Outdoor work spaces are becoming more viable and legitimate since workers have greater mobility and can connect virtually anywhere via WiFi. Designing and creating an outdoor space as an extension to your indoor workplace enables employee choice in where one works. Unfortunately, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends 93% of their life indoors –  87% in buildings and 6% in automobiles. Sounds like we need to get outside a bit more.

Via environmentsatwork.com 

With the new year moving into full swing, the workplace design conversation has largely surrounded trends that will define 2017. As spaces that promote worker wellbeing particularly gain momentum, this month’s news aggregate explores how employee wellness will shape the modern office. 

Via coalesse.com 

Take a moment and describe what comes to mind when you think of a modern room. Your brain may conjure up images of thin, sleek furniture, and minimalist decor. Now, instead of thinking about the room, turn your thoughts to the modern man or modern woman. He or she may be rushing to the next meeting, all while preparing mental talking points, answering a text message and having a “casual” yet critical off-line conversation with a co-worker. Is your image of a modern room supporting the modern worker?

When designing spaces for today’s employee, the best result is human-centered, a workplace crafted to mentally excite and engage, physically comfort and emotionally support busy workers. Mobile technologies promised workers the ability to be productive on the go. But it’s not enough. Needs for collaboration, team building and individual focus are just a few of the reasons employees are coming back to the office. The elevated importance of the workplace is creating an office renaissance.

Via entrepreneur.com

OMG! Where’s my desk?

Sound familiar? Maybe the phrase lands a little too close to home for you or someone you know. It does for me because my business is the business of change and how it affects people in the workplace — especially new work environments, most of which are being designed without desks for everyone.

But maybe change is exactly what we need — a little more “OMG!” in our lives to shake us up — so we can force ourselves to take back control and choose where and how we want to work. Maybe having a desk or not having a desk is not the issue. Maybe it has something more to do with our attitude. We see a change coming in people’s perspective and a new freedom of choice, replacing the thought of “losing something”.

For the past six years, Dean Strombom and I have spoken at NeoCon and we have had the fortunate experience of standing room crowds, which is more a testament to the timeliness of the topics and not to our smooth delivery. The topics are messy and require different points of entry: some serious, some humorous, some evidence-based — and all of them require each person listening to consider, Do I have this notion of workplace change right? Even if I do, is it the right thing to do? Should we give up our personal workspace or was it even ours in the first place?

Via workdesign.com [paywall]

Embracing a new “evolution-friendly fitness method”, Biofit is a nature-inspired biophilic pop-up gym that has opened in London’s Ladbroke Grove.

Designed by award-winning landscape architect Lily Jencks, the Biofit gym features living plants, artificial grass, natural pine essence aromatherapy and hand-made wooden workout equipment. There is nothing digital, electrical or mechanical.

Via globetrendermagazine.com

Building software for startups is a huge challenge. Not because writing the software itself is that hard, but most startups have managed to create the least optimal places to do work. In my 10+ years of experience as a software engineer at startups, I cannot trust employers to provide me with an adequate work environment, and this holds me back from doing the best possible work for them. I am an ambitious, driven individual, and I want nothing more than to provide the places I work with my best possible output. I will give whatever company I am working at 110%. Most of the places I have worked have done a great job at preventing me from doing this. That’s why from here on out, I am taking a stand and drawing a line in the sand. Henceforth I will only work in a “remote” arrangement.

Most startups nowadays are obsessed with the open office environment, and it’s nearly impossible to find companies that do not implement this type of layout. They’ll claim it’s because they want an “open and transparent culture,” but if you know anything about the subject, you’ll know this is the worst possible setup for actual work, and doesn’t improve communication or culture. You don’t have to look far to find plenty of research on the subject- and quite frankly, there is simply no debate here. There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that open office layouts foster a more collaborative environment. 

Via QZ.com