According to data from the Office of National Statistics, in February 2022 a total of 42% of workers said they planned to mostly work from home, and sometimes from the office. That means just half of the 84% of people who had to work from home during the pandemic have chosen to stay there.
Even as more people return to their usual place of work, hybrid ways of working will continue to be common – which makes designing offices extremely challenging for employers.
Creating an office that has the space for all workers but is flexible enough to deal with changing schedules and needs is a big ask. Luckily, there’s a method of office design that’s up to the challenge; effective, modular office construction.
What is modular office construction?
Modular office construction is a type of office design that aims to provide increased flexibility to employers looking to redesign their offices post-pandemic.
Unlike typical office construction that happens on-site, with modular office construction, most of the structure is built elsewhere and transported to the building site for final assembly.
The Three Benefits of Modular Office Construction
Many companies are now turning to modular office construction techniques, here’s why they are becoming so popular:
- Efficiency
In business, time really is money so, any time that you can save during the manufacturing process is very welcome.
With modular office design, construction can be up to 50% faster than traditional construction approaches. This means that companies can quickly set up their offices and get their workers moved in and operational, resulting in very minimal downtime.
Just because they are produced in a different way, doesn’t mean that they are lacking any of the typical elements that an office needs to be productive. Things like kitchens, meeting rooms, and bathrooms can all be added as per the company’s plans.
- Flexibility
With the changing ways of working that we have seen emerge in the post pandemic landscape, achieving a permanent design that works for everyone can feel impossible.
With modular designs, it’s possible for companies to modify the internal layout of their office to suit the needs of their employees, as and when those needs arise. Rather than being set in stone, the office is flexible and agile, and can be reconfigured on demand.
In practice, this could mean having the option to move internal walls and reconfigure spaces as team sizes and space requirements change. Perhaps more people are coming back to the office and more space needs to be created, or a more open-plan workspace is necessary to create an environment more conducive to productivity. Modular design means that’s entirely possible.
- Cost-effectiveness
It’s much more cost-effective to create a modular office than it is a traditional design. This is mainly because the labour costs of building this type of office are around 60-70% less.
Because most of the office structure has been made in advance, most of the important components are already in place, making assembly and installation much easier and faster.
Create your modular office with SCAPE
At SCAPE, we know what it takes to create an office environment that motivates your employees and is flexible enough to deal with the demands of hybrid working.
If you want to find out how you can update your office using modular construction, get in touch with us today.
