• Events
  • Marketplace
  • Resources
  • Press Releases
  • Business Directory
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Submit to Allwork.Space
Wednesday, February 1, 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
    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

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Are Productivity Paranoia and Lack of Trust the Real Obstacles to Hybrid and Remote Work?

    Are Productivity Paranoia And Lack Of Trust The Real Obstacles To Hybrid And Remote Work?

  • Tech
    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?

    FOWP Adam Riggs

    Adam Riggs CEO Of Frameable | Can a Virtual Experience Really Replace the Office?

    Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Could Meta Be the Solution to Zoom Fatigue?

    Meta Wants To Fix Ongoing Zoom Fatigue — But You’ll Be Waiting A While

  • Marketing
    Instagram GenZ

    2023 Instagram Trends Reveal How To Market To Gen Z

    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

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

  • Design
    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

    Create A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Start Creating A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    Design Of Smart Office Spaces In The Post Pandemic World

    The Future Of Work Demands Futuristic Office Tech

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Designing Human Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    Designing Human-Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Designing Offices For Evolving Workforce Needs

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Office Design Is Ever-Evolving; Here Are 5 Trends For 2023

  • Work-life
    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    Key

    Unlock Your Hidden Benefits

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    gift ideas for digital nomads

    12 Last-Minute Gift Ideas For Digital Nomads

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

    Who’s Stuck With The Bill?

    Who’s Stuck With The Bill?

  • CRE
    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?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

  • Coworking
    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    I'm an Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving in a City with 9 WeWorks

    I’m An Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving In A City With 9 WeWorks

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    What Is An “Open” Coworking Space? 

    What is an “Open” Coworking Space?

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking?

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking? Your Answer Matters

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

    The Secret To Attracting New Occupants

    The Secret To Attracting New Occupants

  • Workforce
    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can't Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can’t Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term Hybrid Work

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term “Hybrid Work”

    Reverse Mentoring: The Benefits Of Learning From Your Employees

    Reverse Mentoring: The Benefits Of Learning From Your Employees

  • 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
    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

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Don’t Be Adidas: Making Better Decisions Fast Is Important For Business Leadership

    Are Productivity Paranoia and Lack of Trust the Real Obstacles to Hybrid and Remote Work?

    Are Productivity Paranoia And Lack Of Trust The Real Obstacles To Hybrid And Remote Work?

  • Tech
    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?

    FOWP Adam Riggs

    Adam Riggs CEO Of Frameable | Can a Virtual Experience Really Replace the Office?

    Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Five Ways Tech Will Change The Ways We Work In 2023

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Six Steps To Start A Coworking Center In The Metaverse

    Could Meta Be the Solution to Zoom Fatigue?

    Meta Wants To Fix Ongoing Zoom Fatigue — But You’ll Be Waiting A While

  • Marketing
    Instagram GenZ

    2023 Instagram Trends Reveal How To Market To Gen Z

    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

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Everything You Need To Know About Google My Business, And How To Ace It

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

    Nothing Beats In-Person Communication, But These Online Tools Come Pretty Close

  • Design
    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

    Create A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Start Creating A Neurodiverse Friendly Office In Just One Minute

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    Get Employee Buy-in To Make Office Redesigns Matter

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    How To Make Your Hybrid Office Accessible To All

    Design Of Smart Office Spaces In The Post Pandemic World

    The Future Of Work Demands Futuristic Office Tech

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Designing Leadership Spaces for Hybrid Work

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Resources And Tips To Harness The Power Of Interior Design For Environmental Impact — And Employee Retention

    Designing Human Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    Designing Human-Centric Workplaces Is Key To Hybrid Program Success

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Designing Offices For Evolving Workforce Needs

    2023 Future Of Work Forecast: Office Design Is Ever-Evolving; Here Are 5 Trends For 2023

  • Work-life
    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    City-sized Buildings Are On The Way. How Will The Line Change The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    What’s Your Job Worth In The Future Of Work?

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    3 Ways To Burn Fat At Work

    Key

    Unlock Your Hidden Benefits

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    8 Crucial Tax Filing Tips For Freelancers

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    Update Your Home Office For A Fresh, Focused New Year

    gift ideas for digital nomads

    12 Last-Minute Gift Ideas For Digital Nomads

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

    A Guide For Workspace Mental Health Communication

    Who’s Stuck With The Bill?

    Who’s Stuck With The Bill?

  • CRE
    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?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

    What Can We Expect For The Future Of Office Occupancy?

  • Coworking
    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    How To Apply For Digital Nomad Visas In 4 Idyllic Work Destinations

    I'm an Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving in a City with 9 WeWorks

    I’m An Independent Coworking Center Operator Thriving In A City With 9 WeWorks

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    Data Tracking Software Gives Coworking Operators Competitive Advantage

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    The Story Behind WeWork’s Failed Locations

    What Is An “Open” Coworking Space? 

    What is an “Open” Coworking Space?

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on the Future of Coworking

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking?

    What Does “Community” Mean In Coworking? Your Answer Matters

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

    Is WeWork Going Bust?

    The Secret To Attracting New Occupants

    The Secret To Attracting New Occupants

  • Workforce
    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can't Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    Is Marc Benioff of Salesforce Right That You Can’t Integrate Junior Staff Remotely?

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    4 Monumental Ways Banning Noncompete Clauses Will Transform The Future Of Work

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    What To Do If You’ve Been Quietly Promoted

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    Nurture Skills To Retain Employees

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    The Four Horsemen of the Mandated Return to Office

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Indeed & Glassdoor Economists Predict Continued Hiring Challenges

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Will Remote Work Be A Mandated Right In The Future Of Work?

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term Hybrid Work

    Why It’s Time to Retire the Term “Hybrid Work”

    Reverse Mentoring: The Benefits Of Learning From Your Employees

    Reverse Mentoring: The Benefits Of Learning From Your Employees

  • Podcast
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Allwork.Space
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Marketing
  • Design
  • Work-life
  • CRE
  • Coworking
  • Workforce
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
ORND Learn More
Home Business

Working Towards A Green And Inclusive Recovery: A Q&A With Bruntwood Works’ Rob Valentine

by Jo Meunier
July 13, 2020
in Business
Reading Time: 8 mins read
A A
New QA

In a Q&A for Allwork.Space, Rob Valentine discusses Bruntwood Works' focus on wellbeing and sustainability, and why he refers to the workplace as “the great democratiser”.

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare to Network
Find a remote job with Flexjobs
  • In a Q&A for Allwork.Space, Rob Valentine discusses how Bruntwood Works has adapted to the current situation and their next steps.
  • Wellbeing has always been a priority for Bruntwood Works, and now they are assigning more space to wellness as part of their future vision.
  • This vision includes tackling the “real crisis” of climate change by becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and advocating for a green recovery post-Covid.

Rob Valentine is Director at Bruntwood Works (Birmingham), a leading provider of flexible offices in the UK’s regional cities and a keen advocate for building sustainable, wellbeing-focused workplaces.

In this Q&A with Allwork.Space, Rob talks about Bruntwood Works’ plans to be carbon neutral by 2030 and why a “green recovery” is vital for our future of work. He also believes full-time work from home policies are “short sighted” as they are detrimental for organisational culture and only benefit a small and privileged segment of society.

Here are the highlights of our conversation.

Allwork.Space: What does the ‘current normal’ look like at Bruntwood Works and how do you see the next few months panning out?

Rob Valentine: Like a lot of spaces, we’re open but footfall is well down. I believe it will be after the New Year before we get to some sort of normality, whatever ‘normality’ is going to look like. I’ve been speaking with a lot of businesses, and each and every one say they will not be returning to the way they did things before.

We’re definitely going to see more flexibility in most organisations’ way of working and a move away from presenteeism. We’ve been seeing that trend over a number of years, and we’re now seeing an acceleration of that trend — my gut feeling is that we’ll see 5 years’ worth of change in around 6-9 months. That’s very significant.

Allwork.Space: You mentioned presenteeism, and the pandemic has certainly pushed wellbeing to the top of the priority list. Was this already a focus for Bruntwood Works before Covid-19?

Yes — very much so. A lot of organisations are rightly recognising that their core asset is and always will be their people. The successful organisations will be those that attract, retain and develop talent. A significant part of that is looking after their health and wellbeing. That is becoming increasingly important to the younger generations. Thankfully they think a lot more holistically and organisations are recognising that central to that is their health and wellbeing. If you’ve got a workforce that’s healthy and fit, they take less time off sick, they’re happier, productivity increases and you get better decisions, cooperation, and better outcomes generally. It just makes absolute sense.

Increasingly at Bruntwood Works we’re giving over more and more space to wellness. For example at Cornerblock in Birmingham, the old KPMG building, we added shower facilities, bike racks, a gym, even a sleep pod. We put a roof garden in — it’s what I call the ‘escape valve’. You can go up there with your laptop and on a pleasant day it’s a fantastic place to be. We also back that up with a programme of lifestyle and health classes, which are really popular. So we’re creating spaces in our buildings that really suit people’s needs, which gives us a competitive advantage. Wellbeing is becoming increasingly important now and I believe it’s only going to go in one direction.

Allwork.Space: Is the health crisis pushing the wellbeing agenda more?

Yes. What Covid-19 has done is accelerate the wellbeing trend by a number of years in just a few months. It’s changing organisational culture too. It has forced organisations to adapt very quickly. They’ve realised that by giving more freedom and flexibility to their people, it has had some positive results. Productivity has increased in some instances. It happened at Birmingham City Council — they’ve found that productivity has increased since their workforce started working from home. So now they’re completely rethinking their workplace culture. I suspect a lot of organisations have been pleasantly surprised at how well their people have adapted.

Allwork.Space: But it’s not all good… during a recent panel you noted that working from home only really benefits a small segment of society. Can you elaborate on that?

Large sections of our society have suffered far more than the top 20%. Early on, I was having conversations with senior people who were saying that lockdown is working really well for them; they had no commute, they were getting outside and exercising more. But then I was having flip conversations with colleagues. They were stuck in flats in city centres, not seeing anybody, it was horrendous.

Some people live in multi-generational homes and it’s a struggle trying to find a quiet space to work. A lot of homes don’t have great Internet connection either. So there are great swathes of our society who have been massively disadvantaged during this experience.

If we want an inclusive recovery, we have to think carefully about the role of the office. The office is the great democratiser. It delivers a level playing field for all people, where the opportunities are broadly the same for everyone.

Allwork.Space: And how is this experience impacting organisational culture?

It’s shortsighted to switch to working from home full time. You can’t build organisational culture over Zoom. Successful organisations are successful because of their people. How do you nurture, develop, and grow your talent, unless you’ve got that osmosis process where they spend time with peers and senior people? It’s about information transfer, skills that you develop in an office environment, and building a network. I’ve been relying on my own network for 20 years. But you only really build that by getting out there and meeting people and developing relationships. The office is really key to that.

Allwork.Space: Bruntwood Works is a regional business. Are you seeing a general shift away from city centres?

I’ve not seen much of it yet, but I do think regional cities will benefit. For a long time investment has been heavily focused on London and the South East, to the detriment of the city regions. Places like Manchester and Birmingham have been able to carve their place in the world, but a lot of places in the UK have literally been left behind. So there are fundamental issues, which are now being addressed.

I believe there will be a number of economic packages to support our regional cities, and a lot of investment in terms of connectivity — both physical and digital connectivity. So that provides a significant opportunity for our regional cities.

At the same time, in London, the tube is really the only option to get to work, but nobody wants to get on the tube in mass numbers at the moment. It must be quite a frightening experience. So I do think we’ll start to see organisations move functionality into regional cities. There are a lot of advantages. One is affordability — in London if you’re a young person, what hope do you have of owning your own property? You end up living in shared accommodation, which isn’t great when you’re planning your future. But in Birmingham it’s much easier to get on the property ladder — it’s more affordable and better quality.

Regional cities have also become much more vibrant in terms of cultural offer, retail, eating out, and access to countryside. It’s a no brainer. So again I think we’ll start seeing an acceleration of that trend. This might also invigorate a lot of peripheral towns and generate more localism. I live in a market town and before lockdown, I hardly spent any time there as I always left the house early and was rarely home before 8pm. Lately I’ve been walking into town, doing local shopping, it’s been a great experience! If we get more work flexibility we’ll see more of that. It has the potential to really benefit our local towns and economies. If we embrace this as a policy then the effects on the environment could be very positive too.

Allwork.Space: Speaking of the environment, what are your thoughts on a ‘green recovery?’

Recovery is going to be focused on sustainability. Covid-19 is a crisis, but it’s one that we will defeat, probably in the next 6-7 months. But the real crisis is climate change.

40% of carbon emissions come from the built environment. We need green technology, green jobs and a green recovery. It’s so important. Certainly at Bruntwood, that is our prime focus right now. We’ve got a working group looking at how we become carbon neutral by 2030. The building techniques are out there and we need to be adopting them.

Technology has a big role to play. For instance, big data captures temperature differentials and you can use it to naturally heat or ventilate buildings.

Technology also means we travel less. If I’m adopting technology to conduct more meetings, that means fewer trips to London. Face to face meetings are still really important, but there’s a lot you can do over Zoom so a blend of the two is the right way to go. And if I’m only travelling to the office three days per week instead of five, that’s four journeys I’m not doing.

Allwork.Space: Is this Bruntwood Works’ vision, or are your clients pushing for greener workspaces?

Our more progressive customers are asking for sustainable changes. Not all of them are there yet, but they will get there. We need to be ahead of that trend and I believe we are. We want to lead on this. We’re long-term investors, we want our regional cities to be successful, and to do that we have to have sustainability at the heart of our recovery plans and our long-term future.

Allwork.Space: Looking ahead, beyond the next challenging few months, what’s coming up for Bruntwood Works?

Adaptation of our existing model. We’re changing our offer to have more focus on wellbeing and increasing use of technology so there are fewer touch points in buildings. Ultimately we’re working more closely with our customers to help them deliver the kind of environment that works for them. We’ve got a whole design team focused on that at the moment, to support our customers through these changes.

More and more, organisations are seeing the value in this approach. Decisions around space used to sit with CEOs and FDs, now the HR leaders have a much greater say. And quite rightly. They’re putting their people, their talent, at the heart of the decisions that are made. Progressive CEOs are recognising the importance of this now too.

Things change at such a pace now. When I joined the business 20 years ago, it was pretty methodical — we delivered a certain type of space with a certain type of carpet and lighting, and that was your standard spec. Then we started making receptions and meeting rooms a bit nicer. Now, we’re thinking far more about our customers’ needs and we’re actually getting ahead of those needs. I think it’s a really exciting place to be.

Later Ad
Tags: Work-life Balance
Jo Meunier

Jo Meunier

Jo is Allwork.Space's Senior Editor for the UK and Europe. Jo has worked within business centre and coworking circles since 2009, researching and contributing written features for numerous industry publications. She reports on the latest market news and delves into local issues with one main objective: to champion the flexible workspace industry and its members.

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.
Grammarly Writing Support
FOWF - MR Ad Red
UltraSoft June
ORND Office Image MR

Listen to the experts themselves

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

©2022 Allwork.Space  l  Exploring the FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003.

No Result
View All Result
  • Daily Digest
  • 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