It's reality. In the work environment workspaces are getting smaller, real estate is shrinking and all of this translates into cost savings for owners. So many of the office environments that I space plan and design for have lowered the square footage needed for each employee. More collaborative or group spaces are being created to encourage a shared environment. These new work environments promote collaborative meetings among employees rather than being isolated at their desks.
We can even take this philosophy one step further with the term "alternative work strategies." Allowing or encouraging employees to work anywhere they want. A study sponsored by Steelcase Inc. and Coronet Global confirm that most companies have formalized one of these strategies and only 14% say that they do not have one in place and are not planning on implementing one this year.
The residential design world has even caught on. Restoration Hardware has just released a special issue magazine of Big Style Small Spaces, "We heard you. One size just doesn't fit all." They have scaled down their collection to fit smaller spaces.
And speaking of spaces getting smaller, I will soon be going from 1,850 sq. ft. to about 575 sq. ft. So stay tuned for more of that transformation!
Photos from www.Steelcase.com
