Office design has come a long way from the boss in a box in the corner, with a whole science springing up around how layout influences workplace culture and productivity.

Helen Dennis, national workplace strategy manager at Europlan Ltd, has been in the commercial office furniture industry for 14 years and in that time has seen a big shift in workspace design, away from a hierarchical approach to a culture of increased collaboration. Technology has been a key driver of that change. In response, Europlan partners with their clients right at the start of the office design process in
order to shape a new culture as well as a new floor layout.

Through workshops for a business’s leaders and team members, Helen and her team build an understanding of work styles and long-term goals. This then enables them to create a space that reflects the culture and brand as well as one where people have choice, feel productive and happy, and are empowered to do their minds' best work.

Europlan has also been heavily involved in popularising the concept of co-working spaces through its collab with BizDojo, which has a network of shared office spaces in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

To find out more, Cityscape spoke to Helen, who is based in Christchurch, about her role with Europlan and how she sees the future of our commercial office spaces and the central city in general.

The broad sweep of Europlan’s services is in itself an expression of how everything – culture, strategy and design – is interlinked. How do you see these elements fitting together? We focus on combining three key elements – people, technology and space. Today we have five generations in our workplaces, soon to be six, and they all have different needs and expectations. Research suggests over 50 percent of the workforce are millennials and they have all been born connected and mobile. Through thoughtful design we can cater to a variety of needs by providing platforms that offer users a choice about how and where they work, giving them control of their own environment.

Technology is developing at an incredibly fast rate and the truth is we don’t know what is coming, so we create agile and organic spaces that ensure businesses can easily adapt to change. Now more than ever, organisations want more out of their spaces. They need multifunctional floor plates that can be used in a variety of ways and easily reconfigured. Our experience in workplace strategy gives us insight into the key elements that support a thriving workspace and allows us to provide a package that supports businesses now and into the future.

Acoustics seem particularly important and often overlooked – is that your experience? Yes! They can be overlooked but it’s often because people are unsure of how to tackle it. Two of the first concerns users have with a change in their office space is an increase in noise and a decrease in privacy. Both concerns are easily addressed.

A noisy office and a workspace that is too quiet are both undesirable. If it’s too noisy people will become fatigued, and if it’s too quiet every single noise is amplified due to lack of sound masking. A general buzz of people doing business, light music in social spaces and carefully curated acoustic solutions all blend together to support the challenges of noise in a workplace. We approach it from three angles – absorb, block and cover. Our solutions depend on the area we are treating and the requirements of the space.

Through its partnership with BizDojo, Europlan has been key to the rise of co-working spaces in New Zealand – any insights into what is happening there? The co-working industry is only going to continue to grow. People love community and they love connection. We’ve been involved in co-working from its early stages and it’s been great to see how it’s evolved. When co-working started out it was about lone workers and dynamic duos; now we’re seeing larger businesses adopt co-working as a sustainable floor plate model. We use the same recipe for co-working spaces that we do with our corporate clients. There is no one size fits all, copy and paste option. People want to socialise, they want to create and be collaborative, and they need to be able to focus on specific tasks. We are big on wellness so providing spaces where people can recharge and re-energise throughout the day is a must. We work out of BizDojo here in Christchurch and it enables us to test products in high-use environments, experiment with different pieces, get feedback and see what is working and what isn’t. It allows our clients to see our furniture being heavily used and enjoyed in a live environment.

Do you have any thoughts or views on the future of office working spaces? Is flexibility the most important goal now? Flexibility is important but that doesn’t necessarily mean every piece of furniture needs to move. It’s also about how, where and when we work. Furniture should continue to support the goals of the organisation and the activities that are going on in the space. We want to provide platforms that can be repurposed, redeployed or reconfigured to meet changing needs. We are seeing clients choosing leasing options to deliver all or parts of their fitout. This nimble approach allows for an easy refresh and the ability to respond quickly to changes if required.

Does Christchurch have any unique challenges and/or opportunities in rebuilding its commercial office spaces? It has been incredible to see the changes in the city and the opportunities that have risen from the rebuild. The approach to change and how Cantabrians easily adapt and embrace new ways of working is definitely leading the charge. Businesses are naturally taking a more agile approach because we know all too well that things can change quickly. There are some incredible office fitouts in Christchurch and it is great to see more customer and employee-focused spaces that are facilitating a flexible work/life blend.

What does the future of the central city look like to you? Post-earthquake the city seemed disconnected. I love how this is changing. The laneways and open spaces where people can come together and enjoy the sunshine and a cocktail or two is probably my favourite part. The city is already buzzing so I’m excited to see what the future holds once the centre feels more complete.

How do you see Europlan’s projects fitting in or contributing to the vibe of the new Christchurch? We love working with businesses that are future-focused and have the wellbeing of their employees front of mind. We create inspiring spaces that perform and support the goals of an organisation and we do that by supplying thoughtful furniture solutions that encourage productivity, collaboration and healthy working environments. We have some clever and intuitive solutions that can support a business and their success.

europlan.nz