If one looks back at the evolution of workspaces, they can notice that the idea of workspaces has changed significantly. From the rigid structures of the 1950s to the decentralization of decision-making around the 80s to the rise of coworking in 2010, we have now reached the phase of boundless offices.

What is a boundless office?
As the name suggests, work culture in the modern world has escaped the bounds of the traditional office. Earlier, the underlying principle remained constant, which is working in an office space for a fixed period of time. However, with the new boundless nature of work, those set structures have begun to crumble and it has a direct implication on the office space.

This transformation has led to the amalgamation of form and function to bring a future workspace where a coworking space, a traditional office, a hybrid space, all can coexist efficiently. There are copious changes with the onset of boundless office.

1. Agile working
A couple of decades ago, work meant going to the office and doing the standard 9-5 hours job. Flexibility was a thing of the dystopian future. But agile culture has become the norm today. According to a CBRE report, employees prefer having choices about where, when, and how to work rather than having a specific position within the office or access to technology. This new boundless perspective adds personalisation and connectivity to the workspace.

2. Inclusive design
Inclusive workspace design addresses both infrastructural as well as psychological needs. Providing enough infrastructure to accommodate physical requirements is prehistoric now. Workspace is a major part of employees’ lives and its environment can have extensive reverberations on their mental health. A boundless office solves this conundrum by enhancing the workspace atmosphere while offering workstyle flexibility.

3. Focus on wellbeing
The old office structure had a lot of pitfalls that impacted employees physically and psychologically. Sheer inclusion of health and safety prerequisites are no longer sufficient in the boundless office. The boundless office is evolved to keep employee wellbeing at the forefront by acclimatizing to ergonomics. It brings the perfect blend of design, management, and cultural reorganization to improve wellbeing rather than mitigating them.

4. Biophilic workspace
From being a premium embellishment at the workplace, green interiors today play a key role in comprehensive growth. According to a Human Spaces report, a biophilic workspace leads to 15% better wellbeing, 6% more productivity, and 15% higher creativity among employees.1 The discussions about the holistic benefits of green buildings continue to evolve rapidly. Organizations are now envisioning sophisticated building designs to ​​influence wellness, performance, and retention.

In short, a boundless office offers enough flexibility to all the stakeholders to create a more inclusive, tech-savvy, and creativity-driven workspace. Considering the growing demand for remote work, boundless work is here to stay and so is the boundless office.

Citations:
1. The Boundless Office: how work and workplaces have broken the shackles of time and place