Spec Finish

News www.thefis.org 7 Central London urgently needs a larger skilled workforce to decarbonise its commercial buildings. So, led by the City of London Corporation (the governing body of the Square Mile), the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce has been set up to oversee a three- year project to boost the supply of skilled workers for sustainable buildings. It will bring together industry bodies, employers and training providers from across the commercial built environment sector, as well as national and local government. FIS Chief Executive, Iain McIlwee, represents the fit-out sector on the Strategy Steering Board and following the launch of the Taskforce earlier in the summer, he said: “It was an honour to join the Strategy Steering Board and to lead a debate among colleagues looking into the initial research findings and focusing on potential barriers to progress.” If your organisation is interested in supporting the work of the Taskforce then find out more at https://tinyurl.com/297wuve4 Survey reveals office spaces need improvement following pandemic Integrated property consultancy, Barker, conducted a survey of more than 300 London office workers to gauge opinions on the quality of their work environments. The results revealed that 57% were unhappy with the current quality of their office accommodation and felt they were in need of specific types of refurbishments. Respondents revealed that modifications were required to improve health and wellness as well as overall design quality. The most important upgrade wanted by those surveyed was improved ventilation (53%). Second to this was wider spaced desks (44%), less crowded offices (42.5%), and more video conferencing facilities (33.5%). Survey participants also reported that, while over 80% of their employers had made changes since the pandemic, more needed to be done. This signals that the expectations of office workers are much higher in a post-pandemic environment, with 58% revealing the design of an office would influence their choice of employer. Respondents reported that improved access to natural light (75.5%), more plants and vegetation (43.5%) and increased use of natural materials such as wood, stone, and marble (30%) were very important or vital for improving overall spatial quality. Rob Gould, Partner at Barker said “The survey paints a clear picture that office workers are becoming more discerning. They care about their wellbeing at work and their career choices are influenced by the physical environment. In an economy in which attracting and retaining staff is a real challenge, employers should look to enhance their offices to make them more attractive for staff through features such as biophilic and health-centred design.” For more detailed survey results visit: www.barker-associates. co.uk/insights/office-design-in-a-post-covid-world Skills for a Sustainable SkylineTaskforce BIGFOOT PLATFORMS 14_SFMar21.indd 1 04/02/2021 09:14 E Eta N S F C