WDS London Featured On Building Design & Construction Magazine
Workspace Design Show featured on Building Design & Construction. Read about it here.
WDS London Featured On Architecture Now
Workspace Design Show featured on Architecture Now. Read about it here.
WDS London Featured On Architecture Magazine
Workspace Design Show featured on Architecture Magazine. Read about it now.
WDS London Featured On London News
Workspace Design Show featured on London News. Read the article here.
WDS London Featured On Facilities Management Magazine
Workspace Design Show featured on Facilities Management magazine. Read the article here.
WDS London Featured On Furniture & Joinery Production
Workspace Design Show featured on Furniture & Joinery Production. Read the article here.
Workspace Design Show reveals a raft of thought-provoking features for 2024 UK edition
This year's edition of the Workspace Design Show (27 - 28 February 2024, Business Design Centre, London), presents an impressive array of features. These bring together some of the industry’s leading designers, architects and built environment partners and range from an immersive forest stage to an interactive lighting installation. Altogether, 2024’s features represent an incredible spectacle for attendees of the Show, which has become a must-visit event for office interiors professionals since its inception in 2021.
Design Talks Lounge by Gensler
Curated by Gensler, the design concept for the Design Talks Lounge at the Workspace Design Show 2024 delves into the overarching theme, ‘Bloom – Exploring the Thriving Ecosystem of Work Life’. This engaging experience aims to shed light on and draw inspiration from nature, encouraging a positive perspective on the evolving worlds of work and life. Established and independent furniture consultants, Hunters, have partnered with sustainably-focussed firms to help bring this feature to life. Office plant suppliers Exubia plays a central role with eye-capturing biophilic design, seamlessly merging live planting with innovative moss elements. This is complemented by a 66-metre custom printed fabric backdrop provided by Kvadrat, featuring a forest design and crafted by the incredibly skilled seamstresses at Waverley. The flooring, supplied by Material Hangout and Mogu, known for its bio-based solutions, reinforces the Design Talks Lounge’s environmental ethos, with the furniture carefully selected from Andreu World, a firm renowned for its commitment to sustainability, with products made from biodegradable and compostable properties. To extend the life cycle and impact of the design of the feature, post-event will see the redistribution of the plants and furniture featured, while the fabric finds a second life in charity projects, ensuring a sustainable and waste-free approach.
Entrance by tp bennett
Architectural, design and planning practice tp bennett is responsible for the design of the feature at the entrance to Workspace Design Show 2024. A series of elegant columns is arranged in a conceptual maze, serving as a symbolic representation of the intricate ecosystem of work life. Each column embodies the essence of ‘Bloom’ – another nod to the event’s theme. They stand tall and varied, representing the diversity of experiences and challenges often experienced in life and at the same time, the structures symbolize the growth, development and resilience of trees in a garden. As you navigate through the varied paths, you encounter different sculptural pieces created by Aectual, each one illustrating a delicate bloom, composed of recycled sustainable materials and textured 3D printed surfaces with accompanying organic biophilia provided by Vantage Spaces and Planteria, both experts in biophilic design & office planting. Vantage Spaces are using preserved foliage, which is harvested sustainably using natural dyes to preserve the stems and ensure they are VOC free, 100% natural & biodegradable. Overall, this conceptual maze invites contemplation on the organic nature of career progression, encouraging individuals to appreciate the beauty and resilience inherent in their professional journey. The feature is finished with a captivating modular, linear lighting system, subtly integrated by iGuzzini with contemporary textiles from Kvadrat and specialist plant lighting from Soltech.
Insights Lounge by BDP
Both the Occupiers Forum and the Sustainability Works sessions will be held in the Insights Lounge, designed exclusively by Lisa Pasi, graduate interior designer with international architects practice BDP. Also addressing the theme of, ‘Bloom’, Pasi’s concept will focus on the symbiotic relationship between man and nature. Hunters once again play a key role in terms of sourcing sustainable partners. Pasi’s vision promotes the purpose and validity of using natural materials within the workplace environment. To this end, wood and stone are not only aesthetically pleasing and foster a sense of warmth but also positively influence mood and well-being. Says Lisa Pasi, “Despite being constantly reminded of our connection to nature through our senses, this association tends to diminish when we find ourselves indoors, surrounded by artificial light and synthetic materials. Therefore, by adhering to biophilic design principles, the inclusion of natural materials will establish a connection to nature, bolstering concentration, creativity, and job satisfaction.” The sustainable credentials of flooring firms Mogu, Material Hangout and Ege carpets also underpin the concept. Overall, visitors to the Insights Lounge can enjoy a tactile experience and encounter the customisable options and unique qualities of natural materials, which are sure to enrich the overall comfort and engagement of individuals in the workplace.
Living Workplace lighting installation
Jason Bruges Studio presents two interactive lighting prototypes on the theme of ‘Living Workplace’. Each prototype is a 1:1 section of an existing, full-scale permanent artwork. The first prototype, called Energy Dynamics, originally developed for the Ukrainian energy company DTEK, uses technology for storytelling. The second prototype entitled The Experience Tunnel, was created for trading firm XTX Markets and introduces interaction to foster human connection and collaboration.
Recharge Lounge
M Moser Associates has crafted a captivating oasis featuring the exquisite Pebble Rubble modular seating range from Italian furniture manufacturer Moroso that transports us to a serene forestscape with planting from Oasis. Amidst the lively atmosphere of the Workspace Design Show, visitors will have the opportunity to be immersed in nature-inspired surroundings, where tranquility and rejuvenation seamlessly converge. As the name suggests, the Recharge Lounge offers an opportunity to reset, refuel and recharge. Additionally, M Moser is creating a digital brand experience, powered by Electrosonic, where design, storytelling, and technology connect in this enchanting retreat.
Collectively, these features will form a key part of Workspace Design Show 2024 and promote meaningful discussions around the future of workplace, particularly in terms of best practice in sustainability. Register now to attend Workspace Design Show.
Designing for Engagement and Flexibility: Elaine du Preez of Salesforce on Evolving Office Spaces
The upcoming Workspace Design Show in London, scheduled for 27 – 28 February, will be packed with insights and innovations on workplace interiors. Among the many speakers scheduled to attend is Elaine du Preez, Senior Manager of Workplace Design for EMEA at Salesforce. This article will explore Elaine’s approach to workplace design, highlighting how Salesforce is leading the way in creating office spaces that balance the need for quiet focus with the dynamic requirements of collaboration and connection.
How do you see offices providing focus spaces, spaces that allow for reduced distraction and high concentration?
Employee engagement, collaboration, and connection have been strong focal points in the industry as we all return to the office post-pandemic. With increased activity and collaboration in offices, the demand for quiet, focused workspaces has risen to ensure the creation of a well-rounded work environment. The design team at Salesforce has developed a balance between group-focused quiet workspaces, such as a working library, and solitary quiet workspaces, like mindfulness rooms, striking a balance between working with colleagues on focused tasks and providing retreat spaces. By offering various work options for employees and empowering them with a choice in their work approach, you enhance both productivity and employee engagement within your office design.
Our theme this year is ‘Bloom: exploring the thriving ecosystem of work life.’ How do you see offices ‘blooming’ in current times?
The landscape of office design and the way we use our offices has changed significantly over the last couple of years. The pandemic accelerated this change for all of us by amplifying the importance of flexibility and work-life balance. A higher focus on flexible work settings and the availability of choice within the office are now requirements for an office space to function successfully. I believe that office spaces truly flourish when we activate the office as a place for connection, culture, and collaboration. We should still provide retreat spaces but also offer employees the choice to work flexibly and remotely when required, empowering individuals to choose how and where they are most successful in their work.
Insights from Collin Burry of Gensler on the 'Bloom' Theme and Emerging Design Trends for 2024
The upcoming Workspace Design Show in London, scheduled for 27 – 28 February, will be packed with insights and innovations on workplace interiors. Among the many speakers scheduled to attend is Collin Burry, Principal at Gensler. This article will delve into Burry's forward-thinking ideas and the design trends he foresees for 2024, offering a glimpse into how workspaces can evolve to be more experiential, responsible, and inclusive in the years to come.
Our theme this year is ‘Bloom: exploring the thriving ecosystem of work life.’ How do you see offices ‘blooming’ in current times?
Corporate design and corporate looking offices are dead, even calling it an office is probably a misnomer. The Workplace creation community has a huge opportunity and responsibility to embrace the change and lean into designing spaces that support the merger of how we live and work today. Together we can “Bloom” into a new archetype of space that brings people together, builds community, creates a sense of belonging, includes EVERYONE and enables the user to thrive - all done in a manner that is healthy for people and the planet.
What design trends do you see for 2024 that will create workplaces that people want to be?
The adage of the mid-Twentieth Century was form follows function. The adage for the latter part of the Twentieth Century was form follows purpose. The adage today is form follows experience, form follows responsibility, form follows inclusion. Workplaces that stimulate, are varied, are imperfect, that truly support the needs of the individual and collective users for hybrid work/life are the future. Designers need to embrace imperfection in a world that is responsible to the planet. We lead the way, as creatives, we always have. Now is our time to show the world a path forward and we will do it TOGETHER.