Employees will not need a key to get into the office of the future when it opens in Berlin this year, featuring ample meeting space, plenty of copy machines always stocked with paper along with high-quality air processed to maximise worker health and minimise sick time.
Their smartphones will help guide them around their new workplace — and they may need the assistance because they will not have permanent desks.
With technology changing how and where we work, property developers are tapping artificial intelligence to create more sustainable workplaces to help staff work more efficiently and comfortably. Fierce competition for talent is turbo-charging the trend in Berlin. Office vacancy rates have tumbled to just 1.5 per cent as rents are rocketing, making it an ideal place for developers to showcase the new offices.
Rapid growth of local start-ups such as Zalando and Delivery Hero is driving demand for office space in the German capital. Two new smart offices are under construction in the former no-man’s land of the Berlin Wall, next to the city’s main train station.
Users access the building via a smartphone app that knows their schedules and may suggest sitting by a window or on a floor where a meeting is scheduled. The app can be used to book meeting rooms, order food and navigate the building.
Studies show people work better in environments providing good air quality as well as comfortable noise and humidity levels. Comparing sick leave rates in older and new offices highlights the potential benefits of state-of-the-art buildings.