Flexible Neighborhood
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Allows for reduced overall office space while providing employees with the support services needed for their work |
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Depends on changes required. Some movement of employees into neighborhoods could happen quickly but reducing overall office space is a longer-term process depending on office space owned and leased. |
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Cost for purchase of flexible office stations and upgrades to allow for flexible utility distribution, such as under floor cabling, allowing for changes without demolition and renovation |
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FAC, SGT, CML |
Today’s workplaces are often in flux. Organizations change direction or develop new services. People move to new spaces and take on new responsibilities. Teams form and re-form. The spaces themselves are transformed to meet these new needs. These changes are much easier to accommodate, when the workplace design supports flexibility.
The benefits of a flexible neighborhood office space include:
Social:
- Improved employee connection to key team members
- Enhanced and/or accelerated collaboration and innovation
- Reduced likelihood of ergonomic-related injuries with office furniture designed for easy modifications and flexible lighting options
Economic:
- Reduced costs of moves as teams transition
- Reduced costs of construction of new office space as the organization expands
Environmental:
- Reduced waste from construction
- Reduced energy use associated with more office space that is not full occupied
Key Results from AWL research Alternative Workplace Lab as part of US Government General Service Agency (GSA), Washington DC demonstrated that the space has supported three major re-organizations and a 150% increase in staff for the current tenant. In fact, on move-in day, one team totally reconfigured its work area in 90 minutes.
Sites should determine whether expanding neighborhood strategies would be appropriate to implement given the current ownership and opportunities to increase staff without increasing the amount of overall office space.