BCO 2015: Buildings of the future will need more meeting rooms as people seek out human interaction in the quest for a “digital balance”.
Thimon De Jong, director at future trends analyst Whetston Strategic Forsight, told delegates at the BCO Conference in Chicago that people in the workplace needed face-to-face meetings for a digital balance. He added that the demand was not just coming from older staff members but from the under 35s, who recognised the danger of becoming digital zombies.
He said: “There are now digital detoxes and device-free meetings being driven by young, connected individuals, which shows just how much people are aware of needing to strike that balance.”
Howard Tullman, founder of Chicago’s digital and start-up hub 1871, added: “Offices and workspaces today need more meeting rooms. It might come as a surprise but that is what people want. They want to meet in person, to sit down and have a proper discussion.”
