Our workplaces need to offer the best of both worlds

COMMENT The response to the pandemic has ignited debate over the prospects of business space. Despite being significant shocks to the system, such black swan events usually bring about an acceleration of evolution, rather than wholesale revolution. Changes are inevitable; some will be short-lived and reversed relatively quickly, but others will remain to become part of the fabric of the “new normal”. As ever, the answer won’t lay with the prophets of doom or those expecting a return to business as usual, but somewhere between the two. The human dimension For many of us, the convenience of video meeting software has been the revelation of the pandemic as far as our working lives are concerned. Without it, it is unlikely that the current debate around the future of workspace would have gained as much traction as it has. But we should be wary of drawing dramatic conclusions as to the future demand for workspace. In this context it may seem trite to note that humans are social creatures, but it is nevertheless a factor of primary importance. Whatever technologies become available, there are many ways in which remote working cannot deliver the benefits of actual presence, and these should not be overlooked. In particular, companies large and small need to properly impart their culture among staff members. Working relationships are forged and reinforced through face-to-face engagement over the course of the working week, and although the benefit of the many informal and unplanned exchanges between colleagues and visitors are hard to quantify, they are real. Recessions and other economic shocks often precipitate changes in the terms and patterns of occupier demand, which over time investors must absorb and adapt their investment criteria to meet. We expect an emphasis on greater variety in business space, and a further development of the trend towards increased flexibility in leasing terms. Developers and owners of business space will have to create places that compete with the appeal of remote working and the facility offered by the new standards of virtual meeting software. Working environments will have to appeal to employees through their quality and convenience, and help business owners to realise tangible benefits from the continued use of physical workspaces. Best of both worlds When we started to plan the second phase of Thorpe Park Leeds 10 years ago, there were already strong trends emerging for what many at the time called “urban preference”, as the residential-led renaissance of town and city centres offered vibrant and diverse environments with extensive amenities. We set out to depart from the traditional car-dominated, utilitarian, business park model of the 1980s and 1990s, toward a higher-density urban design offering a more human environment with a level of amenity comparable to city centres but with additional benefits such as extensive green spaces and exceptional accessibility. Thorpe Park Leeds is rightly recognised for its connections to the highways network, and its accessibility is set to improve further with the completion of the East Leeds Orbital Road next year, and in 2024 the opening of its railway station on the Trans-Pennine route. Add to that the huge expansion of the east Leeds population in the coming years, with up to 7,000 new homes being brought forward in the East Leeds Extension and Barnbow areas immediately to the north of the park, and Thorpe Park Leeds will sit at the centre of a substantial existing and growing population that is within a very easy travel distance. Considering the post-pandemic adaptations that will be required, this best-of-both-worlds approach to working environments is a solid foundation upon which to build a new model of modern business space. Mark Jackson is development director at Scarborough Group International