Hybrid Working
The Corona pandemic has made hybrid working the new normal. The combination of working in the office and mobile working from home or at other locations brings a lot of flexibility, but also new challenges for the design of the various workplaces.
Hybrid workplaces and hybrid working
We work in networks, across departments and often across companies. Customers, partners and employees expect transparency and individualized treatment. It’s obvious that the world of work has changed. However, the offices themselves are still the same in many places. For example, desks are still the first things that come to mind for the majority of employees when they hear the word office. But offices must become much more multifaceted if they are to be fit for the future. What is needed are spaces for communication, workshops for chance encounters and, yes, areas for recreation. There’s a wide range of examples and ideas for the office concepts of the tomorrow. They have a varied design and easy transformability in common. Below you will find a selection of posts, showroom content, lecture recordings and specialist information to help you find your office of the future.
In our newsroom
Hybrid working: advantages
The benefits of hybrid working are obvious: Time saved by eliminating the daily commute, fewer CO2 emissions and, in most cases, a better work-life balance. In addition, many employees are able to concentrate much better at home because they feel less disturbed in their home environment. Hybrid working also has advantages for companies. They benefit from greater employee satisfaction and can greatly increase their search area when filling vacancies. The newsroom of the IBA Forum features a large number of posts on the topic of hybrid working. We have compiled a small selection below. In it, renowned experts explain, among other things, what the 15-minute city has to do with the hybrid workplace and what “hybrid” means for workplace design.
From the showrooms
Hybrid working: requirements
So what does a hybrid office look like? To answer this question, it is first necessary to clarify what the office is used for. We are convinced, as are the many experts with whom we have discussed this topic, that the office will continue to be a mixture of many work areas in the future. But the ratios are shifting. In most companies, fewer desk workstations are needed, but new areas such as co-areas and hospitality zones are required instead. In general, the hybrid office must be alterable and it must combine functionality with appreciation and well-being. And what about an “office” at home? This must become more professional, i.e. more ergonomic. After all, the number of illnesses due to back problems has never risen as quickly as it did in 2020, when a large proportion of workers suddenly found themselves unprepared to work from home. In the virtual showrooms of the IBA Forum you can discover solutions for different workspaces in offices and for equipping the workplace at home.
In the media center
Experts on the hybrid office
Here you will find expert knowledge at first hand. The recordings of lectures and interviews by German and international experts address the question of how the world of work is changing, why the office needs new rituals and why attendance times in the office are important for employee loyalty. You can look forward to some surprising statements.
At IBA knowledge
Learn more about the hybrid workplace
So offices need to become a meeting place, more communicative and hospitable. For detailed planning, the communication archetypes may help you. These explain which settings are suitable for which type of communication. In addition, there are a few room size requirements to consider, as escape routes and other requirements must also be fulfilled in conference rooms and other communication areas. We have compiled a list of these in the section “Space planning/communication areas”. At IBA Knowledge, you can also find expert information about workplaces at home, e.g. on the question of who is responsible for the equipment and when, and which standards make sense for which type of use. Just take a look!
