The Shift to Widespread Remote Working
Before COVID-19 spread worldwide, about 1% of employees worked from home. Since the pandemic began, there has been a monumental global shift from working in offices to working from home. Following a period of adjustment, it appears many employees have now embraced this change.
We are now all in a period of uncertainty and are trying to determine and predict what legacy this global pandemic will leave. As architects and designers, we are interested in what impacts there will be on our working environment and the commercial sector more generally.
The pandemic has come at a unique time in history. Communications technology, infrastructure, virtual space and virtual communities have enabled a surprising and relatively rapid transition from the office work environment to remote working. While the process continues to have its challenges, the move to working remotely is a revolution in work practices, company structures and methodologies.
The changing urban – Widespread, prolonged lockdowns saw city centres deserted; shops closed, foot traffic reduced, and the bustle and vibe of the city was lost. Yet, after this period of transition, will we see a rebirth of the typical high street?
Is the outcome a questioning of the fundamental role of office space?
It has been proven that having multiple employees productively working from home at the same time is now possible – barring the challenges some face of simultaneously meeting deadlines and home schooling. The positives have been enlightening. No time spent commuting means having more time to spend with family and more time for personal reflection. Productivity is measured by goals achieved rather than time clocked.
But what does a centralised office environment offer if it is not necessarily the primary place to work in? Most notable of course is the personal interaction with one’s peers for professional and personal support and the incidental conversations, mentorship, and task-based companionship. An experienced set of eyes can quickly identify problems that is almost impossible to replicate remotely. We are social creatures, both at home as well as at work. Can we have the best of both worlds? One where work is flexible, both in hours and place? And if so, where should the place of work be?
Learning from Christchurch
After a series of devastating earthquakes that shook the heart of Christchurch’s CBD, companies and workers relocated to the suburbs. The low-rise, suburban office space felt more secure from the aftershocks and the relatively low rent helped companies to recover financially.
Over time, this new suburban work force attracted its own ecosystem, one that typically was more commonly found in city centres. Cafes, restaurants, and takeaways sprouted in the suburbs and with them, a street life followed. Is this the future of all cities in a new, flexible work force world? You live and work in your own communities. Your office is part of your local high street, just a short bike ride away.
For larger companies, you exist in a series of decentralised hubs located in suburbs where most of your staff live.
Rise of the Regional Hubs
But why stop in the suburbs? Regional towns and cities offer affordability, similar services, data connectivity and, as demand grows, physical connections through rapid public transport. This change has been in the wind for a number of years. Covid will super charge this and regional centres will need to position themselves to take full advantage of this new era of growth. They have the opportunity to reinvent themselves as agile hi-tech hubs of employment that have equal access to anywhere and anyone in the world.
Rise of the Regional Hubs – For many years, Melbourne has been the epicentre for business and entertainment in Victoria. During 2020, with the global pandemic at large, we have seen a distinct rise in working from home and the associated reduction in travel into the city from regional areas. Fast forward to the next decade, is this the future of the state? One where regional cities and towns have grown significantly and have equal standing for employment and entertainment value? Where there is increased movement away from the city as people go in search of a different lifestyle?
Reports of My (City’s) Death Were Greatly Exaggerated
A city no longer has the luxury of thinking it is indispensable. With remote working, learning, socialising, shopping and virtual online worlds to explore, what is the modern city’s point of difference? Where does that leave a city centre littered with expensive, premium commercial and mixed use built form and high-grade infrastructure? Costly mass transit projects that support a centralised high-density working population suddenly look like the last thing a flexible economy needs in today’s world, particularly with lingering risks of respiratory diseases.
Yet the city has never been a monolithic idea. It is a patchwork of people, thoughts and connections. Throughout history it has adapted and evolved to suit ever changing circumstances. A resilient city in this emerging environment must be more than a centre of business. The city centre will have to be an experience focused venue that offers access to a scale of human interaction and experiences impossible to find elsewhere. Its offering will need to be personal, visceral, and authentic.
Companies and tenancies will need to provide unique attractions to attract and keep talented staff. They are a business’ most important asset and when an office or employer could be anywhere, this value is magnified. Overseas examples include companies providing lunch for staff from a variety of on-site, quality restaurants and cafes – free of charge – or those in suburban areas providing an ‘amenity equivalent’ to the CBD.
To encourage people from outside the CBD to explore the city, mass transit must be made convenient, safe, and a pleasure! On time, clean, comfortable, and free Wi-Fi are amongst the minimum requirements. These things are not new, they exist in every city that has had to become a destination - Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong to name a few.
In the near future, Covid or not, these changes will happen. Cities will once again have to change. The built form within will have to adapt. Their future occupants will have to be given a reason to choose to live, work and play there.