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The office aesthetic that has emerged from Silicon Valley and Shoreditch now dominates the real estate sector. But a big part of the occupier market thinks this kind of office is not for them.
About a fifth of small and midsize enterprises think high-design, amenity-heavy offices are inaccessible to them, according to a survey of 500 businesses by fit-out and move firm Crown Workspace.
Just 54% of companies with a revenue of less than £1M believe Google and WeWork-style offices are accessible, the survey found, compared with 92% of companies with a revenue of £50M or more.
“Office design is changing at a very fast pace and so too are the requirements of occupiers,” Crown Workspace Director Simon Gammell said. “There is clearly a missed middle market forming of SMEs who feel this type of workplace is either unobtainable from a cost perspective, or simply it doesn’t meet their needs.
“Landlords and developers need to be mindful of the requirements of this large part of the workforce. Importantly, looking at where it builds new office space, the type of amenities included and above all, the bang for their buck that SMEs are receiving.”
Of those surveyed, more than half (51%) indicated designer offices are too expensive; almost a third said they are in the wrong locations; almost a quarter stated they do not suit their ethos or brand; and more than one in 10 expressed they are not flexible enough for their organisational needs.
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