There will be no room for rigid office structures in the working world of tomorrow.
An interview with the architect Thomas Heinle, partner of Heinle, Wischer and Partner, Free Architects GbR
As an architect, how do you assess the transformation process in corporate office environments?
In almost three-quarters of German offices, people still work behind closed doors. However, these rigid office structures are no longer efficient in an increasingly mobile and data-driven world. A lack of open communication and collaborative exchange significantly reduces productivity and creativity. Yet creativity will be one of the most important assets in the workplace of tomorrow, while monotonous, repetitive processes will increasingly be handled by robotics and artificial intelligence.
What requirements for the workplace of tomorrow are already foreseeable today?
It is clear that rigid office structures will have no place in the future of work. This change is being driven by younger generations, who are accustomed to more collaborative and agile work environments and are already asserting these expectations today. New flexible office designs therefore deliberately rely on adaptable structures. Freedom to choose a workstation and the ability to quickly assemble and disband teams are creating new realities that will transform daily office life and infrastructure.
L'Oréal’s new “Flex Lab” research center in Paris recently showcased this concept. All furniture here is movable on casters, enabling teams to find and reinvent themselves in seconds.
What do you see as the core requirements for the workplace of tomorrow from the perspective of your corporate clients?
Everyone is talking about the “war for talent.” Companies that want to succeed in the future must secure the best minds today. This is not always about salary alone, as workplace atmosphere is becoming an increasingly decisive factor when choosing an employer. Today’s young professionals demand not only meaningful work but also flatter hierarchies and greater flexibility in their day-to-day work. Above all, this flexibility will shape the workplaces of the future, making them far more agile and adaptable. This shift is also driven by the pursuit of productivity, as flexible structures offer greater potential for optimization.
What timeframe are we talking about when it comes to the workplace of tomorrow?
This question is not easy to answer with a single number. In fact, the transformation is already underway. Companies in the IT sector, as well as in industrial and service industries, have already begun—or are in the process of—designing their offices with flexible office layouts and agile work environments. Given how widespread traditional office structures still are, this is a profound but unavoidable process if Germany wants to remain competitive internationally. I am convinced that in ten years, we will be working in ways completely different from today.