BCO 2015: Buildings of the future will need more, not fewer, meeting rooms as people seek out human interaction in a quest for a “digital balance”.
Thimon De Jong, director of future trends analyst Whetston Strategic Foresight, told delegates at the BCO Conference in Chicago last week that people in the workplace needed face-to-face meetings.
He added that demand was coming not just from older staff members but also from under-35s, who recognised the danger of becoming digital zombies.
“There are now digital detoxes and device-free meetings being driven by young, connected individuals, which shows just how much people are aware of the need to strike that balance,” said De Jong.
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.”
