A new survey of Londoners revealed an appetite for more tech interventions in the office that would allow workers to personalise their working environment.
British Land polled 1,093 London workers and 79% stated they would like to work in a "smart office." Of those surveyed, 88% stated they wanted to control their working environment better and 88% said office buildings should be able to adapt to the behaviour of humans. Three-quarters responded that smart office technology should be adopted as a means of battling climate change.
When asked which smart technologies they did not have in their office that would be appealing, a significant proportion highlighted practical features such as apps to enable room and desk booking (40%) and boarding pass style visitor check-in for instant access (38%). Just over half (51%) said they would like circadian lighting systems that mimic natural light, 39% wanted voice-activated room service, and 53% wanted the ability to create personal heat settings that follow you around the building.
Over 40% stated that meeting rooms where screens work seamlessly with personal devices would be appealing, showing an expectation that the Internet of Things should extend to the office.
Most London workers estimated it would take about four years before those technologies were utilized, though they would like to have them sooner. London office workers associate smart offices with enhanced happiness and well-being. On average, respondents said their general happiness would be boosted 44% if the smart features were adopted, and estimated overall health would improve, on average, by 41%. Millennials saw an even more pronounced effect, estimating a 52% and 51% uplift in their happiness and health, respectively.
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