Pierre Ferrandon, Country Manager for IWG New Zealand, suggests that flexible workspace could become the new gold standard for greener buildings.
From car-sharing to going paperless, there are many ways to run a greener, more sustainable business – including opting for flexible working space over a permanent office. Green Star is an internationally recognised rating system for the sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings. At the moment, the six-star building design is the gold standard in green construction but, as the flexible workspace industry continues to grow and explore more efficient ways of using space, could it become the next level of sustainability?
In a recent article for LinkedIn, Pierre Ferrandon, Country Manager for IWG New Zealand, suggested that flexible workspace could be the “seventh star” of sustainable buildings. After the basic functionality of a building has a green, carbon-neutral and wholly sustainable footprint, what’s next on the agenda?
According to Ferrandon, the “seventh star” could be awarded to already sustainable buildings that offer flexible workspace – its residents are typically doing shorter commutes, therefore contributing to fewer carbon emissions, and enjoying the physical and mental health benefits associated with a better work-life balance.
Flexible working is one of the fastest-growing trends in the employment landscape. According to the 2019 Global Workspace Survey by IWG, research showed that 50% of employees globally are working outside of their main office headquarters for at least 2.5 days a week.
“As people and employees become more ecologically aware, there will be a growing pressure on employers to show their employees and their clients that they are taking this seriously,” says Ferrandon. “By enabling their employees to work remotely, companies can cut down commuting time, thus reducing the CO2 impact and occupying a highly efficient building both from an energy perspective and a utilisation perspective.”
When a building is at its very greenest, it uses sustainable building materials and has zero negative impact on the environment, so it makes sense to also consider how the space is used. “If we look at the bigger picture, we know that, globally, traditional office space is utilised at 55%,” says Ferrandon. “Therefore, if companies could increase that utilisation through using flexible workspace, it will reduce the amount of new commercial office stock that is needed to accommodate economic growth, which means less impact on the environment.”
In countries such as New Zealand, where currently there’s a housing crisis due to the increased cost of construction, lessening the demand for office space could boost the residential sector. “The traditional commercial landscape is already affected with landlords now partnering with us to bring our flexible workspace format into their building,” Ferrandon adds. “We’ll see an increased focus on quality space, with tenants being able to reduce their traditional lease footprint and supplement it with access to flexspace within the building. This will enable them to scale up and down as their business requires, resulting in better utilisation and greater efficiencies.”
As we become more aware of our environmental footprint and flexible workspace becomes the norm for companies, maybe flexible workspace is the next green revolution.
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