Workforce needs

If one thing is certain in the aftermath of the pandemic, it’s that nothing is certain, with polls on workforce trends providing contradictory information. A recent Gallup poll, for example, suggests that only two in 10 remote-capable workers are expected to be on-site full-time in 2023, down from 60 percent in 2019. And yet, workers are returning to the office. In January 2023, office usage increased in 10 major metro areas, rising to about 50 percent of 2020’s pre-pandemic attendance per Kastle Systems, a key card property management company that tracks office building entries. Still, it’s estimated that fewer than 10 percent of employees are in the office five days a week.

Variability

With the expectations of how and where we work continuing to shift, we are clearly not returning to the same workplace that we left. In the past, developers, landlords, owners and corporations could plan their spaces using a basic metric centered on the premise that workers were present in the office according to the standard five-day work week. While workers are returning to the office, attendance numbers and specific days vary — even from week to week — which makes planning for a returning workforce even more challenging. The one constant is there is no one solution that fits all. Instead, there are variable scenarios tied to an assortment of new workforce trends that can accommodate nearly every office environment. 

Flexibility

This is where flexibility comes in. There is not one solution for all real estate portfolios, for an office building with multiple tenants, or even for one company, as optimal scenarios are driven by business goals, assets and their associated workforces. As a corporate and commercial real estate stakeholder, it’s imperative that you determine and implement flexible solutions that consider potential trends, variability and workforce needs to enable success across the spectrum.

Depending on your position as a stakeholder, you have a wide range of potential scenarios and solutions. For example, developers, landlords, owners and corporations may look at different long- or short-term leasing arrangements providing greater flexibility in occupied space. Alternatively, landlords may find that five years in the future, the office space could be best transformed into an alternative use.

As potential scenarios are further defined, it is important for you not to lose track of the workforce. There are as many perspectives on flexibility as there are workers in an office, with views that can make the difference in who returns to their workplace and for how many days each week. The key may be in developing solutions that address common worker needs — which can vary greatly depending on the company and the industry — ranging from providing onsite services such as daycare to establishing multiple, smaller offices in more convenient locations.

We routinely employ scenario planning and predictive analytics to develop processes that bridge the gap between business, people and the built environment. This level of engagement enables us to better understand your workforces, visualize your assets and analyze your real estate portfolios — helping clarify the pros and cons of current and future scenarios and paving the way to make better informed decisions. 

Our professionals recently delivered scenario planning and portfolio optimization services for a global pharmaceutical corporation. Using our planning tools, we analyzed workforce patterns, culture and values while optimizing assets across 4.5 million square feet of space on 11 different campuses.

More and more, we are embedding digital tools such as PreView, SSIM, and ArchTamzero into our planning and analysis, providing for greater predictability and deeper insights in a more rapid manner.

A framework of success

Developing frameworks that allow for rapid scenario analysis is a process, and selecting successful scenarios is a challenge. Working with an expert team of corporate and commercial real estate professionals who understand how to integrate the evolving needs of today’s workforce with critical factors like variability and flexibility will ensure you are making the most of your office portfolio, now and into the future.

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One way our team has been using innovation to improve the quality of digital deliverables is through automation and digital centered procedures. Automation for day-to-day design has resulted in high quality outputs, cost reductions, and design certainty. It also allows for improved cross-regional collaboration spanning across our global business lines.

As the new Head of Digital for the Asia region, I work with the business to put digital adoption strategies in place for the entire region. We may have different requirements and tools across business lines, but we’re all seeing a fundamental shift in how we support our clients on their digital transformation journey. We’ve established the Asia digital consulting practice which partners with clients to create strategies for projects and programs that will support our client’s success into the future. By creating mutual digital goals to deliver projects in a more effective way we enhance and improve digital adoption for ArchTam and our clients.  

The BIM Harmonization project is a great example of how our new digital consulting practice helps clients on their digital journey. We worked with the client to create a harmonized standard for use in all future public works deliverables. The new standard enables the sharing of information regardless of the technical software used, which is especially useful for BIM and GIS disciplines. As a result of the project it will be easier for the client to make assessments across their entire program, and they know what to expect from the models because they are standardized.  

Cities today face unique challenges which can be solved with innovation and the use of digital strategies to pre-empt risks and digitize city assets. A recently published Digital Cities report offers perspectives from myself and other global leaders at ArchTam about solving these unique challenges. We’ve found there are also numerous opportunities for urban planners to work holistically in the expansion and alignment of urban underground spaces by using advanced technologies such as the latest VR and photogrammetry technologies together with 3D spatial technologies. The Asia leadership group contributed to a chapter in the Underground Cities publication which discusses the future of underground space development. In Hong Kong, we saw a lot of excitement over the Fast Track CityHack which we hosted earlier this month. The event helped introduce new solutions to accelerate better outcomes for how Hong Kong can simultaneously provide livability for its people while supporting the sustainability of our planet. It’s an exciting time to work in the AEC industry, and I’m so proud of the way ArchTam is part of the conversation transforming our industry and moving into the digital future.

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