There’s been a shift in the way businesses use their offices over the last 18 months, shaping office trends for 2022. Lincolnshire-based commercial interior design and fit out company APSS has nearly 25 years’ experience in creating amazing workspaces for businesses across the country and it has been looking at the different ways in which offices are changing. Many businesses are now opting for a more permanent hybrid working environment. The office design post-COVID has certainly changed. So what can be expected from the office environment, and what will this mean for companies? In 2022, office design, the flow of people moving about the office and its functionality are at the top the priority list. With a focus on environmental impact and creating flexible, hybrid working environments, businesses are adapting to a new working format. A pleasant office space increases productivity, boosts staff morale and makes an impression on visitors to your place of business. Biophilic offices are proving popular as they provide a link to nature. Nature friendly offices are becoming highly sought after by leading office designers as they create optimal working environments allowing occupants to work more. They have a positive impact on mental wellbeing, productivity, and morale for all who use the office space.

Hybrid Working Environment

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, around 70% of companies will incorporate a hybrid working environment. Office trends will see a shift to create more varied spaces to work in. This includes more than just the normal banks of desks or office and meeting room space. The hybrid office design supports staff working both in and out of the office environment. They need to quickly access the information and speak to the rest of the team easily. The post-pandemic workplace needs to be far more flexible. The key is organising offices so they are optimized for staff productivity and efficiency. Different business types require various layout ideas. Some require a central meeting hub. Others will require staff to be in full time when it is not possible for them to work from home. In this case the traditional desk spaces will continue to be required. Staff have got used to working from home over the last 18 months. It has become apparent the hybrid working environment is not a passing trend. Staff want more comfortable furnishings in the office and separate areas they can work in a quieter environment. They are requesting freedom of movement in the office rather than being chained to a desk, depending on the work they are doing. Many businesses may find they are rarely at full capacity anymore as more people work from home at least some of the time. This has freed up space in the office for meeting areas and staff amusements like a games area or a table tennis table. It has become more important for hybrid working environments to be a central meeting hub for employees and customers.

Bring Nature Into The Office

According to the EMEA, offices which incorporate natural elements report a 13% higher level of well-being than offices that don’t. More businesses are looking to incorporate biophilic (or green) walls, planter storage units or potted plants to incorporate the outside on the inside. Living plants incorporated into offices will help increase oxygen levels, decrease fatigue and improve concentration levels. This will help boost productivity whether at home or in the office. Wooden slatted walls or area dividers are great for creating separation between departments or work/meeting spaces. They look aesthetically pleasing and create a more natural feel. Alternatively, go a step further and incorporate tree trunks for a unique partition wall.

The Sustainable Smart Office

Businesses are looking at the different ways they can become more environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint. This is because of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties 26th meeting (COP26) being held in 2021. As a country, we need to make big changes now so in 2030 we will start to see the effects of our efforts. The majority of consumers look for businesses which pay attention to the environmental and social impact they have on the world. Making changes to your corporate fleet, recycling more and minimizing business travel are great places to start looking to make a change. But many businesses are also looking to create a smarter office environment which reduces energy consumption. The last couple of years have pushed emerging trends into hyperdrive. What would normally have taken five to 10 years to become the norm in office design, has been forced to happen overnight. Many companies don’t want to go back to what can now potentially feel like the Stone Age. A smart office incorporates the best management tools to help staff work better, faster and happier. Using light sensors, installing automatic doors, using automatic bathroom facilities like flushes, taps and hand dryers is a great cost and energy saving tactic. It also helps reduce the number of touch points in a shared environment. You can even install intelligent climate controls now which detect preferences, usage patterns and regulate the temperate automatically. This could potentially end staff disagreements over whether the office is too hot or too cold. This has helped staff feel more confident in the work environment. It includes the extra benefit of creating a more efficient and environmentally friendly workspace, saving money on electricity and water. It’s a win-win situation. The government is looking at ways to incentivize businesses to use renewable energy. We have found many businesses installing solar panels on roofs which can significantly reduce bills and provides energy for your business.

Office Design for Staff Wellbeing

Office design has changed to incorporate more space between desks to accommodate social distancing. Perspex screens, also known as COVID screens, have become standard fittings in offices that continue to utilize an open plan environment. Alternatively, where offices have more space, the cellular office design is being brought back into fashion. This limits the spread of germs and has proven to reduce absence due to sickness by up to a quarter. It promotes productivity thanks to a quieter environment. Fewer distractions and additional privacy are also a benefit. Cellular offices can be tailored to each team or department’s requirements. Glass partition walls provide a good view of the full office and still allow for maximum natural light to penetrate throughout. APSS are specialists in commercial interiors, office fit outs, car showroom refurbishments, healthcare interiors and educational interiors. Since 1997, the company has been helping businesses to refurbish their premises to ensure the best use of space and productivity – priding themselves on being an approachable and innovative interior fit out specialist. For more information visit www.apss.co.uk

It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Eamon Fox, partner and head of the office agency department at global property consultancy Knight Frank. The death of the office in Leeds is a myth. The market has proved incredibly resilient in the midst of the pandemic and I am looking forward to 2022 with genuine optimism. Headline rents are currently £34 per sq ft and, all being well, I can see them hitting £36 per sq ft by the last quarter of next year, given the high standard of some of the new office space which is coming on to the market. There is a flight to quality, which has accelerated during the past 12 months, as occupiers look for space in which employees feel comfortable and safe. The long-awaited arrival of Channel 4 in Leeds has proved to be a tremendous boost to the city, underlining its potential. The knock-on effect is already being felt with Leeds becoming a magnet for bright young tech, media and creative companies, with state-of-the-art buildings such as Platform, 1 City Square, 34 Boar Lane and Concordia Works welcoming some of the best in class. The education and academic sector will also have an increasingly strong presence in the city centre, with students moving in from the universities for vocational reasons. 2022 promises so much. MRP’s City Square House, next to the station, is going to be another game-changer, with 83,000 sq ft already pre-let to leading global law firm DLA Piper, but there is still another 55,000 sq ft of Grade A brand-new office space available. Meanwhile prestigious developments by Bruntwood, Boultbee Brooks, Kinrise, CEG and Opus North will underline Leeds’s burgeoning reputation as the most progressive city in the north of England. 2022 will be the year of the true pre-let. There are a number already in the making and there will be some wonderful news to share next year.

The Humber could be the location for one of the world’s first low carbon Hydrogen Towns within the decade, after Cadent and Equinor joined forces to realise this ambition. Cadent and Equinor will work together to assess what a hydrogen town conversion could look like in Lincolnshire. Converting the gas networks of a town from natural gas to 100% low carbon hydrogen would drastically reduce the carbon emissions linked to home heating and could bring down overall emissions in the town by around a quarter. Gas distribution network operator Cadent and energy company Equinor have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop the technical assessments and concepts for hydrogen production, storage, demand and distribution for heat, in line with Government targets to decarbonise domestic heating. The Government’s recently published Ten Point Plan and Hydrogen Strategy set out the potential for the low carbon gas to decarbonise gas networks, noting that “heating comprises 74 per cent of buildings emissions in the UK and about 23 per cent of all UK emissions”. It also sets out pioneering trials of hydrogen heating “beginning with a hydrogen neighbourhood trial by 2023, followed by a large hydrogen village trial by 2025, and potentially a hydrogen town pilot before the end of the decade”. The Government is planning an initial ‘neighbourhood trial’ of approximately 300 homes in Levenmouth, Fife, due to start in 2023. Often labelled the UK’s ‘Energy Estuary’, the Humber is the ideal location for such pilots due to the number of proposed low carbon hydrogen production projects, including Equinor’s H2H Saltend, the kick-starter for the wider Zero Carbon Humber scheme. As the gas network operator for Northern Lincolnshire, Cadent would assess which parts of its distribution infrastructure could be used to carry hydrogen instead of natural gas and develop any new infrastructure required. Whilst aiming to initially explore both blending and 100% hydrogen options in targeted pilots in the Humber region, the future ambition is to enable the decarbonisation of the gas grid across the North of England and East Midlands, including to major conurbations in South Yorkshire. Sally Brewis, Head of Regional Development at Cadent said: “Northern Lincolnshire is primed to play a major role in the UK hydrogen for heat revolution. With a Hydrogen Transmission Pipeline already at detailed design stage, potential for large-scale hydrogen production and storage nearby and a gas distribution network that is ready to be re-purposed, it’s clearly an ideal location for a Hydrogen Town pilot. We look forward to developing our plans with Equinor.” Dan Sadler, Vice President of UK Low Carbon Solutions at Equinor said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the Humber to target yet another ‘world first’ in the low carbon energy agenda, making it a beacon for global investment, innovation and economic growth. Hydrogen offers one of the few options to reduce domestic heating emissions and we see great value in these UK trials happening here. We can continue to build on the multiple exciting hydrogen proposals in the Humber, including the flagship Equinor project at Saltend, to make this region a real focus of expertise in this growing sector.”

A £250,000 grant pot of Government cash is to be used to help businesses invest in low energy technology – protecting the environment and jobs. Up to £10,000 will be available to local businesses looking cut their carbon footprint and embrace a more sustainable future. The Sustainability Business Grant can be used to invest in energy production infrastructure such as solar pv panels or biomass boilers and building improvements including insulation and heat pumps. It can also be used to buy energy efficient products including LED lighting and low energy equipment such as fridges and dishwashers. Cllr Rob Waltham, Leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “The Council is committed to being carbon neutral, and this massive injection of Government money will help our businesses go a long way towards achieving that. “We all want a greener, cleaner future for the planet, and we can achieve that by putting North Lincolnshire at the cutting edge of sustainable technology. “This grant is not just aimed at our larger industries – small businesses can make a big difference just by replacing their light bulbs or buying A+ rated appliances.” The grant announcement comes after a £75,000 investment in start-ups was launched last week, giving eligible businesses up to £1,000 to get up and running. It follows more than £200m of Government investment in the region since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. More information on both grants, eligibility criteria and how to apply is on the Invest in North Lincolnshire website.

Two of Lincoln’s largest property specialists, Brown & Co and JH Walter LLP, recently joined forces in a deal handled for JH Walter by Sills & Betteridge’s Lead Corporate Partner, Martin Walsh. The combined business which provides property, business, planning and energy services to corporate and private clients, will continue to operate from both JH Walter’s Lincoln city centre location and Brown & Co’s existing offices on Doddington Road Lincoln, and its other offices throughout East Anglia and the East Midlands. The new trading name of the Lincoln operation is Brown & Co JH Walter. John Elliot, Managing Partner of JH Walter, explained the firm’s decision to bring Martin on board to deal with the sale: “Having been approached by a number of interested parties with a view to merging our long-standing chartered surveying and property sales business, we needed an experienced senior corporate lawyer to assist us in the process. “We had no previous experience of combining with another business. Fortunately for us, the law firm Sills & Betteridge, with whom we have worked for a number of years, had such a lawyer, in Martin Walsh. “Throughout the whole process his experience shone through. He guided us through our preliminary discussions with various interested parties before we reached a conditional agreement with Brown &Co to combine our respective businesses. “During the process to give effect to the combination, Martin’s advice was commercial, practical, clear and concise. In addition, he worked calmly and tirelessly in making sure each issue was properly considered, negotiated and settled to meet the agreed deadline for completion of the combination of the business of JH Walter LLP with that of Brown & Co. “I know I speak for all of the partners in JH Walter in saying we have no hesitation in recommending Martin Walsh and the law firm Sills and Betteridge to anyone considering selling or buying a business as Martin made the process so much more manageable, leading to a successful outcome for all involved.” Martin Walsh added: “JHW have been a very long-standing client of the firm. I was delighted to be able to help JHW and its partners successfully transition their business to that of Brown &Co resulting in a larger complimentary client base and so increased business opportunities for the combined firm. I very much look forward to seeing the business continuing to thrive.”