The future of work is changing. As new technologies emerge and the world becomes more connected and more mobile, our workplaces are being forced to adapt to a radical shift in the definition of the word "office."
A December 30, 2013 article from Officing Today, a business center industry news provider, touches on some of the innovative new ways that companies are defining the workplace of the future.
The Future is Mobile
Citing the growth of activity-based workspaces around the world, the article notes Microsoft's office in Australia as an outstanding example of this trend. The design of the technology giant's down-under office features a workspace where there are no assigned seats or desks and no team has a dedicated work area. Instead, employees can choose to sit wherever they want to by leveraging the power of mobile computing and wireless internet to facilitate work.
Another fine example of the trend are business centers that deliver on the community-centered approach of co-working. Two notable examples of this new paradigm in work are WatercoolerHub in New York and BLANKSPACES in Los Angeles. In such facilities, the office is shared by people who may not necessarily work for the same company.
Popular with freelancers, business travelers, and other professionals who are forced to work in relative isolation, these shared office spaces allow individual workers to immerse themselves in the collaborative office environments they otherwise wouldn't have. With most users bringing in their own tech, such co-working centers are often heavily invested in mobile technologies.
The Next Generation Arlington Office Space
Spurred by these developments, some business centers are already starting to define tomorrow's office space in Arlington, VA. Shared office spaces are being offered in several locations that allow progressive businesses to be flexible yet scalable with their workspace. Equipped to handle a wide range of contemporary technologies, such business centers are prepared to house companies that want to invest in a mobile, activity-based work environment.
Additionally, business center operators, like Metro Offices, are increasingly offering individuals workspaces on demand. Also on the menu are one-stop-shop solutions that provide everything, from entire private executive offices to rental meeting and training rooms.
Work is changing and so are the environments we build to house it. Thankfully, it seems business centers in the area are keeping up with the times.
(Article Information and Image from Business Centers and the Audacity of Innovation, Officing Today, December 30, 2013)