Offices With Amenities Within A 5-minute Radius Are The New Benchmark
GLOBAL – Firms on the hunt for new office space nowadays are increasingly considering how far their employees will have to walk to get lunch or shop for essentials, according to an article from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) that was published on Tuesday evening (7 June, SGT).
Heightened staff expectations are compelling companies to factor in nearby amenities as part of the workplace experience. If amenities are more than five minutes by foot from the front door of an office building, these would-be tenants will look for office space elsewhere, said the property consultancy.
“Coming to work is no longer limited to the office. Amenities within a five-minute radius from the workplace can transform the experience for returning employees and offer a differentiated experience from home,” said Mireille Wan, Senior Director at JLL.
Wan was moderating a panel, who were discussing the transformation of workplace experiences at JLL’s Future of Office event, where industry experts talked about a broad range of issues. One of the topics discussed is that amenities should be within five minutes from the office building.
However, the idea of a five-minute workplace is not entirely new. Mixed-use projects – which enable staff to live, work, and play under one roof – already offer a guide for how five-minute workplaces are designed.
Jones Lang LaSalle revealed that incorporating retail, residential, and office spaces in mixed-use developments like the upcoming South City Square in Australia or Funan and Paya Lebar Quarter in Singapore, have become the benchmark for urban developments in recent decades.
“The progression of workplaces has shifted towards where you can work outside of your desk and your chair. The expansion of mixed-use precincts creates the opportunity for places to work, whether that’s within a retail zone, or even within a yoga studio,” shared Sam Okeby, Managing Director for Development in Asia at Lendlease.
With the workplace expanding beyond the internal office footprint, spaces within and around the office are equally important to the experience. “There’s a need to think about how these non-office spaces can be conducive for the work activity that needs to happen,” added Hui Min Chan, Director at DP Architects.
