contact

Advertise

FlexSpace

Terms Of Use

FlexSpace FAQs

Privacy Policy

Connect with Allwork.Space

Twitter

Linkedin

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

©2023 Allwork.Space  l  Exploring the FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Resources
  • Marketplace
  • Business Directory
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Find Space
  • About Us
  • Submit to Allwork.Space

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00